[Shizdan]

What should I use with Foobar and Windows 7 x64. I am looking for the best sound quality. I hear about Asio, Wasapi and Kernal Streaming. I heard that all Wasapi does is just mute all other sounds except the ones coming out of Foobar, I could care less about that. I want to know If I use one of those 3, does it improve sound quality and which one should I use with my setup.

 

[Mr. B]

ASIO, KS and WASAPI should all provide the same result...

From the search engine...

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f46/di...wasapi-429109/

 

[SirDrexl]

WASAPI also gets you bit-perfect audio, as it bypasses the Windows mixer. The other techs will mute the audio as well (at least I know KS will, but I believe it's made for XP so I would use WASAPI or ASIO). I use WASAPI myself.

Just make sure Foobar's volume control is set to maximum. That was the only slider I could find that messed up the bit-perfect audio when I did tests using the SPDIF passthrough of my sound card.

BTW, the muting isn't just for the heck of it. You must mute the audio from other sources to keep it bit-perfect in the first place, as any other sound mixed in will obviously change the signal from the music player.

 

[vengeancerr1]

I understand about not using the foobar volume control but what I would like to know is bypassing it better or worse than having the audio being clipped on the loud parts or on a song that has too much volume applied at the studio? I have an EMU 1616 sound card and it has a program called patchmix which is a kind of mixer but software. It has peak level meters that you can monitor the incoming signal with and when I turn the foobar volume control to 0.0 with ASIO its almost always clipping and lighting the red lights.

This info was taken from my sound card manual about clipping:


"One of the most obvious uses of the insert meters is to set input levels. On the analog
inputs, the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is one of the most critical points in the
signal path. You want the input signal level to drive the 24-bit ADCs into their
optimum range without clipping. A reading of 0dB on an input meter indicates signal clipping.

Digital audio has NO headroom past 0dBFS (FS = Full Scale) and will “hard clip” if the
signal exceeds 0dBFS. Hard clipping sounds bad and will ruin your recording. Hard
clipping occurs because at 0dBFS, all 24 bits are turned on and the A-D cannot measure
any higher level. Analog tape, unlike digital, can be driven past 0dB, although with
some degradation of the signal."

I realize it mentioned ADC's and not DAC's. Could this not apply to digital to analog conversion or when passing through DAC's?

 

[fenixdown110]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shizdan /img/forum/go_quote.gif What should I use with Foobar and Windows 7 x64. I am looking for the best sound quality. I hear about Asio, Wasapi and Kernel Streaming. I heard that all Wasapi does is just mute all other sounds except the ones coming out of Foobar, I could care less about that. I want to know If I use one of those 3, does it improve sound quality and which one should I use with my setup.

They all bypass the Windows mixer. ASIO and Kernel work universally. wasapi is Windows 7 exclusive. All of them are bit-exact outputs. I find ASIO has less glitches and no lag. Kernel is still experimental and may make your system unstable.
Quote:

Originally Posted by vengeancerr1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I understand about not using the foobar volume control but what I would like to know is bypassing it better or worse than having the audio being clipped on the loud parts or on a song that has too much volume applied at the studio? I have an EMU 1616 sound card and it has a program called patchmix which is a kind of mixer but software. It has peak level meters that you can monitor the incoming signal with and when I turn the foobar volume control to 0.0 with ASIO its almost always clipping and lighting the red lights. This info was taken from my sound card manual about clipping: "One of the most obvious uses of the insert meters is to set input levels. On the analog inputs, the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is one of the most critical points in the signal path. You want the input signal level to drive the 24-bit ADCs into their optimum range without clipping. A reading of 0dB on an input meter indicates signal clipping. Digital audio has NO headroom past 0dBFS (FS = Full Scale) and will “hard clip” if the signal exceeds 0dBFS. Hard clipping sounds bad and will ruin your recording. Hard clipping occurs because at 0dBFS, all 24 bits are turned on and the A-D cannot measure any higher level. Analog tape, unlike digital, can be driven past 0dB, although with some degradation of the signal." I realize it mentioned ADC's and not DAC's. Could this not apply to digital to analog conversion or when passing through DAC's?

I'm assuming your music files are lossy. If the loudness of them is causing clipping, just ReplayGain them. Problem solved. I posted about this in depth in this other thread.
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f9/lou...ml#post6237910

 

[vengeancerr1]

I notice the clipping on lossless files as well. I can control the volume level of mp3 files using mp3Gain.

 

[fenixdown110]

foobar supports ReplayGain. Just right click, scan, and set.

 

[vengeancerr1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenixdown110 /img/forum/go_quote.gif foobar supports ReplayGain. Just right click, scan, and set.

So as long as I use the scan and only when replaygain adds the metadata and not modify the actual data in the file itself, it should be a lossless process? I notice Foobar has three different options for replaygain processing. Do any of those do a lossy conversion or prevent bit perfect playback or is it just a setting according to whats written in the metadata part after replaygain was applied?

 

[sonci]

I tried all ways with Wasapi, the fact is that its not bit perfect,
Probably some security reasons prevent software to reach hardware in vista and 7,

 

[apnk]

I use ASIO because (on my computer anyway) with WASAPI there is a noticeable lag time which is only less than half a second when playing/pausing, but enough to annoy the hell out of me.

 

[ShinyFalcon]

I like ASIO, it really makes the graphic equalizer in foobar very responsive and sharp, given buffer size within ASIO is maxed at 2048 samples. With anything else it's slow and bounces in an unexciting way...

 

[fenixdown110]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vengeancerr1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif So as long as I use the scan and only when replaygain adds the metadata and not modify the actual data in the file itself, it should be a lossless process? I notice Foobar has three different options for replaygain processing. Do any of those do a lossy conversion or prevent bit perfect playback or is it just a setting according to whats written in the metadata part after replaygain was applied?

Exactly. When it gives you options, choose the Scan Selection as Albums(tags). It does give you options to alter the actual data too as well so be careful not to click the wrong one.

The latter. It just plays what's in the metadata.

 

[HeatFan12]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenixdown110 /img/forum/go_quote.gif They all bypass the Windows mixer. ASIO and Kernel work universally. wasapi is Windows 7 exclusive. All of them are bit-exact outputs. I find ASIO has less glitches and no lag. Kernel is still experimental and may make your system unstable.

Hey fenix...do you ever sleep?...lol...Almost 1500 posts in two months....

...Get em'...


WASAPI was introduced in Vista and carried to 7. KS was experimental in 2006 and it is well taken care of now...When my PC has high definition audio onboard, it does not show up (Vista & 7). On my XP it's fine. But since I don't use onboard audio much, it does not bother me. I use all 3 on different OSs and all work without a hitch...

 

[fenixdown110]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeatFan12 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey fenix...do you ever sleep?...lol...Almost 1500 posts in two months.... ...Get em'... WASAPI was introduced in Vista and carried to 7. KS was experimental in 2006 and it is well taken care of now...When my PC has high definition audio onboard, it does not show up (Vista & 7). On my XP it's fine. But since I don't use onboard audio much, it does not bother me. I use all 3 on different OSs and all work without a hitch...

Cat naps only. hahahah JK

I got addicted to Hifi. Damn you Head-fi. My wallet hurts.