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THE project behind pureASIOPLAYER

The project for PAP was born in 2015 as I needed a transparent player for my ASIO DAC. Many players have several wonderful functionalities: But what if we want to play that album to the best audio quality possible? This single, and valuable, functionality gives top priority to the sound. As it just needs to load the files in that album's folder so as to play them soon, it is Zen style :)

Thus I decided to write a minimalist player keeping a pristine audio signal path with a simple CTRL-C menu. I soon discovered that equivalent versions of the code were sounding differently. Thus I put a lot of effort in understanding which changes are more transparent using sophisticated code optimization and blind A/B listening. This goal is technologically challenging besides the apparent simplicity of the interface: it is quite similar to audio mastering as the sound should translate well in other systems.

After trying PAP for some years, some friends (thanks for beta testing and spending many hours in listening the versions!) suggested me to share it with the audio community, so this is why I set up this site. My job is in research on efficient algorithms, massive data and complex systems. I started programming over 30 years ago. I am also an audio lover: only recently I got convinced that home computer audio can achieve top quality as it is in professional studios.

My setup is made of ATC SCM50ASL pro active monitors, Merging Hapi DAC with custom linear power supply, Grimm CC2 clock, high-end desktop PC with dedicated linear power supply and fiber media converters, in an acoustically treated room (see picture below). Desktop monitoring uses Yamaha HS5 speakers, Topping D30pro DAC, and standard laptop.

During these years I performed measuring with profiling and other tools, along with listening in around 20 different concert halls. Among them, the best one I visited in open space is the <Arena of Verona>, which is an ancient Roman amphitheater (picture below to the left); in closed space the best one I visited is <Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall>, a real jewel in sound and acoustics (picture below to the right), which rivals those of prestigious concert halls. In both venues, you can listen well in almost any seat, and the quality of sound is really amazing.

I strongly believe that Pure Asio Player is not merely the outcome of coding, experimenting, and measuring, as a major part in this is training my ears to many concerts in acoustically treated halls, and to the silence of running in the woods and open-air swimming. People helped me a lot in blind testing the outcome, I am very grateful to these friends.

--Rob, the crafter behind PAP (member of Gearspace and other audio forums)