I dunno and resisted the temptation to try a 'better' one for some time,
until I came across a bargain that could be passed on if I decided it was
hogwash. I didn't. I suspect that impedance is an aspect, if not the whole
story, and cheap printer cables are not as good in that regard. Standing
waves may also play a role, as some people have noted that different lengths
give different results. But, all I can say is that the nicely made one made
for a more organic, less mechanical, character of the sound.

-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tom Fine
Sent: Friday, November 06, 2015 4:38 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Geek question - is there any way to get Foobar2000
to automatically change to a file's native sample/bitrate in Win7?

Why would a USB cable matter? I haven't seen any science to back up any
claims. As long as the cable is not messing up impedence or is incompetently
shielded, it shouldn't matter. A loose connector is more along the lines of
something I believe would matter.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Carl Pultz" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, November 06, 2015 1:37 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Geek question - is there any way to get Foobar2000
to automatically change to a file's native sample/bitrate in Win7?


> Try 'em all! Sometimes I think I hear a difference between them, and 
> then I don't. Doesn't hurt to install them. While you're at it, there 
> is a HDCD decoder and a RAM-disk utility. Good clean fun.
>
> From what I've read of the views of coders, there isn't anything wrong 
> with ASIO or WASAPI. I haven't gone 'ultimate' yet myself, but what I 
> have played with suggests those guys are not delusional regarding hardware
optimization.
> My latest DAW is built on a Gigabyte gaming motherboard, which has 
> what they call a specially-filtered USB buss, inspired by the idea 
> that noise on the data and power lines changes the sound. Know what? 
> It is very obviously better. Perhaps similar to having a built-in
Audioquest Jitter Bug.
>
> A modestly tricked-out USB cable improved the sound, too. As for $100 
> Ethernet cables - - prove it to me!
>
> I do hear a consistent difference between playback apps. I've used 
> Jriver Media Center for some years, for its excellent ripping and 
> tagging functions, and networking capabilities. It sounds different 
> than Foobar - smoother. Sometimes that seems less accurate, sometimes 
> more. I guess I've come down to feeling, after hearing my own work 
> played through both of those programs and from Samplitude, that MC is 
> more accurate. But it's subtle and maybe more within the realm of taste
than objectivity.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List 
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tom Fine
> Sent: Friday, November 06, 2015 11:46 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Geek question - is there any way to get 
> Foobar2000 to automatically change to a file's native sample/bitrate in
Win7?
>
> That's it, components. So which is best to install? I thought I read 
> somewhere that ASIO is not favored in the "ultimate file player" 
> crowd, the guys who optimize laptops for playing digital music files. 
> Never understood why, above my geek pay grade.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Carl Pultz" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Friday, November 06, 2015 11:16 AM
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Geek question - is there any way to get 
> Foobar2000 to automatically change to a file's native sample/bitrate in
Win7?
>
>
>> Maybe a "component' could be termed a plugin. In
>> File>Preferences>Components, you can install support for ASIO, Kernel
>> Streaming, and WASAPI. That may be what you're missing. The HiLo 
>> probably supports them all, but certainly ASIO. Try installing that 
>> and WASAPI support, then under Output, select the Device menu entry 
>> that shows the HiLo in one or both interface types. NOT DS! That's 
>> the
> Windows interface, IIRC.
>> It should show at least one of those named for the HiLo, or as a 
>> generic USB device.
>>
>> One way to check this is to play an 88.2 file. Win7 doesn't support 
>> it; it will resample or just not work. If you get 88.2 on your 
>> converter, it is bypassing the Windows mixer.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List 
>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tom Fine
>> Sent: Friday, November 06, 2015 10:33 AM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Geek question - is there any way to get
>> Foobar2000 to automatically change to a file's native sample/bitrate 
>> in
> Win7?
>>
>> Also, is there some parameter deep in the Sound control panel that 
>> turns control of this over to the playback software? Sony Soundforge 
>> doesn't have this problem with the Lynx HiLo -- it seems designed to 
>> take control of all this stuff in the background. Also, Carl are you 
>> sure you don't have a Foobar plugin that is controlling this? If so, 
>> which
> plugin?
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Carl Pultz" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Friday, November 06, 2015 10:23 AM
>> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Geek question - is there any way to get
>> Foobar2000 to automatically change to a file's native sample/bitrate 
>> in
> Win7?
>>
>>
>>> Gee, Tom, that's never been a problem for me. Via USB to Benchmark 
>>> DACs, using ASIO, KS, or WASAPI, Foobar will automatically output 
>>> native rates and change on the fly (unlike Mac OS). This is with no 
>>> other processing plugins in the virtual signal path, which I almost 
>>> never use. I confirmed this when I got the DAC2, which indicates 
>>> sr/bit-depth. It requires no intervention and has worked that way on 
>>> Win7, 8.1, and 10. It doesn't care what the Windows default setting 
>>> is, as the Benchmark drivers bypass that internal system. Hardware 
>>> interfaces that use Windows native drivers may behave differently.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List 
>>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tom Fine
>>> Sent: Friday, November 06, 2015 9:58 AM
>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>> Subject: [ARSCLIST] Geek question - is there any way to get
>>> Foobar2000 to automatically change to a file's native sample/bitrate 
>>> in
> Win7?
>>>
>>> I have tried figuring this out on Google and nothing I'm searching 
>>> gets me there.
>>>
>>> I use Foobar2000 as my primary audio player on my Win7 computers in 
>>> the studio. Foobar seems to default to the Windows Sound setting for 
>>> the actual output sample/bitrate, no matter what is native to the 
>>> file. So, if I'm listening to multiple files from the studio, 
>>> HDTracks and CDs, I have to keep opening up the Sound control panel 
>>> and changing the settings to match the file.
>>>
>>> Is there any way to make Foobar do this, take control of these 
>>> settings and then change them based on the file parameters?
>>>
>>> -- Tom Fine
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>