FxSound better than Realtek Audio?

Audio Tips and Discussion
1

Hello dears,
I have been using FxSound along with Realtek Audio, Everest Semiconductor Corp, Senary Semiconductor Corp, Intel SST Audio, Desktop FX, USB Audio 2.0, USB Audio Device, Microsoft HD Audio Device output, and many other sound device drivers in Windows 10 and 11 since early 2022. Some users have superficially commented that FxSound hijacks the entire audio system. However, in reality, it is the most user-friendly and compatible audio enhancer with almost all other audio apps (except Dolby and DTS) in existence. While it may occasionally cause crashes and chaos to your system after uninstallation, FxSound quickly fixes any audio configuration issues. Additionally, FxSound proactively detects your home usage and periodically sends surveys to gather feedback from Windows users. Honestly, in 2022 and 2023, I didn’t like, but rather hated this app. Let me categorize myself as an audiophile—my home streaming system has relied on real cables and wired headphones to derive sounds from the desktop via the 3.5mm jack to RCA, then a solid-state amp and speakers. Realtek Audio has been providing exceptional audio streaming quality and real CD replay, surpassing hardware CD, SACD, and DVD-A since 2016-2017. Since Windows 8, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the significant advancements in audio quality in the Windows operating system, with Realtek Semiconductor Corp overseeing all audio sections. Even now, for devices with Realtek audio chipsets, sound cards, and controllers on the motherboard, Realtek Audio Console and Realtek HD Audio Manager continue to deliver outstanding performance. In short, Realtek Audio has pushed PC audio quality to an unprecedented level of high-quality standard.

However, to enjoy this wonderful audio experience, the entire system connecting to the PC must align with the high standards of peripheral settings, including PC components, drivers, and the ever-changing audio architecture and interface designs of Windows. As a longtime CD album collector, I have consistently advocated for the value and irreplaceable status of Realtek Audio in the Windows OS. It wasn’t until last month when I purchased some Windows 11 devices and Android mobiles that my impression of FxSound dramatically changed. To keep it short, in 2024, FxSound does have concrete and practical advantages over Realtek. Allow me to summarize in bullet points, and you may soon notice and agree with me based on your own usage and experience. Also, don’t forget to make your own comparisons for reflection and to form your own opinion. Here are my points:

  1. FxSound is highly capable and impressive in terms of compatibility with all other apps and devices.

  2. FxSound can adapt to any audio architecture design, demonstrating great flexibility. FxSound has clearly put a lot of effort into research and design to ensure compatibility with various peripheral installations.

  3. With its long-term hard work and strong legacy, FxSound shows agility in its user interface and quick recovery from audio crashes.

  4. FxSound has earned a favored status among Windows apps, as it is recognized by Microsoft and holds the highest privileged and protected app status in the Root Media/0000 section of the Windows OS, surpassing other apps.

  5. By chance, I came across a log file yesterday, revealing that the entire Windows OS audio section grants FxSound unrestricted access 24/7. In other words, all audio installations and custom designs within Windows must obtain consent from FxSound to avoid system crashes and BSOD.

  6. FxSound can seamlessly and automatically enhance the audio quality of any device, app, interface, or application, with the highest privileged settings as the immovable default behind the scenes.

  7. I have started to admire FxSound not only for its authoritative status but also for its continual improvement, ambition to be the best app in the Windows OS, and its far-reaching research and development.

  8. FxSound exhibits extreme confidence and professionalism in its audio algorithm volume gain enhancement technology. It possesses its own unique aura, style, and belief in sound technology development. This is crucial because there is no definitive “best” when it comes to high-fidelity audio reproduction quality.

  9. In the realm of USB audio and Bluetooth audio, two major areas of focus in user interfaces, FxSound is undoubtedly the champion.

  10. FxSound’s simplicity and effectiveness, coupled with its voluntary rendering as an open and completely free app, have solidified its privileged status in Windows. Over the course of two years, FxSound has continuously updated and developed additional presets, showcasing expertise in EQ UI design and providing unprecedented verbal illustrations for each sliding button and frequency. Its improvements have resulted in richer and more musical outcomes, which can be audibly perceived rather than being mere paper specifications. FxSound has surpassed what Realtek has achieved in terms of execution, stability, and application of its own audio interface. In the modern PCIe topology and the ongoing chip war, FxSound outshines Realtek in terms of compatibility, flexibility, and responsiveness to the community.

  11. In my recent personal experience, I connected a German-designed Dual-branded stereo amplifier to both Windows 10 and 11 devices via Bluetooth. To my surprise, with FxSound, I only needed to slide the volume in the taskbar to 17dB to achieve an overall heightened audio quality, fullness of sound, dynamic range, and musical involvement that no other apps or drivers have ever provided me. On the other hand, to achieve a similar effect with Realtek, I had to tune the volume to at least 30dB while keeping other peripherals and conditions constant. This raises the question of whether Realtek can surpass FxSound in the same area.

Lastly, it’s worth noting that human ears are not always reliable, as subjective perception often takes precedence over objective data-supported views. I discovered that all of my new and old Android mobile devices came preinstalled with FxSound version 1.4 as an immovable system music app. I have often obtained better audio results by connecting my Android phone via Bluetooth and playing music from YouTube Music.

7 Likes
2

Thank you for your encouraging words!

4 Likes
3

I think this is the most thorough and well-thought out review we’ve ever received. Thank you so much :heart:

3 Likes
4

You summarized it very well in my opinion.

DFX Sound, and now FXSound, has been a strong name for audio enhancement under Windows for many years now. It used to be only a plugin for like WinAMP, my earliest experiences were under Windows ME with DFX 8.

In my opinion ever since the first generation i7 motherboards launched the Realtek audio has improved a lot, and it still has been improved overtime. Where realtek on LGA775 motherboards were a little bit mixed, let alone the other type of chipsets not always being great.

I love the Realtek equalizer presets such as Powerfull on the older motherboards, and I’ve been kind of trying to mimic that on the newer motherboard, but DFX/FXSound continually manages to fix the problem of muffled low-treble sounds where regular equalizers are not able to fix this. You want clarity in the audio and FXSound executes that extremely well.

So even if it has some tidbits that sometimes get in the way of things I forgive it easily because it is an outstanding application that virtually creates no sound latency making it highly flexible in use, whether it is for music, gaming, conferences etc. it is all working like a charm, even in surround-sound in my experience it has been flawless, although not highly complicated setups.

This app deserves all the attention it can get and I’ve been trying to advertise it here and there to people, I even deployed it at a company to aid in hearing better in conferences as not all microphones are very great nor the speakers of TV’s etc.

And what is not to love about the Dynamic boost function when a machine is unable to output a desirable volume-level, this functionality allows for a much higher volume output without distortion which is really something special.

So many people underestimate the power of this application but I hope more people give it a shot, this application is more than 2 decades of development and it is amazing it is still here today, I would not want to imagine using a computer anymore without it.

2 Likes