"Pure Music" software discussion thread

[dvb-projekt]

Hi to all.

I want to start this new thread to share the experiences with the
Pure Music software from Channel D.

Please don´t pollute this thread with statements like "Voodoo" ect.

What i would like to have is a factual discussionabout this Mac software.
----------------------------------------------

I for myself use this SW now for about 2 weeks and to be honest, i am absolute surprised.

My iTunes files are all in ALAC and i thought there could be no differences between iTunes and other bit perfect playback solutions.
My sound tests between iTunes and Pure Music V1.65a shows, that i was wrong.

With listening for a short time in standard 44.1KHz modus, i now used the upsample modus with 96KHz/16bit (max. resolution for my Teralink X2 and my TDA1541A DAC).
The playback in this modus is absolute awesom in every way. No comparison to the iTunes playback.

So besides my findings, i am very interested to your opinion.


Best regards,
Oliver

[jrenkin]

I have been using Pure music for a couple of months now. They and Amarra have free trials, so you can check out any differences yourself. I don't know of others that play like this through itunes.

I can make a lot of comments. they may come slowly while I am at work.

1. Definitly both make a positive difference. Astounding really, but you don't realize how poor itunes is until you try one of these programs. Amarra may be a little better sounding, but I didn't try that long because Pure music has a ton of features that Amarra doesn't, unless you perhaps get the $695 version. The "junior" and "mini" versions are so limited, you may as well buy Pure Music for $165 or so.

2. There are definitly bugs in the interface. you have lots of set up options and sometimes a small mistake will make something happen like not moving to the next track or something. I have multiple instances where there is a glitch in how the itunes interface works and I gets pulsating bursts of incomplete music. Always fixed with a reboot.

3. The sound improvement is definitly worth minor inconveniences like that above and the learning curve. There are many, many featurse and options and you can add modules or use the supplied ones to digitally modify, equalize or even cross overs. you can upsample, down sample and play native high sample rates. All good, if a little confusing. I am a fan of front end digital room treatment/equalization and this does that well. It has a limitation/oversite in saving equalization files, so you can lose data, but it sounds great and is very flexible. Audio hijack Pro has a better interface for this, but doesn't have the sound quality. It distorts a lot, this doesn't.

Overall, I highly recommend it! Amarra if you are a pro, but it is too expensive for me. Pure Music makes about the same difference as going from a lousy cheap DAC to an excellent high end DAC and you should do both.

For me, money well spent, but I hope there are user interface improvements, stability improvements and more options in the future.

[dvb-projekt]

Witch USB to I2S/SPDIF converter you are using?

[planet10]

I am planning to buy PureVinyl this week, but neeed to vertify it runs (they ask you that before you order). My primary purpose is to capture LPs, the sonic benefits i find intriging. I have to use the XO capabilities as well. I have an Edirol FA-66 Firewire ADC/DAC (4 channels 24/192).

I own/owned an OS 9 version of Mac-the-Scope, and have met Robert. 1 guy working on a complex piece of software. My experience is that he just keeps working away at it.

I'll post updates as i gain experience.

dave

[jrenkin]

I think you will enjoy it.
i thought itunes was pretty good, but I guess, not so much.
Although i mentioned some issues with Pure Music, they are minor compared with the benefits and and you get an awful lot for your dime. i get the impression that it will continue to evolve.

I have been using a RED Wine Isabellina (early model), a NOS battery powered DAC with USB input. Sound is very nice, although Vinnie at RWA has been making dramatic changes to it and improvements.
Recently, i finished a TPA setup. Buffalo II with Legato abd at the moment am using the TPA USB to I2S/SPDIF as I2S input to the Buffalo II. Sound is awesome, but I really haven't played with it much yet. I am waiting on one of Jkeny's new modified M2 hiface USB to I2S, so that should be fun and allow higher bitrates and sampling. Both the TPA USB module and the Isabellina are limited to 44.1 Khz sampling.
I haven't had an opportunity to play with the crossovers in pure music. I don't have a multiband DAC and only just now have several USB inputs that are possible. I an sure channel matching will be a hassle, but I have some "experimental" speakers and I really would like to see how the crossover stuff can help me design a better crossover.

[jrenkin]

BTW it looks like there is a 15% discount if you buy it before 12/18
just was at the website...

[dvb-projekt]

Yes, i got the discount!

[planet10]

Originally Posted by jrenkin

I have been using a RED Wine Isabellina (early model), a NOS battery powered DAC with USB input. Sound is very nice, although Vinnie at RWA has been making dramatic changes to it and improvements.
Recently, i finished a TPA setup. Buffalo II with Legato abd at the moment am using the TPA USB to I2S/SPDIF as I2S input to the Buffalo II. Sound is awesome, but I really haven't played with it much yet. I am waiting on one of Jkeny's new modified M2 hiface USB to I2S, so that should be fun and allow higher bitrates and sampling. Both the TPA USB module and the Isabellina are limited to 44.1 Khz sampling.

You should really try out one of the MI Firewire DACs... probably possible to arrange to borrow/rent one from a local musical instrument store.

dave

[planet10]

Well i got my 1st piece of vinyl into the computer. Listening to the recording as we speak... took a bit of poking & fiddling to get it working, and i'm sure that there are some things to learn.

One thing i really want to try (need some cable adaptors/build some cables) is the digital RIAA.

I can now comfortably take advantage of the 15% discount.

dave

[soundcheck]

Hi there.

Pure Music and Amarra are just piggy backing on what's been discussed and available under Windows and Linux for years.

Over years especially DAC manufactureres and Apple users where claiming how great and bitperfect iTunes was performing.
Until Amarra showed up ( last year) with an insane pricetag >1300$ for a bit of system tweaking and piggy backing on iTunes. ( Great to have Apple customers around who pay what's being asked for. )
Can you imagine that people bought that plugin at such a pricetag.
Amara was first in Appleland of course. The pricetag dropped heavily in shortest time as soon as Pure Music showed up. I never read complaints such as "rip off". ( Perhaps a typical Apple customer attitude to never feel being ripped off )
However Amarra showed that iTunes was not bit perfect and beside that
was not sounding that well.

That must have been a shock for the audiophile Apple community, who believed that they were running the best OS ever (in audiophile terms)


It's a known fact and been discussed a hundred times that optimizations on the OS side will have a positive impact in sound-quality on the majority of audio interfaces. ( I started with it 4 years ago in the "Linux audio the way to go thread" over here. - there you'll find a lot of optimizations listed, which now went into those Apple players ( ramplayback,asf.asf.)

The underlying rule behind those optimizations is: "less is more".

The less stuff you got running on the PC the lower the impact on the
data stream will be.

And that's exactly why you'll NEVER manage to get best sound from your Apple PC.


Your might also have look at alternative FOC OSX implementations:

Audirvana

or

AyreWave


See also XXhighend, cplay and meanwhile even J.River caught up for Windows based implementations.


I for myself pushed Linux to its limits. (headless realtime-kernel system based on ecasound respectively SB Touch Tuning which is also based on Linux )


Cheers