PS4 version music issues

[Ariellendera]

Hello Maka8295, Thank you for your response.

May I ask you why you are using the DAC and Amp? and also what kind of headphones you are using? I do want to mention that using a DAC has been know to cause sound quality issues.

Hope to be of assistance.

[Maka8295]

Hey,

I'm using the DAC and Amp to power my headphones which are the Sennhesier HD650s. I'm otherwise unable to use my headphones unless I use a DAC with the optical port. I unplug the DAC when using my TV speakers though and I can still hear the problem through them.

I hope this narrows down the problem a bit!

[Einmimiria]

Thank you for the update Maka8295.

I can't tell for sure how the game on PS4 should sound in comparison to the PC version. I'm assuming you have a different sound set up for your PC and your PS4?

The TV Speakers may not be the best for audio playback but I'm unsure if this could create a discrepancy in the sound quality. My assumption with the headphones, however, is that it is passing through two additional sound devices before it gets to you. Do you have any alternatives to connecting headphones (not necessarily the 650s) to the PS4?

We hope we can be of assistance in helping you enjoy the exciting world of Final Fantasy XIV!

[Maka8295]

Thanks for the reply,

When I played on PC I used the same TV I now use with my PS4 so I don't think the speakers are the issue. When I recorded the issue, I don't believe my audio set-up would impact anything as its recording straight from the console. I'm quite confident that the issue isn't anything to do with my audio set-up.

I have discovered some new aspects of the problem for what it's worth. It seems that the start of every song is fine, it only starts to drop in quality about half-way through, getting worse and worse. It's especially noticeable for tracks which loop like the uldah night theme because you can immediately hear a stark contrast in quality between the start and finish.

Edit: I just tried my PS4 on another TV and it seems the problem was still happening, unfortunately.

I realise this is quite a unique problem, thank you for the responses!

[Einmimiria]

Thank you for the update Maka8295.

If you can, I want to try a few tests. We are going to try to put both devices in the same environment. Plug the PS4 into the TV with an HDMI cable and listen to the music. Then plug the PC in with the same HDMI cable and listen to the audio (if you have a slightly different set up you can use a different kind of cable for the audio or something, just make sure the only difference is the device itself). If you still hear the discrepancy, it comes down to the hardware itself or the files within each piece of hardware. The PC may be able to playback higher quality files, for instance.

Can you also post a recording of the music from the PC version? This way we can get an accurate comparison using your own hardware.

We hope we can be of assistance in helping you enjoy the exciting world of Final Fantasy XIV!

[Maka8295]

Sorry for the late reply!

Unfortunately, the reason I switched to PS4 Pro is that I no longer have a PC capable of playing. I'm also playing on a new service account without a PC version registered. The best I could probably do is have a friend record from their PS4 and see if it is similar to mine. I realise that it's a different setup, but is there any other way I could test it?

Thanks as always for your help, sorry that this is proving to be so stubborn!

[Einmimiria]

Thank you for the update Maka8295.

The reason I suggested that is to try and find where the issue originates. If we do a test like that where the only difference is the device (PS4 or PC) then we can determine with ease where the issue stems from. It is very possible that the PS4 has compressed audio files, but it could also be that there is an issue with your PS4 and how it plays back audio. You can try with your friend's PS4, but makes sure they are in the same environment (like the PS4/PC comparison that we can't do currently). I would like to hear a comparison between two PS4s as opposed to a high quality OST file. If you are able to upload that information, please do so we can try to find a solution.

We hope we can be of assistance in helping you enjoy the exciting world of Final Fantasy XIV!