[macieqq]

Hey. My company works with Citrix. Sadly I have no internet connection apart from the one inside Citrix client. When I used Spotify, YouTube or pretty much anything, the audio quality is terrible.

I was wondering if any DAC/AMP/whatnot would help out and improve the quality. I am not sure how this stuff works - would it have any impact on the quality? Or does it depend on the Citrix's settings alone?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Hey. My company works with Citrix. Sadly I have no internet connection apart from the one inside Citrix client. When I used Spotify, YouTube or pretty much anything, the audio quality is terrible.

I was wondering if any DAC/AMP/whatnot would help out and improve the quality. I am not sure how this stuff works - would it have any impact on the quality? Or does it depend on the Citrix's settings alone?

If you have Spotify set to Extreme Quality and it's not stuttering, your problem is not the ISP, but any of the following:

1. Your headphones/earphones suck
2. Your headphones need more power with lower distortion and noise (this is where upgrading to a DAC-HPamp will matter)
3. The mastering quality of the music you listen to is really, really, really bad. Like bad 1990s rock that sounds like it was recorded in mono with bass drums tht sound like snare drums or something like that.

 

[macieqq]

I am using Samsung earbuds but I have also tried with Sennheiser Game Ones and it's the same with both. The sound is indeed stuttering. Badly... I have also tried listening to any kind of music so this is not an issue here.

I am using my company's laptop and the problems occur while I'm in the Citrix. As I have mentioned, I have access no literally nothing before entering Citrix (the PC's own storage so to speak). However, while being at home, I have connected my laptop to my private WiFi and played the music BEFORE Citrix - it sounded bad of course but okish for a laptop.

To sum up, Citrix seems to be the issue and has poor audio quality but the question is - is there anything I can do to make it better? Or does it depend fully on the server's settings/the service that my company has?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I am using Samsung earbuds but I have also tried with Sennheiser Game Ones and it's the same with both. The sound is indeed stuttering. Badly...

I am using my company's laptop and the problems occur while I'm in the Citrix. As I have mentioned, I have access no literally nothing before entering Citrix (the PC's own storage so to speak).

Then that is most likely a problem with your ISP, and no, adding a DAC-HPamp will not help with that because the problem is with how the data packets coming in are all over the place.

The only solution there is to download what you listen to on Spotify so it can play them direct from local storage, but since you can't, you're out of luck. There is just no solution for that other than to use another source unit, like your smartphone, and download the music there so it will be locally stored and not dependent on that sucky internet connection.

To sum up, Citrix seems to be the issue and has poor audio quality but the question is - is there anything I can do to make it better? Or does it depend fully on the server's settings/the service that my company has?

Speed or ping, or other connectivity issues. The data packets are coming in in more literal packets. Think of a normal packet as a brick of cocaine, but instead of you receiving the shipment of a crate with several dozen bricks of cocaine, you're getting that same amount in one dime bag at a time.

Either your internet is just slow or it's cutting in and out. If it's the latter it can be excessive pinging (you can confirm this by using Speedtest.net); one other possible cause is your office routers/WiFi extender losing and reacquiring then losing the signal again.

 

[macieqq]

Think of a normal packet as a brick of cocaine, but instead of you receiving the shipment of a crate with several dozen bricks of cocaine, you're getting that same amount in one dime bag at a time.

You should teach at school

Anyway, this is what I was afraid of. That blows... Well, thank you for clearing these things up!

 

[cossix]

Then that is most likely a problem with your ISP, and no, adding a DAC-HPamp will not help with that because the problem is with how the data packets coming in are all over the place.

The only solution there is to download what you listen to on Spotify so it can play them direct from local storage, but since you can't, you're out of luck. There is just no solution for that other than to use another source unit, like your smartphone, and download the music there so it will be locally stored and not dependent on that sucky internet connection.




Speed or ping, or other connectivity issues. The data packets are coming in in more literal packets. Think of a normal packet as a brick of cocaine, but instead of you receiving the shipment of a crate with several dozen bricks of cocaine, you're getting that same amount in one dime bag at a time.

Either your internet is just slow or it's cutting in and out. If it's the latter it can be excessive pinging (you can confirm this by using Speedtest.net); one other possible cause is your office routers/WiFi extender losing and reacquiring then losing the signal again.

ProtegeManiac coming in clutch with another great analogy xD

 

[buke9]

It is not the ISP it is Citrix that is the problem. My wife has that at the hospital she works in and logging in from home on our 200 Mb connection it is like molasses slow. You might talk to IT if there is anything you can do but I doubt it as it is a very slow system. Sorry.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

You should teach at school

ProtegeManiac coming in clutch with another great analogy xD

My thought process was: "this blows!" (while listening), ergo, use blow as an example.

I'd like to teach (I'm getting a soc sci MA right now) but as much as I plan on justifying buying a kevlar Samurai armour (some guy makes it over here) if I have to do history classes, I don't like checking 70++ exams and papers per class per semester. I'm more into policy research.

Anyway, this is what I was afraid of. That blows... Well, thank you for clearing these things up!

Why not just use an Android for Spotify? Load up a microSD card with downloaded audio and just use that at work. You also won't miss hearing incoming calls that way.

 

[macieqq]

Why not just use an Android for Spotify? Load up a microSD card with downloaded audio and just use that at work. You also won't miss hearing incoming calls that way.

Well, this is what I will most likely end up doing. Thing is I like to just open a radio in Spotify so it plays whatever all day long and I am not limited to the tracks I already know. Sadly I dont have a wifi at work and mobile data is obviously not enough for such listening.

Second con is battery life. Current smartphones can barely last a day and when you add music it just blows.

 

[Grimbles]

TO confirm i also use citrix, and when logged in the sound that is outputted via citrix is extremely poor quality on kit that is otherwise fine. It is crackly, jittery etc. Citrix compresses data as it is sent to you. Ive always suspected our IT guys have set audio compression to "unforgivably bad" server side, on the basis we dont need audio to do our jobs. My solution has always been to deactivate citrix audio and have my audio running on my native desktop.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Well, this is what I will most likely end up doing. Thing is I like to just open a radio in Spotify so it plays whatever all day long and I am not limited to the tracks I already know. Sadly I dont have a wifi at work and mobile data is obviously not enough for such listening.

Well just have the tracks you do know, but you can download a heck of a lot of music on Spotify if you have a 64gb card. That's several thousand hours of music already.

Second con is battery life. Current smartphones can barely last a day and when you add music it just blows.

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[macieqq]

TO confirm i also use citrix, and when logged in the sound that is outputted via citrix is extremely poor quality on kit that is otherwise fine. It is crackly, jittery etc. Citrix compresses data as it is sent to you. Ive always suspected our IT guys have set audio compression to "unforgivably bad" server side, on the basis we dont need audio to do our jobs. My solution has always been to deactivate citrix audio and have my audio running on my native desktop.

Good for you. Sadly I have literally no access to anything on desktop (before Citrix I mean). Thank you IT nerds -_-

 

[Grimbles]

Sadly I have literally no access to anything on desktop (before Citrix I mean).

that sucks buddy.

I see @ProtegeManiac referenced s8 cases etc above. I have a dex docking station on my desk which usb outs to my dac and charges my phone at the same time. If you set your phone to mirror rather than dex desktop you can control your phone as normal whilst in the dock. Only works with the s8 and note8 though and not sure if you have these phones?

 

[macieqq]

that sucks buddy.

I see @ProtegeManiac referenced s8 cases etc above. I have a dex docking station on my desk which usb outs to my dac and charges my phone at the same time. If you set your phone to mirror rather than dex desktop you can control your phone as normal whilst in the dock. Only works with the s8 and note8 though and not sure if you have these phones?

I own S7 Edge. Anyway, is it safe to have your phone being charged all the time like that?

 

[Grimbles]

Anyway, is it safe to have your phone being charged all the time like that?

i guess a roll of the dice with samsung's track record on batteries!