My MusicBee ver 3.0 is installed on my Windows 10 laptop. That laptop is connected to my Sony surround receiver via HDMI. I have a 2.1 speakers set up. I want my music to be played as closely to the recordings as possible.
In my MusicBee's Preference/Sound setting, which is the correct setting? The three choices are 1. Device Primary Sound 2. Intel Audio Device (the laptop's internal driver?), and 3. Sony surround receiver.
Thanks.
It's been a while since I've used 3.0, so excuse me if I don't describe what you see in MB settings precisely. To explain the settings, you first select the audio device (like the Sony surround receiver). That's just getting the audio to where you want it to go so it isn't coming out of your laptop speakers.
You'll see another setting, probably set to DirectSound. That's the Windows mixer that allows multiple audio streams like your music and system sounds like the sound that plays when you connect a USB device. This DirectSound mixer isn't very good, so many people like to bypass it entirely and allow their music to be played exclusively on the audio device of their choosing.
So, exclusive modes. Right-click on your volume icon in the system tray and select Playback Devices. Right-click the audio device you wish to use for music and select Properties. Select the Enhancements tab and check the Disable All Enhancements box. Then, select the Advanced tab and check both boxes under Exclusive Mode. Click OK. Next, select the audio device you want to use for systems sounds and make sure it is set as the default audio device. This needs to be different than the device you are using for music.
Back to MusicBee. Set the audio device in MB to the device you wish to use for music. Then, change DirectSound to WASAPI. This is the most widely supported exclusive mode. Try it out. If you don't get good results, like choppy playback, that can be dealt with. If available for your device, you can also try ASIO instead of WASAPI. Failing everything else, you can always go back to DirectSound.
Why do this? This is how you get your music as close as possible to the original recording. For even closer reproduction, you can disable any DSPs (like EQs). For extreme audiophile snobbery, not that that's a bad thing, you can leave the MB volume slider all the way up and control your volume exclusively with hardware knobs. This is because MB needs to make the waveform smaller digitally to reduce the volume from maximum. Arguably, this does change the original recorded sound. However, unless you're running the MB volume near the bottom on a low-bit-depth track, you'd never notice a problem.
This has been PC Audiophile 101. In this course you have learned the basics of getting your music from the hard drive to your audio device with no alteration. Next you'll want to explore the wonderful world of USB DACs so you can take that digital stream and convert it to analog as closely to the original recording as current technology can get it. After that, it's clean digital amplifiers. Then new speakers and headphones. Then tube preamps. Then $10,000 silver USB cables because you swear the difference is night and day. Then your family leaves you. And it's worth it.
Seriously though, like phred said. It it ain't broke, don't fix it. That part about your family leaving you is only kind of a joke. Chasing perfection will bankrupt you and you'll never catch it. Enjoy what you have and upgrade when it's time. And, always buy reasonable cables.