[jdpark]

I believe there was an improvement from Windows 7 to Windows 10 on my three year old Lenovo laptop that's pretty clogged with programs. It's impossible to know how much because I can't go back to compare, but I feel the timing is better and the imaging is sharper with a bit more definition to transients and to the positions of instruments in general. 
 
I use KS with Jplay and Fidelizer Pro 6.11, often in hibernate/extremist mode, when I can get by sitting at my computer desk and not actually using the computer.... 

 

[AUDIOBREEDER]

I think sound quality is better but headphone out is too low.
before I had windows 8 and listened with v6 on 40% and now after a new update it us almost $75%.
I didnt think it was possible that an update can do such a treacherous thing.

 

[blse59]

The sound quality is exactly the same. Please stop spreading unfounded rumors. Show us some measurements.

 

[sterling1]

I have a couple of laptops. Each runs Windows 10 with iTunes set for Windows Audio Session and 24/96, since I have a few 24/96  files  in iTunes  among the 256k files there. At any rate, sending iTunes music to my home theatre pre/pro DAC via Airport Express, which  delivers files at 16/44.1, or via a Sound Blaster HD set at 24/96, I seem to hear something a little more defined than previously heard with Windows 7 and Windows 8. Just for fun I took a Diana Krall SACD and compared to the same from an iTunes 16/44.1 file and actually preferred the iTunes piece. It may however just been higher volume. Kinda moot though since most everything at 256k or better from any of my computers seems to  sound at least as good as SACD. This means I'm quite satisfied; and, I am not any longer in the market for sound cards, DAC's or anything else like "hi-res" which promises better sound. It's not that I don't believe the hi-res marketing, it's just that my ears  can't, it appears, hear better than 16/44.1.

 

[NA Blur]

  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

They are looking to add these...my bad.
 

1. USB-C
2. Thunderbolt 3
3. Bluetooth MIDI
4. Lower audio latency
5. Audio aggregation and routing
6. USB Audio 2 Class
7. USB 3/3.1
8. MIDI routing

 

[jdpark]

Does it really matter that Windows doesn't natively support USB Audio 2 Class? Most DACs worth their salt have their own drivers, and I don't think it's rocket science to do. Of course it would be better if you didn't have to download and install a driver, but I doubt it has an effect on the sound quality.
 
I'm not a tech wiz, but from what I've read, Windows 10 does a bunch of core stuff that seems to make sound significantly less muddy than Windows 7, though perhaps it's not as large of a leap from Windows 8.1. The core issues regarding OS processing (or the lack thereof) and the lower latency, probably affects jitter rates and ultimately makes the music sound even less "digital" than before to my ears.
 
(I only read about the improvements after I had already heard them and was surprised. Actually, I was worried that Windows 10 would be a sound quality downgrade and it turned out not to be the case.) 

 

[moriez]

  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.
 

 
My man, are you serious? I can't knock it cause I haven't tried it but really.. far better? sooo much better? 

 

[AUDIOBREEDER]

I am hearing a difference. As I said earlier the headphone out needs higher volume than previous listening. There was a nice warm bass but now it sounds much cleaner.
I don't have any measurements but I am hearing a difference unless I am loosing my hearing.

My man, are you serious? I can't knock it cause I haven't tried it but really.. far better? sooo much better? :confused_face:

I think sound quality is better but headphone out is too low.
before I had windows 8 and listened with v6 on 40% and now after a new update it us almost $75%.
I didnt think it was possible that an update can do such a treacherous thing.

 

[NA Blur]

I switched to Win 10 and because I cannot go directly back and forth between that and Win 7 I can only go on my gut. I think the sound is roughly the same, but I will test it further because I know that Win 7 would cause my USB DAC to have some issues while scrolling in threads. If this is cleared up on Win 10 I will report it in this thread.

 

[Music Alchemist]

 
Whoa. You're the guy from The Well-Tempered Computer? What an honor! I love your site.
 

  My man, are you serious? I can't knock it cause I haven't tried it but really.. far better? sooo much better? 

 
It was a pretty dramatic difference on my system; just not sure why.
 
I do acknowledge that the change could have been due to something aside from the operating system itself...perhaps buggy software interfering with the sound...but I installed Windows 10 as an upgrade (not a clean install) so my files are still here, and I made sure that all Windows audio enhancements were disabled.
 
I also acknowledge it to be possible and indeed likely that others may not experience any difference in sound between operating systems. (The measurements do support the notion that they are supposed to sound the same.)
 
And if you didn't notice, at the moment I am not using an external DAC, so this is another factor to consider. Strangely, when I was using Windows 7 and owned a Schiit Modi 2, I did not hear a difference between the headphone outputs of my Alienware laptop and the external DAC...but the improvements I heard upon switching from Windows 7 to Windows 10 (both without an external DAC now) stood out in a very obvious way.

 

[castleofargh]

I am hearing a difference. As I said earlier the headphone out needs higher volume than previous listening. There was a nice warm bass but now it sounds much cleaner.
I don't have any measurements but I am hearing a difference unless I am loosing my hearing.

My man, are you serious? I can't knock it cause I haven't tried it but really.. far better? sooo much better? 

 

I think sound quality is better but headphone out is too low.
before I had windows 8 and listened with v6 on 40% and now after a new update it us almost $75%.
I didnt think it was possible that an update can do such a treacherous thing.

most likely a setting issue. unless windows refuses to output fullscale digital signal to the DAC for some obscure reason, the volume level should be the same.
 I'm curious about win10, but my brain keeps shouting "don't go messing with things that work just fine!!!!" ^_^. I'm afraid I might struggle(at least for a time) to find all the settings I'm used to temper with.

 

[NA Blur]

I am currently testing a few things with Windows 10 and if anyone else out there can help verify them that would help.
 
1.)  If you have an external amp/DAC that uses the default USB driver listen to see if the amp/DAC is silent at zero volume
With some x5's I have around both are very noisy with the Win 10 default USB driver
I am pretty sure they did not exhibit these noise issues under Win 7, but am verifying first before I revert back.
 
My Grace m903 is perfectly silent under Win 10 which is nice.
 
2.)  When an external amp/DAC is connected and the default drivers show up in device manager there are two drivers for the same unit one of which has an error that is a compatibility issue.
The problem cannot easily be remedied and I have worked with MS to figure it out, but for now it looks like a default USB audio driver issue.
 
3.)  Anyone out there with the X5 and Win 7 hear the noise issues? It is the typical processor, clock, and USB device noise most of which is low frequency.

 

[Brooko]

  I am currently testing a few things with Windows 10 and if anyone else out there can help verify them that would help.
 
1.)  If you have an external amp/DAC that uses the default USB driver listen to see if the amp/DAC is silent at zero volume
With some x5's I have around both are very noisy with the Win 10 default USB driver
I am pretty sure they did not exhibit these noise issues under Win 7, but am verifying first before I revert back.
 
My Grace m903 is perfectly silent under Win 10 which is nice.
 
2.)  When an external amp/DAC is connected and the default drivers show up in device manager there are two drivers for the same unit one of which has an error that is a compatibility issue.
The problem cannot easily be remedied and I have worked with MS to figure it out, but for now it looks like a default USB audio driver issue.
 
3.)  Anyone out there with the X5 and Win 7 hear the noise issues? It is the typical processor, clock, and USB device noise most of which is low frequency.

 

• Can you clarify what you mean by X5 - are you talking about the Fiio X5?  I doesn't show in your profile.  If it is - then it doesn't use the default Windows drivers anyway.  If it is the X5 - original (classic) or 2nd gen?
• Your "3" - do you mean X5 with Win10 or with Win10?

 

[NA Blur]

   

• Can you clarify what you mean by X5 - are you talking about the Fiio X5?  I doesn't show in your profile.  If it is - then it doesn't use the default Windows drivers anyway.  If it is the X5 - original (classic) or 2nd gen?
• Your "3" - do you mean X5 with Win10 or with Win10?

I mean the X5 amp/DAC seen in the link below. It does not have a proprietary driver. Using it with Win 10 and any USB port be it 2.0 or 1.1 results in the same noise.
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/X5-PCM2706-CS4344-Dual-TDA1308-Parallel-Output-5v-USB-DAC-Headphone-Amp-Board-/251682675197

 

[Music Alchemist]

More impressions are coming in!
 

  I noticed the rather striking sound quality change myself, but from 8.1 to 10. I also remember going from XP to Vista and Vista having better sound quality. Well my Desktop computer and Laptop also sound much different despite using the same DACs. The desktop definitely sounds fuller than the laptop. I noticed different operating systems, etc. sounding different since before I even became an audiophile or even knew about this site or anything, so I didn't really have any external suggestion in regards to it.