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Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

Hi All.

Putting together a reference level system.
My Source is predominantly standard 16/44 played from a MacMini using iTunes and Amarra. Some of my music is purchased from iTunes and the rest is ripped from standard CD's.
For my tastes in music, my high def catalogues are still limited; so Redbook 16/44 will be my primary source for quite some time.

I'm not spending DCS or MSB money. But $15-20k retail is not out of the question.

Upsampling vs non-upsampling?
USB input vs SPDIF?

All opinions welcome.

And I know I need to hear them, but getting these ultra $$$ DAC's into your house for an audition ain't easy.

Looking for musical, emotional, engaging, accurate , with great dimension. Not looking for analytical and sterile.
mattnshilp
audioengr
3,282 posts
 

Steve, do you have an explanation why with Ethernet and data sent in packets and check sum for errors, why jitter exists at all? Although USB is far worse, why Ethernet requires same careful implementation?

Like USB, it is unexpected.

I can only speculate that maybe the circuits in the Ethernet receiver react differently to slower edge-rates and poor signal integrity. Maybe the setup timing margins are smaller. This might cause the propagated signals to have more jitter.

Most designers don’t realize that digital logic is not perfect. It will be error-free if designed correctly, but avoiding jitter is a whole different ball of wax. It has taken me literally 25 years of designing and experimenting to discover this behavior.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

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almarg
9,670 posts
 
I can only speculate that maybe the circuits in the Ethernet receiver react differently to slower edge-rates and poor signal integrity. Maybe the setup timing margins are smaller. This might cause the propagated signals to have more jitter.
To add to Steve's comment, it seems very conceivable to me that in some and perhaps many less than perfect designs a small but potentially significant fraction of the signal energy received by the Ethernet interface may find its way **around** that circuitry (via grounds, power supplies, parasitic capacitances, etc.), and end up introducing noise onto the signals which control timing of D/A conversion.

All of the energy of a signal doesn't necessarily follow only its intended/ideal pathway.  Especially when the signal contains spectral components at very high frequencies, as in the case of Ethernet.

Regards,
-- Al 
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
All of the energy of a signal doesn't necessarily follow only its intended/ideal pathway. Especially when the signal contains spectral components at very high frequencies, as in the case of Ethernet.

Very possible that power modulation effects or even RF effects are in play here.

Steve N.


mattnshilp OP
917 posts
 
A moment away from our current topic to digress: 

A recent study showed that people who feel emotionally stimulated and get goosebumps from listening to music have a higher ratio of neural activity (visualized on PET scan) between their auditory cortex  and emotional center. They actually have more fibers connecting these regions then others do.

I have been saying for a long time how lucky we are that we can elicit the level of enjoyment from both music and its proper reproduction. And that some people simply can’t appreifate it the way we do. Now I have facts to back up my statement.
toetapaudio
474 posts
 
@mattnshilp, very interesting comment, thanks for posting.
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