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Non-Oversampling (NOS) vs,

I am curious. Is a Non-Oversampling (NOS) DAC sound better than a DAC that upsamples the original signal? Or, in other words, is it better to maintain the “original signal” and not add mathematical calculated extra bits?

I also understand that a DAC’s implementation makes a huge different in the resulting sound quality and so does the analog section. I am just trying to better understand a NOS DAC vs one that upsamples.



hgeifman
soix
9,456 posts
 
Kid of like the tube vs. SS camps. As someone else mentioned above, always tradeoffs in this hobby.

@bigkidz -- I was just about to write the same thing. BTW, what DAC do you make?
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 

You just need to listen to Redbook on a "good" R2R dac/cdp that you switch from NOS to OS while listening on the fly, like you can with the Holo Spring.
NOS is far more enjoyable, it has more body to the mids, it seems to extend both the bass and the highs, you can definitely hear the decay (harmonic structure) of piano and cymbals down into silence far better than you can with OS. OS seems to chop it off, a little like Class-D amps also do for me.

Cheers George
bigkidz
3,381 posts
 
@soix2 - DAC is a DHT (direct heated triode) tube DAC with separate power supply RR2R board, V-Caps & Caddock + Shinkoh resistors.

goole: vujadeaudio
ianrodger
164 posts
 
the Denafrips Pontus allows you to change from NOS to OS at the touch of a button.
I do change the setting occasionally but always find myself going back to NOS whether the music is served or streamed.
itzhak1969
515 posts
 
NOS is the better way to go.From my experience over the years I learnt the best way to achieve the sound I want is to keep things simple,all kind of sound "manipulation" gear maybe genuinely trying to improve the sound but in the end just making thing worst. 
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