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Personal confuser Audio which aspect has the greatest impact on SQ?

Hello all,

it usually goes with out saying that ‘everything’ in the audio system makes a difference in sound quality. as we all know, Everything Matters.

PC audio has metriculated into new vistas which now and then beg for more digital hardware such as, NAS, servers, ethernet renderers, USB converters, bridges, additional clocks, dual clocks, dual DACs (one per ch), and outboard power sups for many of these listed gizmos to boot.

even the media management and or streaming software seems to have its own influenece on the sonic presentation.

so lets try to sort out where the REAL money needs to go in the digital turn table arrangement, if indeed there has been significant changes in your opinion.

i read yesterday that the error correction used in iTunes is a very poor idea on that theme and it can in fact degrade the ripped product dramatically as it averages out multiple errors rather than addressing them individually, thus destroying or severely degrading the end result of your ripped cD.

as well, in the digital signal path we were concerned with pico seconds of jitter or distortion, degrading the sound quality, now we are faced with worrying about even smaller ’portions of these same pico second’ anomolies.

furthermore, there are the cabling and interfaces which must be connected so the signal can be found, accepted, and converted to analog, USB, AES, BNC, SPDIF, HDMI, I2s, Ethernet, and TOS..

at times even the overall lengths of the digital cables became quite impactful.

and we all know the dAC has been for darn near ever, either the ONLY link, or the most crucial link in this equation, but has it now been upstaged or set aside in its import for the quality of sound being produced?

IOW, has the bridge, renderer, power supply or cable tech become so improved the DAC is no longer the primary vital, highest priority ingredient for achieving better sound quality?

or….

Are the aforementioned digital ‘incidentals’ or accessories far less significant factors in achieving improved audio quality and the DAC still remains the most important key to obtaining great sound??

many thanks
blindjim

Showing 2 responses by erik_squires

erik_squires
15,791 posts
 
just how relevant is a stand alone DAC in developing the digital signal anymore?


I think the issue is one of control, and upgrades.


I mean, if you find an all in one you like, you should absolutely buy it. Fewer parts, smaller, fewer cables. Especially in small apartments, bedrooms.


However, my current set up is a Raspberry Pi -> Mytek Brooklyn -> Luxman 507ux Integrated.  Retail is a modest $8k or so, but still not money I'd like to shuffle or attempt to sell used and buy something else.


Let's say I don't like the wireless user interface (UI) , no problem. Install something different on the Pi, or get a streamer with built in storage I like. Problem solved. My sound quality remains the same.


Lets say I want to upgrade my DAC to a Manhattan. No problemo. The Luxman stays put. The streamer which has my music and a UI I like stays exactly the same.


Having said this, I pay for all the cables, gadgets and the ability to control exactly what each component is. I don't sweat that I paid several thousand dollars for the Luxman and might find a DAC I like better, which then causes me to throw it all away together.


So, reading what I just wrote, the amount of money you spend matters. If you can find an all in one for $150 and maybe in two years doesn't support your music store or goes out of business and no longer supports current iPhone/Android, well, throw it out and buy latest.


Best,
E
erik_squires
15,791 posts
 
At best, the swapping of gizmos around is causing the AC line to develop a new noise profile.


So, deal with your AC and environmental noise by isolating wall warts and digital devices from linear using coils. Shunyata or Furman.


Use shielded (but not overly expensive) power cables where you can.

The rest is op to the clock and isolation capabilities of your DAC. Avoid ifi digital signal purifiers, they tend to move rather than eliminate noise. Use linear supplies where you can.
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