Can I improve sound quality on my laptop?

DayDreamer

DayDreamer

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John
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We have two Toshiba laptops, bought this year, & the sound quality, on both, is cr*p. Is there any free software, or anything I can do, that will improve this or am I stuck with it as it is?
 
Guessing you mean the onboard speakers? Not really other than using headphones or external speakers. You could buy a bluetooth speaker for something portable but you've better off with phones.
You can also buy USB sound cards that give phono/optical outputs - used one of these for a couple of years on my desktop and it sounds very good. Can't remember manufacturer though - will check when I'm home.
 
If you want to add external components (DACs/speakers), then yes. Otherwise very little.
 
I use a £20 set (2.1) of logitech with an external USB DAC (FiiO E10). Total cost less than £100 and it is WAY better than onboard sound and that is pretty acceptable (I have a pretty top end Naim hi-fi for comparison - my spending on that dwarfs my spending on cameras... :eek: )
 
Thanks for suggestions but I really could do with the 'software' type of approach & not having to plug in speakers. I am quite immobile surrounded by laptop, Ipad Mini, one of my cameras to have a fiddle & the thought of speakers (as well) is too much gadgetry :lol:. I will have to carry on as I have been doing which is when I want to hear something I use my Ipad as it's sound is very good.
 
DayDreamer said:
We have two Toshiba laptops, bought this year, & the sound quality, on both, is cr*p. Is there any free software, or anything I can do, that will improve this or am I stuck with it as it is?
Click to expand...

Are you using the laptop's built-in squeakers, or headphones/external amp & speakers?

If it's the former, try the latter. If it's the latter, try an external USB soundcard. Neither solution is free though, unfortunately.

On my PC I use a half-decent soundcard (Xonar D1 - internal soundcard but there are external equivalents) which offers fairly high fidelity sound (good enough for me) running through a bi-amped hifi setup.
 
ZoneV said:
Are you using the laptop's built-in squeakers, or headphones/external amp & speakers?

If it's the former, try the latter. If it's the latter, try an external USB soundcard. Neither solution is free though, unfortunately.

On my PC I use a half-decent soundcard (Xonar D1 - internal soundcard but there are external equivalents) which offers fairly high fidelity sound (good enough for me) running through a bi-amped hifi setup.
Click to expand...

Funnily enough I have just tried the earplugs for the first time & it sounds acceptable for what I want it for but it's when I use the built in speakers they sound very very tinny. My last laptop, that went kaput, was a cheap Toshiba & that sounded OK.

I will just use my Ipad, or stick my earplugs in, as I don't want more bits of hardware around or there'll be no room for me on the sofa :gag:
 
Small speakers can never really move enough air to sound good and lappy speakers tend to be on the tiny side of the small spectrum! A reasonable pair of whatever type of headphones you prefer will improve the sound no end (but don't subject your dear Lady wife to any singing along!!!)
 
I dont know if it exists anymore but SRS WOW used to do some good plugins which made music sound much better than a standard equaliser. I recently tried to get it for Mac as an iTunes plugin but doesnt seem to work.
It wont improve quality as such, just makes it sound better, IMO at least.
 
Just had a good fiddle in the sound settings but sod it - I give up :shake:

And no Mr Nod I will not be singing along with 'owt'. I recall my first music lesson (at school) a long time ago & we all had to sing. We were told to place our hands on our desk & he went round whacking the hands of a small number, including me, & told us NEVER EVER in his lessons to open our mouths again. Sadistic B*stard. I wonder if it is too late to get compo for the psychological suffering since :thinking:
 
All those years ago, it was law that you HAD to abuse kids... :p
 
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