[FallenAngel]

Uhm... laptops just sound like crap, period.

 

[CANiSLAYu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TK31 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sorry if this post is really really really old, and im bumping old topics, but i couldnt stand all this bs. My HP DV5-1134tx laptop's standard IDT HD Audio soundcard beats my new 15" Macbook Pro sound card's quality. The Intel HD Audio card built into the macbook cant take bass for crap. I get the staticky distortion you get with any other crappy audio card. Increase the lower bands in the itunes eq even +3 DB and u get distortion. Very crap indeed. Listening to heavy metal is very annoying with the apple's default sound card. The sound card is just loud... there is no depth to the sound.

I'm right on the bandwagon when it comes to being a Mac whore (I have a 2008 dual quad core Mac Pro, aluminum Macbook, iPhone 3G and a 120GB iPod) and even I think the fanboys are a little overboard on this one, haha. They're just computers people, two sides of the same coin and you could make a case for either one. No sense getting panties in a bunch...

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TK31 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sorry if this post is really really really old, and im bumping old topics, but i couldnt stand all this bs. My HP DV5-1134tx laptop's standard IDT HD Audio soundcard beats my new 15" Macbook Pro sound card's quality. The Intel HD Audio card built into the macbook cant take bass for crap. I get the staticky distortion you get with any other crappy audio card. Increase the lower bands in the itunes eq even +3 DB and u get distortion. Very crap indeed. Listening to heavy metal is very annoying with the apple's default sound card. The sound card is just loud... there is no depth to the sound.

External DAC is the way to go...

 

[Foody]

=

 

[drews]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foody /img/forum/go_quote.gif claiming it sounds better than the exact same thing with Windows on it is pure ignorance

Are you suggesting that kmixer, ASIO (on Windows) and Core Audio/iTunes (on Mac) have no impact on sound quality? Are you talking about non-upsampling cases only? Do you really have any knowledge in this area?

Just curious...

 

[Foody]

Quote:

Originally Posted by drews /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are you suggesting that kmixer, ASIO (on Windows) and Core Audio/iTunes (on Mac) have no impact on sound quality? Are you talking about non-upsampling cases only? Do you really have any knowledge in this area? Just curious...

I like to think I have knowledge in this area. Also, to make me even more wrong after posting out of anger for myself being ignorant, you would need to factor in Direct Sound's role and not just ASIO's. Whether or not they sound different to a very distinguishable without incredibly flat monitoring gear level I am VERY skeptical. I think anyone who says their Mac sound better than my PC is just proud of their investment.

 

[drews]

So it turns out that iTunes on Win7 (32 bit) supports WASAPI so that should produce bit-perfect output to my USB DAC just like the Mac. Unfortunately it doesn't work on Win7 (64 bit) which is what I'm running.

I do have the feeling that the through iTunes when booting Windows doesn't sound quite as good as when I boot into Mac OS and I suspect that going through DirectSound might be the culprit.

Can someone (with a decent setup) with Win7-32 try switching between DirectSound and WASAPI (in QuickTime preferences) and let me know if there is any difference?

"Foody" insists there will not be but I'm not so sure...

 

[Foody]

Quote:

Originally Posted by drews /img/forum/go_quote.gif "Foody" insists there will not be but I'm not so sure...

Actually, when it comes to the iTunes on Windows scenario, I do believe there is a difference in sound quality. I've read a lot about the coding of iTunes and how it's poorly coded with Windows as opposed to Mac. There is a lot more truth to that story.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foody /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think maybe the more money people spend, the more they feel they need to defend their investment. I'll be completely honest with all of you; your Mac with the same hardware as someone's PC sound no better nor worse. If you think your Mac sounds good right out of the box, that's great, but claiming it sounds better than the exact same thing with Windows on it is pure ignorance or superstition (don't get me wrong, this goes for Windows users too). Now, maybe if you compared the sound quality of Windows installed through Boot Camp to a Mac's your story could possibly hold some truth to it. I'm just sick of people complaining and comparing. Just be happy you have a computer and a sound card that does what you ask it. I've loved Windows since I began using computers. I've disliked Macs in comparison since learning to properly use a Windows machine. That probably won't change for a long, long time if ever. Be that as it may, I 100% completely understand that some people love their Macs and that they fit that person the same way Windows fits me. In short, it is the exact same concept of boxers vs boxer briefs. Boxer briefs happen to be the perfect fit for me but I know that all of my brothers wear boxers. Hopefully most of you pulled the metaphor out of that and now better understand my view on the situation.

I think there's a lot of truth in that post, Foody, and I'm a Mac user. There are some core software differences, and it's likely that more casual users are getting bit perfect output from their Macs. Can they hear it? Most of the time that's not very likely, but audiophiles have wondrous imaginations! But there is also an important hardware element at play. Not the DAC. Modern, competently-executed DACs sound so much alike, it's a wonder there's so much fuss about them (audiophile imaginations at work again). But if you're plugging phones directly into the computer, the op amps used in the headamp can potentially make a much bigger difference. Not because they should sound so different, they shouldn't, but some will simply deliver the milliwatts necessary to provide enough operating headroom to the phones being used and some will not.

With that said, the primary complaint about computer audio seems to be the noisy environment inside a computer, and my current MacBook Pro and former iBook G4 were both very quiet. I'm sure there are Windows laptops that do as well, but probably not all.

P

 

[TK31]

Yes, it is more software related than hardware related. I have installed Windows recently on my macbook pro, and safe to say, it handles distortion a lot differently than Mac OSX. OSX tends to leave the distortion as it is in order to maintain volume. Windows on the other hand, employs that "shrinking" effect to keep the sound clean. To see if this is also the case for a windows laptop i also installed OSX onto my HP (getting a bit illegal here), just for testing purposes. Sure enough, the sound is crackly and filled with distortion in OSX.

EDIT: Also what DAC's would anyone recommend for a Macbook pro? I think only USB DAC's would work as the MBP doesnt have an expresscard slot.

 

[Menisk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TK31 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Also what DAC's would anyone recommend for a Macbook pro? I think only USB DAC's would work as the MBP doesnt have an expresscard slot.

You've got Optical on your Macbook Pro as well. Just need a mini-Toslink adaptor. Stick it in the normal headphone jack and it switches to optical like magic. Works nicely here.

 

[vagarach]

Indeed, I use the optical out all the time to hook up my mbp to the receiver, works great for watching movies with AC3 sound!

My experience with the SQ straight out of my 2007 mbp is that it's perfectly o.k. It's relatively noise free so one can't expect much more from built in sound.

 

[TK31]

thanks =D only just realized it sported optical out. i've only got an old Technics mini component system (about 14 years old now) that supports optical tho, and it has the most wierdest speaker configuration. 2 large front left and front right speakers with a tweeter and woofer, 2 smaller satellite speakers, and a center channel speaker. Im majorly disappointed the macbook pro doesnt have HDMI out =(

 

[estreeter]

I have no complaints about my 2007 MBP as a source component. It has been through hell right across SE Asia and still runs like a Swiss watch.

Good hardware. Apple Corporation, on the other hand - well, lets leave that for another thread.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TK31 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, it is more software related than hardware related. I have installed Windows recently on my macbook pro, and safe to say, it handles distortion a lot differently than Mac OSX. OSX tends to leave the distortion as it is in order to maintain volume. Windows on the other hand, employs that "shrinking" effect to keep the sound clean. To see if this is also the case for a windows laptop i also installed OSX onto my HP (getting a bit illegal here), just for testing purposes. Sure enough, the sound is crackly and filled with distortion in OSX. EDIT: Also what DAC's would anyone recommend for a Macbook pro? I think only USB DAC's would work as the MBP doesnt have an expresscard slot.

To get that "crackly and filled with distortion" sound we Mac users crave, you can plug DACs in via optical, USB or Fire wire.

P