"Desktop Audio" sounds very off for some reason

[Al-Ameen Adewunmi]

I've been having this issue for months now. For some reason, when I try recording using "Desktop Audio" the audio sounds a lot more muffled than it's supposed to be. I decided to use Xbox Game Bar to record to see if the issue carried over, and surprisingly, it didn't, so this is something that's only happening in OBS. I've used "Application Audio Output Capture", which does negate the issue, but suffers from inconsistent audio desync so it's not something I can rely on.

What should I do? I've attached the most recent log.

 

[AaronD]

Can you record it? Different problems sound different.

What's your routing? If you Monitor to the same device that you Desktop Capture, you get a feedback loop. Most of the time, Windows' audio is slow enough to hear that loop as a discrete echo, but there's a possibility if it being fast enough to hear as a single "odd sound".

 

[Al-Ameen Adewunmi]

Can you record it? Different problems sound different.

I have an example here. If it helps, it was recorded using headphones.

https://imgur.com/a/Pmeky9z

What's your routing? If you Monitor to the same device that you Desktop Capture, you get a feedback loop. Most of the time, Windows' audio is slow enough to hear that loop as a discrete echo, but there's a possibility if it being fast enough to hear as a single "odd sound".

Not sure how to answer this, but these are my current audio properties. No filters on either.

 

[Al-Ameen Adewunmi]

(It says speakers, but it's actually headphones.)

 

[AaronD]

I have an example here. If it helps, it was recorded using headphones.

https://imgur.com/a/Pmeky9z

I like how you posted that! It allows a quick and immediate A/B comparision...and I really can't tell much difference at all. Are you sure you didn't post the same thing twice?

Not sure how to answer this, but these are my current audio properties. No filters on either.
View attachment 97044
View attachment 97045

Your Monitor is Off for the two visible ones, but one thing that trips people up and makes it really hard to troubleshoot, is the Active Sources Only checkbox at the bottom left. If that's checked, and it is by default, then you don't see what any of the other scenes might be doing. So if you take a screenshot when everything's fine, and it's a different scene that has a problem, the screenshot won't show it. ALWAYS uncheck that box!

(It says speakers, but it's actually headphones.)
View attachment 97048

Just in case the problem *is* on a different scene, and unchecking that box shows it, scroll down and look at the Monitor too.

 

[Al-Ameen Adewunmi]

I like how you posted that! It allows a quick and immediate A/B comparision...and I really can't tell much difference at all. Are you sure you didn't post the same thing twice?

I'm sure. I have a feeling it might not be noticeable without headphones, but the one with "Desktop Audio" sounds a bit less clean and more muffled. I don't know how to say it but it's more.....heavy on the ear?

Your Monitor is Off for the two visible ones, but one thing that trips people up and makes it really hard to troubleshoot, is the Active Sources Only checkbox at the bottom left. If that's checked, and it is by default, then you don't see what any of the other scenes might be doing. So if you take a screenshot when everything's fine, and it's a different scene that has a problem, the screenshot won't show it. ALWAYS uncheck that box!

I'm only using one scene currently (and when I unchecked the box, the only source that wasn't there before was "Browser" but that was already disabled) but, are you saying I should be monitoring the audio? If so, should it be Monitor Only or Monitor and Output?

 

[Al-Ameen Adewunmi]

Okay uh, I've done a bit more testing with other recording software, like Bandicam and GeForce Experience and, I get the same result there as I do when selecting Desktop Audio in OBS. Only Xbox Game Bar has done it correctly. So, maybe this is just an issue with my audio device?

 

[AaronD]

I'm sure. I have a feeling it might not be noticeable without headphones, but the one with "Desktop Audio" sounds a bit less clean and more muffled. I don't know how to say it but it's more.....heavy on the ear?

Okay, I got out my super-duper headset (that I got for other reasons that still use the same functions) and flipped back and forth a few more times. If I *really* look for "something", I can catch a hint that one of them might be ever so slightly lacking in the *very* top end (high frequencies), but that's getting way into placebo territory, so it can't be trusted. I'd still say you're fine.

I'm only using one scene currently (and when I unchecked the box, the only source that wasn't there before was "Browser" but that was already disabled) but, are you saying I should be monitoring the audio? If so, should it be Monitor Only or Monitor and Output?

If you don't need to hear from OBS, then keep the Monitor Off for everything. Less chance of it messing things up that way.

So if the Monitor is completely off for everything, it's probably not the problem.

Okay uh, I've done a bit more testing with other recording software, like Bandicam and GeForce Experience and, I get the same result there as I do when selecting Desktop Audio in OBS. Only Xbox Game Bar has done it correctly. So, maybe this is just an issue with my audio device?

I'm leaning towards that too.