Windows audio settings

[SSB]

Recently I discovered that I could change my windows audio settings to stereo headphones instead of desktop speakers. Doing so did make it sound nice - it boosted a lot of the mids and gave a full sound to everything. But that's the thing.. it's distorting the sound.

What should I go with for mixing to get the most accurate representation of the mix? Some parts of songs sound distorted on the headphones setting, so I've stuck with desktop speakers where everything sounds fine, but this new knowledge just got me wondering.

[Jens Wulvik]

Of course you want the sound that is not distorted! It also seem to me, that you could gain great advantage by getting a better sound card.

[zircon]

I thought those settings just affected the stereo image. I never knew they actually added EQ.

[po!]

if it's really distorting, maybe try lowering the volume in the sound properties? I've found that cheaper sound cards tend to distort very easily even when set to moderate volumes

[SSB]

It's not DISTORTING it, per se. There's only one spot in a sound I have that I found where the headphones setting actually distorted the sound at a part that's loud in the mids. But there is definitely a difference between the settings, and I was just curious as to what other people did, or if it was the same for them. I have it on desktop speakers still just because it doesn't seem to boost anything that I don't tell it to.