It feels like a silly question, but a firmware update broke 32-bit playback from my DAC (Windows settings maxed out at 24/384). I’ve since migrated to a RPi3/ALSA (Linux).
Does this signal path mean my DAC is actually playing 32-bit?
Thanks
Yes. That’s correct. If your endpoint was 16 or 24 bit the internal 64bit Float would be converted to those resolutions for output.
edit: You know that you can also limit output from Roon to a lower resolution? This is found under the advanced device setup, Max Bits Per Sample. Just choose 24 if you need to.
32 bits does not by itself improve sound quality, there isn’t any more data.
But it means that you can apply changes to the signal, like the -1.5 dB headroom adjustment you have, or volume control so you don’t need to get up to turn a knob, without loss of sound quality.