Is AlbumPlayer Bit Perfect with ASIO?

[pete321]

Has anyone tried AlbumPlayer to get bit perfcet replay from their PC in ASIO mode?

Gerrardasnails pointed me to this player as it advertises bit perfect playback if you have the ASIO plugin installed. I tried ASIO with Windows 7 & WMP (32bit) but can only get bit perfect jerky playback with CD's, nothing with music files. Other than this, the only option is Foobar2000 with WASAPI which although sounds great in bit perfect, I want an alreay built user interface.

I've downloaded the demo of AlbumPlayer and with the ASIO plugin installed, successfully activated ASIO in the players Audio options with my Asus Xonar Essence ST soundcard. I've added a couple of albums (16bit/44.1kHz WMA Lossless), duriung playback the Windows volume control is disabled which initially led me to believe that I was getting bit perfect. However, my DacMagic which the SPDIF signal goes to, shows an incoming sample rate of 96kHz. It seems that the player is upsampling the 44.1kHz files. Has anyone else had any experience with the player for bit perfect playback? Thanks.

 

[pete321]

It seems I've solved my own problem, unlike the WASAPI/Foobar2000 combination, I have to adjust the sample rate manually on my Asus soundcard settings to match that of the track playing (not ideal). Additionally, each click of the mouse button while surfing the net or using another program during playback causes a stutter in playback. In Foobar2000 with WASAPI, the sample rate changed on the DacMagic accoring to the file type, i.e. 44.1 or 96kHz. If only Foobar looked like AlbumPlayer out of the box!

 

[Alec]

Does it sound better bit perfect?

 

[pete321]

al7478: Does it sound better bit perfect?

Foobar does with the WASAPI option. Both 44.1 & 96kHz music files sound more open and detailed than when played through Windows Mixer. I don't think I'll be buying AlbumPlayer though, I don't want to have to change the sample rate output on my soundcard everytime I play a hi-res Linn file. The fact that you have to, sort of makes me doubt that the ASIO/AlbumPlayer option is bit perfect. Whatever sample rate I set the Asus card to in it's setup, Foobar/WASAPI outputs what the file should be, the correct sample rate showing on my DacMagic.

It's definately worth trying the Foobar2000 with WASAPI though, that sounds great, it just won't look great unless you know what you're doing!

 

[Alec]

Thanks Pete. If I'm honest, I've oftern wondered if its just something people do for the sake of knowing theyve done it, like seeing the right lights on your home cinema amp.

 

[pete321]

I can definately notice a significant improvement with FB2000/WASAPI, it's like a cloud lifting from playback, the soundstage becomes much more wide and open.

With WMP, you can see the right lights on a DacMagic by setting the Windows playback output to 16bit/44.1kHz in the advanced property settings, but that won't mean it sounds right. I guess bit perfect compares to having a tone defeat on amplifiers.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

pete321:
I can definately notice a significant improvement with FB2000/WASAPI, it's like a cloud lifting from playback, the soundstage becomes much more wide and open.

With WMP, you can see the right lights on a DacMagic by setting the Windows playback output to 16bit/44.1kHz in the advanced property settings, but that won't mean it sounds right. I guess bit perfect compares to having a tone defeat on amplifiers.

Pete, are you using usb to your DAC or optical?

The AlbumPlayer supports ASIO (Audio Stream Input/Output), which is a soundcard driver protocol for digital audio, providing a low-latency and high fidelity interface to the soundcard, bypassing the Windows mixer and drivers. In ASIO mode all AlbumPlayer audio processing is bypassed. Audio files will be played bit-perfect. Every bit of your high quality audio file is brought unchanged to the output of your soundcard. If you connect your amplifier using S/PDIF (an optical connection), your audio file arrives unchanged at the DAC (Digital Analog Converter) of your amplifier

 

[Alec]

Alas, im pretty much wed to wmp. ive tried asio with it, but it just gave me...silence.

 

[pete321]

Gerrardasnails:Pete, are you using usb to your DAC or optical? The AlbumPlayer supports ASIO (Audio Stream Input/Output), which is a soundcard driver protocol for digital audio, providing a low-latency and high fidelity interface to the soundcard, bypassing the Windows mixer and drivers. In ASIO mode all AlbumPlayer audio processing is bypassed. Audio files will be played bit-perfect. Every bit of your high quality audio file is brought unchanged to the output of your soundcard. If you connect your amplifier using S/PDIF (an optical connection), your audio file arrives unchanged at the DAC (Digital Analog Converter) of your amplifier

My Asus soundcard connects via coax SPDIF to the DacMagic, I can't use USB as it won't support 24bit/96kHz playback. It must be something to do with the 2 different formats, i.e. ASIO & WASAPI. Using ASIO/AlbumPlayer via the Asus SPDIF meant that I had to change the Asus soundcard settings sample rate output depending on the source file rate, whereas WASAPI/FB2000 sent a bit perfect signal whatever the Asus soundcard sample rate was set at. Both disabled Windows mixer, but ASIO playback was affected by other PC use, i.e. it stuttered at mouse clicks on the internet, FB2000/WASAPI isn't. Plus, FB2000 sounded more open and detailed. The fact that I was having to change the Asus soundcard output sample rate with AlbumPlayer suggests to me it's going through some sort of processing, albeit that Windows Mixer was disabled, I guess it could be compatability issues with my soundcard which it doesn't seem to have with WASAPI.

 

[pete321]

al7478:Alas, im pretty much wed to wmp

Me too, it's a shame WASPI won't work with it as it does with Foobar, maybe one day!

 

[Gerrardasnails]

pete321:
Gerrardasnails:Pete, are you using usb to your DAC or optical? The AlbumPlayer supports ASIO (Audio Stream Input/Output), which is a soundcard driver protocol for digital audio, providing a low-latency and high fidelity interface to the soundcard, bypassing the Windows mixer and drivers. In ASIO mode all AlbumPlayer audio processing is bypassed. Audio files will be played bit-perfect. Every bit of your high quality audio file is brought unchanged to the output of your soundcard. If you connect your amplifier using S/PDIF (an optical connection), your audio file arrives unchanged at the DAC (Digital Analog Converter) of your amplifier

My Asus soundcard connects via coax SPDIF to the DacMagic, I can't use USB as it won't support 24bit/96kHz playback. It must be something to do with the 2 different formats, i.e. ASIO & WASAPI. Using ASIO/AlbumPlayer via the Asus SPDIF meant that I had to change the Asus soundcard settings sample rate output depending on the source file rate, whereas WASAPI/FB2000 sent a bit perfect signal whatever the Asus soundcard sample rate was set at. Both disabled Windows mixer, but ASIO playback was affected by other PC use, i.e. it stuttered at mouse clicks on the internet, FB2000/WASAPI isn't. Plus, FB2000 sounded more open and detailed. The fact that I was having to change the Asus soundcard output sample rate with AlbumPlayer suggests to me it's going through some sort of processing, albeit that Windows Mixer was disabled, I guess it could be compatability issues with my soundcard which it doesn't seem to have with WASAPI.

it does say to disable any other ASIO player - not sure if this would include Wasapi as well.

 

[pete321]

I've just read on another forum about ReClock that some people feel that because ASIO doesn't disable all other Windows sounds it can't be bit perfect. It also mentions Asus cards resampling with ASIO, whereas WASAPI does disble everything, including Asus resampling. Hence my better experience with FB2000/WASAPI. It seems ASIO will not play bit perfect with Asus soundcards and their current drivers, that's good for £130 soundcard!

 

[Alec]

pete321:

al7478:Alas, im pretty much wed to wmp

Me too, it's a shame WASPI won't work with it as it does with Foobar, maybe one day!

Someone who doesnt think im mad! WHOOHOO!

I think i may be getting that soundcard too. oh dear.

 

[PJPro]

pete321:
......It's definately worth trying the Foobar2000 with WASAPI though, that sounds great, it just won't look great unless you know what you're doing!

Again, I am happy to help. But I need to understand where the problem is.

 

[pete321]

PJPro:pete321:

......It's definately worth trying the Foobar2000 with WASAPI though, that sounds great, it just won't look great unless you know what you're doing!

Again, I am happy to help. But I need to understand where the problem is.

Hi PJ, I appreciate your offer of help and would love to get FB2000 looking like your image below.

I'm not sure where to start though and I don't know how we can communicate easily whilst I'm setting it up to help me to get it right.

 

[PJPro]

Have a go with my UI Primer. This provides you with two tabs; one for chronflow and a spare. The spare will be used (as in my configuration) for a UI like the above.

The Primer will also get you familiar with the process of configuring the UI. I will then guide you through the steps of creating the iTunes like UI.

Please use the primer thread for further correspondence as your questions and my answers may prove useful to others.

The link for the primer thread is provided here for your convenience.

 

[pete321]

OK thanks, I'll have another go, but will probably get stuck when it comes to album art.

 

[PJPro]

How many albums do you have?

 

[pete321]

Too many to count! I just sorted the album art now, moving on to the next bit.