Is it analog or is it digital?


Hi Audiogoners,

I am interested in what you think and about your recommendations.

Does the subwoofer amp (Hypex UcD 400-V5) within Zu Definition IV speakers plug into the Analog or Digital outlets on the Shunyata Hydra power conditioner?  Right now, they are plugged into the analog ports but I began thinking that this is wrong and that they should be digital.  The other device plugged into the Hydra's digital outlets is the digital portion of the DAC power supply. Plugged in the analog side is the analog portion of the DAC power supply, an analog EQ, and phono preamp. It is easy to move the speakers to the digital outlets and I will try that to see if there is an audible difference.   

What do you think: are they analog or digital?

Happy Listening,

Jed

mysearcher257

The amps in the speakers are amps treat them as amps not digital devices with low power requirments. Amps (x2 i’m assuming) will have a much larger power draw then any digital device. Remeber a Class D amp is not digital......

Shunyata, would be the best to ask what is best for their products. I don't think ZU will tell you anything usefull in this regard other then maybe plug them into the wall.

 

The amps in the speakers are amps treat them as amps not digital devices with low power requirments. Amps (x2 i’m assuming) will have a much larger power draw then any digital device. Remeber a Class D amp is not digital......

This is correct. Not only that, class D amps could have even greater "instantaneous power/current" demands than class AB amps. It needs to be on a high current outlet intended for amps -OR- plug them right into the wall. The low-level noise filtering hardly matters.

It's unfortunate that class D amps are called class D since in audio D often stands for digital and the description of how a class D amp works(square waves) sort of sounds digital. Plus class D involves encoding albeit an analog encoding not a digital one.

It's sort of interesting why class D(actually pulse width encoding - variable width square waves of equal height) is class D. And it's stupidly simple. It's the 4th amplifier format defined. The 1st was class A(again not because it's best, just because A comes first in the alphabet). Then class B. Then class C(intermitant amplification and not high fidelity therefore). And the 4th format is class D. In all cases A, B, C, and D stand for nothing; they are just letters.

Probably doesn't make a whole hill of beans one way or the other.  Try both; if you can tell a difference, go with the one you prefer.