Hi,

I've just started to get into high-quality audio output, after purchasing a very cheap second-hand Creative XFi Fatal1ty sound card from a friend. Having downloaded the most recent version of Foobar 2000 (V0.9.5), I attempted to run the Kernel streaming component (v.1.2.2).

However, when I attempt to switch the output over to the kernal streaming option in the Preferences, I get the following error message when I try to play a track:

"Unrecoverable playback error: KS output error: error opening device"

Don't know if this is relevant, but I'm running Vista Home Premium, on a dual-core 1.8Ghz, 2 gig of RAM.

Image of Preferences menu

I've gone into the Creative Audio Console and switched off all the extra stuff, like EAX and Crystalliser, and everything else I can think of. Is this a known issue with Vista? Google didn't turn up anything relevant, as far as I could tell.

Thanks for any help that might be given!

Set the „Output data format:” to 32-bit, use one of the Resampler DSPs to resample audio to 24 bit. Of course, you can play 24-bit files without resampling
Or, if you don't want to resample, set the output to 16-bit.

Thanks for the response.

I'm a total Foobar2000 newbie. Where would I find a Resample DSP? I tried setting the output to 16-bit, but that didn't help.

Thanks.

I have a quite old Audigy2 ZS but I don't use drivers from Creative.
I have no problems using KS interface with those drivers.
So try to experiment with different bitdepths and samplerates. But maybe it's a driver related issue.

Here is a pic, to save the words:

Hi.

Eevan is giving you some good advice, and will probably help you solve the problem.

One thing that could be happening is that on KS (at least on my M-audio card, and on ASIO with my Lynx) things are single client. This means that if any other program that plays audio is open BEFORE Foobar opens, Foobar will not be able to open the KS output.

For instance, if I have another player playing like WMP11 and open foobar, I get the error you did. If I close WMP11 (even if it isn't playing) then restart Foobar, things work fine.

Make sure no other sound or video programs are open just to rule this out.

I'm sure that if Kernel Streaming was the default, people would be using DirectSound for "high quality output", just because it's different.

Driver or hardware issues aside, this "kernel streaming has better quality" idea is a total fantasy. You're just creating problems for yourself.

Well, that fixed the issue. Thanks for all your help

However, like JensRex commented, I'm not sure that I can tell any real discernible difference with kernel streaming active. I was recommended to use it by the same friend who sold me the card. If it's only single-client, I think I'll go back to my previous settings.

Thanks anyway!

JensRex is absolutely right. KS simply bypasses Kmixer and its processing layers. It's of only use if you think that your resample tool is of greater quality than that built in the Kmixer (which IMHO in these days is not the case).
As Dawnrazor-age said, only one application has the exclusive access to the soundcard driver when using KS. In fact, Kmixer is designed to overcome that, so that you can have multiple streams from various applications play at the same time.