This is a Foobar 2000 setup guide for Windows 8, 7 and Vista users.
General order of preference**: WASAPI Event -> ASIO -> WASAPI Push -> DS
** WASAPI Event is the most elegant method (and in most cases is the best method), but some devices do perform better with ASIO (mostly driver-dependent).
Disclaimer: Please note that the impact of these changes are largely dependent on how sensitive your components are to jitter.
WASAPI Setup for those using computers with sufficient RAM (suggested for those with 4GB of RAM or more w/ 64-bit Windows, or 2GB of RAM or more w/ 32-bit Windows):
1. Install the latest version of Foobar 2000 (1.1.18 at the moment)
2. Install the latest WASAPI component (3.0 at the moment)
3. Optional: Install other components that you may use (HDCD, etc.)
4. Do not use DSPs unless necessary (like when your hardware does not support a certain sampling rate)
5. Use WASAPI Event under Output Device when possible
6. Disable fading (0ms)
7. Under Advanced, set full file buffering upto your RAM size minus 2GB (64-bit Windows) or your RAM size minus 1GB (32-bit Windows) in kB (2097152 for 4GB RAM with Win x64, for example)
8. Reduce Playback buffer length to minimum (50ms), unless this causes playback problems
9. Reduce WASAPI buffer length to the lowest setting without causing drop-offs
10. Optional: Run Fidelizer (can hurt system performance)
11. Optional: Adjust process affinities to dedicate cores for Foobar2000 and WASAPIHost (allowing for even reduced latency, but can hurt system performance)
12. Max-out Foobar and Windows Mixer volume settings to ensure bit-transparent playback
13. Optional: Elevate process priorities of Foobar2000 and WASAPIHost (can affect performance)
14. Optional: Cut down on Windows services (will limit OS functionality)
WASAPI Setup for those using computers that are relatively short on RAM:
1. Install the latest version of Foobar 2000 (1.1.18 at the moment)
2. Install the latest WASAPI component (3.0 at the moment)
3. Optional: Install other components that you may use (HDCD, etc.)
4. Do not use DSPs unless necessary (like when your hardware does not support a certain sampling rate)
5. Use WASAPI Event under Output Device when possible
6. Disable fading (0ms)
7. Reduce Playback buffer length to shortest stable setting
8. Optional: Run Fidelizer (can hurt system performance)
9. Reduce WASAPI buffer length to the lowest setting without causing drop-offs
10. Max-out Foobar and Windows Mixer volume settings to ensure bit-transparent playback
11. Optional: Adjust process affinities to dedicate cores for Foobar2000 and WASAPIHost (allowing for reduced latency, but can hurt system performance)
12. Optional: Cut down on Windows services (will limit OS functionality)
13. Optional: Elevate process priorities of Foobar2000 and WASAPIHost (can affect performance)
ASIO Setup:
1. Follow the same setup procedure as WASAPI but skip steps 2, 5, 9, 11 and 13.
2. Install the latest ASIO Output component (2.1.2 at the moment)
3. Select ASIO under Output Device
4. Click use 64-bit ASIO drivers when running Windows x64
5. Click Run with High Process Priority
6. Optional: Tweak device driver to run minimal buffering (device-dependent)
7. Optional: Adjust process affinities to dedicate cores for Foobar2000 and ASIO driver (allowing for even reduced latency, but can hurt system performance)
8. Optional: Elevate process priority of Foobar2000
For OC people (things to be done after the steps above):
1. Optional: Underclock PC to a reasonable speed
2. Undervolt your PC components to the lowest possible stable setting
3. Disable Spread Spectrum, Power Management, Wake from Standby, etc.
4. Optional: Disable Virtual Memory (lots of RAM recommended)
5. Use latency checker to look for software bottlenecks and rid yourself of them
http://www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtml6. Optional: Run a separate OS installation focused on ultra-low latency and component utilization
7. Explore use of Foobar2000 XA, JPlay, etc.
OC Hardware Upgrades:
1. Build a dedicated computer using preselected low latency ULV components
2. Use an ultra low noise power supply
3. Add all sorts of DC noise filters
4. Shield components from each other
5. Skip mechanical storage
6. Reclock output to DAC
7. Remove unnecessary components
etc. etc.
Yes, even after you've done all these tweaks, you can still do better (but you'd no longer be using Foobar, and at the extreme level... you'd no longer have access to a GUI).