Ricky
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- Joined
- May 19, 2002
- Posts
- 159
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Sorry, but dynamic range and SNR are the *right* way to measure background noise. If you are claiming that souncards are affected from higher noise, SNR and dynamic range are just the way to measure that noise. Noise ~ signal - ratio. The same word says it. And as you can see, my $150 soundcard is just 0.5 dB worse than good quality cd players. Other soundcards a little more expensive are better that mine at this respect.
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More points for my arguments.
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Strictly talking, there is no (electrical?) parameter that can *accurately* predict how a piece of equipment will sound, and there never will be. For an experienced person, some predictions could be done looking at the various measured parameters. However, using measurements it is quite easy to know if a piece of hardware is better than other regarding to signal reproduction quality, or accuracy. We can also predict quite accurately that a if a particular piece of equipment measures beyond some range, it will be sonically neutral.
So, we can compare measured parameters between soundcards and standalones and conclude that they are very similar, still being the best of all (that I know) a soundcard.
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Agreed, but if you want to do it seriously and on a reliable manner, you have to do it using a blind methodology. Otherwise, and if there are not very obvious differences, the listening can be influenced from external parameters different from the actual sound reproduced, and be in fact quite unreliable.
Again, see my test at www.kikeg.arrakis.es and learn from yourself how difficult is to detect the effect of a relatively cheap soundcard.
| Originally posted by thomas Well, all computers use switching supplies which generate wideband high-frequency noise that is very difficult to filter out. The noise can be greatly reduced with a very well designed soundcard, but this adds a lot to the cost. Dedicated CD players use linear supplies and do not have this problem. Secondly, the power rails for the soundcard are shared with the rest of the computer, including cpu's burning upwards of 50 watts and switching at several gigahertz, as well as hard drive motors, videocard ramdacs, etc... This noise also enters the powersupply and definately can affect the sensitive DAC/analog circuitry. All of those components also put out large amounts or RF and EMI interference. A good soundcard must have very well designed and expensive circuity to compensate for these problems; it can be done, but its easier and cheaper to do it away from the computer. I agree that measurements are important for audio design, but signal to noise ratio and dynamic range are not the most useful. |
Sorry, but dynamic range and SNR are the *right* way to measure background noise. If you are claiming that souncards are affected from higher noise, SNR and dynamic range are just the way to measure that noise. Noise ~ signal - ratio. The same word says it. And as you can see, my $150 soundcard is just 0.5 dB worse than good quality cd players. Other soundcards a little more expensive are better that mine at this respect.
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| No one can hear slight differences in dynamic range or signal to noise ratio. |
More points for my arguments.
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| Our ears are very sensitive to certain types of distortions, and not very senstive to others (ie thd). Until we can find an electrical measurement that can accurately predict how a piece of equipment sounds to our ears, |
Strictly talking, there is no (electrical?) parameter that can *accurately* predict how a piece of equipment will sound, and there never will be. For an experienced person, some predictions could be done looking at the various measured parameters. However, using measurements it is quite easy to know if a piece of hardware is better than other regarding to signal reproduction quality, or accuracy. We can also predict quite accurately that a if a particular piece of equipment measures beyond some range, it will be sonically neutral.
So, we can compare measured parameters between soundcards and standalones and conclude that they are very similar, still being the best of all (that I know) a soundcard.
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| ... then we will have to rely on actual listening to judge a componant |
Agreed, but if you want to do it seriously and on a reliable manner, you have to do it using a blind methodology. Otherwise, and if there are not very obvious differences, the listening can be influenced from external parameters different from the actual sound reproduced, and be in fact quite unreliable.
Again, see my test at www.kikeg.arrakis.es and learn from yourself how difficult is to detect the effect of a relatively cheap soundcard.
