Windows vs macOS

[supernova]

Hello everyone. Recently I have made a post asking if I'm deaf or why I experience such bad sound quality. DAC seller recommended to try testing the sound on windows (it's a home-made DAC based on ES9038Q2M chip. Not a cheap one ).
And on windows everything sounds fine - no meat but it's crystal clear ( I'm new to the audio world so please excuse my lexicon).
On Mac it sounds awful. I can't describe what exactly is wrong. When I first listened to it it made me feel like there is some obstacle between my ear and headphones. I can't say what exactly is wrong. It's just so bad listening on macOS.
I am using Apple Music as main source but for the experiment I have downloaded the same album with same resolution to windows (played via foobar) and macOS(audirvana).
My setup - home made DAC, drop thx one with no balanced outputs, drop hd6xx. MacBook Pro 16.
Can someone help me make it sound good on Mac? EQ, all the sound changing things, dolby etc all off. Tried configuring midi - no effect at all.

 

[Jdunk54nl]

What settings do you have in audio midi for the dac?

Also what mac and what version of OS are you running on it?

 

[supernova]

What settings do you have in audio midi for the dac?

Also what mac and what version of OS are you running on it?

Macbook pro 16 11.4

 

[bluefuzz]

My first thought is do you hear the same differences using a DAC that isn't 'home made'?

I am using Apple Music as main source but for the experiment I have downloaded the same album with same resolution to windows (played via foobar) and macOS(audirvana).

You need to establish you are listening to the exact same source for the comparison to be meaningful. I'd certainly try to take Apple Music out of the equation for the time being, i.e. does the same known flac file sound different too?

 

[supernova]

My first thought is do you hear the same differences using a DAC that isn't 'home made'?

You need to establish you are listening to the exact same source for the comparison to be meaningful. I'd certainly try to take Apple Music out of the equation for the time being, i.e. does the same known flac file sound different too?

No opportunity tp listen to the other dac
As i mentioned in my post - I didn’t use apple music in my experient

 

[Roland68]

Is the Dac an "open" structure (circuit board without housing)?
Is it a separate XMOS board that is connected to the i2s with cables?

Have you ever used a different USB cable? I already had cables that did not work or did not work properly.
Is the USB cable connected directly to the Macbook, or is there something else in between?

 

[supernova]

Is the Dac an "open" structure (circuit board without housing)?
Is it a separate XMOS board that is connected to the i2s with cables?

Have you ever used a different USB cable? I already had cables that did not work or did not work properly.
Is the USB cable connected directly to the Macbook, or is there something else in between?

Yeah, I have tried using another cable. Usb cable is connected via anker hub

 

[aandres_gm]

I'm not sure what the output chain on MacOS looks like, but from Darko's last video on the topic, I believe it is not fantastic. It appears to always have a fixed sample rate, at least, which means down or upsampling depending on your music

 

[Roland68]

Yeah, I have tried using another cable. Usb cable is connected via anker hub

Then leave out the HUB.
Did you also have this HUB connected to Windows?

 

[supernova]

Then leave out the HUB.
Did you also have this HUB connected to Windows?

Hub has usb c input.
my mac doesnt have usb input
I will find a way to ditch the hub, thank you

 

[Roland68]

I'm not sure what the output chain on MacOS looks like, but from Darko's last video on the topic, I believe it is not fantastic. It appears to always have a fixed sample rate, at least, which means down or upsampling depending on your music

Where do such rumors come from? Or was that just related to Apple Music?
A Mac is very transparent in the relationship. You can play the titles in the original resolution or by up- / downsampling in the desired resolution.
With Audirvana you can set everything as you wish, I always hear with the original resolution.

 

[Roland68]

Hub has usb c input.
my mac doesnt have usb input
I will find a way to ditch the hub, thank you

It should work with such adapters.
https://www.amazon.de/Adapter-Thund...625917592&sprefix=usb+c+a,aps,186&sr=8-5&th=1
https://www.amazon.de/JSAUX-Adapter...1ED6JEOF71PSI&sprefix=usb+c+a,aps,186&sr=8-19

 

[dpippel]

Where do such rumors come from? Or was that just related to Apple Music?
A Mac is very transparent in the relationship. You can play the titles in the original resolution or by up- / downsampling in the desired resolution.
With Audirvana you can set everything as you wish, I always hear with the original resolution.

It's an Apple Music problem, since the macOS app doesn't have the ability to take exclusive control of the DAC. Other streaming service macOS apps (such as Tidal, Qobuz, etc.) don't have this limitation.

 

[eas]

Are you sure that EqMac isn't doing something?

As for some of the other comments. Resampling by MacOS to and from any reasonable sample rate is very unlikely to have a perceptible impact. Still, making everything match for these tests isn't a bad thing.

 

[supernova]

Are you sure that EqMac isn't doing something?

As for some of the other comments. Resampling by MacOS to and from any reasonable sample rate is very unlikely to have a perceptible impact. Still, making everything match for these tests isn't a bad thing.

I have installed eqmac to try to get a good sound.

 

[supernova]

Then leave out the HUB.
Did you also have this HUB connected to Windows?

Windows doesn’t have usb c

 

[Roland68]

Is the DAC supplied via USB or via a 9 volt power supply?

 

[supernova]

Is the DAC supplied via USB or via a 9 volt power supply?

9volt power supply

 

[supernova]

The problem is not with the hub