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Foobar question!

post #1 of 9
9/9/11 at 2:29am
Thread Starter 

I've installed the WASAPI plugin.

 

Under output I've got these options

 

Untitled.png

 

 

I hear sound through my headphones when it's on

DS: Primary Sound Driver, DS: Headphones and WASAPI: Headphones. 

 

In wasapi headphone mode, the music is much louder than in the DS modes

at the same volume level. The Foobar volume control takes a little longer to

respond in wasapi mode. Response is instantaneous in DS mode.

 

Windows volume control is not affected.

 

Is that bad for my laptop? 

 

 

 

 

 

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post #2 of 9
9/9/11 at 2:36am

WASAPI bypasses the default windows volume control so you have to use the foobar volume control instead.

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post #3 of 9
9/9/11 at 3:26am

 

Quote:
Is that bad for my laptop? 

Simply NO, can't say the same for your Headphone though !

Using WASAPI may not improve your audio quality b cuz of your hardware triportsad.gif Sorry.

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post #4 of 9
9/9/11 at 3:38am
Thread Starter 

I'm using the WASAPI headphone setting and I can change the windows volume control (in my taskbar) as well as Foobar's volume control.

When I change the volume via Windows' control, the change is instantaneous but when I change the volume using Foobar's volume control it takes

about a split second longer.

 

Music sounds much louder through WASAPI than through DS at the same volume setting.

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by JRG1990 View Post

WASAPI bypasses the default windows volume control so you have to use the foobar volume control instead.



Yea tbh I don't think there's any difference besides the volume/loudness when I switch from WASAPI to DS. Vice versa.

Gratz on your first post :P


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by UEprime View Post

 

Simply NO, can't say the same for your Headphone though !

Using WASAPI may not improve your audio quality b cuz of your hardware triportsad.gif Sorry.



 

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post #5 of 9
9/9/11 at 9:19am

If you can use your windows volume setting to change the volume on WASAPI output, then it's not correctly configured. You know WASAPI is correctly set up when you can't hear any sound anymore apart from the program using WASAPI output (meaning no more sound from windows, media players, youtube etc.) Also the change in volume is a bit surprising.

Ideally, try to figure out whether you have configured WASAPI correctly, then compare to DS output at same volume level. If you can hear a difference with WASAPI, then use it, otherwise save yourself the hassle (since with WASAPI you can't watch a youtube vid along your music which I do sometimes I admit ;)

Whether you hear a difference or not can also depend on your hardware. I think you won't notice a big change - if at all - with low quality hardware. I can hear a difference with WASAPI on the Asus Xonar DX, which I guess is decent for a PC soundcard, but can't hear a difference with onboard sound (VIA).

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post #6 of 9
9/9/11 at 11:32pm
Thread Starter 

I tried to play a youtube video while playing a song on Foobar (wasapi mode). Youtube video didn't give any sound.

 

I think I've got it configured right.

 

I don't notice any difference between wasapi and ds yet. 

 

Maybe an E7 will do the job. 

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post #7 of 9
9/9/11 at 11:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by koolkat View Post

 

Gratz on your first post :P


pwned, 

 

hadn't seen this, used foobar years ago, just starting to use it again for .iso and such



 



 

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post #8 of 9
9/10/11 at 12:49am

The purpose of WASAPI is not to sound any better than Direct Sound... Direct Sound is perfectly capable of being bit-perfect under ideal circumstances. The real advantage of WASAPI is that it bypasses the system's audio management and is of lower latency than DS. Therefore, if you have a slower machine and are noticing some skipping and/or other degradation of quality when multi-tasking, it might be a good idea to use WASAPI to remedy this. Don't expect any boost in quality though, regardless of what hardware you are using. I wouldn't worry too much about the volume being higher with WASAPI or about the two second lag when changing volume, this is most likely simply caused by the specific drivers that your sound card has. Different sound cards handle WASAPI slightly differently.


Edited by jupitreas - 9/10/11 at 12:55am
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post #9 of 9
9/10/11 at 1:02am

Maybe you should totally bypass the Realtek card and get something like the E7, uDAC2, iBasso or similar. This will definitely make a difference in SQ.

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