[Bonzi]

I can't use Windows Vista much longer because it's a peice of ****, but the sound is better than with XP and I like it alot.
Vista would be very cool if it weren't so sluggish, especially at startup. I HATE it!

I was using Vista Home Basic 32-bit, Chaintech AV 710 with Sennheiser PX100's and 5.20b drives and it was Amazing! Believe me I was very happy with the sound, it was deep and kind of dark yet articulated and transparent, it was pure "emotion".

The player I'm using is foobar2000 with DirectSound+ resampler@96Khz Ultra Mode, all from S/PDIF out of the soundcard.
In Windows XP the sound is dry for some reason and the depth is gone. What can I do to make it sound better?
I can't use Kernel Streaming because it's not stable at all, if I use KS with foobar the sound in windows becomes absent.

Sorry for the long posting. I'm afraid of sliping again into Vista hog, if I can't find a way out. Any help would be cool.

 

[Drewpy]

In WinXP if you are not using ASIO or KS output you are not bypassing the Windows kmixer. This will cause all your audio to be resampled to 48kHz using kmixer's inferior algorithms, and may be the cause of the difference you are hearing.

KS is supposed to cut off all other programs (including Windows) from accessing your soundcard, this isn't a defect.

 

[Bonzi]

I did some research and here this guy states the same and everywhere else too, where I found anything about it:
AudiogoN Forums: Wow Windows Vista sounds sooo much better

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drewpy /img/forum/go_quote.gif In WinXP if you are not using ASIO or KS output you are not bypassing the Windows kmixer. This will cause all your audio to be resampled to 48kHz using kmixer's inferior algorithms, and may be the cause of the difference you are hearing. KS is supposed to cut off all other programs (including Windows) from accessing your soundcard, this isn't a defect.

Yes I understand, but I remeber when I was using a Audigy2 ZS it was no problem whatsoever. KS + foobar2000 and everything else in windows did have sound too. But Audigy2 ZS sounds worse to me than chaintech and I don't have the money for a good card right now.

 

[Bonzi]

So the new sound system in Vista is the same as with KS and ASIO, is that right? If I choose in Fb2000 S/PDIF out in Vista it will work like KS with xp? But then in vista the sound doesn't disappear. I was using the S/PDIF as default output in control panel succesfully.

If there's no other options outside KS, then I don't have other choice but to install Vista again, if I want better sound?

 

[Bonzi]

I've just installed back-on Vista, I'm sold to Bill Gates.

More so I am sure Vista sounds better than KS+Win XP, you just have to experiment for yourself. Now! I'm happy.

Vista isn't that bad if you got patience. The sound quality makes up for resource load of the Vista OS imo. It is just so much more natural. Instruments sound like they should, alive and deep, not synthetic like in XP. I'm still amazed at what chaintech av 710 is capable of.

Resampler is at "Ultra Mode" 96000Hz. In Vista the load on CPU is about %4-%12 with my cheap Pentium DualCore e2140, in XP the resampler loads the CPU a big fat %0.

*edit* took pictures away.

 

[Slaughter]

I agree that Vista sounds much better, but a resource hog? What kind of system are you running that Vista hogs resources? My Vista laptop runs just as smooth and fast as my XP desktop.

 

[infinitesymphony]

One OS should not sound better than another. The AV-710 is a special case. Here's why:

1. The 5.20b drivers force resampling to 96 kHz if you use the Wolfson DAC (Back. Surr.) output. Therefore, if you don't use software resampling to get to 96 kHz, the card will perform its own resampling.

2. Windows Vista forces resampling to 96 kHz. This means that the OS is essentially speaking the AV-710's language by default.

So really, you have a bunch of possible resampling problems that could affect SQ in both OSs. If you use Kernel Streaming or ASIO4All, the sound quality should be identical.

 

[philodox]

The obvious solution is to choose a source that doesn't have an operating system.

 

[Bonzi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slaughter /img/forum/go_quote.gif I agree that Vista sounds much better, but a resource hog? What kind of system are you running that Vista hogs resources? My Vista laptop runs just as smooth and fast as my XP desktop.

Ok, Vista runs good I suppose, but then Windows XP is a rocket on steroids.

I listened to Kernel Streaming for long time(like 5 years) and I still prefer Vista's treats now. With my old audigy 2 and SB Live there was difference between ASIO and KS too, so I don't really understand when you say that universally they do the same thing interacting with the same stuff yet they sound different. Asio is inferior to Kernel Streaming and Vista is currently the best in my records. I am not joking, now I feel it was the best thing from Microsoft since ever, I love music very much,..yep!

 

[Bonzi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by philodox /img/forum/go_quote.gif The obvious solution is to choose a source that doesn't have an operating system.

ah yes, sennheiser orpheus should do it.

But a bit inconvenient when you got so cheap selling HDD's nowadays, but never enough for an Orpheus overkill. All of my music is APE, FLAC, WAV, MP3 320kbs, mostly wav off course. And PX100 is a very-very good headphone, if you fall into them they are beyond value.
I got more of them, but these suit me best, they speak to me worlds of emotion.

 

[infinitesymphony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bonzi /img/forum/go_quote.gif I listened to Kernel Streaming for long time(like 5 years) and I still prefer Vista's treats now. With my old audigy 2 and SB Live there was difference between ASIO and KS too, so I don't really understand when you say that universally they do the same thing interacting with the same stuff yet they sound different.

The Audigy 2 and SB Live also have resampling issues. It sounds to me that you prefer the forced upsampling that both the AV-710 and Vista provide. I found the AV-710 to be peaky and unrealistic in the high frequency region when resampling to 96 kHz, which is why I reverted to the 4.73b drivers to gain true 44.1 kHz output--it sounds more neutral and accurate to me.

 

[SoundGoon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bonzi /img/forum/go_quote.gif I can't use Windows Vista much longer because it's a peice of ****, but the sound is better than with XP and I like it alot. Vista would be very cool if it weren't so sluggish, especially at startup. I HATE it! I was using Vista Home Basic 32-bit, Chaintech AV 710 with Sennheiser PX100's and 5.20b drives and it was Amazing! Believe me I was very happy with the sound, it was deep and kind of dark yet articulated and transparent, it was pure "emotion". The player I'm using is foobar2000 with DirectSound+ resampler@96Khz Ultra Mode, all from S/PDIF out of the soundcard. In Windows XP the sound is dry for some reason and the depth is gone. What can I do to make it sound better? I can't use Kernel Streaming because it's not stable at all, if I use KS with foobar the sound in windows becomes absent. Sorry for the long posting. I'm afraid of sliping again into Vista hog, if I can't find a way out. Any help would be cool.

How much memory do you have? I enjoy Vista quite a bit, although I was extreemly skeptical at first, and only have 1 gig of memory. I does not take that long at all in my opinion, (a minute? maybe two?) for my laptop to boot. Maybe memory is an issue? If someone else already mentioned this, my apologies, I'm just going by the first post.

 

[Bonzi]

I just took a pic of it running like usual, have a look. That's with resampler at 96Khz "Ultra Mode".

http://i042.radikal.ru/0801/0e/70bb3789f31a.jpg

Vista is not bad at all, it Is! very stable and pleasant to use, but it is slower than XP and boots slowly, you have to wait like 2-3 minutes staring like an idiot at the desktop waiting for HDD to load all the files necessary to operate, and better not force it. Just WAIT!

My computer is not very old, I've got sata II HDDs and 2Gb of ddr-2 memory and a modern, cheap but talented CPU which is Intel e2140. True that after Vista gets it all, works very well.

 

[Bonzi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinitesymphony /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Audigy 2 and SB Live also have resampling issues. It sounds to me that you prefer the forced upsampling that both the AV-710 and Vista provide. I found the AV-710 to be peaky and unrealistic in the high frequency region when resampling to 96 kHz, which is why I reverted to the 4.73b drivers to gain true 44.1 kHz output--it sounds more neutral and accurate to me.

Relatively true, probably. Maybe it's a synergy thing? I've tried all the possibilities and found what's best for me, eventually.

If the card and Vista resample to 96Khz by default, why the're is a difference with and without resampler(96Khz)? With resampler the sound is more crossfeed like, widened and I like it, infact.
Still, why there is the difference? That means the resampler interferes between the card/OS which already run those 96Khz, makes no sense.

 

[impressive]

what is your system specs? if you like the sound... then you should stick to it..
i like XP more coz i have all these plugins (4front, CSII etc..) installed on the WMP which donot work in vista.. so i use XP