Does the music player affect the sound quality?

Dec 29, 2011 at 10:45 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 17
WaLaoEh

WaLaoEh

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So lets say I use Windows Media Player, and another player like foobar2000, (which I just downloaded and have almost no clue to how to use it.) Is there going to be any difference in sound quality? 
 
Dec 29, 2011 at 11:07 PM Post #2 of 17
Best answer is to try them out for yourself and decide on your own.
 
People on Head-Fi will say listening to a system during a full moon will change the sound.
 
Ultimately it's up to your ears.
 
 
 
Dec 30, 2011 at 1:51 AM Post #3 of 17


Quote:
mtkversion said:
Best answer is to try them out for yourself and decide on your own.
 
People on Head-Fi will say listening to a system during a full moon will change the sound.
 
Ultimately it's up to your ears.
 
 
Click to expand...


I want to know other people's opinion on this, I can't really tell the difference,lol.. my ears kinda suck. :P
 
 
Dec 30, 2011 at 1:53 AM Post #4 of 17
The sound quality is improved with WASAPI/ASIO, but otherwise, no. I like Foobar2k for its small footprint, and its simple interface. I'm listening to a 24bit vinyl FLAC of Paracletus right now, and it sounds amazing.
 
Dec 30, 2011 at 1:56 AM Post #5 of 17


Quote:
mamaloney said:
The sound quality is improved with WASAPI/ASIO but otherwise, no. I like Foobar2k for its small footprint, and its simple interface.
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I'm sorry ,but I'm pretty new to the world of audio, so could you kindly explain what WASAPI and ASIO is as simply as possible? :)
( I'm only 16 xD)
And what do you mean by small footprint? xD
 
Dec 30, 2011 at 2:07 AM Post #6 of 17
Quote:
walaoeh said:
I want to know other people's opinion on this, I can't really tell the difference,lol.. my ears kinda suck. :P
Click to expand...


If you can't hear a difference, ultimately it doesn't matter if there's a difference or not, but I see where you're coming from by wanting the best just in case.
 
Quote:
walaoeh said:
I'm sorry ,but I'm pretty new to the world of audio, so could you kindly explain what WASAPI and ASIO is as simply as possible? :)
( I'm only 16 xD)
And what do you mean by small footprint? xD
Click to expand...


Bit-perfect plugins like this bypass the operating system's audio mixer and send the signal directly to the sound driver. This ensures that the operating system doesn't do anything unwanted to the signal, like resample it or change the volume. It also gives the audio exclusivity, so that when it's playing no other sounds can be heard (like a YouTube video or OS sounds). The only thing the drivers have to worry about is the music.
 
There's no guarantee it'll change the sound at all, but it will ensure that your player sounds its best so it's always recommended.
 
By footprint I imagine he means it uses little system resources. It can also be customized to look and act however you like it, but takes a little effort.
 
Dec 30, 2011 at 2:11 AM Post #7 of 17


Quote:
head injury said:
If you can't hear a difference, ultimately it doesn't matter if there's a difference or not, but I see where you're coming from by wanting the best just in case.
 

Bit-perfect plugins like this bypass the operating system's audio mixer and send the signal directly to the sound driver. This ensures that the operating system doesn't do anything unwanted to the signal, like resample it or change the volume. It also gives the audio exclusivity, so that when it's playing no other sounds can be heard (like a YouTube video or OS sounds). The only thing the drivers have to worry about is the music.
 
There's no guarantee it'll change the sound at all, but it will ensure that your player sounds its best so it's always recommended.
 
By footprint I imagine he means it uses little system resources. It can also be customized to look and act however you like it, but takes a little effort.
Click to expand...


Yep,I just want the best possible sound. :)
And which plugin bypasses the the OS' audio mixer?  ASIO or WASAPI?? And how do I enable it??
Oh and thanks for the info! :)
 
 
Dec 30, 2011 at 2:18 AM Post #8 of 17
ASIO, kernel streaming, and WASAPI. ASIO's sort of a pain to set up, kernel streaming is simple but can cause problems, WASAPI is pretty much perfect but can only be used with Windows Vista or 7.
 
Just search the internet for the plugin you want to use for the player you want to use, and follow whatever directions you find.
 
Dec 30, 2011 at 2:44 AM Post #9 of 17
 
Quote:
walaoeh said:
Yep,I just want the best possible sound. :)
And which plugin bypasses the the OS' audio mixer?  ASIO or WASAPI?? And how do I enable it??
Oh and thanks for the info! :)
 
Click to expand...



WASAPI is really easy to use with foobar2k. You just download it from the components page, put the .dll in your components folder, (C:\Program Files (x86)\foobar2000\components) and then select WASAPI as the output, I'd also suggest the 31 band equalizer.
 
Dec 30, 2011 at 4:26 AM Post #10 of 17


Quote:
head injury said:
ASIO, kernel streaming, and WASAPI. ASIO's sort of a pain to set up, kernel streaming is simple but can cause problems, WASAPI is pretty much perfect but can only be used with Windows Vista or 7.
 
Just search the internet for the plugin you want to use for the player you want to use, and follow whatever directions you find.
Click to expand...



thanks for your help! :D Just installed and started using WASAPI. Realised it makes the volume louder when enabled. Is there any other differences you've noticed while using WASAPI besides the volume increase?? 
 
Dec 30, 2011 at 4:27 AM Post #11 of 17


Quote:
mamaloney said:
 


WASAPI is really easy to use with foobar2k. You just download it from the components page, put the .dll in your components folder, (C:\Program Files (x86)\foobar2000\components) and then select WASAPI as the output, I'd also suggest the 31 band equalizer.
Click to expand...



Thanks for your help dude! Couldn't find the folder initially. 
 
Dec 30, 2011 at 4:58 AM Post #13 of 17


Quote:
mamaloney said:
 


Yes. On decent gear, there should be a noticeable increase in quality.
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Does a SoundMAGIC PL50 or a Sennheiser HD419 count as decent? xD
 
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