[WindowsX]

I tried searching in Google but couldn't find any post showing measurements between these outputs.
 
Do graphs show any difference among them?
 
Do they all sound the same to your ears?
 
Which one is your preference?

 

[chaos215bar2]

If they're all bit-perfect, aren't they the same by definition?
 
Unless the software stack falls behind in providing data to the audio hardware, you're getting precisely the same output. Any problems could just as easily be introduced at the driver level (which may affect any audio steaming API, though a given driver might be better behaved under one API than another) as in whatever software you're using for playback. One API may generally be more stable, but if they're working properly, why would there be any difference?

 

[WindowsX]

  If they're all bit-perfect, aren't they the same by definition?
 
Unless the software stack falls behind in providing data to the audio hardware, you're getting precisely the same output. Any problems could just as easily be introduced at the driver level (which may affect any audio steaming API, though a given driver might be better behaved under one API than another) as in whatever software you're using for playback. One API may generally be more stable, but if they're working properly, why would there be any difference?

 
They're all bit-perfect yeah. Do you have Windows audio PC? Have you tried comparing them with audio player software like maybe foobar or J River?
 
Regards,
Keetakawee

 

[chaos215bar2]

   
They're all bit-perfect yeah. Do you have Windows audio PC? Have you tried comparing them with audio player software like maybe foobar or J River?
 
Regards,
Keetakawee

No, unfortunately. I have used Foobar in the past but don't currently have a Windows PC for playback. I can only advise from a technical standpoint, though if you can detect any difference between APIs, I would postulate that either the playback software is misconfigured or the audio driver is doing something wrong. If the same bits are being delivered to the audio hardware, you should be getting the same audio signal out of said hardware (analog or digital).
 
If one wants to go down the rabbit hole of considering how things such as bus traffic or interrupt timing might affect analog aspects of the signal they're getting out of their audio hardware, then all I can say is that this should be a non-issue in any well-designed equipment. I would be very hesitant to believe any reported audible differences without some kind of objective evidence to support the claim.

 

[PETEBULL]

Default output is not bit perfect. First of all it lowers volume when detects clipping - if you play lower bitrate lossy formats at 100% of player loudness, clipping occurs. In most cases it is inaudible but still a fact. Don't remember all the process of measuring but it did show difference in graph. Second, I heard rumors that it introduces 2 bits of noise needed for mixing purposes or other stuff.

 

[theveterans]

^ it's a necrothread and it's better to just start your own thread IMO.