Anyway to improve MP3 sound on my PC ?

[Bsmooth]

On my old PC I could change the sound with settings on my soundcard. My new PC I have doesn't have a soundcard other than the one built into my MSI MPG Z590 Gaming Plus motherboard.
Is there something I could use to make it sound better ? It just sounds a bit hard or harsh.

[GBrown]

Re: Anyway to improve MP3 sound on my PC ?

On my old PC I could change the sound with settings on my soundcard. My new PC I have doesn't have a soundcard other than the one built into my MSI MPG Z590 Gaming Plus motherboard.
Is there something I could use to make it sound better ? It just sounds a bit hard or harsh.

If this is a laptop, you could use an external USB DAC or headphone amplifier and drive that direct. Or if it is a tower you could install a better sound card. What are you using to listen to audio where you can hear this difference?

[Bsmooth]

Re: Anyway to improve MP3 sound on my PC ?

Nope its a desktop PC, old one had an Asus soundcard. I use Klipsch 2.1 with a sub and I have to say it sounds pretty good. Very similar to my Audioengine A5+ speakers I use upstairs in my bedroom.
Right now I'm using my PC to rip most of my CD's onto USB drives that I can use in my other systems, including my one in my living room(Yamaha RX-V757 AV receiver, Wharfedale 220 speakers,using Amazon Music HD), and my system upstairs using the Audioengine A5+ powered speakers.

[GBrown]

Re: Anyway to improve MP3 sound on my PC ?

You could add a new sound card, something using better DACs and output devices could help a bit for anything connected directly to the PC. Mine has an Asus Xonar as well, it sounds pretty good when I use it connected to my home system.
If you are streaming then maybe there are options to use a higher bit rate for those devices?

[Bsmooth]

Re: Anyway to improve MP3 sound on my PC ?

I may go with the Xonar as well.I'm just amazed sometime in CD quality. Just listening to Elton John's Your Song from his greatest Hits CD's. Just doesn't sound very well, even compared to a Flac recording of it. I tried to make it sound better using Audacity, but the best I can get is only slightly better, but even that sacrifices other things with the recording.
I sometime would really like to take a crack at the original recordings as I really think I could make them better, but thats water under the bridge at this point.
Thanks.

[ForSerious]

Re: Anyway to improve MP3 sound on my PC ?

Windows applies a nasty 'Laptop speaker enhancer' setting by default on most sound cards and devices.
Under control panel (Windows key + r, for run. Type control and press enter to open control panel) -> Sound. Playback tab. Select your sound card. Click Configure on the left-hand side of the bottom. Click Next. Make sure Full-range speakers is checked for all options not grayed-out.

[ForSerious]

Re: Anyway to improve MP3 sound on my PC ?

Also, it unchecks those settings with random updates. Just now, when I was going through the steps to make sure I'm telling you correctly, I found they had been unchecked.
Personally I have, and like, the Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy Rx card. (Not Fx!) The drivers are janky, but it has the option to enable "Stereo Direct / Bit Accurate Playback".
Sometimes I'll be listening to a song and start asking myself why it sounded better last time, only to find out I forgot to turn on the bit accurate option. The biggest downside is that the settings don't save over computer restarts.