Quote:
Originally Posted by goldkenn /img/forum/go_quote.gif
You means the digital audio signal of PS3 from HDMI alreadfy pre-upsampling to 24/176.4? So if I want to use PS3 as a player, better extract digital signal from HDMI then feed to a 24/192 DAC, no need any upsampling DAC or outboard upsampler?
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PS3 with latest firmware has several options for HDMI output wrt upsampling of CDs, and similar (some dither options) for PCM-converted output of SACD.
so yes, you can choose to have the PS3 perform CD upsampling from 16/44.1 to (several options).
but it's not automatically "better" to extract this signal from HDMI and use it: remember though that unless you are going directly with HDMI cable into a say a receiver with HDMI input, you now have a whole data transfer and conversion
system of
PS3 HDMI output > HDMI cable > (possible converter box > possible cable) > DAC
the DAC may or may not perform as well in noise, distortion etc at higher sample rates: keep in mind that feeding a higher sample rate is
not an automatic universal positive improvement for
every DAC. It depends on how the entire DAC subsystem has been architected; operating point of particular DAC chips, clocking, filtering implementation, etc... there have been more than a few reviews etc noting that particular DACs seem subjectively to perform better at, say 88.2 or 96 than at 176.4 or 192.
an implementation example: a DAC often referred to on HF, the Benchmark DAC1, accepts input data at rates from 28kHz to 195kHz. The designers however found that optimal performance of their chosen DAC chip for best overall system performance tradeoff of the multiple variables of distortion, noise, filter accuracy, etc was around 110 kHz. So, all input data is sample-rate-converted to that frequency (inside the DAC1, before the actual DAC chip) and the DAC chip works at that specific sample rate. other manufacturers may or may not do similar things.
so again, it's a system; depending on the DAC you wish to use, and how its performance varies with sampling frequency, and how it is architected, you may do just fine by sending 16/44.1 data. or if your research and listening has convinced that a particular DAC operating at a rate of 88.2 or 176.4 is better, then yes you can consider the PS3 as a possibility for an upsampler.
getting it all to play nice at higher sample rates should not, but could, be an issue, depending on your particular equipment / cables involved. in other words, if you're really just looking at CD playback, and your DAC does upsample, easiest could be to send 16/44.1
hth