Question about output (DirectSound, WASAPI, ASIO)

[peewee678]

Because I use DirectSound there's a couple of problems (delay between audio and the visualizer and another problem possibly due to this).
I have the following choices: DirectSound, WASAPI and ASIO.

WASAPI does not solve anything and I don't use an ASIO card. So there's nothing left to choose from as an alternative. Am I missing something here? I mean: there seem to be only a couple of users who use DirectSound (only one other user complained about the visualizer delay).

I can't imagine everyone else uses ASIO...

[hiccup]

I am not sure what your question is here.
There already are topics about the specific issues you mention.
If other users experience those too, and have useful comments about them, they can give their input there.

[peewee678]

My question is: am I maybe one of the few users who can only choose between Direct Sound, WASAPI and ASIO or is it normal to only have those three options?

[hiccup]

Many users will only have the choice between directsound or wasapi.
If you own a soundcard that supports asio, that's the third one available if the drivers for it are installed.
I am not aware of other related possible options.
Except when you install a plugin for such as upnp, then you will get options for that too.

[peewee678]

Thanks hiccup.

That clears it up for me but that must mean that the majority of users (DirectSound/WASAPI) have a delay between the audio and the visualizer. The weird thing however is that only a couple of users have complained about this, as far as I know. It's not a big deal for me (although it does render the visualizer more or less useless for me and that's a pity) but I think it's weird because one would expect at least a few hundred people would have noticed this...

Indeed, I do have ASIO drivers installed (I used to use this PC with a Steinberg CI-2 USB card and still have the drivers installed).

[phred]

I only use Direct Sound.  I do not use any visualizers.  Therefore there is nothing to complain about.

[hiccup]

Well, that's just how it works here.
If there are not many complaints about something, or people experiencing the same, and Steven can't easily replicate it himself it will understandably go to a low priority.

About your sound issue:
So you have older drivers installed for a Steinberg usb card that you no longer use, as well as newer drivers for your current usb soundcard?
It could be a delicate operation, but I myself would then try to completely remove all audio related drivers and related software, and then clean-install only the most recent and needed ones.

[peewee678]

I don't think  I have sound issues. It's probably MB issues (one of which is confirmed by Steven, the one with the visualizer delay and the other "buffer snippets" is being investigated).
My DAC doesn't need any dedicated drivers and the ASIO drivers are not used (and they don't  conflict with the DAC).