g_man
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Stereophile Test CD3 exposes a possible iTunes issue?
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Quote:
After going through a bunch of changes in my system (iTunes PC -> DAC1, etc), I brought out my Test CD3 (great stuff BTW, JA...

Thank you.


Quote:
...and on the first track I was noticeing some pink noise on the wrong channel, not much, but enough. So I tried out my headphones, same thing. Then I tried Foobar, and that fixed it. I am kind of shocked. I am using WAV, and my Foobar installation which I never use is just a straight install, no ASIO, etc.

Peculiar.


Quote:
I am going to investigate this more, and see if this is an iTunes version issue, but if anybody else has some thoughts, please post!!

What sound card are you using to output the audio data to the DAC 1. And do you have all the "enhancements" turned off in iTunes?

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

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Quote:

What sound card are you using to output the audio data to the DAC 1. And do you have all the "enhancements" turned off in iTunes?

Thanks for the quick reply. I am using a "Creative SB Live! 24 bit USB" sound card. Not exactly the best out there. And I have the enhancements turned off (no eq, etc.)

I just did 2 things: upgraded iTunes and tried out the test CD on my laptop. The upgrade didn't do anything, but the laptop played the pink noise correctly through iTunes (same versions).

So, it looks like it could be my sound card reacting differently with iTunes compared to Foobar. I may be in for a few hours of unwanted tinkering

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Well, my appolgies to Apple and iTunes, and the board for posting so quickly a false warning!!

I found an option, buried in the soundcard software, called "CMSS 3D". It was enabled. That is what was spreading the sound around.

My confusion was compounded by the fact that I had forgotten about installing ASIO4ALL, and that is what Foobar was using. So, I had jumped to the wrong conclusion, thinking Foobar was running through the same soundcard software as iTunes.

Lesson leared: double check EVERYTHING!!!

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