title: Best API for low-level audio in Windows?
body: <p>I'm working on an audio application, written in C.  I need to provide live audio playback under Windows.  I need to decide which audio API to use.  I'm planning to use <a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd743866%28VS.85%29.aspx" rel="noreferrer">the basic waveOut API</a>, but I wanted to check to see what the community here recommends.</p>
  
  <p>I want code that will Just Work on any recent version of Windows, with no need to install libraries; and I want minimal latency.</p>
  
  <p>I don't need or want any "effects", I just need to faithfully play whatever wave samples the application generates.</p>
  
  <p>My understanding is that most of the professional audio applications on Windows use ASIO, which gives excellent low latency, but I don't want ASIO because I want my code to Just Work and most people don't have ASIO pre-installed on their computers.  (At a later date I may go back and also add ASIO as an option, but I'm going for the most general solution first.)</p>
  
  <p>Is there anything out there that would be better than waveOut for my purposes, or is that the best choice?</p>