You have to assemble the 1s and 0s correctly to produce an accurate waveform to correctly reproduce the music. That is where almost every product, be it hardware, software, or both, will differ somewhat. How different and how much it matters case by case is another story. Just like all the other fine details that go into good sound for discerning ears.
Can This Really Matter?
I hear it again and again, everything matters in the digital chain. So I recently unboxed my new Bryston BDP 3 renderer and it’s connected to my Ayre QB9 Twenty USB DAC. I have a SSD inside a generic enclosure (with a fan) that will power up via bus. I have a twenty cent USB cable running from the SSD to the Bryston. So here’s the question, does the enclosure matter and does the cheap USB running between between the SSD and into the Bryston really matter? If so, it wouldn’t seem practical to spend much money on upgrading these accessories. And if so, what do you suggest?
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to sgreg1 and mapman 1. Yes digital noise is the enemy - actually ANALOG noise on digital paths, created by high frequency digital circuits and switching power supplies. Cables will do little to fix this. Filters and isolation components like bridges do a lot. 2. The reconstruction of the 1s and 0s into PDM or PAM, and the reconstruction of that into a continuous waveform, is, of course, the entire issue.The question posed is quite different: do USB cables in particular, which carry an asynchronous stream, of 1s and 0s, have much effect? As noted above they can't really block much noise unless they are far more than cables. And unless they really suck, they cannot create bit errors.
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oh, i should add to the above to finish the logic...and the digitally generated noise impacts a) the reconstruction process and b) the analog stage during and after reconstruction. Some posit that it can affect the quantized PAM/PDM --> analog, by affecting zero crossings, but i think that is unlikely given how well proven digital transmission intergaity is (witness: gigabyte internet into your house...amazing) |
Cables matter more than one would ever expect or in many cases, hope, as a means to save on unnecessary expenditure. When in reality, a well designed cable tested with good rapport results with other components in the chain , can in fact make a appreciable jump in sound quality. For me it was the Synergistic Research Atmosphere SX USB cable. Going from a Better Cables Blue Truth to the SR Atmos SX proved to be a genuine night and day difference in sound. Of course the price difference between the $200 Blue Truth and the $1k SR Atmos is substantial. Yet, worth every penny in my opinion given the immediate and appreciable increase in all aspects of SQ. I had demoed this cable with the WW Plat 8 & the SR Atmos just seems leagues ahead. |
@sagur80 So your running this $1,000.00 cable from an external hard drive to a renderer/transport/streamer? |
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