Is Windows/Mac audio better than Linux for audio?

[pipiyedu]

This is my doubt...Is windows(asio, wasapi) better than Linux with Alsa? I have a Nuforce udac2, and windows 7 present me problems with popping sounds.

 

[prozach1576]

I don't know much about Linux for audio, but as a former Mac user and a current PC user I can firmly say that Windows is a much, much better platform for audio than OS X. You have multiple full-featured programs to choose from in MediaMonkey, foobar2000, and J River. OS X really only has iTunes, which is a bloated mess that - unbelievably - still can't play FLAC.

 

[pipiyedu]

You can try with PureMusic for Mac.
 
What is ours opinion about linux in audio?

 

[Currawong]

Quote:

I don't know much about Linux for audio, but as a former Mac user and a current PC user I can firmly say that Windows is a much, much better platform for audio than OS X. You have multiple full-featured programs to choose from in MediaMonkey, foobar2000, and J River. OS X really only has iTunes, which is a bloated mess that - unbelievably - still can't play FLAC.

There is quite a bit of music playing software for Mac OS X.  However, "better" depends on the OP's idea of what "better" means. Is it SQ? Software options?

 

[Roseval]

If pops and crackles over the USB is the problem, you can do some simple tests.
USB audio is a quasi real-time stream.
If some process hogs the system you get pops.
Run DPC Latency checker or the Win7 Resource monitor to find out.
http://thewelltemperedcomputer.com/SW/AudioTools/TroubleShooting.htm
 
Sometimes people hear all kind of funny noises over the USB DAC e.g. when moving the mouse.
Most of the time this is because the DAC shares the hub with another device.
Best practice is to connect the USB DAC to a USB port on your PC not shared with any other device.
You can use the device manager to check this

 

[ninjikiran]

Assuming MAC/Linux/Windows is setup in the same way outputting bit-matched/perfect audio through some player there should be no difference. 
 
Apparently with a USB dac setting up Linux is said to be easier, supposed to be bit perfect without the need of stuff like ASIO.  One thing that is definitely true about linux though is the fact that you can set up a music box/server to your own personal liking in ways you cannot on Windows or Mac.
 
Now if you believe in there being a difference in players which are outputting bit-perfect than there will be huuuuge differences.  But I don't belong to that camp~

 

[Dynobot]

I posted about this once.  For the full low down check out this Full comparison that was done between Linux, Mac, and WIndows.
 
http://sites.google.com/site/computeraudioorg/
 

 

[Dynobot]

Quote:

Assuming MAC/Linux/Windows is setup in the same way outputting bit-matched/perfect audio through some player there should be no difference. 
 
They can't be set up the same way because they are different animals, they handle audio differently using different engines, have different processes running and use different music softwares.  So even if you put the exact same bit perfect file into all three, they all will handle the file differently and what you get out of the SPDIF or USB sounds different.
 
Apparently with a USB dac setting up Linux is said to be easier, supposed to be bit perfect without the need of stuff like ASIO.  One thing that is definitely true about linux though is the fact that you can set up a music box/server to your own personal liking in ways you cannot on Windows or Mac.
 
True, USB audio on Linux is plug and play.  However its not bit-perfect by default, there can be some mixing going on even within ALSA, esp depending on the player you use.  True about the flexibility within Linux vs. the others.
 
Now if you believe in there being a difference in players which are outputting bit-perfect than there will be huuuuge differences.  But I don't belong to that camp~
 
Huge is relative so no need to go there.  IMO everything makes a difference how big it is or how much it matters is up to the listener.  You sound like you are in the Bits-R-Bits camp, which is fine, it means that you never need to upgrade Dac's or change software based on sound, because they all sound the same as long as its bit perfect.  In the long run you save a lot of money and effort.

 

[pipiyedu]

Quote:

There is quite a bit of music playing software for Mac OS X.  However, "better" depends on the OP's idea of what "better" means. Is it SQ? Software options?

My doubt is about the sound quality, for example in Windows i can use plugins for low latency like Asio, Wasapi wich improves the sound quality. While in linux this plugins do not exist.

 

[pipiyedu]

Quote:

If pops and crackles over the USB is the problem, you can do some simple tests.
USB audio is a quasi real-time stream.
If some process hogs the system you get pops.
Run DPC Latency checker or the Win7 Resource monitor to find out.
http://thewelltemperedcomputer.com/SW/AudioTools/TroubleShooting.htm
 
Sometimes people hear all kind of funny noises over the USB DAC e.g. when moving the mouse.
Most of the time this is because the DAC shares the hub with another device.
Best practice is to connect the USB DAC to a USB port on your PC not shared with any other device.
You can use the device manager to check this

I use a laptop Hp, when i run the Latency Checker, reds bar appear after 10 minutes after connect the dac.
 

 

[Dynobot]

Quote:

My doubt is about the sound quality, for example in Windows i can use plugins for low latency like Asio, Wasapi wich improves the sound quality. While in linux this plugins do not exist.

You can't get much lower latency than Linux.  Install the real-time kernel and make a few adjustments to ALSA.  With Linux you have such control that you can even control the number of packets of music data being send to each processor and their timing. 
 
Check my web site under Linux Audio.

 

[pipiyedu]

Quote:

Assuming MAC/Linux/Windows is setup in the same way outputting bit-matched/perfect audio through some player there should be no difference. 
 
Apparently with a USB dac setting up Linux is said to be easier, supposed to be bit perfect without the need of stuff like ASIO.  One thing that is definitely true about linux though is the fact that you can set up a music box/server to your own personal liking in ways you cannot on Windows or Mac.
 
Now if you believe in there being a difference in players which are outputting bit-perfect than there will be huuuuge differences.  But I don't belong to that camp~

Quote:

I posted about this once.  For the full low down check out this Full comparison that was done between Linux, Mac, and WIndows.
 
http://sites.google.com/site/computeraudioorg/
 

Thanks!!

 

[ninjikiran]

If you plan on making a music server/box go for the real time kernel. 

 

[falis]

Here's a workaround for flac in iTunes on the MAC: http://code.google.com/p/flukeformac/
 
Quote:

I don't know much about Linux for audio, but as a former Mac user and a current PC user I can firmly say that Windows is a much, much better platform for audio than OS X. You have multiple full-featured programs to choose from in MediaMonkey, foobar2000, and J River. OS X really only has iTunes, which is a bloated mess that - unbelievably - still can't play FLAC.

 

[falis]

Most of my listening in the evening is through a Linux laptop wirelessly streaming from an external disk attached to a Windows XP machine: pulseaudio, deadbeef player, USB DAC to tube amp to speakers or phones.  During the day, said Windows machine uses cplay, S/PDIF out from an Audigy ZS with the kx drivers (including ASIO support) to another DAC, to a T-AMP and RS-1i.  I'd be hard-pressed to say which chain sounds better.  Both are great.
 
Quote:

You can try with PureMusic for Mac.
 
What is ours opinion about linux in audio?