Schiit Happened: The Story of the World's Most Improbable Start-Up

[Baldr]

  Is there a way to convert 96khz files to 44.1khz without approximations?
 

The mega-combo-burrito filter will only interpolate or decimate by 2x integers, i.e. 2x 4x 8x 16x, etc. or 1/2x, 1/4x, 1/8x, 1/16x etc.  Your example would require 1/2.7687074829932, a real number.
 
Funny you should ask -- I am taking a long look as we speak of alternative filter algorithms for "The Manhattan Project".  This is a completely new and unprecedented audio component.  We already have a running prototype of "The Gadget" (absolutely hair-raising) but have yet much software to try.  It can be frustrating, as this device has NO precedents for audio.  But then again, neither did the first pre-Theta stuff 30+ years ago.

 

[Peaceofmind]

Is this Manhattan Project filter going to supersede or otherwise looking to supersede the mega-combo-burrito filter?

 

[AudioBear]

[redacted]
 
 
careful or you'll self-destruct in 30 sec

 

[Baldr]

I may as well weigh in on my HDMI stance.  What it has in common with Dolby and DTS in particular is that it maneuvers companies with real manufacturing capabilities to do all of their heavy lifting for them.  They target their opinion leaders (in the case of Dolby and DTS, motion picture studios - for HDMI it is large consumer audio/video makers) patent their processes, make the technologies available, and sit behind lawyers while they collect their booty.  It requires less marketing effort to target a few studios and a few manufacturers than the public at large.
 
Because they are royalty riven, their energies are driven towards very large manufacturers, at the expense of smaller companies such as Schiit and their users.
 
Those generalities expressed, HDMI is designed for a convenient way to hook up two Audio-Video devices with just one cable while retaining the ability to control the passage of the content through said cable subject to a designated owner or designee.  In other words, a convenient copy-protected audio-video cable.  It is designed to be convenient and copy protected, not to pass audio at the highest quality.  It is designed for coded audio (Dolby Digital, DTS, etc.)  It is inarguable that it does indeed accomplish just this.
 
As has been expressed albeit differently by Jason earlier, it is NOT optimal for two channel quality audio, which has become a red-headed stepchild of the whole AV thing.  It does not serve our users well in any manner except convenience, as do the audio out jacks on most laptops.

 

[artur9]

 
I may as well weigh in on my HDMI stance.  ...
As has been expressed albeit differently by Jason earlier, it is NOT optimal for two channel quality audio, which has become a red-headed stepchild of the whole AV thing.  It does not serve our users well in any manner except convenience, as do the audio out jacks on most laptops.

Over the last week or so I've been testing a USB->SPDIF converter vs HDMI from a laptop into my UberFrost and my AVR.  There's no denying that using HDMI for 2 channel is atrocious.  From the same laptop, via the converter, the sound is much better.  Although the UberFrost has USB the AVR doesn't, hence the converter.
 
Via HDMI the sound puts my teeth on edge.

 

[wink]

Quote:Baldr

 Funny you should ask -- I am taking a long look as we speak of alternative filter algorithms for "The Manhattan Project".

The [A-BOMB] has just superceded the [REDACTED]
 
Uncontrlolled nuclear fission is just so much more fun than controlled nuclear fusion, I think we could do a conversion job on old SOL that would have everyone agog at the resultant pyrotechnical display.
 
It's a sure bet to make it on all the news madia.
 
Think of all the free publicity.   

 
Think of all the killer applications it would engender.......  

 
None of Schiit's competitors would eversell another piece of gear again.......    

 
Perhaps, a better name for the device would be [MONOPOLY].   

 

[atubbs]

Originally Posted by rtaylor76 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
...
The other reason for my dissapproval of the removal of the optical means that if I want this new device, I now have to upgrade my receiver, or get an extra device to strip the audio off of it. When I plug in an HDMI to my TV, the optical output of the TV gives me nothing. I have been able to get by with a receiver from 2001 for my 2.1 setup just fine. Sure there have been improvements in audio (Dolby TrueHD & DTS-HD), but those formats are not standard, while Dolby Digital is, as well as PCM. And by Burr Brown DAC is just fine (for me).
 
So I only complain because it strips me of my flexibility of setup where I have to rethink where stuff goes while optical is still very viable even with it's bandwidth limitations.
...

 
I hear you. I probably didn't express what I was trying to say as clearly as I could have. What I'm getting at is that the Apple TV is a junk device from the standpoint of optimally listening to digital audio. I'm not so much trying to defend the removal as point out that anybody that's getting serious about listening to digital audio probably isn't going to be using the Apple TV in the first place, so its choice of substandard connectivity options [for audio enthusiasts] is somewhat of a red herring. The rubicon was crossed long ago.
 
The Apple TV is great for watching YouTube (and, yes, I also use a MonoPrice ARC HDMI switch with digital out) ... but listening to music is going to involve a different signal and connectivity path entirely. Generally that's going to mean USB for a DAC with a good USB implementation ... or USB to to some high-quality format converter for those that don't. The only exception really is when reading source material directly from an optical disc ... which almost always loses out to convenience these days.
 
With Yggdrasil things are thus simplified a lot (no reason to use an external interface conversion stage), but it remains a weird aspect of our we-were-promised-jetpacks future that the shift to computers as source has made USB the de facto digital audio connector.

 

[Ableza]

The easy answer is don't use television products to listen to music.  Simple.

 

[XenHeadFi]

  The easy answer is don't use television products to listen to music.  Simple.

Huh!? But I watch videos on my radio all the time. What'chu talkin' bout, Ableza?  

 

[nedifer]

  Funny you should ask -- I am taking a long look as we speak of alternative filter algorithms for "The Manhattan Project".  This is a completely new and unprecedented audio component.  We already have a running prototype of "The Gadget" (absolutely hair-raising) but have yet much software to try.  It can be frustrating, as this device has NO precedents for audio.  But then again, neither did the first pre-Theta stuff 30+ years ago.

 
All I can say, Baldr, is that I am glad that you and Jason are continuing to have fun doing what you are doing.  It will be interesting to see what you two are cooking up.

 

[Ableza]

  The mega-combo-burrito filter will only interpolate or decimate by 2x integers, i.e. 2x 4x 8x 16x, etc. or 1/2x, 1/4x, 1/8x, 1/16x etc.  Your example would require 1/2.7687074829932, a real number.
 
Funny you should ask -- I am taking a long look as we speak of alternative filter algorithms for "The Manhattan Project".  This is a completely new and unprecedented audio component.  We already have a running prototype of "The Gadget" (absolutely hair-raising) but have yet much software to try.  It can be frustrating, as this device has NO precedents for audio.  But then again, neither did the first pre-Theta stuff 30+ years ago.

My credit card is ready.  Need a beta tester?

 

[AudioBear]

+1
 
any time....

 

[US Blues]

At great personal sacrifice, I will offer up my Yggy + Rag speaker based system as a test bed for both "The Manhattan Project" and "The Gadget."

 

[FrivolsListener]

  At great personal sacrifice, I will offer up my Yggy + Rag speaker based system as a test bed for both "The Manhattan Project" and "The Gadget."

 
"The Gadget" is what "The Manhattan Project" produced.

 

[Peaceofmind]

Is this a DAC we're talking about?