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RE: Windows Sound Control Panel

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In Reply to: RE: Windows Sound Control Panel posted by fmak on February 01, 2021 at 10:54:05

Win, like any other OS, expect you to like multiple audio streams.
You play a video but want a notification when a email comes in.
The only way to obtain this is of course to mix.
You can only mix if the sample rates are equal.
This is what is set in the Win audio panel.
All audio will be converted if needed to the sample rate as specified there.
You can check "Exclusive" but this means that Win allows an app to take exclusive control, not to be mistaken for Win doing so.

Media players like Foobar & Co allows you to select WASAPI/Exclusive.
This is the driver that allows for automatic sample rate switching.
If an app won't allow you to select a driver it is the Win default and this is always WASAPI/Shared.
So of course Win has a SRC and yes it is fine.
Unfortunately there is also a limiter in Win (CAudioLimiter)
This is the one that introduces distortion when the signal come close to 0 dBFS.
Lowering the (pre-amp) volume a little solves this.
Bit more detail in the link below

The Well Tempered Computer

https://www.thewelltemperedcomputer.com/SW/Windows/Win10.htm (Open in New Window)

Follow Ups:

RE: Windows Sound Control Panel - fmak 22:44:07 02/01/21 (0)
I always backoff a little from 0dB, not only in Win, as 0dB on music files are not always 100% accurate and clipping takes place on hot files.

Thanks for the explanation. It is a pity that this is a topic rarely discussed.
The Win src does come in useful for TV and media file replay from many web sources and does improve clarity and resolution of sound if set to 32bit 48 or 88.2k
using a good dac and replay chain.
RE: Windows Sound Control Panel - emailtim 17:21:13 02/01/21 (5)
Thanks for the links.
I see Archamigo did similar tests between Windows 10 (DirectSound) and Linux (ALSA/HW). I will have to find the specific Win10 thread to see what hardware he was using (versus an old Intel Atom N270 CPU, 32-bit, single-core hyperthreaded, 1.6GHz, 2GB DDR2 RAM for Linux) and what his Win10 summation was, but it looks like Linux/ALSA/HW direct was much cleaner.

http://archimago.blogspot.com/2015/10/measurements-look-at-linux-audio-alsa.html#more

"... The digital filter overlay FFT (based off the "Reis Test" described here) and the 16/24-bit J-Test signals look great and are completely in keeping with results from the Geek Out V2 measurements using my Windows 10 Surface Pro 3. Maybe there are a couple more noise spikes in the 24-bit J-Test, but we're looking at noise down <110dB, this is inaudible. ..."
16/44

24/96

24/192

Edits: 02/01/21 02/01/21 02/01/21 02/01/21
- RE: Windows Sound Control Panel - Roseval 02:23:59 02/02/21 (4)
  I will have to find the specific Win10 thread to see what hardware he was using.
  
  I'm afraid it is not hardware related.
  If a signal come close to 0 dBFS, the CAudioLimiter kicks in.
  If you can avoid this, you won't have this type of distortion.
  See the link below
  
  The Well Tempered Computer
  - https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/e (Open in New Window)
  - RE: Windows Sound Control Panel - emailtim 10:33:16 02/02/21 (0)
    That sucks for those who want to use bit-perfect full digital volume and then use analog volume control downstream.
  - RE: Windows Sound Control Panel - fmak 03:55:56 02/02/21 (2)
    I have measured calibration CDs that exceeded 0dBfs when played thru a dac
    - RE: Windows Sound Control Panel - Roseval 04:48:30 02/02/21 (1)
      That are the intersample overs
      The Well Tempered Computer
      https://benchmarkmedia.com/blogs/application_notes/intersamp (Open in New Window)
      - RE: Windows Sound Control Panel - fmak 09:30:45 02/02/21 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Windows Sound Control Panel posted by Roseval on February 02, 2021 at 04:48:30
        
        I now realise what threw me about the Control Panel. Topping appears as Speakers Topping USB DAC and so I associated this with the Topping driver and not windows.

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