Is there any point in using a DAC that puts out PCM 1536 kHz and DSD 1024?
What would use them? Meaning what amp or avr would play such high res files?
kind regards
colin
A Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) puts out analog signals. Every amp or AVR with analog inputs will accept these, no matter what the digital format and/or resolution was prior to the conversion.
Streaming digital signals to devices that can’t handle them is futile.
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Also, I’d say that 99% of the population can’t tell the difference between mp3 and DSD 1024.
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If you are wondering what DACs can receive DSD 1024 input then I understand the Holo Audio Spring II and T+A SD 3100 HV are two which can, at very different price points.
HQPlayer will currently output DSD 2048. I don’t know of any DAC capable of receiving that.
I think that this figure is far too high, unless they are listening on a cheap transistor radio or car radio.
However, I would say that 90% of the population don’t care that they can hear a difference between mp3 and DSD 1024. Despite hearing a difference, they are quite happy to listen to music using YouTube on their laptop or phone through cheap headphones, and aren’t interested in higher sound quality.
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@hmack - I completely agree. For many people they listen to music as a background to something else or because they associate it with particular memories or events. In these cases the sound quality doesn’t play a major part - and the ability to tell where the musicians are placed (for example) just isn’t important.
And with a lot of modern music the “loudness wars” mean that higher resolution versions of the music don’t really sound a lot better.
Like most things, the majority are happy with “good enough”.
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Imho, the main usage of a DAC that can handle 192+ pcm is that it can upsample 44-96 signals and minimize filter distortions.
I don’t personally see any practical usage of storing and streaming 192+ resolutions. And studio masters are at 24/192 maximum, afaik.
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Gosh! I didn’t expect 1. to be told what a DAC is and 2. to be told that most people don’t care about SQ. None of the answers were for my question.
The DAC i was looking at can put out 32/1536 kHz PCM and DSD1024. It is an R2R Dac.
I asked what amps or AVR’s could play those files. For example, my AVR has ess sabre DACS(yes 2 of them) but max PCM is 32/384 so I assume it wouldn’t accept PCM 1536. Do amps have similar limitations?
Personally, I wouldn’t care if I couldn’t play files at that rate. I am very happy with PCM 384 and DSD128 that is the max I can use. My DAC will play DSD256 nd does do on a USB stick thru the front but cannot play upsampled because it needs 768 PCM to DoP fro DSD256. The 8300cdq can only produce 256 via a Windows with the ASIOS driver. I have told Audiolab this and they are going to change their user manual to point out that Macs cannot play 256DSD due to the DACs 384PCM limit.
Anyway the DAC that can play such high files has had good reviews and may sound better at PCM384/DSD128 than my present and would enable me to play DSD256.
When we were having the alterations done to our house, almost all of the workmen from the very young to the middle aged stopped to listen to my music and they all commented that they had never heard music sound so good and as my taste is eclectic I often played music they were listening to on their iPhones.
None were too thick to hear the difference. I explained what the difference was. They were smart enough to be shocked that the music they were listening too had been corrupted and were rather pissed. I did explain that red book would take up a lot of space on their phones. (Mind you phones can now take 512gb. Maybe more for all I know.)
What is the point of a digital output on a DAC ? I don’t think I’ve heard of one. Why not just use the DAC in the downstream amp or AVR ?
Who said anything about a digital output? Like all DACS I have owned it has a USB input and RCA/XLR outputs to an avr/amp.
I didn’t realise my question so complicated.
So how does it output PCM or DSD, which are digital signals.
There’s no amp/avr over 768 AFAIK.
For DSD i do not know.
HTF would I know?
All I know is my present DAC handles 384PCM and DSD 256. If I upsample to anything greater, no sound comes out.
My question is quite simple. Quite why people have chosen to either not answer the question at all by banging on about people not being able to tell the difference. No wonder audiophiles have a rep for being snobs.
Or think I am so stupid I need to be told what a DAC is.
I am brain damaged. not stupid.
I wish I hadn’t asked the damn question. I’ll look for the answer elsewhere.
I think you’re confusing digital inputs with output. The answer to your question is that the DAC isn’t outputting DSD or PCM, it is outputting an analog signal, that any amp or avr with analog inputs can use.
How much money does one need to spend chasing imperceptible SQ? At what point has it become some sort of compulsion? Something we might all want to consider, or maybe not…
Thank you Dimi.
That is just what I was asking and wanted to know.
I do not understand the acronym-oh! yes I do. As Far As I Know. Yes? It just came to me.
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Just because one asks a question doesn’t mean one is looking to buy. I am happy with my set up. I was just surprised to see a DAC that does such high res and wondered if there was an amp/avr that could handle such. The answer I got from Dimi was just as I suspected. There are none. At least as far as PCM is concerned.
Hope today is a good one.
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A rhetorical question.
I saw a video of a man who had spent $1million on his music room. It was ugly. However, I would have liked to listen to my music on the system just to hear it and hear if there was any difference to the excellent sound I get now.
We are all different and I am certain there are many who would come in here and delight in telling me how wrong my set up is or how crap it is or how crap the sound is.
Then there are others who would just listen and enjoy or if they found fault would be polite enough to say nothing.
Many people wouldn’t be seen dead in the clothes I choose to wear or what colour I have my hair. Others love it and say I make them feel better just by seeing me as my obvious love of life gives them a lift. Total strangers will come up to me and say that. Others will clearly not like it and assume I am deaf. One couple the other day just stood there staring at me making no attempt to hide the fact they were staring at me and were talking about me and I don’t think nicely. They were at least my age and old in style and attitude. Eff em is what I think. What a narrow life to lead. I was wearing a thobe with docs. They surely have seen many men in thobes it is just they are normally Indian/Pakistani type asian or middle eastern men. It was a very hot day and I was not going thru the pain of dressing just to suit others. Besides that, I like them.
And you wouldn’t believe how some people treat wheelchair users. The ones who treat me really well and without patronizing me are the young. From 40’s onwards their attitude and rudeness just gets worse. The moist rude and self centred are those over 50 but especially my generation and John’s-60’s and 70’s. They lean over me, I have had people straddle my lap to get stuff of the shelf, even one man who patted me on the head and called me son! I was so taken aback I laughed.
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