Iamnothim
Name changed to sceleratus.
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2012
- Posts
- 808
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- 28
Quote:
Now that is an excellent response.
You've done a great job explaining the process.
Thank you.
'Tain't so.
If you've ever been listening to your system when it's lost signal lock, you've heard the actual digital bits, and it's really unpleasant - sounds like a loud burst of static. All DACs have to filter those bits to make music out of them (it's called "decimation"). The vast majority of DACs, including the Schiit DACs, make the sample rate higher (interpolation) before the decimation step in order to avoid certain forms of distortion. Both interpolation and decimation are done by means of filters. Those filters use math known as Fourier transforms. Fourier transforms cannot optimize frequency and time domain response at the same time. When you make one better, the other gets worse. That's just the way the math works. So the filtering in each and every DAC represents a compromise by the maker of the DAC, or the maker of the DAC chip, between best time response and best frequency response. The sound you hear, which is the result of that filtering, is based on the designer's judgment (possibly aided by other listeners) as to which compromise provides the best overall sound quality. So different DACs can and do sound very different based on the different filter designs the DAC makers or DAC chip makers chose.
Now that is an excellent response.
You've done a great job explaining the process.
Thank you.