MAC versus PC - same hardware - sound worse on MAC

I use a 2013 Mac Pro under Mavericks (OSX 10.9.5) and the sound is perfect, whether I use the built-in DAC for output or my external Roland Duo-capture EX at 48kHz sample rate with a 64 samples buffer. What is your pianoteq options setup under both OS? Is it different? Do you use an external USB device (drivers could be the problem)?

I once had a terrible sound on Mac OS. The problem was as follows. I had a sound card the E-mu 0204. In the audio settings (programs> utilities> audio midi settings), 4 audio channels were selected when the card has only 2 channels. Apparently this is the problem of curvature of drivers, which allowed such a situation. At the same time, Pianoteq began to sound like a barrel. (I do not exactly remember, but like in the settings of the sound output of Pianoteq, all 4 channels were selected). I discovered it, changed it and the sound returned clarity and timbre correctness. Judging by the sound, some kind of addition took place in the channels, phase troubles arose and the sound was distorted. Please trace these points. Because in both systems the sound should not be different.

I highly doubt it.

The DSP code that Pianoteq executes is OS-agnostic - it doesn't matter which OS you're running, as long as it's executed on an Intel or an AMD CPU (and recently, ARM), it will sound exactly the same on the same audio hardware. I think you have some settings wrong.

@EvilDragon & @Skip:

As I thought earlier - MAC OS 'calculates' the sound for its live-output slightly different. On MAC OS the sound differs. Less '3D', less clear. Not much, but recognizable. I do not like it.

I rendered a midi-file in both - MAC and Windows over PIANOTEQ. Result:
1) they 'sound' exactly identical when played both on the same system.
2) the same file sounds not identical when played on two different OS (MAC and Windwos)

I never doupted, that pianoteq had nothing to do with this observation. With pianoteq you simple listen more carefully to characteristics of the sound. And this sound ist (in my ears) worse in MAC than with the very same hardware in windows. And I have no glue, what to do to bring them on par to each other because there are simple no options I could fidle with. No sound-options in Windows and no sound options in MAC OSX for the hardware of a MAC MINI 2014.

There is no long 'chain'. Its my Mac Mini and one pair of headphones (B&W P5).

No 'enhancements' in Mac nor in Windows (muliple checked this point).

You see - very simple. The differences in both systems are comparable with the differences lets say between a K2 in pianoteq 5 compared in pianoteq 6. Not extrem, but you recognize it over time and you will prefer one.

Just checked the specs of the P5 series 2 (is that what you have?) - they are very low impedance (22 ohms). If you're going to buy amp or audio interface, try to get one with a very low output impedance - say, 5 ohms or less. But, to just prove that it's NOT the OS, it doesn't matter what you use - just has to be the same equipment on both systems.

Greg

Agreed - that would be a good test. However, even then, there's a chance that Windows will configure the audio interface differently to how Mac OS does. For example, I have seen a case where the output impedance of the integrated audio interface actually changes, depending on whether it has been configured for a line out, or a headphone out.
I'm trying to eliminate the analog characteristics of the audio interface from the equation altogether.

Analogus: if you have a hi-fi amp with a headphone output and a line input, you could use that as the headphone amp. (but I would not recommend it for continued use, because hi-fi amps tend to have quite high output impedances, which are not always compatible with low impedance headphones).

If you play that audio file using a smartphone with those headphones, you may find that it sounds better than both the Mac and the PC. Smartphones have a very low output impedance, and your headphones are designed to work well with smartphones. (and other portable devices) I'm assuming for the moment that the specs of your headphones are the same as the Series 2 specs that I found.
EDIT: found the series 1 specs - not identical but close.

Greg.

@skip & @rac:

- Headphones: I have P5 series one

- Windows on a MAC:
As I wrote at the beginning, we are speaking about WINDOWS/MAC on a MAC MINI already in dualboot. That's the conundrum. Absolutely same hardware, because it's the same machine with two different OS, leading to different sound.

Sadly I do not have an amplifier (I in fact do have one, it's a small tube-amplifier - model TI24 from Cayin - but using it with headphones is no very good idea). And yes, using the P5 with a smartphone functions very well. It's one reason I bought this model. As you wrote, skip, this should not be something of matter if I use same equipment, which I do.

This effect survived over 2 years and with different versions of OS, both MAC OSX and Windows, as I mentioned. All in all its no real problem, I'll use windows in future for pianoteq. But it leaves a questionmark on APPLE. Shouldn't be a Mac THE system for audio-production? That's what I thought. On the other side, Apple is leaving the path for professionalists more and more, turning into a childish system for noobs (sorry, but thats obvious).

@scherbakov:
Yes, I used the same presets.

(and don't forget to try setting the audio interface to the same sample rate as the audio file, to make sure there is no sample rate conversion. I don't know how to do this on a Mac, though)

Another thing that would be useful would be to record the output of both OS's, using a good quality external recorder, and uploading the recordings so that others can hear what you are. I know this might not be easy though.

I really don't understand what could be the problem. The internal DAC is the same as my Mac Pro...

From https://fr.ifixit.com/Teardown/Mac+Mini...down/30410

...  Cirrus Logic 4208-CRZ Audio Codec (a returning champion from a bevy of recent Apple products including the Mid 2013 MacBook Air and Mac Pro)

Waiting for your audio examples...

I'm pretty sure a saved wav file from the Mac and the Windows versions would be exactly the same. The only real test is recording the analog output (from line out) from each version and let us compare those.