In Reply to: Best way to configure Windows Media Player for best quality? posted by analoguecameralover on August 17, 2009 at 04:21:42:
If you take these steps, there's no reason why Windows Media Player can't sound decent, on any hardware (obviously, the better the audio device, the better the sound):
1. Install Vista. [reason: XP has a component called kmixer.dll that can degrade sound quality]
2. Configure Vista so that the default sampling rate is 44.1kHz and 24 bits. Leave all audio enhancements disabled.
3. In WMP, configure your audio settings to enable 24-bit playback.
4. Install WMP Tag Support Extender (http://wmptagext.sourceforge.net/)
5. Install either the Illiminable Ogg Directshow Filter (http://www.illiminable.com/ogg/) or the Core Flac Directshow Filter (http://coreflac.corecodec.org/index.html). Don't install both.
6. If you rip CDs, try to do it with another program to ensure you get perfect rips (I recommend dbPowerAmp http://www.dbpoweramp.com)
WMP also has the advantage of being one of the very few players that can decode HDCD (Microsoft owns HDCD, that's why).
I prefer to use WMP on all my systems, apart from one (my dedicated music player). It has the advantage of being pre-installed with Windows, a good set of features, and sounds quite decent if you follow the above steps.
The ASIO plugin mentioned by another poster is worth trying if you have an audio device with an ASIO driver. But since you are a beginner, leave it alone for the time being. There is a potential that sound will improve, but that's very dependent on your specific audio device.
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Follow Ups
- Here's a serious answer to your question - Christine Tham 14:34:37 08/17/09 (44)
- Were you able to get it to play gapless and if so, how? nt - Tony Lauck 06:55:38 08/18/09 (5)
- Why? Is there a problem? Works fine for me - Christine Tham 15:04:52 08/18/09 (4)
- RE: Why? Is there a problem? Works fine for me - Tony Lauck 17:04:02 08/18/09 (3)
- RE: Why? Is there a problem? Works fine for me - Christine Tham 20:54:09 08/18/09 (2)
- RE: Why? Is there a problem? Works fine for me - Tony Lauck 05:53:22 08/19/09 (1)
- RE: Why? Is there a problem? Works fine for me - rick_m 07:04:20 08/19/09 (0)
- RE: Here's a serious answer to your question-serious question - fmak 23:59:43 08/17/09 (0)
- RE: Here's a serious answer to your question - Squonk 15:05:52 08/17/09 (36)
- RE: Here's a serious answer to your question - Christine Tham 15:13:28 08/17/09 (35)
- RE: Here's a serious answer to your question - Squonk 15:17:02 08/17/09 (34)
- Here's something that not many people know ... - Christine Tham 15:42:06 08/17/09 (33)
- Is HDCD dynamic filtering possibe at sw level? - The Sound Guy 07:52:11 08/18/09 (13)
- Yes, that's the way it is implemented in most AV receivers - Christine Tham 14:27:07 08/18/09 (7)
- Geez, Christine, what does it take? - Charles Hansen 22:07:06 08/18/09 (6)
- RE: Geez, Christine, what does it take? - Tony Lauck 06:07:29 08/19/09 (5)
- RE: Geez, Christine, what does it take? - fmak 23:11:54 08/19/09 (0)
- subtractive dither - The Sound Guy 08:17:42 08/19/09 (3)
- RE: subtractive dither - Tony Lauck 09:20:57 08/19/09 (2)
- RE: subtractive dither - The Sound Guy 12:31:21 08/19/09 (1)
- RE: subtractive dither - Tony Lauck 13:55:45 08/19/09 (0)
- Read my lips. - Charles Hansen 11:29:42 08/18/09 (4)
- RE: Read my lips. - The Sound Guy 07:14:31 08/19/09 (3)
- More Pacific Microsonics marketing bull - Charles Hansen 19:50:32 08/19/09 (2)
- RE: More Pacific Microsonics marketing bull - The Sound Guy 11:38:58 08/21/09 (1)
- Your linked post is excellent - Charles Hansen 21:53:26 08/21/09 (0)
- Also wrong! - Charles Hansen 23:50:31 08/17/09 (0)
- Wrong! - Charles Hansen 23:44:51 08/17/09 (15)
- Suggestion for change to your subject field writing style - tcell 12:58:48 08/18/09 (14)
- The reason for my tone in this particular instance... - Charles Hansen 22:03:50 08/18/09 (6)
- RE: The reason for my tone in this particular instance... - fmak 00:14:53 08/19/09 (5)
- That is why Pacific Microsonics went out of business - Charles Hansen 19:54:47 08/19/09 (4)
- RE: That is why Pacific Microsonics went out of business - GCrouser@hvc.rr.com 05:19:04 08/20/09 (3)
- No, most people just buy on the basis of price - Charles Hansen 12:59:44 08/20/09 (2)
- Re: Small companies and music prices. - rick_m 14:57:53 08/20/09 (1)
- RE: Re: Small companies and music prices. - Tony Lauck 10:41:47 08/21/09 (0)
- Strictly matter of taste. - carcass93 19:25:55 08/18/09 (0)
- Thanks - Christine Tham 14:37:51 08/18/09 (5)
- By the way, more typical veiled insults from you - Charles Hansen 22:23:53 08/18/09 (2)
- Illuminating read... And it's certainly funny that one party has a nerve to complain about "treatment". - carcass93 10:03:44 08/19/09 (1)
- Unfortunately not that illuminating about things that matter - Charles Hansen 19:58:29 08/19/09 (0)
- Whoa, I think there's a name for that complex.... - Charles Hansen 22:12:13 08/18/09 (0)
- Thank YOU for all of your contibutions to this forum (nt) - tcell 17:09:13 08/18/09 (0)
- RE: Here's something that not many people know ... - Tony Lauck 19:16:43 08/17/09 (1)
- RE: Here's something that not many people know ... - Christine Tham 20:31:25 08/17/09 (0)