Audio Output

ECHO audio output is stability-first. For routing overview (local / DLNA / AirPlay / HQPlayer), see Connect frontend playback devices and subpages; this chapter covers local output modes and the processing chain.

If MP3 vs FLAC is still unclear, read Audio formats. If tracks jump in volume, read Why some songs are much louder.

What is in this chapter

What you want	Page
Understand formats, sample rate, and loudness	Audio formats, Why some songs are much louder, HiFi Glossary
Songs sound faster, slower, or pitch-shifted	Why did my songs change speed
Tune EQ and DSP	EQ Guide, DSP Beginner Guide, DSP Simple Guide
Upsampling / SRC	ECHO SRC / Upsampling Guide
Exclusive vs ASIO, and what to check when they fail	Stop Obsessing Over ASIO, Exclusive / ASIO User-Side Checks
USB DACs and drivers	USB DAC Drivers, Third-Party Driver Boundaries
Play DSD	DSD Playback Guide
Connect HQPlayer	HQPlayer Guide
Another player can, ECHO says no	Why other apps can and ECHO will not

Choosing An Output Mode

Mode	Best for	Recommendation
System	Normal PCs, Bluetooth headphones, laptop speakers, stable playback	First choice for new users and troubleshooting
WASAPI Shared	Daily Windows output and common USB DACs	Stable long-term default
WASAPI Exclusive	External DACs and exclusive device control	Enable after the device is proven stable
ASIO	Vendor professional audio drivers and interfaces	Use only when you have a real device/driver need
DSD / DoP	DACs that explicitly support DSD	Enable only after checking device support
HQPlayer	External HQPlayer workflows	Requires separate setup and connection validation

Tip

If you only want reliable playback, use System or WASAPI Shared. Do not enable ASIO, Exclusive, or DSD just because the name sounds more professional.

What To Do When There Is No Sound

Caution

Do not clear the database, reinstall the app, or flip through advanced outputs at random. If the progress bar moves but you hear nothing, the problem is in the output chain, not the library.

Bring the output chain back to its most stable state in this order.

Set this up in ECHO first

1. Open the audio-output drawer on the right of the bottom player, or go to Settings -> Playback.
2. Switch the output mode to System. On Windows, WASAPI Shared is also fine if you want to pick the device manually.
3. Under Output device, choose the headphones, speakers, USB DAC, or sound card you are actually listening on; if unsure, pick the system default output.
4. Turn off EQ, ReplayGain, speed change, channel tools, resampling, DSD, ASIO, and HQPlayer handoff.
5. Set the ECHO player volume to a normal range and make sure no fixed-volume option unsuitable for the device is on.
6. Click Reset audio engine or Soft-restart audio engine once, then play an ordinary MP3 or FLAC.

If you get sound this way, the basic playback chain is fine. From here, change one setting at a time: try WASAPI Shared first, and only consider Exclusive, ASIO, DSD, or HQPlayer once that is stable.

Then check Windows

1. Right-click the taskbar volume icon and open the sound settings.
2. Under Output, select the headphones, speakers, monitor audio, USB DAC, or sound card that is actually connected.
3. Open the volume mixer and confirm ECHO is not muted and its app volume is not 0.
4. With Bluetooth headphones, disconnect and reconnect first; for troubleshooting, prefer wired headphones or plain system output.
5. If the device is held by another player, recording software, a sound-card control panel, or a browser, close those programs and retry.

If System produces sound but Exclusive, ASIO, DSD, or HQPlayer does not, stop stacking advanced options. That usually points to a device, driver, channel, exclusive-lock, or external-player configuration problem — not a broken library.

Do Not Use Exclusive Mode With Bluetooth

Caution

Bluetooth headphones, speakers, and car audio should use System or WASAPI Shared. Do not use Bluetooth devices for WASAPI Exclusive, ASIO, DSD, bit-perfect, or high-sample-rate validation.

Bluetooth is not a controlled wired HiFi chain. It passes through the Windows Bluetooth stack, drivers, device firmware, codecs, radio conditions, and battery policies. ECHO cannot guarantee exclusive open, fixed sample rate, low latency, stable volume, or strict raw output for Bluetooth devices.

Bluetooth dropouts, latency, crackling, stutter, quality changes, volume issues, device switching, exclusive-mode failures, and codec issues are outside official ECHO maintenance. For troubleshooting, test with wired headphones, a USB DAC, or normal system output first.

Third-Party Drivers Are Unsupported

ECHO does not support compatibility work for third-party drivers, virtual audio devices, or ASIO wrapper layers. This includes:

• ASIO4ALL, FlexASIO, and Voicemeeter.
• Driver repacks not released by the device vendor.
• System-wide audio enhancement drivers, virtual routing tools, and virtual sound cards.
• Tools that modify the system audio chain or intercept other apps’ audio.

These tools may produce sound in some environments, but ECHO does not promise support, will not add targeted fixes for them, and does not treat their failures as ECHO audio engine defects. If you need ASIO, use the original driver from the device vendor.

bit-perfect And Processing

bit-perfect means the app barely changed the sound in the original file. EQ, loudness, speed changes, or system mixing all disqualify that label. ECHO tries to show the current state instead of dressing processed audio as a raw dump.

These features affect that judgment:

• EQ, Preamp, FIR, and channel balance.
• ReplayGain.
• Speed changes, pitch changes, crossfade, and automix.
• Resampling.
• System mixing, Bluetooth codecs, and virtual audio devices.

To check a raw file dump, turn off EQ, loudness, speed, and channel processing, then use wired headphones or a USB DAC.

DSD And High Sample Rates

DSD, DoP, high sample rates, and high bit depths depend heavily on the DAC and driver. Before enabling them:

1. Confirm the device specifications support the target format.
2. Use a driver from the device vendor.
3. Make sure Windows audio settings are not locked by another app.
4. Confirm normal PCM playback first.
5. Then test DSD, DoP, or higher sample rates.

If you get no sound, crackling, half-speed playback, double-speed playback, or device-open failures, switch back to System or WASAPI Shared before adding more advanced options. If a song sounds slow, fast, or the progress looks wrong, read Why Did My Song Speed Change?.

HQPlayer

HQPlayer is an external professional playback chain. ECHO can act as a control and handoff surface, but output, filtering, upsampling, and device connection are handled by HQPlayer and its environment.

For HQPlayer issues, check separately:

• HQPlayer can play on its own.
• The address, port, and connection test in ECHO are correct.
• The current file format is supported by the HQPlayer chain.
• The external device is online and not occupied by another app.

HQPlayer, NAA, network players, and professional DAC combinations vary widely. Include screenshots of both ECHO connection state and HQPlayer-side errors when sending a report.

For step-by-step setup from HQPlayer standalone playback to local ECHO Connect, remote mode, NAA boundaries, and troubleshooting, read the HQPlayer Guide.

Troubleshooting Order

For no sound, crackling, half-speed playback, double-speed playback, or failed track changes:

1. Switch back to System.
2. Disable EQ, ReplayGain, speed changes, channel tools, and resampling.
3. Play a normal MP3 or FLAC file.
4. Confirm Windows output device and per-app volume.
5. Try WASAPI Shared.
6. Test Exclusive, ASIO, DSD, or HQPlayer only after that.

Change one setting at a time. If it fails, screenshot the output mode, device name, status text, file format, and error details before sending a report.