Print

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

[Lynn]

Hi,

I have perceived an ongoing sound quality problem with recent versions.  Last night I conducted a blind listening tests using the same hardware with a group of 5 friends.  

We used 9.0.180 vs. the most recent .299 version.  Tests were conducted using APE files and ASIO output at 16/44 sample rate.

We rotated responsibilities for the person setting up the test, and the rest of the group did not know the version that was being tested. Each tester was asked to play the same song 4 times (twice for each version of MC), but the sequence of which version of MC that was being played was randomized.  This approach resulted in 4 rounds of test X 6 participants for a total 24 rounds of tests (12 for each version).  5 listeners evaluated each test, or 120 evaluations (60 each version).  The goal of the listener was to determine which of the 4 tests in a test groups sounded subjectively better, worse, or the same within the same group of 4 tests.

The result was for 88% of the tests 9.0.180 was ranked as sounding better.  The soundstage, imaging, and harmonics were felt to be markedly superior to the .299 version.  

I know this is not scientific, but I do believe there is something affecting the sound in later versions.  I am not sure if the problem is in ASIO, APE, DSP, or the new Windows media components, but for now I will stay with 9.0.180 for any serious listening.

Regards,
Lynn

[JimH]

Slight differences in volume can affect perceived quality.

[Matt]

but for now I will stay with 9.0.180 for any serious listening

I can assure you that both 9.0 and 9.1 are bit perfect when using lossless audio like APE.

Decompress a file with Monkey's Audio, and again with MC's format converter and again with MC's Disk Writer output plugin.  You'll see that they'll all be bit-for-bit matches.

If there is a sound difference between 9.0 and 9.1, it has to be a DSP, volume, or output type (WaveOut vs DirectSound vs ASIO) issue.

[nameless]

The result was for 88% of the tests 9.0.180 was ranked as sounding better.  The soundstage, imaging, and harmonics were felt to be markedly superior to the .299 version.

I'm glad I wasn't there.  If someone had turned to me and asked, "How do the imaging and harmonics sound to you in this sample?", I'd give them nothing but a blank stare while I tried to figure out what the ---- they meant.

[kiwi]

If there is a sound difference between 9.0 and 9.1, it has to be a DSP, volume, or output type (WaveOut vs DirectSound vs ASIO) issue.

I wonder whether the "internal volume level" got set.  I'm assuming that if you are using a good sound card, and don't want to adjust the volume level, you just set it to MAX?  (And don't do anything with the regular volume, because it's inactive.)

kiwi

[Oops]

Hi,
I never noticed differences of sound quality between the 9.0 and 9.1 versions, but a couple of weeks ago I thought that after installing Media Player 9.0 Series the sound quality is worse than before. Could this be possible? What software sound techniques is Media Center using for output?

Chris

[Matt]

What software sound techniques is Media Center using for output?

You can choose from Options > Playback

DirectSound is the default.