In Reply to: RE: I am amazed posted by Bob_C on June 15, 2013 at 08:10:23:
Bob_C says:
"Maybe because they look at the computer as a computer only, a digital device. IMO better to look at the concept of audio in the analogue sense and maybe better understand the logic."Perhaps this is the problem.
Too many still hold on to analogue concepts as it pertains to computer technology and audio.
First, all that is transferred to the DAC is DATA. Not continuous waveforms as some seem to believe; just DATA representing what the waveforms should look/sound like. Data in an MP3 file is even more removed from the PCM lossless data as to how it represents the ultimate analogue wave. From there, the DAC will then recreate the analogue (hence the "Digital to Analogue Converter" acronym of course) whether with further upsampling and reconstruction or straight through as in NOS - it is within this reconstruction to analogue that determines the amount of jitter based on your hardware's precision and that is derived from the *internal clock circuitry of your DAC* - not your computer.
Secondly, unlike S/PDIF coaxial/optical where temporal continuity is important within reason, there is no need for a continuous stream in the USB paradigm - in fact the transmission is performed in PACKETS like Ethernet (hence how strange "audiophile ethernet cables" seem to many of us).
For high speed USB 2.0, I believe the packet size is 1024 bytes with a CRC check and handshake signals that can acknowledge successful transmission and the DAC has the ability to stall further transfer if needed. Modern asynchronous hi-res DACs essentially have another little computer inside to do this job. This "burst of data" type activity is outside the effect of common software like JPLAY.
Please. Think different. "Time of flight" and "arrival" from the computer to DAC will just be negotiated by the interface ultimately. So long as the buffer in the DAC gets the data in time without going empty, it really doesn't matter if it took twice as long with the next packet. Focus on the quality of the DAC hardware - it isn't the software player.
The above is what I see when tests are run on digital gear. This is how it was engineered to be with asynchronous USB DACs.
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Archimago's Musings: A 'more objective' audiophile blog.
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Follow Ups
- RE: I am amazed - Archimago 06/15/1309:27:42 06/15/13 (41)
- "all that is transferred to the DAC is DATA. Not continuous waveforms..." - I stopped right there. - carcass93 09:22:35 06/18/13 (8)
- RE: "all that is transferred to the DAC is DATA. Not continuous waveforms..." - I stopped right there. - Tony Lauck 09:54:58 06/18/13 (7)
- I don'r read his post the way you dis at all - fmak 11:39:56 06/21/13 (0)
- I expected more from you - apparently, was wrong. But that's OK. - carcass93 10:20:57 06/18/13 (5)
- RE: I expected more from you - apparently, was wrong. But that's OK. - Tony Lauck 11:46:10 06/18/13 (4)
- Packets are signals - fmak 11:42:49 06/21/13 (1)
- RE: Packets are signals - Tony Lauck 12:22:12 06/21/13 (0)
- You have to start with simple observation: improving computer PS improves sound quality of ... - carcass93 12:12:54 06/18/13 (1)
- RE: You have to start with simple observation: improving computer PS improves sound quality of ... - Tony Lauck 12:53:35 06/18/13 (0)
- Ha - fmak 01:06:44 06/16/13 (8)
- RE: Ha - Tony Lauck 09:33:40 06/16/13 (7)
- RE: Ha-Fancy - fmak 10:46:45 06/16/13 (6)
- RE: Ha-Fancy - Tony Lauck 11:39:10 06/16/13 (5)
- RE: Ha-Fancy-This - fmak 22:25:06 06/16/13 (4)
- RE: Ha-Fancy-This - Tony Lauck 06:55:42 06/17/13 (3)
- RE: Ha-Fancy-This - Mercman 07:13:43 06/17/13 (2)
- You've got it all wrong! - Tony Lauck 08:07:11 06/17/13 (1)
- RE: You've got it all wrong! - Mercman 08:29:38 06/17/13 (0)
- RE: I am amazed - Bob_C 09:46:06 06/15/13 (22)
- RE: I am amazed - Archimago 11:53:30 06/15/13 (21)
- RE: I am amazed - Bob_C 12:06:17 06/15/13 (20)
- RE: I am amazed - Archimago 12:15:06 06/15/13 (19)
- RE: I am amazed - Bob_C 12:32:46 06/15/13 (18)
- RE: I am amazed - Archimago 12:57:11 06/15/13 (17)
- RE: I am amazed - Bob_C 20:52:15 06/15/13 (0)
- RE: I am amazed - Say 13:31:01 06/15/13 (15)
- And even more amazing... - Charles Hansen 16:13:44 06/15/13 (14)
- RE: And even more amazing... - Old Listener 20:33:12 06/15/13 (13)
- Hello Bill - Charles Hansen 11:43:59 06/16/13 (12)
- RE: Hello Bill - Old Listener 21:02:46 06/16/13 (11)
- RE: Hello Bill - Charles Hansen 15:27:36 06/17/13 (10)
- RE: Hello Bill - Old Listener 15:03:15 06/19/13 (6)
- RE: Hello Bill - Charles Hansen 20:07:33 06/21/13 (5)
- RE: Hello Bill - Old Listener 08:20:46 06/22/13 (4)
- Fixed to Float and Float to Fixed audio conversions - Tony Lauck 09:08:01 06/23/13 (3)
- RE: Fixed to Float and Float to Fixed audio conversions - Old Listener 10:32:10 06/23/13 (2)
- RE: Fixed to Float and Float to Fixed audio conversions - Tony Lauck 10:51:20 06/23/13 (1)
- RE: Fixed to Float and Float to Fixed audio conversions - Old Listener 11:46:54 06/23/13 (0)
- RE: Hello Bill - Tony Lauck 10:51:03 06/18/13 (2)
- No Tony. - Charles Hansen 20:01:18 06/21/13 (1)
- RE: No Tony. - Tony Lauck 09:15:04 06/23/13 (0)