FX Sound not making a difference in audio output

Windows 10. I configure as suggested Audio set to FX Sound Enhancer or what ever it is called. Device set same. Output on FX Sound set to my speakers. I use Amazon Music. Each and every day and sometimes multiple times in a day the Amazon Music changes the setting. All that aside , when I open FS Sound push the on and off button, I hear no difference. I have cut off Exclusive as suggested. I repeatedly have to go back to the computer audio to reset the direction to FX Sound Enhance.
Clipping, it is horrible and happens a lot.
I have been a customer for years but i am ready to delete FX Sound. Total frustration. Never works correctly.
I keep rereading the various instruction - it is not that hard.
Any help out there. Or shall I say fare the well>

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Hello Doug;
Welcome to the forum; sorry for the trouble, really…

What do you mean by this? Which setting is changed? The audio output, or the sound enhancement configurations?
Is this a new problem, by which I mean, does this happen only with the new version?

Is this a new problem?
I’ll share this issue with FxSound’s lead technician;
@bvijay: Hello again Vijay; do you have any ideas on what might be going wrong here? Can you please have a look at this user’s post? Thanks.

This is probably bass-related. You’ll want to keep the bass within reasonable limits.
Same question again here: is this a new problem?

True, it really isn’t…
Thank you for answering my questions.
Also, please note that the old versions are still available as free downloads on https://www.fxsound.com (bottom of page, under “Products”).
Here to help,
doolhoofd

In the last three weeks I have had to uninstall and then reinstall three times. If I do not then all of my original issues reappear. Uninstall and reinstall and I am good for maybe a week. That is, all works wonderfully.

Dougw71

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@bvijay:
Hello again Vijay,
I know you’re very busy…
But this user needs your help.
Thanks.
dool

@PLEASE_DELETE:
Do you have any troubleshooting suggestions here?
Thanks.

It is very unlikely that the same issue forces so much reinstallations. I guess there is something else changing at some point that just makes it look like it is completely broken. Maybe, reinstalling resets some settings or sets them again and therefore fixes the issue.

The way it sould be is:

  • Install FxSound

  • It should be the default sound device (NOT “default communication device”, icons looks very similar)

  • Of course, it has to be the right “real” sound device selected

  • In FxSound, also set the proper sound device

  • FxSound needs to be enabled (big red button in the application)

There are thousands of discussions over the net about PC sound issues and they are often not very good. However, this is a topic not very much people care about or do know much about. All the settings in your “real” sound device should work with their defaults; however, many people (including me) disable the exclusive mode due to its restrictions as you mentioned. Also, most of us change the speaker setup, audio quality settings and maybe filters but i can assure you, that it is still working finde under this conditions even with the latest Windows 11 Pro 21H2 x64 and FxSound 1.1.15.0.

So, as always, check for updates first — especially Windows/sound card or chip and FxSound. Reinstalling the “real” sound card/chip could be worth a try and check if there are newer/better drivers from the manufacturer of the mainboard/sound chip/sound card instead of using Windows default drivers. Try without anything touched in all the sound device settings.

Not hearing any difference when enabling/disabling FxSound can have multiple normal causes like settings that simply make no difference you can hear or wrong sound device selected etc.

Clipping, stuttering and such issues are often more related to a general sound problem and could point in the direction checking the basics (see above).

This is another case where we also do need more information, as DooHoofD already asked for. Especially, what do you mean by “changes setting” and HOW are you using Amazon Music exactyl (browser, player, etc.)?

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Is the issue specific to Amazon Music or across all audio applications?
Are there any other audio enhancement application running in parallel, due to which the FxSound audio processing is not showing any difference?
Also, audio format information like number of channels and bit rate of the audio will help us troubleshoot the issue.

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bvijay, I only use Amazon Music on my desktop. I have no other audio enhancements. Two Channels 24 bit 44100 Hz.
thanks.

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I need to be told what “real” means.

When I say setting are changed I mean: in Windows 10 Settings, Audio, “choose your output device” I always choose, "Speakers (FxSound Audio Enhancer) but it changes, on its own to something else. I have turned off Exclusive mode. Amazon Music invariably changes the output devise to something other than FxSound Audio Enhancer.
I am not a gamer. I do accounting work for hours on end. I listen to music. Mostly classical and solo piano. I have an iFi Zen DAC. So in FxSound my output is
"Speakers ( iFi (by AMR) HD+ USB Audio).

Clipping continues to flare up on occasion especially on Zoom.

I do run updates on the sound card, Windows, iFi, and Amazon Music (Windows and Amazon Music are automatic.)

I am pretty much resigned to either dropping FxSound or to uninstall and reinstall on a regular basis. but that is not what should be the norm.

Thanks,

Doug

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“Real” means your physical sound hardware in your computer. When you look at the Device Manager in Windows, you will see that and FxSound alike; but FxSound is a “virtual” device which means, it is only software emulating a device and has no physical presence.

Your selection is right since when you select FxSound as playback device it will process the audio stream from playback and forward it in this modified form to your physical audio device and that to your speaker/headset for output. For troubleshooting it is important that you understand these connections.

FxSound, of course, cannot change the audio device in a Amazon Music desktop application as i understand it. Windows is able to do so and the application itself. That said, there are situations where some kind of “fallback” solutions exist. For example, when you unplug an audio device, another one which is present in the system, ist used instead. That includes those you do not/cannot use like the HDMI connections of monitors and for that reason you should disable all input/ouput devices which are not used. This helps also reducing the possible causes of your issues.

When i remember correctly, we had another issue with a DAC device but whit those specific devices, my knowledge is somewhat limited and bvijay may be of more help. Maybe there is a connetion here and we can help all users alltogether in the end, depending on what was causing the problems.

We also had a thread with multiple audio streams playing simultanously but it is not solved yet as far as i know. I can tell from my personal experience that i never had issues when combining several streams like Zoom, Music, browser audio and so forth so it may be coming from your specific setup.

As you see, i can barely guess around here and we will have to wait for bvijay who has a much, much deeper insight but meanwhile, maybe we find a new information which helps. There always IS a solution of whatever kind and often the challenge is not solving it but finding its cause which takes the most effort. :wink:

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Sunday May 22. Had to uninstall and reinstall four times.

Upon reinstall the sound is superb. So good in fact that I keep doing the same thing just to hear that good sound. But invariably the sound fails. The setting change. Is this the definition of insane, “Keep doing the same thing over and over but expecting that this time it will work correctly?”

Doug

Perhaps you can try this simple trick instead of reinstalling every time?
Necessary to show hidden files first, since the folder AppData is usually hidden.
In Libraries, go to Tools > Folder options > Show hidden files.

Doolhoofd,

Thanks. Not the sharpest knife in the drawer, so I must ask when it is stated, “you can try renaming the folder FxSound under %APPDATA%.” What would one name the folder? And, how does that fix the issue? Even more basic, where are the Libraries?

Again, thank you but I am not at your level of computer ease.

Doug

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That’s okay.
You could name it, FxSound_ , for instance, or FxSound01, or anything that you’d like.
The libraries are in your personal folder; the AppData folder is usually hidden, so make sure to show hidden folders as specified above.
The FxSound folder can be found under “Roaming” (so: personal folder > AppData > Roaming).
You can see where to find the folders in these printscreens:

Computers are weird things. Vijay specified that renaming this folder will make FxSound launch in factory default settings, so, like new, so to speak. You could switch, between FxSound01 and FxSound02, for example, as the names. It’s simply a hack trick; theoretically, it could save you the effort of uninstalling and reinstalling every time, simply by renaming the folder in AppData.

Seems logical; video conference programs like Zoom aren’t made to have their audio messed with. Seems like a good idea to me to simply turn FxSound off altogether (with the Off button) when using Zoom.

TiM’s advice is good: disable all devices you aren’t using.

Hello @bvijay; Could you please take a look at this thread and let us know if you have any suggestions for troubleshooting?
Thanks.

doolhoofd, again I am confused. when I go to desktop I so not see anything like what your screenshot shows.


I see no App Data Folder
I see no FxSound folder

I truly hate to bother you guys with all of this.
Love the product but this is crazy to keep bothering you.

Doug

It’s not in Libraries, it’s in the folder that has your name.
In my case, doolhoofd.
To show hidden folders: under Tools, go to Folder Options, and select Show hidden folders and files. That will bring out the AppData folder.
It’s no problem, really.


_
Example with specifying a folder in the opened folder (based on Windows 11):
2022-05-29 02 14 54

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Hah, Dolmatov, always helpful! :+1: