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Topic: Default audio format on windows 7 (Read 8590 times) previous topic - next topic
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Default audio format on windows 7

I have 24/96, 24/192 vinyl rips and mp3. Should I change the default audio format whenever I play a different format/quality? Example: If I play a 24/96, should I go to Control Panel -> Sound -> Headphones -> Properties -> Advanced  and choose 2 channel, 24 bits, 96 Hz? And when I listen to 24/192 should I change the quality to 24/192 there?

Default audio format on windows 7

Reply #1 –
Sort of irrelevant. You're not going to hear the difference.
 

Default audio format on windows 7

Reply #2 –
That setting reads "Select the sample rate and bit depth to be used when running in shared mode."  You need to look up "shared mode" to understand what that setting does and when it applies.  Notwithstanding what Canar said above, if you still care about such things and are using an external DAC that supports it you might want to use a music player that offers a playback mode such as ASIO which bypasses any internal resampling Windows might apply.  foobar2000 is such a player.

Default audio format on windows 7

Reply #3 –
As Apesbrain has said, the setting takes effect when Windows Vista/7/8 has to mix signals, and Windows mixes signals when they play through old MME, Directsound, or WASAPI Shared mode.
Windows does not mix if it uses driver mode ASIO, WASAPI exclusive, kernel streaming (KS DMO) or some ASIO wrappers (if they are implemented with kernel streaming or WASAPI exclusive).

If you don't know what all these acronyms mean, then, probably the setting does matter (most applications use Directsound by default), but the application might play a role on it too (depending on how it interacts with the sound API).

Taking again Apesbrain advice to use Foobar2000, if you get the WASAPI driver, that one uses WASAPI exclusive. (I would recommend ASIO driver only if the soundcard provides their own ASIO drivers, and only if they don't crash or are poorly developed).

But just remember what *not* allowing Windows to mix means: You'll only hear what is playing.

Default audio format on windows 7

Reply #4 –
It may be time to give this a read.
Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.