Oh, I'm very sorry to hear that. Audiophiles are almost by definition perfectionists, so I can see how unexplained differences would be exasperating. Just like the quiet tinkling noise in a new car where you can't find the source, or the almost imperceptible speck of dust on a DSLR sensor. Been there, didn't like it.
Per your other post, I can understand why Wave Out sounds different and worse: you're probably using the analog circuits in the sound card in the signal chain, and they're likely to be not very good, and inside a bad environment driven by really grubby power. I can also understand why the various "direct digital" outputs sound the same. I'm
guessing that the difference you're seeing below comes from different "direct" (or really not so direct) routing of the digital signal between XP and Win7. Win7 gets a lot of things right, including in the audio area; XP not so much. You're right that ASIO
should be bypassing everything, but it may not. Also, the XP and Win7 drivers may be setting up the direct signal path differently.
Also, it's not impossible that the power in your new, or old PC is causing issues with the digital signal. It shouldn't, but it might. I'm not talking a few picoseconds of jitter, but gross timing and spiking issues.
My bet is the driver. And that the Win7 driver is likely the source of the more accurate sound. But I'm guessing, so it doesn't help you much, sorry.
This is also worrying, because I'm relying 100% on the signal chain in my profile below. I have an old Theta David II CD transport, also feeding my W4S DAC-2, but haven't yet had the chance to listen on a "real" amplifier, as my WES is in its crate waiting for my return. It's being patient, I'm sure, but I'm not! I'm hoping very deeply that the CD->DAC-2 sounds the same as the same CD lovingly ripped and played through Pure Music (or J River, I have both). I'll report back once I've had a chance to get accustomed to the W4S and the WES, and them to me. If I can hear a difference between the three playback routes, then I'll join you in exasperation.
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Yeah, I could understand if it were analog, in fact I would accept that very easily. But to attribute things such as changes in tone to jitter and re-clock issues has always been a stretch for my imagination. The system, as of present is: J River Media Center 16 playing FLAC files > ASIO direct feed to sound card, no-resampling, no processing > optical digital output to CIA VDA-2 DAC > analog output to the WA6. It is as direct as I can make it without a USB DAC implementation. The reason I'm stymied at present is because the device sending signal to the DAC is the same one that was doing so before. I literally yanked this soundcard out of the old computer and put it into this one, but I'm getting different sonic results now. All other settings and modes are identical to what they were on the old PC. I quadruple checked. I mean....... the purpose of ASIO is direct communication with the hardware so I don't see how Windows7 could be affecting this vs. WinXP before, but this is the only thing that is really different. It's just....... exasperating. Between this and another issue I'm having (which I will withhold because it is not relevant to rant about in this topic), I'm finding little joy in music at the moment.
