Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[lydon]

Hello,

        I have this wonderful media server (Baetis Reference) running JRiver Media Center 22 on a Windows 10 foundation. And yet despite having a Berkeley Audio Design (RS-1) DAC that can easily handle the 24/176.4 files Windows audio WASAPI doesn't recognize the quadrupling of the 44.1 sample rate. Yet (48-96-192) sample rates process no problem. So what's really going on and can we get Microsoft to change WASAPI to include 176.4?

[Hendrik]

This is not a WASAPI limitation, but depends on the audio driver for your device to accept those rates.

[lydon]

Okay,

       So your saying it's niether Windows 10 or JRiver MC 22 but that Baetis itself has to come up with the drivers to realize this level (24/176.4) of playback. It's funny Berkeley's solution was to let MC to resample down to 88.2. I could still hear that superior quality of those WAV recordings but have yet to experience them such as Reference Recordings (HRx) line which are master sourced @ 24/176.4. When I go Options in JRiver MC, it just won't process these files without the resample which is a downgrade in performance.

[Hendrik]

How is your DAC connected to your Media Server PC? If its through USB, then the driver should be provided by your DAC manufacturer (ie. Berkeley).
As far as I can tell, the Berkeley DAC should also offer ASIO, which is usually superior to WASAPI, and might offer access to that sample rate.

[lydon]

The Baetis is connected to the DAC via AES-EBU. Please remember that Berkeley realizes the limitation that the Windows 10 OS has particularly when running JRiver's MC. Hence, why would Berkeley recommend the down conversion from 176.4 to 88.2 sample rate, if it didn't already know there wasn't a challenge that could not be rectified by a simple driver implementation. Also Berkeley Reference Series doesn't use a USB input on the DAC, just Toslink (optical), SPDIF (75 ohm) BNC and AES (110 ohm). Currently I use AES only.

[Hendrik]

Then its probably up to Baetis to offer an audio driver for whatever feeds the AES/EBU port to support 176.4, I guess, assuming the port can physically support 176.4 - I don't have direct experience with such ports.

[AndyU]

Just temporarily flipped my MC to use WASAPI and upsample to 176.4 - plays fine and the DAC shows 176.4 to confirm. Am using Windows 10, current stable version of MC.

[lydon]

Yeah, me too. Like I wrote in the beginning, graduations of 44.1 and 88.2 supported both in 16 & 24 bits no problem. 48-96-192 rates also no problem. I imagine 176.4 is supported, but when I go to Options> Audio> DSP output> the settings in Input-Output Format are marked "no change" for 176.4 an error message is generated suggesting for 2-channel playback could be out putted automatically to 24/96 but 88,2 would technically be a better choice. That is, by keeping it in it's prospected sample rate group 44.1 vs 48. In any event, a straight playback without any conversion either up or down is not happening. Question is, why is this not happening?

[Fitzcaraldo215]

As is clear, I think, this is neither a JRiver nor a Windows issue.  I think your only answer is going to come from Baetis/Berkeley.  I don't think there are many users of that gear here in this forum who can help. 

FWIW, I do not use spdif or AES/EBU.  But, I have used HDMI and USB with JRiver and Win 7 for a number of years.  There has been no problem with 176k or other sampling rates.  176k is what I use > 95% of the time for SACD/DSF files in my library.

[lydon]

It's really looking like a Windows challenge. When I go into the Windows 10 control panel> sound> devices> and under supported formats there is no choice in 2-channel playback using WASAPI at 176.4 because it doesn't exist but the others (44.1-88.2) are supported (48-96-192) supported. The bandaid work around from Berkeley was to let JRiver MC to resample (down convert) to 88.2. Still the question remains: How to get Mircosoft to recognize and support 176.4? At this point, it's just an unnecessary compromise using these tools.

[Hendrik]

Like we tried to explain, its not a Microsoft or Windows limitation, WASAPI itself support 176.4 just fine.

The audio driver you have for your AES/EBU output does not support 176.4. If it did, it would show up there. So best would be to ask Baetis about that, since they should be providing drivers for those outputs - they designed the system afterall.

[fitbrit]

Hi Lydon
The limitation is the motherboard's driver for the audio codec. The AES output comes from the SPDIF header on the motherboard, via the Baetis daughterboard. Your output formats are limited by what the SPDIF supports. I think it's a Gigabyte/Realtek issue. The MS drivers do not support 176.4, but the Realtek ones might. However, there are good reasons not to use the Realtek drivers on the Baetis.

[lydon]

Thank you,

It seems the Baetis has some particular reasons why their proprietary approach to handling the 176.4 sample rate is not so straight forward and requires more study to appreciate as a end user. But don't worry, in the end, great music is on order of business when it comes to the Baetis/Berkeley combination.