2. digital
  3. 131834-103946

Schiit Yggdrasil -- 21 bit?

Schiit says that Yggdrasil is a 21 bit DAC. But the DAC chips that they put in the device ( Analog Devices AD5791BRUZ, 2 per channel) are 20 bit with the error of plus-minus 0.5 LSB.

How can the DAC be 21 bit if the chips are 20 bit? Using two chips per channel does reduce the RMS voltage of the noise by  a square root of 2. But how can you get to 21 bit from there?

Can someone please explain.
defiantboomerang
gdhal's avatar
gdhal
1,641 posts
 
@shadorne and @defiantboomerang

But JA also states "Now you could say that you prefer the sound of truncation against that of redithering and I have no argument with that opinion."

Not to mention that JA’s measurement "suggest" that the LSBs of 24-bit data are simply truncated. So he is acknowledging he is not absolutely certain with his assertion/measurement understanding.

shadorne's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
shadorne
7,476 posts
 
JA is super duper diplomatic or euphemistic as always.

Here is a five minute youtube that explains why dither is so important in digital audio.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zWpWIQw7HWU
nugat
38 posts
 
JA is wrong, Schiit uses rounding, not truncation.
JA believes that MQA (lossy, proprietary, licensed platform)
is " the birth of a new world".
The "extra" 1 bit in Schiit balanced multibit Dacs is deducted from the 2 phases +6dB.
shadorne's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
shadorne
7,476 posts
 
If you watch the video you will see that rounding is practically the same as truncation and does similar damage.

Sorry but Schiit don’t understand what they are doing. This is common when good designers with a strong background in analog design start making digital components.
nugat
38 posts
 
After a failed appeal to authority now  comes a referral to youtube and arguing ad hominem. Scores of other logical fallacies still at hand.
More to discover