Registered: Feb 2007
From:

Winamp Lite version sounds better than Winamp Full version!

You can hear it yourself:

1) Just install Winamp Lite and Winamp Full in separate directories.
2) Launch the applications from their directories
3) leave the equalizer off.
4) Then listen with both versions to an mp3 encoded with a sufficiently high bit rate, e.g. 192Kb/s.
5) I'm listening now to the guitar solo in "Dire Straits - Tunnel of love" and the difference between the Lite and Full version is huge.

The sound of Winamp Lite is crisper, has a better dynamic, the human voice is warmer, the music is simply more enjoyable.
Even the volume level between the two versions is different.

Last but not least, I prefer the sound of Winamp Lite to iTunes and WMP.

Hope this helps all the audiophiles.
Enjoy the music!

Matteo

Quick Link | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jan 2005
From: Ashburn, VA

Either you're using a different output plugin (out_wave versus out_ds) or you have Replay Gain on in Full and not on in Lite. Either of these could cause a volume difference.

Most people confuse volume differences as quality differences. The MP3 decoder is identical in Full and Lite. Please don't spread bad information.

Quick Link | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Feb 2007
From:

Hello Ben,
Thanks for these fantastic players that sound way better than iTunes and Windows Media Player.


Maybe you are right about the sound quality between the Lite and the Full (we should change the thread title)

Regarding the volume however,
I checked the playback preferences and they are the same, the Replay Gain is off on both versions. They have been both installed recently.

1) the volume control in the Lite version controls the "Wave" control in the Windows Master Control,

2) in the Full version the volume control seems independent from the Windows volume settings.

So they are not the same in the two versions.

Thanks,
Matteo

Quick Link | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Oct 2005
From: (D)

You are using different output plugins. Or, you set your output plugin's volume control settings different in both players.

Try to set out_ds active in both players: Go to preferences -> plugins -> output and just select "DirectSound Output".

If it still sounds different or if this is already set in both players, try to go back to the same window, and then *double click* the DirectSound Output Item. Click then on "Reset All". Do this to both Winamp's. Now you have the same, standard settings on both.

Now they will definitely sound the same!

Best regards,
kzuse

__________________

Quick Link | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jun 2004
From:

Perhaps it is just placebo!

Quick Link | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jun 2000
From:

Nope, as Benski suspected, and kzuse stated, he's got WaveOut Output selected in Lite, and DirectSound Output selected in Full. Select the same Output plugin for both, and both will sound exactly the same.

But yeah, anything beyond that is definitely placebo.

__________________

Quick Link | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Feb 2007
From:

Yes, that's true.
The default output plug ins in the Lite and the Full versions are different when they are installed. If I set the same output the behavior is identical.

Is any output plug in better than the others?

Thanks,
Matteo

Quick Link | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Feb 2007
From: Isle of Man

I've found Directsound to sound much better that Waveout on my system.

The OP seems to infer that Waveout sounds much better?

Quick Link | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Dec 2003
From: Wyoming

Depends on your system and OS. DirectSound tends to perform better on newer systems, and WaveOut is recommended for older systems, from what I understand at least.

Quick Link | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: May 2000
From: Hell

correct.

and then on vista MS fucked up the lot.

__________________

Quick Link | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged