does 32 bit make a difference over 24 bit?


I am looking to buy a new cd/dac. I have looked at the SimAudio 750 which is supposed to be 32 bit. I am trying to purchase something that will not be obsolete in the next few years. I have twin Pathos Classic 1 mkIIs running bridged(about 140 watts per channel) and Avalon Ascension speakers. I only play red cd's but will at some point get in to some kind of streaming. I would like to keep the price at somewhere between 6k and 7k (used. Will the higher bit rate make a difference in the future?
Thank you all
gztone

Showing 2 responses by bhobba

No.

The audible difference between 24 bit and 32 bit is zero - zilch.

Higher bit rate does sound better but there is a problem with getting it - a lot of stuff you may like may not be available on it.

To my ears the biggest difference comes from DSD and if you want future proofing as much as possible that's the way to go. However DAC's are moving very fast so it doesn't matter what you buy it will be quickly outdated.

I am considered a bit of a DAC nut, listening to, and buying a lot of DAC's. My view these days is rather than go for an up there DAC in the $6-7k range (and I own 3 DAC's in that range as well as others) go for a trailing edge DAC with technology that was previously in that or an even higher price range and in a few years when this fast moving area has changed again upgrade then to the trailing edge at that time.

Right now the value DAC to get is the Chord QuteHD. It has technology nearly identical to the older $9-10k Chord DAC but now at about $1700.00. It also does DSD. I have compared it to my expensive DAC's and, much to the dismay of the maker, who was there at the time, it bested my $6K PDX. It was better via PCM than my $8K Playback Designs MPD-3 and nearly as good via DSD. It is also close to my $6K Killer DAC. To get the best out of it though you need to get something like an Off-Ramp and a linear or battery power supply. I have heard it with a linear supply and my Off-Ramp - that's when it bested my PDX. I am getting a battery supply built for it and will post with the difference it makes - which will likely be better than the linear supply.

Bottom line here. See if you can get a loan of the Chord and compare it to the much more expensive DAC's you are looking at - I think you will find its not worthwhile spending the extra dosh.

Thanks
Bill
I just want to clarify what I said.

Obviously I haven't compared two DAC's that are exactly the same except one is 32 bit and the other is 24 bit - DAC's like that do not exist. And there is simply far too little 32 bit stuff around to check it that way.

What I am saying is 32 bit capable DAC's as a group do not sound any better or worse than 24 bit - nothing I can hear anyway. Obviously within both groups there are difference but as a whole I cant hear any. I will say however that 32 bit capable DAC's generally use newer chips like the SABER chip - I am not a big fan of the SABER chip - the detail it presents is a bit too overt for my taste - that's in the one SABER implementation I heard that didn't have other issues such as a cold top end and a bit of sibilance (a modified WFS fed by an Off-Ramp).

Two of the best DAC's I have heard are the Killer DAC - its 16 bit and the Chord - its 64 bit. So my suggestion is judge DAC's by how they sound in your system - not if they are 16 bit, 32 bit or even 64 bit.

Thanks
Bill