A better way to playback Apple Music inside itunes

[kelvinwsy]

I have been experimenting with the Apple Music app within itunes (under account pull down menu) within the Windows 11 OS environment

1. The overall Sound Quality while adequate for exploration of new music is not up to audiophile standards

2. The culprit is as usual the Windows Mixer. DAC drivers appear as under "Speaker .. 'your DAC ASIO driver name'"

And the sound is generally routed through the Windows Audio Device.

3. Playback of Apple Music tracks suffer from bloat in voices and instruments. This is in contrast to playback of local files using my Hqplayer at 44.1 khz PCM w/o upsampling.

4. With recommendations of @bogi under the Hqplayer forum, I downloaded this SW. Hificable and ASIO bridge :-

https://shop.vb-audio.com/en/win-apps/19-hifi-cable-asio-bridge.html

5. The 64bit version runs smoothly under Windows 11. U can see it as another driver under Sound settings ( I guess the Windows Mixer is still in there🥴)

6. The trial with this software was straight forward - once u go to all settings undet your DAC's ASIO panel to match the sample rate and buffer size to the settings under the ASIO bridge latency pull down menu 

And also the sample rate setting under Windows Sound menu for the Hifi Cable (and ASIO bridge) 

7. Upon launching Apple Music within itunes , I played a track but there was no sound 

Until I enabled the ASIO panel button on th ASIO bridge control panel!

This provided ASIO input into my Gustard A26 DAC ( Gustard USB 2.0 driver)

 

8. The resulting SQ was more focus and precision! I am still testing this and will give more examples

But I compared itunes playback of the Doobie Brothers "Southbound" album using Speaker - Gustard USB 2.0

(A definite improvrment for very little expense)

 

and then through the Hifi Cable ASIO Bridge driver - Gustard USB 2.0

 

Try this if u want better SQ from your Apple Music thru your Windows 11 devices 

 

[kelvinwsy]

 

[kelvinwsy]

 

I will cross link these 2 threads as my tests will include Hqplayer OS on Windows 11

 

[kelvinwsy]

Use this for the Much much improved SQ

It is the comtribution of filtering and cleaner power that makes itunes/Apple Music so cllose to my HQplayer 5.0 DSD512 updsmpled music(well maybe 80%)

I use triple filtering too . 

1. Huawei Modem - A TPLink SF1008

2. 2 levels of fibre optic converter (twice over in daisy chain)

3. External shielded and grounded (to grounding box) Cat6 ethernet cables 

4. iFi LAN iSilencer connected to a USB to Ethernet converter 

5. 5v Supercapacitor filter/PSU then

into the USB3.2 port at the MOBO of my Hqplayer PC Server