[Music Alchemist]

IMPORTANT: If you want to have a technical discussion, criticize the idea of two "bitperfect" things sounding different, demand objective tests, and so on, do not post in this thread; instead, post about it in Sound Science.
 
I recently upgraded to Windows 10 from Windows 7. I am using the same hardware, playback software, and settings (see profile) as before and made sure that "audio enhancements" were disabled in Windows...yet...
 
It sounds sooo much better I couldn't believe it! It's quite a dramatic improvement. I could literally fill a book with all the new awesomeness I'm hearing on the same music I've heard for years.
 
If you don't yet have it, try out the upgrade (available free here for qualifying devices) and let us know what you hear!
 
In this first post, I will also tag others who have reported an improvement in sound with Windows 10:
 
@Cornan @WindowsX 

 

[NA Blur]

How are you listening to music via Windows 10? Are you using an external DAC/amp or straight out of the audio out? If you are using an external DAC what output are you using USB 2.0 / 3.0 or S/PDIF
 
I can say that through the XBOX ONE, when it upgraded to Windows 10, the interface is much faster. I cannot say this is because of Windows 10 alone, but no hardware was changed.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  How are you listening to music via Windows 10? Are you using an external DAC/amp or straight out of the audio out? If you are using an external DAC what output are you using USB 2.0 / 3.0 or S/PDIF

 
No external DAC at the moment. Check out my profile for details of my current system.
 
I should also note that when I had a Schiit Modi 2 DAC, I did not hear a difference between it and the headphone outputs of my Alienware M11x R2 laptop.

 

[NA Blur]

Looks like Windows 10 does have some audio improvements:
 

1. Greater emphasis on traditional laptop/desktop users
2. Universal app development – features & API’s available across all devices, promising more music app development for more devices
3. New MIDI API – available across all devices (desktop, tablet, phone, etc), multi-client support, reduce jitter
4. Improved audio stack performance – promises to shave approx 15ms off of audio latency, ‘opt-in’ to lower buffers for even lower latency
5. ‘Opt-in’ dedicated audio core – option to move audio processing to dedicated processor core for improved performance
6. WASAPI enhancements
7. AudioGraph – new API, built on WASAPI, offers ‘higher-level constructs’ for working with audio
8. New Codecs – FLAC, ALAC
9. Web Audio – included in Microsoft Edge, lets you use browser-based music apps
10. USB-C
11. Thunderbolt 3
12. Bluetooth MIDI
13. Lower audio latency
14. Audio aggregation and routing
15. USB Audio 2 Class
16. USB 3/3.1
17. MIDI routing

-- http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2015/07/29/windows-10-promises-better-audio-midi-performance-easier-app-development/

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Looks like Windows 10 does have some audio improvements:

 
Here's more info:
 

  One of for sure reason why Windows 10 sounds better is audio framework was reworked completely. Default audio output supports lower latency, MMCSS was reborn to kernel class driver. And v1511 sounds even better than before.

 
(But I wanted to avoid too much technical discussion here.)

 

[NA Blur]

Pretty sweet to see some improvements.

 

[bigx5murf]

I didn't notice much if any difference between 7 & 10, but I was only using the line out on the onboard sound direct to klipsch promedias. I noticed a big difference on windows 10 after installing a schiit modi with s/pdif. The improvements came in instrumentals, and tighter bass. But I feel like vocals suffered a little with the modi.

 

[Unclewall]

1. ‘Opt-in’ dedicated audio core – option to move audio processing to dedicated processor core for improved performance
2. Sounds interesting does anyone know how to use this feature, Does it have to be applied by player software, Is it applied by the driver
3. I did a quick search could not find any info except that it was part of win 10     

 

[Music Path]

I personally didn´t notice much difference, but the sound quality in W10 is good. Though several people noticed differences.

 

[imeem]

i'm not an audiophile, but it seems like the volume is louder on windows 10 vs. windows 8.1. Right now i'm only listening to music on spotify and youtube using speakers and a/v receiver via hdmi. haven't done any "real" listening yet like jriver and wasapi. 

 

[dmbr]

Interesting...I really don't want to upgrade but this sure makes it tempting.

 

[castleofargh]

anybody with a good soundcard input can just RMAA his system in a loop, as I suggested some place else. and as archimago has done.
it's an actual way to find out if the signal is good or not and most of all if it changed after upgrading. 
if after the upgrade the signal is improved, well how cool is that? ^_^. if it didn't, then it means you had a properly working win7 with ok drivers and settings.
 
 people have used win7 and 8 for measurement for years, showing signal fidelity that could go below -120db for some specs, like being able to test jitter and such very efficiently. thinking that win7 itself didn't have the ability to output a sound signal as good as win10 in an audible way would contradict all those professional measurements. not something I would be willing to challenge by ear without actual evidence.
I bet it's a matter of driver or settings that didn't work too well on the previous install. bug happens ^_^.

 

[saddleup]

I upgraded from 8.1 to 10 the other day.  I use JRiver with wasapi output mode.  It does seem like a slight veil has been lifted.

 

[Roseval]

   
 

1. USB Audio 2 Class

-- http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2015/07/29/windows-10-promises-better-audio-midi-performance-easier-app-development/

This is unfortunately not true.
UAC2 is not part of Win10
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/forum/insider_wintp-insider_devices/windows-support-for-usb-audio-20/0d633b9f-3193-4c63-8654-fb10b3614a04?page=1

 

[Roseval]

I'm afraid Windows re-sampler hasn't improved at all.
http://archimago.blogspot.ca/2015/11/measurements-windows-10-audio-stack.html