Quote:
Originally posted by azryan:
But this chip can't decode DVD-A, or 24bit/96Khz DTS. It can't decode 20bit HDCD's either.

So unless it is upsampling, I don't see why it's so awesome?
I'm not saying it's not the best chip out there, I'm just trying to figure out what it can and can't do.

Dan, you wrote-

"The specs. for the top of the line 24 bit/192 kHz Cirrus Logic DAC's they are using show that there is some sort of enhancement for 44.1 and 48 kHz digital signals too. Upsampling and waveform rounding?"

So you're sure there's 'some sort' of enhancment to CD, DD/DTS data rates, but then you write 'upsampling and waveform rounding' with a question mark after it, like you don't know if that's what it's doing or not?

I guess either it is or it isn't. I'd just like to know which.

When you say, -"A 16 bit DAC may only put out around 14 or 15 bit resolution in real world applications, 20 bit DACs maybe 18-19 bits, etc. because of line noise, jitter, and other signal anomalies. The higher, the better so don't complain."

One, I hope you're not saying that I'm complaining.

Two, are you sure that the 'real world' lower bit output resolution of these DAC chips are that low, or do you mean entire systems (like the output of the Outlaw 950, versus it's Crystal DAC chips)?

I know Sound and Vision said that even most DVD-A and SACD players only output about 19bit res. tops, but those were the outputs from the players, and due to noise in the wiring, and power supply, stuff like that, and not tests directly from the DAC chip -which isn't a 'real world' test of course, but still the part I'm wondering about.

Maybe a useless point to bother about, but I'm trying to figure out just what up with this chip. It's the main brain in this puppy, and I'd just like to know what it's doing.


It may just be that it was more economical to buy and use 24/192 DACs than a 24/96 alternative.