2. digital
  3. 166765-161490

NO! Jitter does not always matter.

I see a lot of discussion of jitter on this forum. A lot of it makes sense. However, I think a huge advancement in DAC chips about 13-14 years old was missed. Some people noticed that a big change in lower cost DACs occurred about aa decade ago, but probably do not know why.

Almost all modern DACs are multi-bit sigma-delta based implementation. They are not 1-bit. They have a multi-bit DAC with a sigma-delta based modulator.

Prior to the mid-late 2000's, the multi-bit DACs were based on effectively resistor ladders. So effectively a 3-4 bit resistor ladder DAC fed by a sigma-delta modulator. As it was resistor based, the amount of energy transferred was a function of both the DAC value, and also the timing, i.e how long each resistor was turned on.

Starting in the mid-late 2000's, audio DACs started to be made with switched capacitor DACs. A bank of capacitors replaced the resistors in the above DACs.  The capacitors would be charged, and depending on the digital value from the sigma delta modulator, the charge would be transferred to the output.  BIG CHANGE!  -- With resistors, the amount of energy transferred was a function of the DAC value, and time.  With switched capacitors, the energy transferred was now only a factor of the DAC value. Time was effectively removed from the equation.

Where a resistor based mutli-bit sigma-delta DAC or worse single bit sigma-delta DAC would drop to 70-80db dynamic range with 1nsec jitter, switched capacitor DACs could maintain 100, 105, even 120db of dynamic range.

I know it is inconceivable to many audiophiles that a relatively low cost DAC could compete with a megabuck DAC, especially when a lot of that money goes into jitter control, but that is what technology can do.

https://www.electronicproducts.com/understanding-clock-jitter/#
sugabooger
erik_squires
16,130 posts
 
Thanks for posting this.

I am one of the few who did notice this and have posted about it regularly that new DAC's sound so much better, especially with Redbook sources. This would explain why.

Also, I'm a big fan of AKM DACs.

Best,

Erik
oldhvymec
5,101 posts
 
I second that. I'm quite ignorant as to the actual workings of a DAC.

My old Krell is just dandy for it's time, but it can just have fits with some of the sources. A newer 200.00 DAC, CAN just trounces it.. Not always but streaming, a lot of the time.. CD or SDAC not at all. That old Krell can hold it's own.. Great two channel two..

I have a 100.00 tube preamp with a 10.00 DAC chip.. It will give that Krell a run for it's money.. Actually quieter NOW, too..

The Krell is class A driven If I remember, just not discrete. Time for some new parts and a reclock? I'm pretty analog.. :-)
teo_audio
2,197 posts
 
Like everything, they are getting better. Almost back to what we had at the peak of ladder dacs that are implemented properly. I was aware of the quasi (arf ’n’ arf) dacs, and do appreciate them.

However, I’m not letting them off on the act of me and everyone else having my/our face(s) shoved into crap ---and being told it was better - for nigh on 30 years.

Expect it again. ie, class D.

CRT projection VS digital projection. same same. It took decades for digital projection to equal the best in CRT projection. This I know as I had one of the best CRT projectors made in my living room. Re-built by me. And my work of DLP engines and electronics/etc, which I stopped doing in 2006 or so, is still not equaled by DLP projection, to this day. I can take apart any DLP projector today and improve it for any eye to see... (I did this recently with a modern DLP engine, just to check on that)

You would have seen that work in DLP projectors today and be enjoying for at least a decade now... it but the manufacturers approached think of the intellectual property as the smallest part of the equation and is meaningless. so they get nothing as they treat the invention value as nothing. They get back what they put out, so they get nothing from me. They sell projectors regardless. They really don’t care.

I’ve got the finest image fidelity single chip 4k DLP projector in existence, sitting in a box, one of a kind... peak DLP...and it hasn’t been touched in a over a year.


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