[pancakeplease]

My current loudspeaker setup is pretty simple. Running a digital optical out from my motherboard's onboard to my receiver's digital optical IN. OS is OSX Lion (mac). 

Hackintosh (fully stable) + digital optical out > Denon Receiver. Using the Denon's headphone out, I'm listening to my Shure SRH840s. 
 
I recently found out what 24/96 means (kind of, I get the gist of it) and when I checked under "Utilities" > "Audio MIDI Setup" on my computer, the digital optical out was set at 24-bit and only 44.1khz. 
 
I changed it from the 44.1 to 96 and noticed a definite change in SQ especially details..(especially vocals..you can hear the breaths, more live-like). This is the issue I have a question about. When I change it to 96khz in my computer settings, there's no doubt an improvement in the sound but automatically switches the audio "mode" to DIRECT MODE on my receiver. It only allows for DIRECT or 5Channel STEREO. 
Normally (when it's set to 44.1khz in the Audio MIDI Setup), I had the options of STEREO, DIRECT, MONO, MOVIE, ROCK, etc. on my receiver. I always had it on STEREO because it allowed for Tone Control (bass +/- 12db, treble +/-12db). Now when I change it to 96khz on my computer, it's output-ing 96 to my receiver but only allows for DIRECT. 
 
The LED screen on my receiver has changed from "STEREO" to "DIRECT96K". 
 
 
Does anyone know why this is? Is this because my receiver cannot process and change bass/treble and tone control to anything above 44.1khz? 
 
It's not a DAC issue since I'm running DIGITAL optical out so regardless of DIRECT mode or not, my receiver's onboard DAC is the one doing the converting. I'm just curious about the bass/treble adjustment and why it's not there when I up it to 96k.

 

[Roseval]

 
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[size=10pt][size=10pt]Is this because my receiver cannot process and change bass/treble and tone control to anything above 44.1khz? [/size][/size]

 
Might very well be the case. It is probably done in DSP. In case of 44K the chip has 1/44100 of a second to do the processing.
In case of 96 k only 1/96000 s. This might simply exceed the capacity of the chip used hence Direct Mode = no processing.
 
You  didn’t mention the bit depth and sample rate of the source.
If you are playing 16/44 and apply upsampling the sound can change due to artifacts of the sample rate conversion.
It is also possible that the DAC of the receiver changes its sonic signature with the sample rate.

 

[pancakeplease]

Quote:

 
 
Might very well be the case. It is probably done in DSP. In case of 44K the chip has 1/44100 of a second to do the processing.
In case of 96 k only 1/96000 s. This might simply exceed the capacity of the chip used hence Direct Mode = no processing.
 
You  didn’t mention the bit depth and sample rate of the source.
If you are playing 16/44 and apply upsampling the sound can change due to artifacts of the sample rate conversion.
It is also possible that the DAC of the receiver changes its sonic signature with the sample rate.

Hm I thought this to be the case but I found out I get DIRECT and 5Channel Stereo and when on 5CH Stereo, it allows for bass and treble adjustment. I could just use 5ch stereo since I don't have 5channels anyway so my headphones and my 2.1 system will get the same as stereo right? 
 
 
The source is FLAC and I believe 24/96. Kind of weird.