Can anyone out there tell me what the difference would be in having one of these chips vs the other in your processing?? I see some high end stuff with 96khz and some with 192khz.
Outlaw has 192 where Rotel has 96(one of the differences). Would you want the 192 for any future considerations??
Thanks...I'm learning a lot here.

You'd want 192kHz chips if your processor were processing signals of that resolution... which to my knowlege, the 950 does not. In fact, I don't know of any modes it has that put out a signal with greater resolution than 48kHz.

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Matthew J. Hill
matt@idsi.net

So there's no source material with that resolution?? The 950 says that it has 192 DACs. Some top end products have 96 and some have 192. Am I correct in thinking that 192 chips are not a real important feature to consider in shopping for a pre/pro?
Thanks.

Steve,
I don't have a full understanding of the way that DACs process a signal, but from what I've read a 96Mhz DAC processes at a top end of around 18 bits and a 192 DAC at some thing like 22-24 bits. The 192 DACs also have a designed in lower inherent noise floor shown as the DACs S/N ratio. The audible benefit of this is dependent on the full circuit design as well as the source material.

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Take Care,
merc

There is source material out there that has a 96kHz resolution (DVD-A, DTS 96/24) but the 950 doesn't support any of those encoding formats. DVD-A can also sample at 192kHz in two channel mode.

The 950 does "support" these formats through the use of an external decoder and the analog pass-through, but in that case the 950's DACs are not being used.

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Matthew J. Hill
matt@idsi.net

So we are looking at things other than processing speed??
I am just trying to not have to buy another pre/pro for a few years...don't want to hear that 96khz chip will no longer do the job in a couple of years

It's really not related to processor speed. I don't know what CPU is in the 950 or how fast it is. The numbers we're talking to refer to what resolution digital signal the DACs can convert to analog.

The CPU is fast enough to perform all the processing that it currently supports. It won't support any more. Its feature set is not going to change. Therefore, the CPU will always be fast enough for what it needs to do.

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Matthew J. Hill
matt@idsi.net

MJH - Thanks. Can I assume that the higher resolution the chip can convert...the better the sound dimension, clarity etc.

From glancing at the 950 spec's as listed in the manual, the top digital input is 96khz. The real limitation, however, is finding a source at that level. I understood the limitation on digital frequencies to be created by the recording/movie industry. Thus, for example, the DIGITAL output of an off-the-shelf DVD-Audio or DVD player is limited to cd-quality output (44.1khz). Higher frequencies are down converted for the digital output. Otherwise, you have to use the audio output if you have a DVD-A player.
The exception, at least for my DVD player, appears to be non-copyprotected material recorded at higher bitrates (e.g., 96khz). My DVD player's setup (RP-56) gives the option not to down sample non-copyprotected bitstreams (at I presume a max of 96khz because that's the limit of its DAC). When I have the chance, I will see if I can't record a 96khz sample on my computer (e.g., using SoundForge) and either run it directly to the 950 digitally or burn it on a cd and try it on the DVD player. Except for recording live music, however, I don't see much practical usefulness in this, as most sources of 96khz music will be DVD-A--which per industry standard cannot be sent digitally to the 950 or ANY OTHER external processor. Perhaps there is a way around this limitation by playing a DVD-A disk on a DVD-ROM player in a computer (which will almost always have a digital output).
Not being an engineer, if anyone has reason to believe that these future trials will blow up my DVD player or the 950, please let me know!!
Robairdo

There are 24 bit/96 kHz linear PCM source discs out there (not DTS). I think Chesky (or some other really small but audiophile record label) has put them out. Most DVD players can transfer that digital signal now, but used to be that only Pioneers among a few others could do it.