[ruthieandjohn]

When playing music from files with various sampling rates, from CD up through hi-res, how do I get Windows 10 to let the app (Windows Media, FOOBAR 2000, etc.) set the sampling rate that it uses to put out to an external DAC (Meridian Explorer 2 in my case, but could be Chord Hugo, etc)? I have tried "Exclusive Mode On" in the Windows sound setting, but based upon my external DAC, it is still only using the sampling rate set in Sound Settings (Sound Settings / Device Properties / Additional Device Properties / Advanced, which gives both a drop down menu of sampling rates and a pair of "Set Exclusive Mode" check boxes.

Thanks!

 

[Roseval]

Nothing wrong with setting "exclusive mode", it is a must.
You must also configure your media player to use this.
In case of Foobar, look for WASAPI to get automatic sample rate switching
In case of WMP, forget it as it only uses DS (Direct sound)
Maybe this page is of help: http://www.thewelltemperedcomputer.com/SW/Windows/Win7/WASAPI.htm

 

[ruthieandjohn]

@Roseval , thanks...I look forward to trying that. Guess there is no way to let native Windows players (Groove, Windows Media Player) govern the output sampling rate? Thanks!

 

[Roseval]

Guess there is no way to let native Windows players (Groove, Windows Media Player) govern the output sampling rate?

No, i'm afraid
Just set Win to what is most common (44.1 kHz ) and bit depth to the max your DAC supports.

 

[ruthieandjohn]

Thanks...I am unable to find any mention of WASAPI in Foobar… at least not under Playback (Decoding, DSP, or Output). Any hints? Thanks!

 

[CoryGillmore]

Thanks...I am unable to find any mention of WASAPI in Foobar… at least not under Playback (Decoding, DSP, or Output). Any hints? Thanks!

I actually had to download an extension and install it to get WASAPI working in Foobar on Win 10. But it does work after that. Kinda annoying these features aren’t baked in from the get go.

 

[Roseval]

I actually had to download an extension and install it to get WASAPI working in Foobar on Win 10. But it does work after that. Kinda annoying these features aren’t baked in from the get go.

Indeed: https://www.foobar2000.org/components/view/foo_out_wasapi

 

[ruthieandjohn]

No luck! I installed Foobar 2000 WASAPI output support ver. 3.3... made sure WIndows Sound Settings were in Exclusive Mode... still plays a 96,000 ksample/sec file with lights showing 48 ksample (or 44.1 ksample) rate. Also suddenly have strong background hiss!

 

[Roseval]

Inside Foorvar (Preferences > Playback) did you select WASAPI as the audio device?

 

[ruthieandjohn]

Works! Had to use Speakers (push) Explorer 2 USB DAC and set bit width to 24(seems to work for 16 as well). Don't understand it, but Speakers (event) did not work (gives grainy sound) nor did setting bit width to 32 (gives error message...maybe my Explorer 2 only goes to 24 bits).

Now, the Explorer 2 bit rate lights change to indicate the bit rate I expect for each different album!

Does this seem reasonable?

 

[Roseval]

It does.
All that WASAPI does is routing the audio from the media player to the audio device.
If anything (nr of channels, bit depth or sample rate) doesn’t match the properties of the audio device, it won’t play.
Likewise push or event mode, older hardware might have problems with event mode.
https://www.thewelltemperedcomputer.com/KB/WASAPI.htm

 

[ruthieandjohn]

@Roseval , thanks! You got me over the hump! Now I can use my Meridian Explorer 2 on my Surface Pro 6 PC both to play hi res files at their proper bit rate, and to perform MQA deciding from Tidal in my PC.

Now.... which sounds better for the same master... high res or MQA-reconstructed hi res???