Question Playing 24 bit music via USB on Marantz CD6006

[Dom]

As most audio is 44.1 kHz, I wonder why you resample to 48

Hello Vincent Kars. Do you think there's a benefit to changing from the default?

 

[Dom]

Well I changed it and sounds slightly better? Maybe I can stop jumping now.

 

[Vincent Kars]

Do you think there's a benefit to changing from the default?

Although today's sample rate conversion can be done pretty transparant, I prefer to feed a DAC with the audio at its native sample rate. As most DAC's are over- or up-sampling anyway, no need to do it twice.

My source is a PC. When possible I use WASAPI in Exclusive mode. This provides for automatic sample rate switching.

Bit depth: most audio is 16 bit. This allows for a dynamic range of 96 dB.
Because of this, a lot of people think they should set their media player to 16 as well.
However, this 16 is not about the dynamic range of PCM recordings but about the arithmetic precision of the data path between media player and DAC. Always set set it to the max (24 or even better 32)

 

[Dom]

Vincent Kars the data is a fixed integer, there would little point changing the bit depth to floating point precision however the DAC may well be calibrated for 24 Bit or even 32 Bit depth.

 

[Vincent Kars]

Depends.
If your source is a computer (Win, OSX, Linux) they all work more ore less the same.
They expect multiple audio streams so mix(all of the time) hence convert to float, mix, dither, convert back to integer as set in the audio settings.
If you choose 16, the dither is at - 96 dBFS. If you choose 24 is will be at -144 dBFS.
The first is audible (that's why they invented dither), the second is way below the noise floor of your gear.
BTW: talking integer as this is what the DAC (receiving raw PCM) expects.

 

[Dom]

Ok I give in, well played.

 

[shadders]

Hello Vincent Kars. Do you think there's a benefit to changing from the default?

Hi,
There is some benefit of upsampling - an example from a DAC manufacrturer :

Is there any benefit to using a software upsampler?

Question Is it of any benefit to use a software upsampler (Sox Resampler) to upsample, let's say from 44100 to higher or 88200 / 96000 to higher? Btw, I use your DAC 2 HGC. :-) - Vjekoslav Answer In some cases, upsampling will improve the output of your D/A converter. The low-pass filters...

benchmarkmedia.com

For modern recordings - there is little benefit.
In the end, as with everything, whatever sounds best for you.

I have a few Blu-Ray Audio high resolution discs and a minimum 96kHz sampling, and they sound slightly different, but they are just that, different.

Regards,
Shadders.