2. tech-talk
  3. 173130-2325

Tracing the signal from source to speaker

Hi all,

I'd like to get a better understanding of what happens between a flac file and the sound coming out of a speaker in a digital environment. If any of you can provide insight or point to references for the following, I'd appreciate it. I want to be able to explain this signal path in semi technical terms so that any of us can understand what is happening. To wit:

1, What does a player do? It must acquire (via index) a file of various type, consume it, and output a digital signal. What is the transformation, and what is the type of signal that emerges?

2. What does a DAC do? It takes the digital signal and converts it to an analog signal. What is this conversion? What is the difference between the digital and analog signals?

3. What does the preamp do? What are the differences between preamp processing that create a different type or quality of signal out?

4. What does the amp do? What is the signal out made up of?

5. How do passive or active crossovers recognize the difference in incoming signals?

6. How does the speaker respond to the incoming amplified analog signal?

At some point I would like to include a high level explanation of how the player sends a signal through a switch and router to a NAS (or even a remote service), and how the NAS responds. 

I see this as an 10-15 page ppt explaining the functional processes of the digital audio chain. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Chuck

128x128cmjones

Showing 1 response by millercarbon

millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 

You know why they say that? Because they don't know the answer!

Almost none of the digital people know it. I’ve answered it before which must be maddening, the sites most notorious digital basher understands the technology better than any of the ones so in love with it. Bummer.

The device is called a transducer, the name for any device that transforms energy/information from one form into another. Phono cartridge, speaker, in the analog realm. The transducer you are looking for takes a stream of digits and transforms it into an analog output.

One common form is called a ladder DAC. You could look it up. A bunch of digits forms a word, which corresponds to an amplitude. This triggers an output from an electrical device that generates that specific discrete amount of power. A whole bunch of these real fast combines resulting in an analog wave output.

That’s it. The big mystery. Ladder DAC.

Everything from here on out is all in the analog domain.

All the rest of your questions have nothing to do with digital. Crazy, isn’t it, that people are so sure of the superiority of digital, yet have no clue whatsoever how that works?

You want the really crazy part? CD is not even digital!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

More to discover