One might wonder that are differences in bit-original streaming. I’m just playing with the three driver modes. WASAPI is nice already. However, the ASIO driver has much more clarity and dynamics. Eventually, kernel-streaming seems to even lift a bit over ASIO, sounding lighter and clearer, but loosing dynamics or say warms. I’m using the Steinberg UR44C with the Yamaha Steinberg ASIO driver.
Anyone could explain what make the differences?
This is fairly difficult to explain but in layman terms it’s signal timing/latency/jitter. All those methods are capable of bit-prefect playback.
Understand. I’m just having a replacement of op chips in the phono preamp as part of an amp renovation considering capacitor replacement. The repair guy used almost the same arguments when recommending the op tuning. Transistor based amps are then all about timing/latency/jitter too. The real and only analog amplification goes with tubes though.
I don’t care about technical details too much. Just tested all three methods with my inLine DAC with acoustic tube and w10. Kernel is the best because of clarity and complexity and holographic sound. Then ASIO, then WASAPI. With WASAPI sometimes i have problems with altered sound, don’t know why. Anyway, my configuration sounds great and I will continue using it for the moment. I also use a Pioneer stereo amplifier, Pioneer speakers, upsamplig r3brain, voxengo eq, sonimus free eq, qobuz or hi res files. Not a professional configuration but sounds real real good for me. Also i use Fidelity for os and app optimization. And DISM ++, Optimizer, W10Tweaker and no windows automatic updates (i have a slow computer). Is the perfect solution for me. Btw, do not completly deactivate windows update or ms store because unfortunately AS depends on them. Also Edge. Really bad in my opinion, i don’t like these ms$ “sweats”, a big minus compared to Roon for AS.