If the OS cannot use the device, then Media Center will not be able to use it either.

On the Advanced tab of the Properties dialog, play the test tones and ensure that you can hear them.

Remember the name of the sound device you use so that you can select it in Media Center.

You can test the device by clicking on one of the alert sounds from the Sound Effects tab.

Under the drop-down menu button, youll find each of your installed Audio Devices listed, with what MC detected as the best Audio Output Mode.

For now, it is best to leave these options at the defaults, and only change options as is required.

Get audio playback working first, and then you can tweak it for optimal quality or to enable advanced features.

Make sure its enabled by checking the box next to Output Format.

If you have an external DAC that will do further processing, and which requires a specific input type, you can enable formatting options here for compatibility with your specific device.

If you are trying to pass specific audio formats through directly to an external DAC, this is not the correct setting.

That setting is called Bitstreaming and is set in Tools Options Audio Settings.

This is usually the same as the number of speakers you have attached.

So for a 5.1 setup, select 5.1.

For headphones, select 2 channels.

If you are still using a version of Media Center that provides this option in the DSP Studio, select the same format you used above in the OS setup (which should typically be the highest bitdepth your device supports).

Start with simple tests like an MP3, APE, FLAC, or WAV played from a local hard drive.

Jriver Media Center 22 Setup For Mac