Sokel
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Hardware VC through apps has nothing to do with price,origin or age.@edechamps you're right about volume control, I forgot some DACs have a hardware volume control. My understanding from the past (it could be outdated) that most affordable DACs (under $1k) have either no hardware volume volume control or they are some low quality Chinese stuff. If you want both quality and hardware volume we are talking $1000s. I have a very modest Schiit Bifrost, it has kinda good enough quality but no features. Even Yggdrasil that costs $2300 well outside of my price range still no hardware volume control. Sure some $5k DACs must have it.
About jitter, again you are right, the DACs outside of my price range have input buffering and reclocking so they don't care about jitter. The same $2300 Yggdrasil does it, but my very modest Bifrost 64 cannot. You throw ****** USB on the input, it gives you ****** music on the out. If I simply replug USB from my special USB card into regular USB slot it is audible, same way as downgrading from HD to CD is audible. A dedicated PC + $25 card is much cheaper than $2000+ DAC or $3000+ Tidal streamer. Sorry let's be real about affordability.
My question about Equalizer APO was, it seems to mess with software drivers if I try it. If I don't like it, can I switch back into exclusive mode? I am scared that once it changes something in my settings it may prevent me from using the exclusive mode again and I will have to reinstall Windows... Windows like it is without Equalizer APO and exclusive mode off sounds really bad. Indeed the title post of this thread was right, Windows drivers whatever they are I don't know in my case substantially degrade the sound quality.
It's only about implementation.
E-MU 0204 (as cheap and old as it gets) has it for example,I have it right here testing it right now.
So just ask the manufacturer if you need it,some have it,some don't.