2. pc-audio
  3. 1146540144

Does Apple Lossless + iTunes + Windows = Perfect

Hi... I was about to start the process of converting all of my CD's to Apple Lossless in iTunes. I was planning on loading a 60gb iPod with the music as well as purchasing a Squeezebox for home listening, both in Lossless. I am running a Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop with Windows XP.

After doing research on this forum and adioasylum it looks like my project has come to a hault. Apparently, there is something called Kmixer in Windows that upsamples the music when it is recorded. According to users this has a negative effect on the music. Currently, iTunes can't circumvent it. Therefore, it's my understanding that the Apple Lossless copy on my hard drive would be of inferior quality than the CD.

So many questions... Don't know where to begin... I was hoping those with experience in PC audio could address my concerns: (1) The people at Apple say that iTunes with sound better over Mac? (2) I was really wanting to start on this project, should I put it off and let the format wars go on for another year or so? (3) Is all of this not really going to make an audible sound difference?

Please help me clear all of this up...Thanks!
mdp0430
mhfun
6 posts
 
Hello Mdp0430,
You know what, I ask the same question back in march-06.

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?ddgtl&1142083451

I found the answer in this thread

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?icomp&1139784453

In the end, the answer is

Windows iTunes->AX->Toslink->DAC is BIT PERFECT and it does bypass k-mixer

Regards
bobp
14 posts
 
get JRIVER MC 11.1 It plays Apple lossless and outputs ASIO to circumvent KMIXER.

Also, supports multiple databases with 100,000+ entries.

Free to try, $40 after 30 days. IMHO, well worth the money.
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
I woudl avoid using iTunes with a PC at all. It does not bypass Windows KMIXER. Better off to use iTunes with a MAC or Foobar2000 with a PC.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
Manufacturer/Modder
mhfun
6 posts
 
Audioengr,
I believe you are wrong on this. If you follow the second link, we did a little experiment.
Try the following...
"Disable the sound card. Reboot to safe mode. Delete kmixer.sys to recycle bin so you can restore the file later (need to boot to safemode to delete the file though). Reboot PC then run itunes. See if you can use itunes to play to the remote speakers. This will prove that whether or not the kmixer will do anything to the audio stream. Remember to restore kmixer and re-enable the sound card when done."

and guess what, it did play sound through Airport Express.

So, your claim "iTunes with a PC does not bypass Windows KMIXER" is wrong.

Regards

Mhfun
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