Sample Rate and Bit Depth

[Fluff]

Hi ,I'm looking for a budget friendly device that will display khz and bit depth of an audio stream in real time.
I have a Fiio K11 which displays khz but not bit depth. Have done alot of research on this but cannot find anything unless you pay silly money.
Any suggestions would be appreciated, thanks.

 

[nopiano]

Perhaps someone with a Wiim streamer can chip in. Mine isn’t connected at the moment but I’m pretty sure the app displayed both, at least when streaming from Qobuz, my preferred service.

Is that what you were seeking, or do you want it displayed via a screen on the streamer itself?

 

[nopiano]

I found this screenshot from my iPad, from when I was using my Wiim Pro Plus.

 

[nopiano]

And on iPhone…

 

[Fluff]

Perhaps someone with a Wiim streamer can chip in. Mine isn’t connected at the moment but I’m pretty sure the app displayed both, at least when streaming from Qobuz, my preferred service.

Is that what you were seeking, or do you want it displayed via a screen on the streamer itself?

Thanks for your reply..Yes,I'd like it displayed via a screen as my Fiio K11 does with the khz.
All the dacs I have looked at only display khz and sometimes the max bit depth the device can handle but not real time info on bit depth.

 

[Vincent Kars]

the max bit depth the device can handle but not real time info on bit depth

I wonder if displaying the actual bit depth of the source by a DAC is possible at all.
About 10 years ago media players started implementing WASAPI in Exclusive mode.
When playing a 16 bit file, my DAC stayed mute. It is a 24 bit one so needs 24 bit in the register to function properly.

Had the same problem with early Android USB audio. It was capped at 16 bit hence my DAC wouldn't play.

USB starts with the device enumeration and part of it is the bit depth. The operating system knows it has a 24 bit register so 16 bit will be expanded with 8 zero bit. Because of this I expect the bit depth as seen / displayed by the DAC to be fixed as it is not about the source but about the data path between media player and DAC.

 

[Fluff]

I wonder if displaying the actual bit depth of the source by a DAC is possible at all.
About 10 years ago media players started implementing WASAPI in Exclusive mode.
When playing a 16 bit file, my DAC stayed mute. It is a 24 bit one so needs 24 bit in the register to function properly.

Had the same problem with early Android USB audio. It was capped at 16 bit hence my DAC wouldn't play.

USB starts with the device enumeration and part of it is the bit depth. The operating system knows it has a 24 bit register so 16 bit will be expanded with 8 zero bit. Because of this I expect the bit depth as seen / displayed by the DAC to be fixed as it is not about the source but about the data path between media player and DAC.

Thanks for your reply. I believe, after doing some research, that it is possible to display real time bit depth but because of the technical complexity of doing this the hardware is generally more expensive due to the manufacturers costs.
I think some of the more expensive Eversolo products can display both khz and bit depth.

 

[Vincent Kars]

The Eversolo is a streamer. It knows the source and because of that the bit depth.
A DAC like the FiiO doesn't know the source, it receives a protocol like SPDIF or UAC2

 

[Fluff]

The Eversolo is a streamer. It knows the source and because of that the bit depth.
A DAC like the FiiO doesn't know the source, it receives a protocol like SPDIF or UAC2

Good point. So is it not possible for any dac, no matter the cost, to ever display real time bit depth?

 

[Vincent Kars]

Some DAC's do but the reliability is questioned.

USB dac that shows bit depth on display?

Hi ASR members! I'am looking for a USB dac that shows bit depth on its display. I see sample rate is more common, but I'am most interested in bit depth from different sources. Thanks in advance! / Karl

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Rodolfo]

On "budget-friendly" HIBYDIGITAL M300: