Audirvana dithering down to 16-bit when using EQ & WASAPI

Nia · June 9, 2025, 8:35am

I’ve noticed what may just be an oversight regarding the new EQ. I got myself a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th gen sound interface as I needed some line inputs for recording, and have found the Cirrus Logic DAC inside of it has superb oversampling, so I’ve kept the sampling rate at 44.1KHz.

I use the EQ all the time for different headphones and my desk speakers, so Audirvana will perform the EQ at 64-bit as it should do. If the input file is 44.1KHz and 16-bit, for some reason Audirvana will bring the bitdepth back down to 16-bit before passing it to the Scarlett, when the Scarlett is capable of 24-bit and Audirvana correctly detects this. This only seems to happen when using WASAPI - if I use ASIO, Audirvana mistakenly outputs at 32-bit when the Scarlett does not support this. The Scarlett does not support kernel streaming so this option is not available.

I can only use WASAPI because Audirvana doesn’t provide a big enough buffer with ASIO, causing faint clicks in the audio (even with the buffer set to maximum in the Scarlett’s control panel).

A workaround I have been using is just to enable the software volume control and keep it at 0dB - this forces Audirvana to pass the audio to the Scarlett at 24-bit. I would have thought if the player is utilising 64-bit for the EQ, it would use 24-bit anyway, but this doesn’t seem to be the case.

Screenshot 1: Audirvana correctly detects 24-bit capability

Screenshot 2: Audirvana dithering down to 16-bit from 64-bit

Screenshot 3: Enabling software volume control results in 24-bit output

Antoine · June 10, 2025, 7:54am

Hi @Nia,

Can you send us a copy of the "Debug Info“ when you have this issue? You can get it in Audirvana Settings>My account.

Note: When you click on the Debug Info button, Audirvana automatically copies all its content. Please paste it in response to this message.

Nia · June 10, 2025, 8:09am

Hi Antoine, here’s the debug info when Audirvana is dithering down to 16-bit:

Audirvana Studio 2.11.0 (21100)

Windows 10 (19045) x86_64 with 32GB physical RAM

Connected account of : Scott Nicholls

NETWORK
Status: available
Available network interfaces:
The Crystarium ({00922202-61a8-4c51-8807-9c6b3a53b804}) is private
Windows Defender Firewall status for this instance of Audirvana Studio
Active profile types: all
Private profile:
Firewall: enabled
Inbound: allowed
Outbound: allowed
Notifications: enabled
Public profile:
Firewall: enabled
Inbound: blocked
Outbound: allowed
Notifications: enabled

SIGNAL PROCESSING:

Polarity Inversion:
	Globally: OFF
	Per track: ON
DSP NOT ACTIVE

UPSAMPLING:
r8brain custom frequencies
48000Hz → 44100Hz
88200Hz → 44100Hz
96000Hz → 44100Hz
176400Hz → 44100Hz
192000Hz → 44100Hz
352800Hz → 44100Hz
384000Hz → 44100Hz
r8brain filter parameters
Bandwidth = 99.5%
Stop band attenuation 218dB
Phase linear

AUDIO VOLUME:
Max allowed volume: 100
Replay Gain: by album
SW volume control: OFF

LIBRARY SETTINGS:
Sync list: 5 folders
AUTO: D:\Music\Demoscene
AUTO: D:\Music\Games
AUTO: D:\Music\Indie
AUTO: D:\Music\Non-Indie
AUTO: D:\Music\SACD
Sync folders at startup: NO
Sort and display order: en
Library database path: G:\Audirvana Database\AudirvanaDatabase.sqlite

Local audio files fingerprinting
Tracks with no MBID: 7450

Remote Control server:
Listening on 2a02:c7c:5933:5200:3dcf:2085:bc6b:d186 on port 51102

ACTIVE STREAMING SERVICES

APPEARANCE SETTINGS:
UI theme: dark
Font size: regular
Language: System language
Show album covers in tracks list: yes
Source list sorted:
Local
My Music
Radios
Podcasts
Streaming
Startup view: My Playlists
Show local extended in source list: no
Use media keys: yes
Use media keys for volume control: yes
Use legacy Bonjour protocol: no
Number of paired remotes: 0
Remote pairing code required: yes
Screen saver disabled: no

=================== AUDIO DEVICE ========================

Active method: Local

Max. memory for audio buffers: 16384MB

Local Audio Engine: WASAPI
Use max I/O buffer size: ON

Preferred device:
Scarlett (Focusrite USB Audio)
Model UID:FocusriteUSB\Audio&Adapter
UID:\?\SWD#MMDEVAPI#{0.0.0.00000000}.{1a968ed5-27e9-469e-b65d-12ef3600c24b}#{e6327cad-dcec-4949-ae8a-991e976a79d2}

Currently playing in Integer Mode:
Device: 2ch 16bits Integer, 4 bytes per frame 44.1kHz

Active Sample Rate: 44.1kHz

Bridge settings:
Sample rate limitation: none
Sample rate switching latency: none
Limit bitdepth to 24bit: OFF
Mute during sample rate change: OFF

Selected device:Scarlett (Focusrite USB Audio)
Manufacturer: Focusrite Audio Engineering, Ltd.
Model name: FocusriteUSB
Model UID: FocusriteUSB\Audio&Adapter
UID: \?\SWD#MMDEVAPI#{0.0.0.00000000}.{1a968ed5-27e9-469e-b65d-12ef3600c24b}#{e6327cad-dcec-4949-ae8a-991e976a79d2}

1 available sample rates up to 44100Hz
44100

Volume Control
Physical: No
Virtual: No
Max volume alert: Disabled

MQA capability
Auto-detect MQA devices: Yes
Not automatically detected, user set to not MQA

DSD capability
Unhandled (PCM conversion) with boost gain of 6dB

Device audio channels
Preferred stereo channels L:0 R:1
Channel bitmap: Ox3, layout:
Channel 0 mapped to 0
Channel 1 mapped to 1

Audio channels in use
Number of channels: 2
Use as stereo device only: No
Simple stereo device: No

1 output streams:
Number of active channels: 2, in 1 stream(s)
Channel #0 :Stream 0 channel 0
Channel #1 :Stream 0 channel 1
2 ch Integer PCM 16bit little endian 44.1kHz
2 ch Integer PCM 24bit little endian 44.1kHz

Local devices found : 2
Device #0: Scarlett (Focusrite USB Audio)
Manufacturer: Focusrite Audio Engineering, Ltd.
Model UID: FocusriteUSB\Audio&Adapter
UID: \?\SWD#MMDEVAPI#{0.0.0.00000000}.{1a968ed5-27e9-469e-b65d-12ef3600c24b}#{e6327cad-dcec-4949-ae8a-991e976a79d2}
Model name: FocusriteUSB
Device #1: Optical (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Manufacturer: Realtek
Model UID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_1220&SUBSYS_1458A182&REV_1000
UID: \?\SWD#MMDEVAPI#{0.0.0.00000000}.{9eb50bd9-e220-487c-80da-7728b8a1fd6e}#{e6327cad-dcec-4949-ae8a-991e976a79d2}
Model name: Audio Device on High Definition Audio Bus

UPnP

UPnP network interface
Available Network interfaces:
TP-Link WiFi

UPnP devices found : 1
Device #0: [LG] webOS TV UQ80006LB
UID: uuid:652cb266-657f-9eca-b77f-ade14d63881f
Location: http://192.168.50.30:1261/
Manufacturer: LG Electronics.
Model name: LG TV

Chromecast

Chromecast devices found : 0

Antoine · June 10, 2025, 8:17am

We can’t pass the information to a 64-bit unit simply because Audirvāna is a bit-perfect software. You can find more about it in this article:

Nia · June 10, 2025, 8:20am

That’s not my concern. I don’t understand why the EQ is applied at 64-bit, then dithered down to 16-bit, when the sound card supports 24-bit. Note, this does not happen with ASIO.

Nia · June 11, 2025, 2:37am

You haven’t read my post properly. 24-bit is detected and also used if the software volume control is enabled. If I play a 24-bit file, 24-bit is always utilised. This is Audirvana, NOT the sound card’s drivers. The debug info says no DSP is enabled and that’s not true - the EQ is enabled.

This is a pro-line sound interface and not simply a DAC. Changing sampling rate is done through the control panel or through ASIO as that supports the sound card’s ability to change it, where WASAPI does not. ASIO does not work properly on Audirvana as the audio player isn’t providing a big enough buffer, and even if it did, there’s a good 2-second delay for the sampling rate to change as the sound card must sync the DAC and ADC to the same clock - this is normal for such sound hardware.

Agoldnear · June 11, 2025, 3:02pm

I understand the nature of your scenario… I own a Focusrite Liquid 56 and a separate DAC for Audirvāna playback…

The primary function of the Focusrite interface is as an ADC and in the case of this particular interface, and from reading the User Manual it appears there is no way to set it to always sync with an external clock/sample-rate source. It must be configured before-hand to the desired recording session sample-rate via Focusrite Control 2… If it can be set to sync to external clock, then this is the way to configure the interface.

I suggest that you change the ‘Sample rate limitation’ to 192kHz and ‘Limit bit depth to 24bit’ to “ON”

Your current settings.