Input/Output line level transformers for digital glare

@sbank  The reason a transformer might help if it has limited bandwidth, would be to filter out digital noise. I've seen at least one DAC that sounded pretty good in its day that incorporated the inductance of the transformer as part of the smoothing circuit for the output of the actual DAC.

Of course this points to one of the major limitations of digital IMO, which is not much bandwidth on top. A typical LP record and playback chain has bandwidth to about 40KHz no worries.

Gotcha, thank you Ralph. Cheers,
Spencer

Gents;

thanks for for all the info on the options 

I still notice all the outboard Dac's, good ones, I think 
still have output transformers vs other methods

i also see the transformer guys;  lyndall & Jensen advertise the output transformers as smoothing of digitis?

jeff

I still notice all the outboard Dac's, good ones, I think
still have output transformers vs other methods

i also see the transformer guys;  lyndall & Jensen advertise the output transformers as smoothing of digitis?

Some do some don't.

A good transformer will have bandwidth well past 20KHz which means its not going to do a whole lot of smoothing. In fact if not loaded correctly it can also ring (distort) which will make it sound brighter.

Lyndahl and Jensen both make excellent transformers. If used carefully they can be of some benefit, for example they can be used to go balanced even if the output of the DAC is single-ended. You **might** get some sonic advantage from doing that as if balanced line is executed correctly, the result is that the interconnect cable will cease to have an effect on the sound of the system. If it was contributing brightness prior, then this is an advantage. They can also isolate grounds; if you have a ground loop (which can allow noise in the ground to get amplified) then the ground isolation can be help out as well.