Ok then, since you're here, pc/mp3/media player help reqd.....

Something somewhere has altered the playback quality of the mp3 music I've got on the harddrive in so much as the "top line" of the music seems to have faded off into the background but the remainder plays ok, but it results in a very thin, kind of "swishy" playback.
It's almost like it has been faded for karaoke but I can't find any way of restoring all the music back to full quality.
It is the same on both windows media player and real player.
Any ideas where to search the settings to try to get it back? To restore to default sound?

 

Are yer soundcard drivers up to date?

Although I'd never put 'quality' and 'mp3' in the same sentence misen...

If its only happend recently yer could try the 'system restore' under 'Accsessories - system tools' in XP.

 

Yep, all cards are ok, I really haven't got a clue what has screwed up the sound, quality or not!