Audio quality under Linux

[Doomer]

It sucks, at least in my experience.

I've flip flopped back and forth between the various flavors of Linux/XBMC and Windows 7/XBMC. I've tried 3 different computers and the results are always the same, audio quality is sub par under Linux. Currently I have XBMCbuntu installed and the backround audio drowns out the spoken dialogue and I can find no way to adjust it. Audio also sound muddy and lack clarity. OTOH, Windows audio is perfect and I can tweek it to my hearts content.

I'd dearly love to us a non MS OS for my HTPC but won't until I can resolve the audio issues.

Anybody know if an add-in sound card that's Linux friendly would solve the problem?

 

[serpretetsky]

Strange, wouldn't think it should make any difference. Can you get to your sound settings? No strange effects turned on? What audio outputs are you using? 5.1? stereo? analog? digital (pcm, ddl, dts)?

"backround audio drowns out the spoken dialogue". Usually when i have trouble hearing voices in a movie it is because there is something wrong with the center speaker. Can you double check whether or not your center speaker is actually working properly (if you even have one)?

edit: when I say "something wrong with the center speaker" I actually mean there is something wrong with producing center channel audio. Whether that fault lies in the movie player, the linux audio driver, the sound card, the reciever, or the center speaker is hard to say.

 

[Doomer]

I listen primarily through headphones so it would be stereo. The only audio controls I have are those in XBMC which are next to nothing. I can't exit XBMC because if I do the whole system gets hosed. I'm in the process of migrating back to Windows 7. With Linux it's always something.

 

[serpretetsky]

I see. I would have tested with a 5.1 test audio file, not sure if you did that. If you heard only two channels and none of the others then I would say your setup was configured for 5.1 even though you had headphones.

But I'm sure you're probably already back to windows, so... nevermind! good luck!

 

[mikeford]

Seems like a basic setup issue. I run Win764, and its no panacea for good audio beyond the basics of headphones which may be fine for your needs. Generally the problem is that keeping drivers current costs money that most vendors prefer to save for advertising.