[hyperreal]

I'm running Windows Media on my work computer and I was wondering if anyone could give me any tips on how to get the best performance out of both the player and the system in general. At this point in time I'm still using headphone outputs from the computer with no amp or USB DAC or anything. I was just wondering if there are any settings I can choose in either the player or control panel that will optimize audio playback. I have been using the headphone jack on the monitor. It's akin to using the headphone jack on a pair of external speakers. If anyone has any ideas on a different jack to use I would appreciate that advice too.

 

[Alai]

There's no hope of saving your ears if you don't at least have an external DAC... Lol. I remember I tried listening to my office computer once through onboard audio because I left my Sansa Fuze at home... wow. Terrible. I just got completely distracted by how terrible it sounded so I had to work the whole day without listening to music.

 

[Pariah1]

Not so fast there Alai!

I used, for years, a Y-adapter with a 1/8th plug that branched into 2 RCA jacks, running from my computer's headphone jack to my receiver's AUX outs. The sound had background hum or hiss true, but it was pretty good with whatever onboard soundcard that came with my computer (a 2001 Sony Vaio).

In fact, though I knew about external DACs and had the money to get one most of the time I had my Vaio, I didn't feel compelled to because the sound was so satisfactory, even good.

I finally replaced my Sony computer last Dec. with a HP and hooked up my audio in the same way, with a Y adapter RCA connector cable, only this time running from the speaker out on the back of my HP instead of the headphone jack like on my Vaio (I also tried the HP's headphone jack, but there was no audible difference).

NOW there was a difference, between whatever soundcard came with my new HP and whatever had been in my Sony. The sound was of much lesser quality. So I started looking into finally getting an external DAC.

Well I got one, a Blue Circle Thingee, and although it has no background hiss or hum, overall it's sound is not as satisfactory as what my Sony Vaio had in it for a soundcard. It does many things better than the Vaio sound setup, but overall it's not as good since it sounds thin or lacking in the midrange and the Vaio does not.

The generic Vaio integrated soundcard outclasses this DAC at least.

Btw, I have a Sansa Vuze and although the SQ is good, it's not great. My Cowon kills it. I wouldn't call the Vuze terrible, but I wouldn't listen to it all day at work instead of my Cowon, I only use the Vuze for exercise because it's easier to operate "blind", i.e. pushing buttons in my pocket to change songs, volume, etc.

That said, hyperreal, try some different media players than WMP. I use and have used: Foobar, Media Monkey, J-River Media Jukebox, and Winamp. There is also the whole matter of ASIO if you have a pre-Vista Windows computer, I have Vista which is supposed to (I think) be okay with it's direct sound that doesn't need to be circumnavigated like XP's.