DS firmware - what is the lastest on the most musical one?

[Christ]

've got the 19.789 beta for KSDM and ADSM in case anyone is interested.


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LG G4 silicone cover casesam

[Spannko]

Has anyone been brave enough to try Davaar 34 yet?

I can understand anyone's reluctance, given the Linn report that the DS may not re-boot under some circumstances!

I was happily using D34 when I experienced the re-booting problem - it was a real hair raising moment!!! I turned the DS off to do some "Mk1" vs "Mk2" Linn Silvers listening tests, and upon powering up, the DS refused to boot. Because it hadn't booted, it wasn't picked up by Konfig. "No prob" I thought "I'll just use fallback". To my horror, it still refused to boot. It just sat there blinking at me. In a state of panic, all I could think was OMG, this act of stupidity is going to cost me three grand for a new main board! Even though Konfig didn't pick up the DS, under the advanced settings there was an option to "update". Nothing else had worked, so I clicked it. To my relief, it whired into action and a couple of minutes later my DS had re-booted. Everything was working fine and Konfig was reporting that I was now running D35.

Not wanting to repeat the ordeal, I stayed with D35. How bad can it be, really? Even some tune-demmers have said they like it. After a week of soulless "sounds", I couldn't take any more and bravely/stupidly* (delete as appropriate!) went back to D34. Yay! What a relief. I was listening to "music" again :) . I'm listening to John Lee Hooker with Carlos Santana as I type this and I have to say it's very good indeed :) .

[Spannko]

I'll take that as a no, then!!!

I've just downloaded D36(beta), which is getting good reviews on the Linn forum. I'll let you know how I get on when I have a listen tomorrow.

[David Neel]

I've just downloaded D36(beta), which is getting good reviews on the Linn forum. I'll let you know how I get on when I have a listen tomorrow.

I've just done the same, first impressions are very good indeed. I've loaded up a raft of favourite tracks, and so far I've not been tempted to butterfly across them - a good sign. Presentation seems to have greater depth (and richness?) compared to my favourite 4.22.1006. Will listen for a day or two, then revert to see if if it's a change or an improvement.

[donuk]

I have been trying D36 for a couple of days. Certainly it is not a step down from 35, and I feel a bit more musical particularly in the bass.
I don't know if it is psychological, but I have found over the months, that my streamer always sounds better when it is switched off from the front and rebooted after a firmware change.

Now if this were the Linn forum, I might say something like:
I thought that Davaar 35 was the most detailed firmware to date - so good in fact that I could hear the ticking of the conductor's watch.
But now that Davaar 36 has come along, it is so good that not only can I hear the ticking of the watch, I can actually tell what time is says.....

But I won't....
Donuk dark, and has been snowy, downtown York......

[David Neel]

Well, so much for a couple of days' listening, I'm very impatient! I listened last night and early tonight with 36 beta. Sonically it is excellent, but....

As a challenge to myself, I went back to 4.1.10. In the past I've disagreed with others on here about 4.1.10, preferring later Davaars. But, for my system at the moment (recent cable dresssing and rack re-ordering have boosted DS performance), 4.1.10 beats 36 beta hands down on tune dem.

So.... back to 22.1006, and all is well with the world again.

Edit: just seen your post, donuk. Yes, it is detailed, but I found that the extra detail was at the expense of musical flow and coherence.

Further edit: this evening's comparisons were not against more recent Davaars - I did ABAB with 36 beta and 4.1.10, then reverted to 22.1006. An observation: for me the extra detail in 36 was rather like my findings on the Khan LP12 top plate, in that the obvious and appealing additional detail in the foreground was actually obscuring background info.

[lejonklou]

Thanks David!

You just saved me some time keeping up with this madness. Shouldn't it be getting better and better?

[David Neel]

Thanks David!

You just saved me some time keeping up with this madness. Shouldn't it be getting better and better?

It is madness, isn't it? I can't (or don't want to) believe that Linn knowingly release unmusical firmware. But there are differences which I can discern between different releases. They are relatively small, and when I have reread my reports on this thread and then re-run the comparisons, I mostly (but not completely) agree with myself - if you know what I mean! So my own judgement varies a bit over time, or else other variables are being missed.

When I compare Davaars, I first listen to the current version with a mixture of music. Then I re-flash both the ADS/1 and AK/1 to the different version (early on I left the AK/1 alone, but it seems better to compare the full Davaar release on both units together - I've never tried the effect of changing the AK/1 only). When the re-flash is complete, I then do a power cycle before listening. I do not do a factory reset using the fallback button.

Someone suggested up-thread that regardless of new Davaar versions, the DS may benefit from periodic re-flashing. This may well be true (but why?), as I have sometimes been immediately encouraged by a new firmware, like 36 beta yesterday, only to revert and find the previous version (now re-flashed) was actually preferable. So I'm sure that there are more variables than just the Davaar version. Recently I re-connected and re-arranged all my system cables, and despite downgrading the DS from silver to black interconnects, the overall performance improved noticeably, and by a bigger margin than any Davaar changes.

[donuk]

David, I agree very much with most of all you write.
I have 36 in at the moment. Seems to have an overall darker sound to it, but in tune dem terms it is not bad, although I could not swear it to be the best. But that is on my ADS/1. Other machines may be different - indeed they have different software folders.

I wish I knew a lot more about the actual architecture of the DS digital circuitry - I am sure we have a local expert. Clearly a DS has a lot in common with a domestic computer, at least before the DAC.

And I am becoming more certain that a reboot of a DS results in a better sound. Maybe it is not as illogical as it sounds - maybe there are temp files and old updating files that lurk in the memory until it is flushed.

After all my Windows PC benefits for a reboot every week or so.
So guys - anyone else experienced the benefit of just a reboot?
This could explain why some upgrades are thought to sound different when we are simply hearing the benefit of a reboot.

Donuk dark downtown York

[David Neel]

Don,

We both have ADS/1. Do you have 22.1006? If not, PM me with your email address and I'll get a copy to you. It would be very interesting to see if you agree with me on this.

[JSL]

Hello,
I tested 22.1006 towards 35.1521 and 36.1598.
And I can only agree with David that 22.1006 is a lot better,
There is a lot more feeling in the music. A lot more depth in the words and the music. To me that is what tunedem is all about!
But is the 22.1006 the best or are there other versions that are even better ?
In that case there will be many any firmware to test, phew!!!!!
I tested this on an ADS/1.

This development worries me a bit – I am worried that tunedem will be forgotten due to technical functions.
I am grateful that one can play LP12 and not having to worry about these problems.

Stefan

[donuk]

Good points Stefan,
But from my LP12 days I well remember tracking weight, arm height, keeping the stylus clean, before you even get to the subject of drive belts.

After all without all this contemplation and experimentation we would just have to sit and listen to the music......

Donuk sunny downtown York

[JSL]

what is the most musical firmware for KDS/1 . /KRDS/1 ?
I am using today 4.19.799
has anyone found any better?

[lejonklou]

I believe 4.1.10

[JSL]

Yes, but it does not work with KDS/1 motherboard

[lejonklou]

Yes it does. You just have to install it manually.

[Music Lover]

Yes, but it does not work with KDS/1 motherboard

I think that's KDS/2, is it that version you have?
(The latest version, with additional Exakt output)

[JSL]

no it's krds / 1 without exakt,
error message when trying to update to 4.1.10 manually, softeware failed (cold not find klimax renewdsmk2)

you look in the folder that is not krds / 1 with alternative
only dsmk1 , dsmk2 , renewds

if you look in the folder of 4.19.799
are klimax renewdsmk1 and with klimax renewdsmk2
and it works to update manually

[Music Lover]

Great, so the supported HW is specified in each SW version.
This is good thinking of Linn!!

[JSL]

Yes, hate the digital world, which many say is the best thing that happened .
Personally, I think it went wrong when the transistor was invented :)

[tokenbrit]

what is the most musical firmware for KDS/1 . /KRDS/1 ?
I am using today 4.19.799
has anyone found any better?

If you have a KRDS/1, try Davaar 32 against 19. I don't know of a way to install 4.1.10 manually or otherwise on a KRDS/1 - 19.799 was the initial release for the KRDS/1 according to Linn, if I read their release notes correctly. Happy to be corrected if I misinterpreted or missed something

[tokenbrit]

I don't know of a way to install 4.1.10 manually or otherwise on a KRDS/1 ...

Maybe there is a way - as long as you don't have a "Klimax DS Mk2"*. Proceed at your own risk!:

PLEASE NOTE: Renew DS has been renamed Klimax Renew DS. Renew DS owners wanting to roll back to older versions of firmware will need to manually rename the variant folder in the older firmware to match the new model name (i.e. rename 'RenewDs' folder to 'KlimaxRenewDs'). Klimax DS Mk2 devices that have been renewed should not be rolled back as they will not boot.

* I don't know if that's the same as a DS/2. Why can't Linn be clearer on model designations & variations? Probably too much to ask if they won't admit to musical variance between firmware versions, and no longer acknowledge differences between lossless encoding formats...

[lejonklou]

Thank you tokenbrit!

I think you're right in that the renaming is the key.

[JSL]

I tried earlier to rename the folders, the update then started but when the update was done I received a message that the update failed. My DS player stopped working , so then I had to install the software I had before and then the DS started to work again. Do I have to change the names of the files ? Do I dare to do that?
Is there a risk to not being able to recover what I had on my DS before?
I am grateful for all feedback.
Stefan

[JSL]

Thank you Tokenbrit,
Davaar 32 turned out to be better than 19

Regards
Stefan