2. digital
  3. 188489-2439

One DAC to Rule it All

Sorry for the "click-bait" headline. The digital side of my system is an Auralic G1 sending to an OKTO DAC8 Stereo. I like the sound a lot, but I also use a DBX Venu360 digital crossover system to split the signal to my mains and subs. The DBX gets an analog signal from my preamp (Benchmark HP4), but to do its function the DBX unit converts to digital, then back to analog at 96Khz. My question is, since the DBX unit has the capability to receive a digital signal (AES/EBU), would it be better to use just one DAC (DBX) to do it all, or stick with the double converting and keep the OKTO in the system?

koestner

Showing 1 response by larryi

larryi
4,188 posts
 

The only thing I know is that, under certain circumstances, multiple ADC and DAC conversions do not substantially degrade the sound.  I heard a track on a test CD (a Jazz sampler/test signal CD by Chesky Records) that was of a sample of music that had been converted back and forth a hundred times, and the same track that had been converted only once.  I don't think I could reliably tell the difference.  

I don't expect the additional conversion of the OKTO to hurt the sound much, but, then again I don't see how it would help to take a digital signal and convert it to analogue then have an ADC convert it back to digital for processing in the DBX.

More to discover