INTERACT FORUM

Bob - Since I updated the Mac Mini from Sonoma 14.5 (beta) to the official release of 14.5 I'll cover that first.
Installing 14.5 has a couple of "scary" bits in it; ever since I've had the mac mini every update install has had 2 occasions where the small Apple Icon and Progress Bar has been replaced by larger versions. For some reason known only to Apple for 14.5 they have replaced those 2 larger image screens with very "scary" blank screens.
From the limited amount of testing I was able to do it thankfully Apple have not added any of those (usually) undocumented changes that end up breaking something in MC.


I'm not sure if it is something to do with this change; 17. Fixed: Maximizing some windows like Options could be a problem in the last builds on some displays.
But Maximising either the Tools >> Options or DSP Windows causes problems:-
The header bar goes missing so the only way to close the maximised window is by hitting the cancel, ok or done buttons.
If the user then reopens the window they maximised thankfully it opens with an intact header bar and the only way to get it to go back to it's original size is to do it manually by very carefully find the resize arrows and drag them.

 

DXD is just a made-up marketing name for 352 Hz PCM. I believe it was coined to compete with DSD when that first came out.

MC plays DXD fine and if your DAC wants a lower sample rate, then DSP Studio can downscale it to the appropriate sample rate.

Neumann or Genelec is a way to go. i prefer Neumann.

Good speakers at a different price point. At that level there are lots of options for bookshelf speakers, not just monitors. But most are pretty big for an actual desktop.

All four test files at the link above play fine for me in MC32 at their native bit-depths and sample rates. Here's a screenshot of the audio path when playing back the 32-bit/352.8 kHz WAV file in MC32...



If it works or not without the need for dithering and/or resampling is all going to depend on what the audio output devices supports and how it's connected, so your results may vary. However I can say that over USB using my iFi ZEN DAC 3 all four files play fine.

the latest version 11.2403.5.0 of Windows Media Player can successfully decode and directly play those 3 DXD audio files (*.WAV & *.FLAC) without external DAC.

Because it's resampling them. I opened the three PCM files in Windows Media Player 11.2403.5.0 and it's definitely, absolutely 100% resampling them. My DAC informs me what sample rate it's playing at, and it's not going above 48 kHz so it isn't playing back at native 352.8 kHz like MC32 can.

As I said before, Windows Media Player goes through the Windows system mixer, meaning it's going to dither and/or resample the audio without informing you so playback will always work. Windows Media Player isn't good for testing things like this nor is it a valid test as it'll always resample to whatever bit-depth/sample rate you have it set to in Windows' sound settings for the audio output.

You can achieve the same thing in MC32 by going into DSP Studio > Output Format and setting the output for 352,800 Hz to a lower sample rate like 48,000 Hz or 96,000 Hz or whatever the max sample rate your output supports. It'll play it like Windows Media Player does, but like Windows Media Player it won't be playing it back at the native 352.8 kHz.

Thanks much EnglishTiger!

Yes it is possible to change the color of the progress bar.

What you need to do is copy the skins folder to somewhere like your documents folder; then in explorer you need to rename the folder you have just put into your documents folder.
Next in explorer open that renamed folder locate the main.xml and open it in a proper like editor like notepad++ and change the name of the skin and save the modified main.xml.
Then locate the image named PlayerBar_SliderPosFront.png in that folder, open it in an image editor and change the color to a more acceptable one and save it.
Finally copy that folder back to the MC Skins/Standard View folder.

NOTE if you don't change the Skins Folder Name and the Skin Name in the main.xml file MC will replace your modified skin with the standard one if and when you install an MC Update.

Windows Media Player goes through Windows' system mixer, so if whatever device you're trying to output to either only supports up to 192 kHz or doesn't support 352.8 kHz it'll silently resample it so it'll never be a bit-perfect output. MC doesn't do this and will display an error when it can't playback a file at the native sample rate of the file. If you get an error while trying to playback a 24-bit/352.8 kHz file in MC, it's a possibility. You should see what your DAC/receiver/renderer/etc. supports over whichever audio output you're using. How are you outputting the audio? USB? HDMI? Optical/Coaxial/SPDIF? DLNA? Some audio outputs have a lower supported maximum sample rate than others.

That said I don't know if MC actually supports DXD, assuming it's some sort of special format like MQA or DSD as I don't have any DXD content to test with. However if DXD is nothing but a downloaded 24-bit/352.8 kHz FLAC file for example, then it'll depend on what the maximum sample rate your DAC/receiver/renderer/etc. supports over the audio output you're using.

https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/music-reviews/what-we-hear-with-dxd-32-bit-files/
1-18-2024 | By Rushton Paul | Issue 131: What We Hear With DXD 32-bit Files (Free Sample Downloads)

FYI: The above webpage has provided 4 FREE audio files for comparative listening -

1. DXD 32-bit 352.8 kHz [FLOATING POINT] WAV: Track 8, "Funeral March Of A Marionette"
2. DXD 24-bit 352.8 kHz [DITHERED] FLAC: Track 8, "Funeral March Of A Marionette"
3. DXD 24-bit 352.8 kHz [TRUNCATED, NO DITHER] FLAC: Track 8, "Funeral March Of A Marionette"
4. DSF 1-bit DSD256: Track 8, "Funeral March Of A Marionette"

NOTE: Except the last *.DSF audio file, the latest version 11.2403.5.0 of Windows Media Player can successfully decode and directly play those 3 DXD audio files (*.WAV & *.FLAC) without external DAC.

Is it possible to change the color of the progress bar from the current light blue color set against a grey background to something with more "pop" or contrast.  At a distance I am having a hard time seeing it or maybe I am beginning to go color blind to that specific frequency of light.

Thanks in advance!

Neumann or Genelec is a way to go. i prefer Neumann.

Odd, it should start on the left, why would it cut off there. I'll try to check it out.