Arch Linux

utopyand

Member

Registered: 2012-09-05

Posts: 33

Pulseaudio 4 audio quality

Just updated to Pulseaudio 4 and sound seems clearer than before, only my impression or just a placebo effect?

LeCrayonVert

Member

Registered: 2010-09-01

Posts: 134

Re: Pulseaudio 4 audio quality

Might be related to :

The default resampler was changed from speex-float-3 to speex-float-1, so the resampling is now much lighter on CPU by default than before, with the tradeoff that the audio quality is worse (usually not noticeably so, though).

See http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Softwar … Notes/4.0/

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totolotto

Member

From: Hungary

Registered: 2012-11-13

Posts: 114

Re: Pulseaudio 4 audio quality

Well I am not sure it is because of that but when you make a test call in Skype the sound does not sound scratchy at all like before. This is definitely an improvement.

okubax

Member

From: Kent, UK.

Registered: 2010-04-24

Posts: 210

Website

Re: Pulseaudio 4 audio quality

Well I am not sure it is because of that but when you make a test call in Skype the sound does not sound scratchy at all like before. This is definitely an improvement.

Concur

utopyand

Member

Registered: 2012-09-05

Posts: 33

Re: Pulseaudio 4 audio quality

Might be related to :

The default resampler was changed from speex-float-3 to speex-float-1, so the resampling is now much lighter on CPU by default than before, with the tradeoff that the audio quality is worse (usually not noticeably so, though).

See http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Softwar … Notes/4.0/

That's weird, because i hear a better sound spatialization than before. Audio source is 44kHz, so the default output of PA reported by PA manager is "s16le ch 2 44100 Hz".

Maybe could be this: Faster software volume for 16-bit streams on 64-bit platforms.

Last edited by utopyand (2013-06-08 12:28:13)

graysky

Wiki Maintainer

From: :wq

Registered: 2008-12-01

Posts: 10,734

Website

Re: Pulseaudio 4 audio quality

To my ears, all sources seem 'brighter' or louder.  Tough to say for sure but I did have to manually lower the volume on my speakers (having not changed anything else).

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denisfalqueto

Member

From: ES, Brazil

Registered: 2006-03-24

Posts: 197

Re: Pulseaudio 4 audio quality

I have the same feeling too. The sound is distinguishably better. I see the package is now on extra but I've installed it since some days ago and I'm very satisfied

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Ari'osika

Member

From: Your computer, okay?

Registered: 2010-06-22

Posts: 175

Re: Pulseaudio 4 audio quality

Has anyone noticed if they've lost their ability to control pulseaudio via their multimedia keys?

I lost mine and now I'm trying to figure which package may have caused it or if it was the latest pulseaudio package.

Either way I can't downgrade.

EDIT: Never-mind; dunno if it was the new xmodmap file I created, the installing of some missing pulseaudio/alsa packages, or that my comp is just plotting against me; but I got it working again.

Last edited by Ari'osika (2013-06-08 15:58:37)

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brebs

Member

Registered: 2007-04-03

Posts: 3,742

Re: Pulseaudio 4 audio quality

As an ALSA fanboi, I'm rather suspicious of an alleged increase in quality

I did have to manually lower the volume on my speakers

Yes, a higher volume can trick our ears into thinking the sound is clearer, simply because what used to be faint sounds are now not so faint.

I noticed this when I was in my phase of testing different soundcards in my PC.

denisfalqueto

Member

From: ES, Brazil

Registered: 2006-03-24

Posts: 197

Re: Pulseaudio 4 audio quality

Yes, a higher volume can trick our ears into thinking the sound is clearer, simply because what used to be faint sounds are now not so faint.

Which, to me, is an increase in quality if I can perceive the sound more easily, that's a gain in my book.

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Satisfied users don't rant, so you'll never know how many of us there are.