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Topic: WASAPI won’t play anything over 48 kHz and/or 16 bit; DirectSound’s OK (Read 6909 times) previous topic - next topic
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WASAPI won’t play anything over 48 kHz and/or 16 bit; DirectSound’s OK

I hope this hasn't been covered before: I did a search and couldn't find anything similar.

I have the latest FB2k (1.1.13) and have downloaded the current wasapi plugin.

My laptop is wired to my modem rather than using wireless (as I understand the latter cannot handle 96k res) and connected to my DAC using usb cable. The DAC manual says it can accept up to 24/96 although it upsamples as well.

There is no problem if I select wasapi: speakers(2-USB audio DAC) and choose 16bit output format and play a 16 /44.1 or 48hz track from the NAS. If I try  16/96, 24/48  or 24/96 the following comes up: Unrecoverable playback error: Unsupported stream format: 96000 Hz / 16-bit / 2 channels (or a combination of the bit/res). It also plays 48k 6 channel set at 16 bit.

If I revert to the DS devise, it plays at 96k, according to the bottom title bar. Also plays 6 channel tracks but in stereo of course.

Assuming it is not my DAC causing the unsupported stream format, is it FB2k or my laptop in some way? All the files are flac by the way. Is wasapi restricted to 16 bit and max 48k res? Is there a solution so that I can play higher res?

WASAPI won’t play anything over 48 kHz and/or 16 bit; DirectSound’s OK

Reply #1 –
Quote from: johnrxx99 on
My laptop is wired to my modem rather than using wireless (as I understand the latter cannot handle 96k res)

How is that relevant or even related to your DAC? Wifi transporsts data and hardly cares about the sample rate of the transported audio data. By the way, one second of uncompressed 24/96 stereo PCM will take roughly 4.6 Mbit/sec. to transfer, which most Wifi connections should be able to maintain.

Quote from: johnrxx99 on
There is no problem if I select wasapi: speakers(2-USB audio DAC) and choose 16bit output format and play a 16 /44.1 or 48hz track from the NAS.

Oh, the data is on a NAS, I understand.

Quote from: johnrxx99 on
If I revert to the DS devise, it plays at 96k, according to the bottom title bar. Also plays 6 channel tracks but in stereo of course.

My Creative audio driver supports setting up multiple speakers, so I can get 6 channel audio from mine. Or I can set the channel configuration in Windows mixer directly. Maybe your DAC supports something similar?

Quote from: johnrxx99 on
Assuming it is not my DAC causing the unsupported stream format, is it FB2k or my laptop in some way? All the files are flac by the way. Is wasapi restricted to 16 bit and max 48k res? Is there a solution so that I can play higher res?

Have you tried the WASAPI beta version? It apparently fixes many problems people seem to have.
It's only audiophile if it's inconvenient.

WASAPI won’t play anything over 48 kHz and/or 16 bit; DirectSound’s OK

Reply #2 –
http://www.thewelltemperedcomputer.com/KB/USB.html

Quote
A lot of people think USB audio is limited to 16 bits / 48 kHz max.
A lot of (cheap and sometimes not so cheap) USB DACs are indeed limited to this resolution.
This is because the manufacturer decided to use a simple and cheap of the shelf hardware solution.


Maybe this is your case?

WASAPI won’t play anything over 48 kHz and/or 16 bit; DirectSound’s OK

Reply #3 –
It's a Stello DA100 Signature. April Music, the manufacturer, claims it's 24/96 and when reviewed by HiFiWorld their measurements endorsed that

WASAPI won’t play anything over 48 kHz and/or 16 bit; DirectSound’s OK

Reply #4 –
http://hi-fi-avenue.blogspot.com/2010/05/s...mpling-dac.html

Quote
I sent an e-mail to April Music asking if a 24/192 signal would be downsampled through the USB input and the reply was that the USB input of the Stello DA 100 Signature DAC only accepts up to 48kHz sampling rate and the USB DAC chip is the Burr-Brown PCM2704 from Texas Instruments.

A quick check of the manual revealed that it is a 16 bit chip that accepts 32kHz, 44.1kHz and 48kHz sampling rates.

Thus when you use the Stello DA 100 Signature DAC's USB input, a native 24/96 or 24/88.2 signal is reduced to 16/48.

but:

Quote
When you connect the laptop to the U2 with a USB cable and then to the DAC, you will feed the DAC with 24/96 signals.

WASAPI won’t play anything over 48 kHz and/or 16 bit; DirectSound’s OK

Reply #5 –
Many thanks indeed, you've solved two questions in one. Clearly the USB input to the DAC is the problem. I have been considering a Stello U3 and although that goes to 32/192 (!) I assume it will also do 24/96. I will however email them to make sure.

Again, many thanks.

WASAPI won’t play anything over 48 kHz and/or 16 bit; DirectSound’s OK

Reply #6 –
Quote from: lvqcl on
http://hi-fi-avenue.blogspot.com/2010/05/s...mpling-dac.html

Quote
I sent an e-mail to April Music asking if a 24/192 signal would be downsampled through the USB input and the reply was that the USB input of the Stello DA 100 Signature DAC only accepts up to 48kHz sampling rate and the USB DAC chip is the Burr-Brown PCM2704 from Texas Instruments.

A quick check of the manual revealed that it is a 16 bit chip that accepts 32kHz, 44.1kHz and 48kHz sampling rates.

Thus when you use the Stello DA 100 Signature DAC's USB input, a native 24/96 or 24/88.2 signal is reduced to 16/48.

but:

Quote
When you connect the laptop to the U2 with a USB cable and then to the DAC, you will feed the DAC with 24/96 signals.



I don't really understand this. It's a 24/192 capable DAC, but it only accepts 48/16 over USB. How does that make any sense, isn't almost everyone going to use it via the USB port?

WASAPI won’t play anything over 48 kHz and/or 16 bit; DirectSound’s OK

Reply #7 –
Quote from: uart on
I don't really understand this. It's a 24/192 capable DAC, but it only accepts 48/16 over USB. How does that make any sense, isn't almost everyone going to use it via the USB port?


It's because the features that are marketed don't have real-life audible implications in almost all situations.
elevatorladylevitateme

WASAPI won’t play anything over 48 kHz and/or 16 bit; DirectSound’s OK

Reply #8 –
Yet another quote from that page:

Quote
If you buy the RM3,300 DA 100 Signature DAC, it is essential for you to spend another RM950 to buy the cigarette-box sized U2 24/96 USB Link.

According to Google, 1 RM = 1 Malaysian ringgit = 0.316 USD.

WASAPI won’t play anything over 48 kHz and/or 16 bit; DirectSound’s OK

Reply #9 –
Well, after much more research, and a response from April Music, it is confirmed the USB input is limited to 16/48 and the spdif accepts 24/96. I wish I knew more about digital replay when I bought it but it is a good DAC all the same.

Currently considering the new Cambridge Stream Magic 6, which seems to do everything, including 24/192 from usb/laptop with their USB2 driver download or the much cheaper Squeezebox Touch but limited to 24/96 and no usb/laptop in, only usb from storeage thus needing a usb/spdif converter adding another few hundred quid.

Thanks for the input guys.
 

WASAPI won’t play anything over 48 kHz and/or 16 bit; DirectSound’s OK

Reply #10 –
Luckily you can't hear true 24 bit or else you wouldn't be writing here.

Quote from: Andreasvb on
http://www.head-fi.org/t/415361/24bit-vs-1...e-myth-exploded

Quote
If we were to use the full dynamic range of 24bit and a listener had the equipment to reproduce it all, there is a fair chance, depending on age and general health, that the listener would die instantly.
Windows 10 Pro x64 // foobar2000 1.3.10