The ASIO driver

Discussion in 'Soundcards, Speakers HiFI & File formats' started by vestibule, Oct 21, 2017.

  1. vestibule

    vestibule Ancient Guru

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    Hi Guys. Well I'm sure you veteran audiophile's are yawning already at another Audio Stream Input Output thread.
    well, TBH its a first for me. I am blown away by the sound quality. Its better than wasapi and most defo better than direct, but as with everything its down to taste. I do find ASIO to be to accurate and tight, on out put, but the fidelity out weighs that problem.
    You know, the worst media player is probs WMP but with the asio driver plug in, it is saved.
    Still, over and above all else I prefer music Bee with the asio driver enables for my creative sound card.
    It is a bit of a mind blower how crap creative drivers are when it come to hi fi.
    My PC hi fi is still on W7/64.
    It is annoying though how asio will only support one app at a time.
    Sad but true, but from the old days I getting the flavour of vinyl with the ASIO driver, but better. :)
     
    Last edited: Oct 21, 2017
  2. -Tj-

    -Tj- Ancient Guru

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    I use to have this @ winamp, but usually use AudioburstFX
    out_asio(x64).dll (x64 version) Ver. 0.71 ASIO出力プラグイン (2006/10/4)


    Now I googled a bit again and found newer different version with lots new tweaks, like shared mode, volume control, and sampling up to 32Bit support (experimental).
    https://sourceforge.net/projects/out-yasapi/files/out-yasapi/

    ^
    Great sound, not so harsh anymore, and super clear :)


    I also found this new refreshed tweaked ASIO2.3 with avx support
    http://forums.winamp.com/showpost.php?p=3043969&postcount=103

    But this is not so tweakable as yasapi, although it also has shared mode, volume control.
    Sound is around the same, maybe yasapi sounded tiny bit clearer (more defined)
     
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  3. Mufflore

    Mufflore Ancient Guru

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    The reason ASIO etc sound better is because they prevent audio being fed through the windows mixer and other trickery.
    You cannot have the best quality without doing that.

    There is a way round it if you have a spare set of speakers sat around and another soundcard.
    Before playing music change the default soundcard in Windows to the spare soundcard.
    Play music exactly as you did before and you will get Windows sounds from the spare speakers.
     
  4. Anarion

    Anarion Ancient Guru

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    With SoundBlaster Z and the likes you can use StereoDirect mode which means that it bypasses even the SoundCore3D chip. ASIO doesn't work in StereoDirect mode. In exclusive WASAPI mode it's definitely bit perfect and even the volume control doesn't work (unless the application does it by itself). Without StereoDirect mode global volume control would work even in exclusive WASAPI mode and ASIO because it goes through at least the SoundCore3D chip.

    So, if you want absolutely the bit perfect quality with latest Creative sound cards, use WASAPI and StereoDirect mode.

    With WASAPI and ASIO it doesn't automatically mean that there isn't any processing going on - sound card/device may still do stuff (like volume control).
     

  5. Chastity

    Chastity Ancient Guru

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    Just wanted to add that in Windows 10, DirectSound output is also bit perfect. Since the OP in Windows 7, I understand why he is using ASIO.
     
  6. mbk1969

    mbk1969 Ancient Guru

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    Did you read about it somewhere?
     
  7. Chastity

    Chastity Ancient Guru

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    No, but it's confirmed by the Dev team of Foobar2000, and well documented on HA forums. It's also confirmed by my ability to stream DTS 5.1 to my AV receiver. :)
     
  8. theoneofgod

    theoneofgod Ancient Guru

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    Can you explain a bit more of how you stream DTS to the receiver using DirectSound. Player, settings, etc? Thanks.
     
  9. mbk1969

    mbk1969 Ancient Guru

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    I don`t know what DTS has to do with bit perfect, but we can actually test whether their claim is true. Start any stereo track and try to invoke any system sound - if you will hear that system sound along with the track then OS mixer was involved in mixing the track and system sound - and that will mean no bit perfect (because user can select any bitness and any KHz for mixing).
     
  10. Chastity

    Chastity Ancient Guru

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    DTS audio, like any encoded audio stream, needs to be outputted without modification to an external decoder. If the stream is modified in any way, aka is not bitperfect, then you'll get no audio on the external decoder as the stream data is corrupted. This is why streaming encoded audio is a great way to test whether a system is bitperfect.

    For FB2K, you select your digital output under DS, say SPDIF or HDMI. Allow exclusive mode, and just to be safe, set Windows default audio output to 16/48. Also make sure any soundcard enhancements are disabled.
     

  11. mbk1969

    mbk1969 Ancient Guru

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    But that is only a bypass for digital output (meaning soundcard does nothing at all). Bit perfect is considered when on the path from media file to sound card (to play - not to pass it further) data is not "touched". ASIO and WASAPI exclusive can do that. And easiest way to test it - to play any system sound during playback.
     
  12. Chastity

    Chastity Ancient Guru

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    All you're demonstrating is that your audio stream is being exclusive, and you've given it priority. WASAPI has that capacity, if you enable it in the device's properties, and you use a player that is aware. DirectSound is bitperfect as well, just not exclusive, so it can be muxed.

    Windows 7 had that capacity as well for DirectSound, but KMixer often resampled the audio stream. Windows 10 has changed that behavior and can now parse a bitperfect stream under the correct settings. If the stream isn't exclusive it'll still be bitperfect, until it's muxed with another source.

    EDIT: Windows Audio exclusive is via WASAPI
     
    Last edited: Oct 26, 2017
  13. mbk1969

    mbk1969 Ancient Guru

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    But not only priority. WASAPI exclusive and ASIO just bypass Windows mixer (preventing other sources of sound to mix to player output) - that`s why it is called exclusive, and that`s why it is bit perfect - no other code is messing with sound data.
    WASAPI is native sound subsystem in Windows (since Vista), and DirectSound (I suspect) ends up using WASAPI - properties you are talking about is WASAPI properties, so if those properties do affect DirectSound...

    We actually do not have to convince each other, so we can stop our "match".
     
  14. vestibule

    vestibule Ancient Guru

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    Thanks for the reply's guys and the argument. Interesting, I will investigate what I can.
    But more importantly. Is it not about time that all digital music should be sold 24bit PCM from the original master recordings.
    I have the daft punk album R,A,M. studio master 24bit.
    I also have 24bit pcm blu ray: Breakfast in America, which I play with Power DVD. I have to say power DVD gives a fat sound which is too Fat.
    So what are your thought on the public getting proper un compressed music. is it not about time. :)
     
  15. Agent-A01

    Agent-A01 Ancient Guru

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    With 99% of general public putting songs on their phones and listening to it on earphones or car speakers, it won't happen for the vast majority of music.

    Space issues and cheap sound equipment obviously are preventing that
     

  16. mbk1969

    mbk1969 Ancient Guru

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  17. vestibule

    vestibule Ancient Guru

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    That's a good link, but region restrictions are in place. I'm from the UK. :(
     
  18. mbk1969

    mbk1969 Ancient Guru

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