Windows sound setting questions - If you know your stuff please help out :)

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RedRhino

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Aug 21, 2005
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I use Winamp to play my mp3s (all are 192kbps or higher) with my Logitech Z-5500 using stereoX2. Is it better to bump up the volume in Winamp, on the receiver or in Windows? Reason I'm asking is I get distortion on some rock songs and high pitch sounds. My current settings are :

Windows : main volume 75%, wave 85%
Receiver : about 1/4
Winamp : EQ is FULL bass & treble and my main volume is at 100%

:confused:
 
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RedRhino

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Aug 21, 2005
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oh, and what's that pre-amp thing in Winamp? Should I try and put it up a notch? I'm looking for LOUD sound but distortion free... what would be the best setting?

thx again :)
 
YOyoYOhowsDAjello

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
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What kind of soundcard are you using? What kind of connection to your speakers?

Try turning the equalizer to flat.

Try messing with different ratios of volume (like more on the control pod and less with windows volume)
 
JSt0rm

JSt0rm

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
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Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Try turning the equalizer to flat.
Click to expand...

your boosting atleast 6dbu across the whole freq range. Make it flat!!!!
 
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imported_rod

Golden Member
Apr 13, 2005
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I have my speakers (cheap logitechs - for gaming rather than music) set to only about 1/4 of their max volume on the dial, and have winamp at 100%. I then use the vol+/- buttons on my keyboard to control the master volume control (the one in the system tray). It's all onboard, and it seems to work well.

One problem though: The volume buttons on my keyboard dont affect the volume from my optical (SPDIF) output to my 5.1 stereo system. The only way i can change these is by manually adjusting the volume in winamp or on my amplifier.

RoD
 
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wpshooter

Golden Member
Mar 9, 2004
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[Windows : main volume 75%, wave 85%
Receiver : about 1/4
Winamp : EQ is FULL bass & treble and my main volume is at 100%

:confused:
Click to expand...

RedRhino:

Are you familiar with TINNITUS. If not, you may want to do a google search on it. If the stats you are showing above mean what I think they do, you will eventually be very familiar with tinnitus. You are probably young and will ignore this, as I did (however mine did not come from listing to loud music), but believe me, Tinnitus is real, no fun, unfortunately, I know. And the cause and effect are cumulative, so you can listen, listen, listen and bam one day it shows up.

Turn it down !!!!!!!

 
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RedRhino

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Aug 21, 2005
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well, actually its not that loud here with those settings... my room is big so its not that loud. Thanks for the advice though :). I will be careful... BTW is there a cure for this "tinnitus"?
 
R

RedRhino

Member
Aug 21, 2005
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dance music don't distort, its mostly songs like green day or my chemical romance and stuff like that...
 
T

T9D

Diamond Member
Dec 1, 2001
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It's your speaker system. You're amp is clipping. Try using the highest bitrate mp3's or wav files and see if it still does it. The greater dynamic range might help. Also try turning down the bass just slightly.

I keep my volumes at 100 percent and use my speaker system to adjust volume.

Oh and leave everything on winamp at default for the EQ. You dont need to turn that up. It's probably causing everything to compress more and have no dynamic range so it's really straining the amp and clipping sound.
 
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RedRhino

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Aug 21, 2005
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thanks for the help tk109. how can I make it sound as good as with the EQ to Full Bass & Treble without using the EQ? Seems the EQ clears up the sound quite a lot...
 
YOyoYOhowsDAjello

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
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I don't want to be a party pooper or something, but unless you're correcting for limitations in your speakers then ideally your equalizer settings would be flat.

Artificially increasing bass and treble a lot is really distorting what the music was really recorded to sound like.
 
R

RedRhino

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Aug 21, 2005
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well, the logitech Z-5500 are suppose to be great speakers... They got rave reviews even from audioholics, maybe my hearing is just messed up, but I asked 3 ppl and they all find that with the EQ it sounded better. they are 505watts rms after all.
 
C

CSMR

Golden Member
Apr 24, 2004
1,376
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The advice would be: full volume on PC, volume adjusted at receiver. But with equalization you need to adjust the volume in software so the altered waveform does not exceed the limits. Take all the equalization settings down to see if this helps.
Your equipment is basic btw.
 
YOyoYOhowsDAjello

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
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Originally posted by: RedRhino
well, the logitech Z-5500 are suppose to be great speakers... They got rave reviews even from audioholics, maybe my hearing is just messed up, but I asked 3 ppl and they all find that with the EQ it sounded better. they are 505watts rms after all.
Click to expand...

Most people will think that a smiley face equalizer setting will sound better, clearer, etc... but that's not how it's supposed to sound.

The equalizer police aren't going to come knock your door down or anything though, so do whatever sounds best to you.
 
R

RedRhino

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Aug 21, 2005
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think it would be better if I use the equalizer in the Soundblaster drivers and keep the Winamp one flat?
 
YOyoYOhowsDAjello

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
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Originally posted by: RedRhino
think it would be better if I use the equalizer in the Soundblaster drivers and keep the Winamp one flat?
Click to expand...

It might give you slightly different results. If it's the winamp equalizer that's causing your problems and you still want to boost treble/bass, the audigy's one is worth a shot.
 
Ricemarine

Ricemarine

Lifer
Sep 10, 2004
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I still don't see why people set everything to flat period.
yes, it makes it sound real, but when your using crappy headphones, it sounds really muddled...

Unless you guys have a solution for it, which would be tweaking the headphones itself.
 
R

RedRhino

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Aug 21, 2005
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the only time I use FLAT is when I'm using my Sony MDR-7506 (awesome headphones, very great sounding, wish I could get that sound from my speaks).
 
YOyoYOhowsDAjello

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
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Originally posted by: Ricemarine
I still don't see why people set everything to flat period.
yes, it makes it sound real, but when your using crappy headphones, it sounds really muddled...

Unless you guys have a solution for it, which would be tweaking the headphones itself.
Click to expand...

I think eq are good when you're making up for something that's lacking in your output devices, but in this case for example among other things we're talking about bass boost on z-5500s...
 
R

RedRhino

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Aug 21, 2005
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the Z-5500 have great bass... I only wish it had a treble control. Then again, I never tried lowering the bass.
 
Ricemarine

Ricemarine

Lifer
Sep 10, 2004
10,507
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Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Originally posted by: Ricemarine
I still don't see why people set everything to flat period.
yes, it makes it sound real, but when your using crappy headphones, it sounds really muddled...

Unless you guys have a solution for it, which would be tweaking the headphones itself.
Click to expand...

I think eq are good when you're making up for something that's lacking in your output devices, but in this case for example among other things we're talking about bass boost on z-5500s...
Click to expand...

heh, guess I won't need EQ when I grab some beyer's or hd-280's.
 
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