Sounds like a free lunch, to me

There’s no such thing as a free lunch, we are told.

We’re advised that everything ultimately has a cost and nothing is truly free.

Yet, in searching for ways to enhance my music streaming experience I found the latest version of FxSound, which has been upgraded, with more features, and now it’s opensource it’s free of charge.

It works really nicely on all Windows 11 PC sound and outputs to JRiver Media Center and then to my Topping E30 II DAC into my WiiM Amp.

The effects are very effective!

Clarity is a dynamic high-end boost. It’s focused on the ranges that bring out crisp treble tones. Increasing Clarity adds airy, clear, articulate qualities to the audio. Ambience adds in careful, subtly ramping reverberations and reflections. This imitates a larger space like a concert venue, and gives the sound more room, thickness, and presence. Surround Sound helps give audio more of a left-right spread by widening the stereo mix to the sound expansive. Dynamic Boost can be used to smooth out, boost volume, and add power to hear a much more lively and full output. Bass Boost boosts the bass!

I downloaded and installed it easily, without charge. it worked immediately, without any setup issues, and I’m liking what I hear.

I call that a free lunch.

Update: Now that WiiM has a 10-point graphic equaliser, and a firmware update just added 10-point parametric EQ, and there’s a range of genre-specific presets, I no longer use FxSound.