Split audio streams on Windows 7 - possible?

[3602]

Hello all,

I have recently acquired a desktop system for listening to CD's. The problem is most of my material are MP3's stored on my PC, played back through Winamp.

What I would like to do is to acquire an entry-level but decent enough plug-and-play USB-DAC and feed its analog outputs into my speaker amplifier, thus playing my MP3 library through the desktop system. Yeah, no FLAC. The speakers are $250/pair and the amp is from 1978.

Now generally this wouldn't be a problem, but I Skype quite a lot. And I can't really route Skype sounds through the speakers, or else the chat members will hear echo and DotA 2 laughs. That microphone runs by USB, by the way, and it's a plug-and-play.

So what I have in mind is to have only Winamp playing through the USB-DAC and everything else (Skype, DotA, YouTube, etc.) through headphones plugged into the headphone output on the case.

I am aware that it is possible to choose, within Skype, which speaker output is used. But (correct me if I'm wrong please) Windows 7 can only have one audio output. So if I switch Windows 7's default audio output to the USB-DAC, Skype will not even see the computer's built-in headphone output. And even if Skype really can route calls to my headphones, there is still the issue of YouTube videos and system sounds.

All this because I don't feel like plugging and unplugging cables all the time. I can switch inputs on the amp but the USB-DAC will always be wired.

So... is there a way? I have built-in Realtek HD Audio with an MSi control interface, but I am rather certain that the USB-DAC will act as an outboard sound card and will bypass all this Realtek stuff.

I know that this question straddles the line between Audio software and Home audio, but there really is a bit more software involved.

Thank you all very much.

[3602]

On second thought, scratch all that. I need to increase the PC's volume to the maximum anyway. There's always some human intervention involved... I'll just swap things around I guess.

Thanks for looking though.