Pure Music

So, I have been a huge proponent of PM for about 4 plus years now. I love their licensing and the updates. Up until this latest update, it has always been a slight bug fix or a new feature (like the DSD playback) but the one thing I could always count on was the sound. The sound was always the same or maybe tweaked ever so slightly for the better. Imagine my surprise when I installed the latest version of the software and the whole thing collapsed (sound-wise that is). I mean it lost that magic (think of that inner lit magic of a superlative 300B SE) and kinda moved to a more modern dac sound. The sound was very Crystalline and VERY resolving with ABSOLUTELY NO WARMTH OR EMOTION. I went back and forth with the previous version (I think 1.88a) and their was simply no contest.

As a result I have not upgraded and continue to run the previous version of the software.

I have used PM with my former Bidat/MSB PowerDac/Ayon CD5S (did not own the Ayon)/Metrum Octave + Diverter HR/PS Audio PW Dac (did not own this unit)/ and my current reference the AMR DP 777.

PM suggested that I have a 3rd party switch it so I would not expect the outcome.... WAIT..,WHAT? First off I know what I hear, I am not one of those audiophiles that needs another person to TELL me what I am hearing. Secondly, I have gone through about 7 or 8 upgrades since I purchased the software and this type of drastic change in sound has never occurred and lastly my own comparisons over 4 iterations CLEARLY told my ears that something different and not so good has taken place.

I can not prove it but I hypothesize that they tweaked their audio engine and IMHO.., not for the better. I want to hear from others if they have experienced the same thing.