Should you use the "Full Range Speaker Option in Windows for Headphones?

Discussion in 'Computer Audiophile: Software, Configs, Tools' started by The Alchemist, Jan 6, 2016.

  1. The Alchemist

    The Alchemist MOT: Schiit - Here to help!

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    As the title implies, Should you use the "Full Range Speaker Option in Windows for Headphones?

    When using a DAC that has a driver (in my Case The Bifrost Uber), you can go to Windows Control panel and adjust the properties and configure the device. One of the options is to select "Full Range Speakers". Should you check this box when using headphones or leave it un-ticked, or does it even make a difference? Or is the option for Full Range Speakers referring to External monitors or speakers and that are not headphones. (Please see pics below);


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  2. Hekeli

    Hekeli Facebook Friend

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    One would think unticking might do some crossover / low bass rolloff, but I tried measuring few USB dac outputs and it made zero difference, using Directsound or MME. Perhaps it applies only to certain M$ players, specific sound drivers etc, who knows.

    Set it Full range and fuhgeddaboutit.
     
  3. Xen

    Xen Friend

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    I would think full range since old surround speakers (like when surround first came out in the 80's and 90's) were frequency limited because Dolby Pro Logic only sent 100 Hz to 7 KHz to them! At the time, surround speakers were small and magnetically shielded so were popular desktop computer speakers for the masses. Manufacturers would design them with an expanded FR-range like 100Hz to 12KHz to keep costs low and as a compromise between Pro Logic and how people were using them as computer speakers.

    http://web.uvic.ca/~loneil/elec484/project/208_Dolby_Surround_Pro_Logic_Decoder.pdf

    That is pretty much a Microsoft fossil from their Win95 days... Or maybe alot of people are still using those tiny $10 LabTec powered speakers with 2" drivers...
     
  4. lashto

    lashto New

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    AFAIK all those sttings & sound properties apply only to the DirectSound output (and Win audio mixer) ... they have no effect on the Wasapi or Asio outputs which should be used for the best sound quality.
    Just check it to be sure, it only needs to be done once per audio device.
     
  5. meloman

    meloman Acquaintance

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    Yep, these settings should affect only web browsers, games, etc. Any decent audio playback software will have WASAPI or ASIO output that will bypass Windows audio mixer.
     
  6. uncola

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    you definitely want to tick it. all these people assuming your only music source is a player with wasapi are crazy. youtube etc is where I discover tons of new music
     
  7. Monstieur

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    I'm reviving this thread because the full-range setting in Windows is always misunderstood. AFAIK there two ways this setting is used.

    1. The audio driver / sound card software has a crossover / bass redirection setting that can be enabled or disabled. If the crossover is enabled, then the audio driver will crossover only the speakers which are marked as full-range. If the crossover is disabled, then the full-range setting makes no difference.

    WASAPI does not override this. If enabled, the crossover will be applied even in WASAPI exclusive mode, at least on Creative sound cards. The full-range setting is mandated by the WDM Audio driver architecture, so it makes sense that the crossover setting is always respected in WASAPI mode. In ASIO mode however, the crossover is usually bypassed. This is because ASIO is just a WDM driver (and not a WDM Audio driver), so it's up to the sound card driver to apply the crossover or not in ASIO mode.

    2. Audio players can query the speaker configuration and retrieve the value of the full-range setting. It just returns a true or false value and does not do anything to the audio. It's then entirely up to the audio player to perform bass management.

    Browsers and most software just ignore this value and always play full-range audio. Typically, only full-fledged players like PowerDVD do anything with this setting. I believe this violates good design principles and gives unnecessary control to software at the wrong layer.

    In conclusion, always mark all speakers as full-range unless you have enabled the crossover in your sound card.
     

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