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Topic: Problem playing Audio from Cd drive (Read 14911 times) previous topic - next topic
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Problem playing Audio from Cd drive

I use Winamp and have ripped all my CD's into MP3's using CDEX.  I have only listened to the MP3's through Winamp's ML and on my iPod.

Today, for the first time, I listened to a new CD I purchased by putting it into my CD drive and opening Winamp.  (Usually I listen to a CD using a CD player).  The sound quality playing the CD from the drive in my laptop is terrible.  If I rip the CD to the computer and then listen to the MP3, it's perfect.  I know it's not a Winamp issue, esp. since the same distortion is there playing the CD using Nero.  So the trouble is only when playing an original CD from the CD drive.

Can anyone help with suggestions of what to look at?  I am certainly no audio expert and am at a loss.

Thanks!

Problem playing Audio from Cd drive

Reply #1 –
Reasons why CD playback might have less than optimal quality
  • The CD-ROM drive does the CD-DA conversion, and passes analog audio through its cable
    Solution: Use digital playback. Newer versions of Winamp should be able to do this, as can foobar2000.
  • The CD-ROM drive is noisy because it spins too fast
    Solution: Limit the drive's speed to 1x or rip the tracks to your HDD, to get rid of the noise.
  • Winamp's equalizer treats MP3 and non-MP3 audio differently
    Solution: Stop using it, or disable the "Fast layer 3 EQ" in the MP3 decoder settings.
  • You could be imagining things
    Solution: Take it easy.  If you really want to make sure there is a real difference, try a blind-test. Preferably a double-blind one.

Problem playing Audio from Cd drive

Reply #2 –
I don't think it's #3 because it happens through Nero, also.  I don't have WMP on this laptop for some reason or I'd try that.  I have never used WMP on this computer but just looked for it, but it does not appear to be installed.

I know it's not #4 because it is REALLY bad.  Unlistenable kind of bad.  Really noisy and distorted.

CD's play fine through Winamp on another computer, so it's definitely this CD drive or this computer's setup.

Problem playing Audio from Cd drive

Reply #3 –
It could be #1. Double click on the speaker icon in your system tray and bring up the Volume Control. Try lowering the volume of CD audio to lower the playback volume of the analog signal coming from your CD-ROM drive.

If that works, you might want to keep the volume low or you could switch to digital playback.

Problem playing Audio from Cd drive

Reply #4 –
Lowering the volume did not do anything.

Don't see how to change to digital playback in Winamp.  I may have to post on their forums to find out about that.

Problem playing Audio from Cd drive

Reply #5 –
If even the mute button doesn't work, then you're probably already using digital playback.

If you want to double-check, you can go into Preferences -> Plug-ins -> Input -> Nullsoft CD plug-in -> Configure -> Enable digital audio extraction when possible

Problem playing Audio from Cd drive

Reply #6 –
Quote
I use Winamp and have ripped all my CD's into MP3's using CDEX.  I have only listened to the MP3's through Winamp's ML and on my iPod.

Today, for the first time, I listened to a new CD I purchased by putting it into my CD drive and opening Winamp.  (Usually I listen to a CD using a CD player).  The sound quality playing the CD from the drive in my laptop is terrible.  If I rip the CD to the computer and then listen to the MP3, it's perfect.  I know it's not a Winamp issue, esp. since the same distortion is there playing the CD using Nero.  So the trouble is only when playing an original CD from the CD drive.

Can anyone help with suggestions of what to look at?  I am certainly no audio expert and am at a loss.

Thanks!
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=361395"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
The analog playback on nearly all CD-ROM drives is ludicrously bad. Most of them seem to have 12bit or lower DACs (just discarding the four low bits) - one cheap drive I had only had an 8bit integrated DAC with a frequency response of 50Hz - 12kHz. Many modern soundcards make this worse by running the analog signal from the drive through a cheap ADC, mixing in digital and feeding through the output DACs. This wouldn't be a problem if good ADCs and DACs were used, but in many cases these parts are chosen for cost, not quality.

The solution is simple, as kjoonlee said, is to set Winamp to use DAE instead of analog playback from the drive.

Problem playing Audio from Cd drive

Reply #7 –
The Nullsoft CD plugin IS set to digital.  I did look at the properties of the CD drive itself and that is ticked to play back digitally as well. 

This is weird.  I have never had or used a computer where the CD drive would not play back an audio CD, but works perfectly in all other respects.

As further investigation I wanted to see if an audio CD would play using WMP.  I can not find WMP on this laptop.  Someone told me that it is impossible not to have WMP as it is part of Windows.  That can't be correct can it?  I have never used WMP on this laptop, but looked for it and can not see it in the program list or in the Add/Remove programs list in Control Panel.  Why would that be?

Problem playing Audio from Cd drive

Reply #9 –
If you want to check if WMP is installed, first click on your "Start" button and choose "Run", or press Win-R to bring up the "Run" dialog.

Type "wmplayer" without the quotes and press enter. If you have newer versions of WMP installed, it should start.

(As a side note, mplayer2 might be available too.)

Problem playing Audio from Cd drive

Reply #10 –
Quote
What happens if you rip tracks to .wav and listen to them with Winamp?
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=361514"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]



They play perfectly.

Problem playing Audio from Cd drive

Reply #11 –
Using the "run" box, this comes up.

"Thank you for choosing WMP10.  During installation, WMP will contact a MicroSoft Server in order to determine and set the initial active music service".

I'm not sure exactly what that means, but I don't like the sound of it!

Problem playing Audio from Cd drive

Reply #12 –
Quote
Using the "run" box, this comes up.

"Thank you for choosing WMP10.  During installation, WMP will contact a MicroSoft Server in order to determine and set the initial active music service".
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=361518"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Permanently block WMP10 with a firewall it and let it try to contact M$ ... it will quit with an error message that will most likely not interfere with your installation.
The name was Plex The Ripper, not Jack The Ripper

Problem playing Audio from Cd drive

Reply #13 –
Ok, I could do this.  But, I am not really sure I want or need WMP on the computer.  I had considered it only to see if the CD would play correctly through WMP.  As I can not listen to music from the CD drive using Winamp or Nero Player, it's probably a waste of time to try WMP.  There must be something wrong with the sound set up in my laptop when playing audio CD's. 

I am starting to think I will not be able to solve this.  I guess it's not that big a deal as I don't really ever NEED to listen to audio CD's from the computer's CD drive.  And the drive works just fine for ripping music to my library.  It's just an issue that bugs me.  Being able to play audio CD's on your computer should be a basic given.

Problem playing Audio from Cd drive

Reply #14 –
What CD is it? Perhaps there is some horrid copy protection messing with the audio playback on a CD-ROM drive.

Problem playing Audio from Cd drive

Reply #15 –
It is not any particular CD.  It is all CD's.  If I play an audio CD on the laptop, the sound is terrible.  Warbled, popping, distorted.  So bad, I'm not sure I am really describing it properly.  The drive works fine otherwise.  I can rip into my library using CDEX, (either MP3's or Wav) and those files play fine through Winamp or Nero.

Problem playing Audio from Cd drive

Reply #16 –
Have you tried lowering the master volume as well?

Are the CDs old? When you try ripping the discs with Exact Audio Copy (EAC), what does it say in the "Pre-Emphasis" column?

edit: Um, oops. I didn't read what you wrote.

Problem playing Audio from Cd drive

Reply #17 –
Well, have spent a bunch more time trying to figure this out and can not.

Anyone have any other suggestions?

Problem playing Audio from Cd drive

Reply #18 –
bump

Problem playing Audio from Cd drive

Reply #19 –
Did you check if digital playback is activated in the drives settings as well?
Sorry, my only idea

Problem playing Audio from Cd drive

Reply #20 –
If I look at the drive in device manager, it is ticked for digital playback.

The drive works perfectly for ripping to both MP3 and wav, and also for installing programs, but will not play an audio CD for listening.  This makes me think it must be the sound card or something.  Problem with that idea is that I can listen to my MP3 and wav through Winamp and Nero and they sound great.  Any thought on this?

Also, does anyone think it strange or a problem that WMP is not installed on the computer?  I don't care as I never use it.  But, I have been told that it is part of the operating system and has to be installed.  This seems wrong to me as you can change the versions up or down if it is installed.  That makes it look to me like a separate, independent program.

Problem playing Audio from Cd drive

Reply #21 –
Quote
Reasons why CD playback might have less than optimal quality
    ...
    [/li][li]The CD-ROM drive is noisy because it spins too fast
    Solution: Limit the drive's speed to 1x or rip the tracks to your HDD, to get rid of the noise.
    ...[/li]

[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=361406"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


I'm not sure how to do this, but maybe it helps.
Did you already try analog output?
Did you try another program? (I don't think thats the thing but hell knows..)
I can't imagine that WMP is important for Cd-playback, if it was important it would be important for more than just that, i guess. Anyway, it's quite strange that it's not installed, I usually try to get rid of that program but never manage to do so

Problem playing Audio from Cd drive

Reply #22 –
No one has suggested the obvious Occams razor solution-try using a different optical drive on that ide connection. Borrow a know good drive and connect it and see how it plays cds-if all is well with that one-replace the drive.
you will make mp3's for compatibility reasons.

Problem playing Audio from Cd drive

Reply #23 –
Yeah, maybe I'll have to think about that.  I have been assuming that because the drive works perfectly in every other way, it must be because of something other than the drive itself.  I am also a lot less brave about swapping out drives etc. in my laptop than I would be on one of our desktops.

Problem playing Audio from Cd drive

Reply #24 –
What happens if you burn the EAC-ripped .wav files to a CD-ROM (edit: not as an audio CD but as a data disc) and play the files from the CD-ROM drive?