Vista Media Center Bit-Perfect Audio?

Joni_78

Joni_78

Enthusiast
I currently have Realtec ALC850 on my VMC PC, which doesn't seem to give bit-perfect audio (everything goes trough windows kmixer thus converted into 48KHz, and DTS/WAVs doesn't play). Which would be good card to get bit-perfect audio?
 
J

joebob

Audioholic Intern
You may be able to solve your k-mixer issue with ASIO4ALL. I don't know about soundcards because I'm using a USB DAC. I'm also using XP, so I'm not sure about Vista either. I can tell you that I'm getting great results using ASIO4ALL with foobar.
 
Joni_78

Joni_78

Enthusiast
This is supposed to be really good soundcard for music production and I think this does what I need.

(bit perfect digital "transport" which simply moves the digital zeros and ones from the hard disk/dvd through a optical/coaxial SPDIF plug and let's your amplifier do everything with maximum sound quality)

"ESI-JULI@. configured for bit perfect DIGITAL outs which means that it will pass the signal untouched from whatever game/dvd you're playing to the signal decoder inside the Z-5500s or if you have a dolby receiver which will then use its own DACs to decode the signals

this is where bit perfect output is optimal because it doesnt matter whether its dolby digital, DTS or whichever surround format used these days, the card will simply pass it through and let whatever decoder you have on the end of it do its thing."
 
M

MDS

Audioholic Spartan
Is the issue with DTS or both DTS and WAV? If WAV files don't play there is a big problem and the kmixer is not the culprit.

The kmixer matches sample rates and mixes multiple audio streams. If for example, you are playing a 16/44.1 WAV and at the same time click on something that would generate a windows sound (which is often 8 bit at a much lower sampling rate) the kmixer will resample the 8 bit audio on the fly and you will hear both sounds.

The realtec is a built-in sound chip on the motherboard, right? It is AC '97 compliant and thus works at 48 kHz. The kmixer will ensure that all streams going to it are 16/48. This is only a 'problem' if you want to record at say 16/44.1 because the chip will actually record at 16/48 and resample to 16/44.1 on the fly. For playing WAV files the process will be transparent to you.

DD/Dolby Digital is another issue entirely. Because the sound chip doesn't know that it is a compressed format, it thinks it is just PCM like a WAV file and the process of converting it to 48 kHz will destroy the encoding. ASIO drivers, which bypass the kmixer, are not the solution. You need a card that can identify a DD/DTS bitstream and just pass it through - and many new cards do just that. The SoundBlaster Audigy 2 and newer can do it and it sounds like the card mentioned can do it too.

Calling DD/DTS pass-thru 'bit perfect' audio is a bit of a misnomer. Bit perfect audio usually refers to recording; ie what comes in is what is processed without being modified in any way. ASIO drivers are used to get around the conversion to a different sampling rate for recording but for playback are not necessary.
 
Joni_78

Joni_78

Enthusiast
DTS-Wav and DTS Audio CD's are only a problem. Kmixer samples everything into 48KHz and sends only PCM into the receiver.
 
T

Transporter

Audiophyte
Audio streaming device

I bought a black slim devices Transporter from www.broadbandstuff.co.uk to stream my music from my wireless network. The sound quality is great it is really easy to use I can also stream thousands of internet radio stations I’m very glad I purchased this product it’s a great piece of kit and received it the day after ordering.
 
P

p2pvoice

Audiophyte
Getting 5.1 from a notebook PC's SPDIF into A/V Reciever

DD/Dolby Digital is another issue entirely. Because the sound chip doesn't know that it is a compressed format, it thinks it is just PCM like a WAV file and the process of converting it to 48 kHz will destroy the encoding. ASIO drivers, which bypass the kmixer, are not the solution. You need a card that can identify a DD/DTS bitstream and just pass it through - and many new cards do just that. The SoundBlaster Audigy 2 and newer can do it and it sounds like the card mentioned can do it too.
Hello All:

This is my first post. After reading the above comment from MDS, I felt I can get a solution to my problem.

I am trying to get 5.1 out of my HP RDV5215US Notebook PC into my A/V receiver. The audio in the PC is Conexant AC-Link Audio. Advanced audio settings show choices for 5.1 and 7.1. I chose 5.1. I am connecting the HP Notebook's SPDIF output to my Yamaha HTR 5940 via an optical cable. My Yamaha can decode Dolby Digital as well DTS.

When I play a DVD with Dolby Digital on my notebook PC, my Yamaha detects the audio as only 2 channel PCM. How do I get 5.1? Is there a setting I need to change on my notebook? Or, as MDS points out, it is not possible to get 5.1 out of this notebook PC's sound card?

As I understand it, SPDIF just a passthrough so that the the A/V receiver can detect what it is (DD or DTS) and decode it?

Thank you very much.
-p2pvoice
 
Joni_78

Joni_78

Enthusiast
Hello All:

This is my first post. After reading the above comment from MDS, I felt I can get a solution to my problem.

I am trying to get 5.1 out of my HP RDV5215US Notebook PC into my A/V receiver. The audio in the PC is Conexant AC-Link Audio. Advanced audio settings show choices for 5.1 and 7.1. I chose 5.1. I am connecting the HP Notebook's SPDIF output to my Yamaha HTR 5940 via an optical cable. My Yamaha can decode Dolby Digital as well DTS.

When I play a DVD with Dolby Digital on my notebook PC, my Yamaha detects the audio as only 2 channel PCM. How do I get 5.1? Is there a setting I need to change on my notebook? Or, as MDS points out, it is not possible to get 5.1 out of this notebook PC's sound card?

As I understand it, SPDIF just a passthrough so that the the A/V receiver can detect what it is (DD or DTS) and decode it?

Thank you very much.
-p2pvoice
I don't really know about that soundcard but in my realtek card I left default 2.0 setting from the control panel. From Media Center I changed settings to 5.1 and I get correct 5.1 in the receiver.
 
newsletter

  • RBHsound.com
  • BlueJeansCable.com
  • SVS Sound Subwoofers
  • Experience the Martin Logan Montis
Top