[aurabullet]

as title states
 
curious, trying to get the best out of my music

 

[xnor]

Quote:

To protect playback from glitches during heavy system load or file access lag, resource-heavy operations such as decoding and DSP are always performed ahead of currently heard sound (this is not unique to foobar2000, all or nearly all media players behave this way). This setting controls the distance between decoding/DSP and output.

1. High buffer sizes offer stronger protection against glitches but introduce side effects such as long delay between changing DSP settings (eg. adjusting equalizer bands) and changes in sound output.
2. Low buffer sizes allow faster responses to DSP configuration changes at cost of higher risk of stuttering during high system load / file access lag / etc.

WARNING: Setting too low buffer length may cause certain visualizations to stop working correctly. Use of buffer lengths below 500ms is not recommended.

see HA/foobar2000 wiki

 

[ninjikiran]

More related to actual transports,
 
USB Transport, 50ms would be perfect imo.  Setting the buffer higher usually results in pops and glitches
 
Sound Card Transport,  Skys the limit, but I found setting the buffer under 500ms could sometimes result in some pops or unstable sound.
 
Don't understand why they are opposite, but they just are.

 

[upstateguy]

usb and sound card buffering works exactly the same in all my rigs..... the higher the buffer the less pops, clicks and signal loss,....... and the longer the delay....
 
I've not been able to hear a difference in sound quality between 100 and 2000 (which is where I usually leave it.) 
 
In very limited comparisions I don't think I can hear a difference between 100 and 16000 either.

 

[Satellite_6]

It all sounds the same to me, I would just leave it at the default. 
 
EDIT: Using USB, I've never had any problems.

 

[Peddi135]

How do I change my buffer settings in Foobar? I just bough a set up and im hearing pops and cracks, I think its due to this?

 

[KamijoIsMyHero]

  How do I change my buffer settings in Foobar? I just bough a set up and im hearing pops and cracks, I think its due to this?

preferences->playback->output
 
there should be a buffer length option after

 

[dc-k]

no problems with the default (1000) over optical

 

[proton007]

A buffer is like a fast and temporary storage for data (here, audio).
 
Disk is slow, and it maybe busy doing other stuff (unless audio is the only data it is reading), so music players will read a bigger chunk and store it, play it until there's a minimal amount left, and then read some more.
If the rate at which the data is being read cannot keep up with the rate at which it is being played, there's a buffer underflow. Audio glitches, clipping sounds, gaps etc.
 
If there's enough RAM available, a high buffer size can be used. But there needs to be balance, other apps may be waiting to access the disk, so setting a very high value (lets say 2 seconds) will affect those apps. Load balancing is the term.
 
HOWEVER, there's no difference in the audio itself.

 

[Avatar86]

Personaly I find 560 ms to be best for Glitch Hop, Dubstep, Trap etc. - That it's my ears and on my computer

I find that the sound getts slack/ sluggish/ unenergic with Higher Buffer size (>700 ms) 
 
under 500 ms the sound getts "stressed"/ chippy/ cutting off the sound (reverb, Delay in the music) too soon. 

around 560 ms is what I found keeps the sound Tight but at the same time lets the reverb Ring out freely. 

Again, this is to my ears and on my rig (Foobar2000 w WASAPI, Acer Laptop, DAC: Meridian Explorer2).

(Another of the chart tip is to close the network connection and unplugg the cord so the computer runs on its battery, to eliminate interference) Try it

 

[cjl]

  Personaly I find 560 ms to be best for Glitch Hop, Dubstep, Trap etc. - That it's my ears and on my computer

I find that the sound getts slack/ sluggish/ unenergic with Higher Buffer size (>700 ms) 
 
under 500 ms the sound getts "stressed"/ chippy/ cutting off the sound (reverb, Delay in the music) too soon. 

around 560 ms is what I found keeps the sound Tight but at the same time lets the reverb Ring out freely. 

Again, this is to my ears and on my rig (Foobar2000 w WASAPI, Acer Laptop, DAC: Meridian Explorer2).

(Another of the chart tip is to close the network connection and unplugg the cord so the computer runs on its battery, to eliminate interference) Try it

That's not really possible - longer buffers will never change the music, and shorter buffers will only change it if you suffer from a buffer underrun (which will manifest as a pop, click, or interruption in the sound). Reverb, "sluggishness", "energy", and the like are never affected.

 

[coli]

Don't use Foobar, that thing sucks.

 

[castleofargh]

  Don't use Foobar, that thing sucks.

could you refrain from making that kind of baseless statement in sound science? or at least offer some facts to support it.

 

[Periklis]

Personaly I find 560 ms to be best for Glitch Hop, Dubstep, Trap etc. - That it's my ears and on my computer


I find that the sound getts slack/ sluggish/ unenergic with Higher Buffer size (>700 ms) 

under 500 ms the sound getts "stressed"/ chippy/ cutting off the sound (reverb, Delay in the music) too soon. 


around 560 ms is what I found keeps the sound Tight but at the same time lets the reverb Ring out freely. 


Again, this is to my ears and on my rig (Foobar2000 w WASAPI, Acer Laptop, DAC: Meridian Explorer2).


(Another of the chart tip is to close the network connection and unplugg the cord so the computer runs on its battery, to eliminate interference) Try it

I have observed exactly the same happening to my system. I thought I was crazy to hear it but happy now not being the only one!

 

[alffla]

  Personaly I find 560 ms to be best for Glitch Hop, Dubstep, Trap etc. - That it's my ears and on my computer

I find that the sound getts slack/ sluggish/ unenergic with Higher Buffer size (>700 ms) 
 
under 500 ms the sound getts "stressed"/ chippy/ cutting off the sound (reverb, Delay in the music) too soon. 

around 560 ms is what I found keeps the sound Tight but at the same time lets the reverb Ring out freely. 

Again, this is to my ears and on my rig (Foobar2000 w WASAPI, Acer Laptop, DAC: Meridian Explorer2).

(Another of the chart tip is to close the network connection and unplugg the cord so the computer runs on its battery, to eliminate interference) Try it

 
I don't think that's how buffer works. I can get the 'chippy/ cutting off the sound' part, but adding reverb?!