We're doing some very exciting things in Windows Vista concerning audio. As an Audio Engineer, I can happily say that audio is no longer a second-class citizen in Vista. From the consumer perspective, just take a look at some of the features we're adding:-

  • Loudness Equalization DSP (single-pass loudness EQ with a fast "attack", slow "decay")
  • Forward and Reverse Bass Management
  • Speaker Fill
  • Room Correction (using a calibrated microphone - amazing!)
  • Virtual Surround
  • Speaker Phantoming
  • Headphone Virtualization using HRTF (Head Related Transfer Functions) - can't wait to try this one out!
  • Bass Boost
  • Support for Microphone Arrays

You can read more about them here:-

Sometimes, you don't get these capabilities, even in high-end domestic digital A/V receivers. Good job audio team! Can't wait to start using these new audio features on my home machine.