Windows XP is supposed to be bit perfect when 1. The Master Volume and Wave are at Max in Windows, and MediaMonkey, and 2. Windows audio out put is set to best performance. 3. All Windows sound schemes are disabled.
ASIO is the more popular alternative. There is also a Kernal Streamer plugin for Winamp that works with MediaMonkey.

I'm not sure, you may want to search for ASIO and see if it supports XP.

Thank you. With the little bit of understanding I have and online research I've done, I've seen that Kernal Streaming can do Bit Perfect and that it is possible in windows XP - That is incorrect? So does it make any difference between direct sound/waveout?

Thank you

Only WASAPI does bit perfect and that's only available in Windows Vista and up.

Hi everyone,

I'm new to computer based audio and have been setting up an unused laptop running Windows XP as a music server. In attempting to get the best sound possible, I came across this site - http://www.hi-fi-insight.com/building-the-perfect-windows-based-music-server-part-ii.html and did what it said, downloading and using Reclock to enable kernal streaming.

I then changed the MediaMonkey output plugin from direct sound to waveout (my only two choices). In direct sound mode I could control the volume with the MM interface, with waveout I can't which I assume means I'm sending a bit perfect signal -yes? I did have to increase the buffer rate to the maximum in MM but I think that doesn't effect sound quality.

Does this seem right or should I get rid of Reclock and just use the directsound output?

Thank you,
Carl