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16 bit vs 24 bit vs 35 bit vs 36 bit vs 64 bit DAC sampling

I have limited knowledge about DAC's, but as I understand it, a typical CD player used to have 16 bit sampling, and supposedly no one was supposed to be able to hear the difference between anything more than 16 bit sampling; however, I recently purchased an Esoteric K-01X, which has 35 bit sampling (why 35 bits? no doubt only to differentiate it from their then top of the line 36 bit sampled Grandioso series).  

Now I can hear a big difference between my old Musical Fidelity kW DM25 DAC with 24 bit sampling (circa 2005), and the newer Esoteric DAC with 35 bit sampling, although I'm not supposed to, although maybe there are some other electrical programs playing with the sound besides the sampling rate.  

Now, there are 64 bit sampling DAC's, and I'm wondering how much the ear actually does hear from the sampling, or if it's something else entirely that's making the digital sound better?  

Any insightful opinions or perspectives?  

Thanks.
drbond
elliottbnewcombjr
5,202 posts
 
One of the best things Audio Classics did for my mx110z was remove the 55 year old corroded rca jacks and replace them with new gold plated jack panels.

I also changed to locking RCA connectors (both ends).

Every time you change a piece of equipment, you break/make fresh connections with the interconnects, AND, moving one cable may rub up against another, causing it to move at it's connection point.

Ah, magnifico!


Ag insider logo xs@2x
cleeds
5,658 posts
 
clearthinker
... the wave form of digital sampling is a jagged zig-zag saw, like an endless flight of stairs. The little triangles at created by joining the teeth of the saw is a measure of the departure of the digital representation from the true waveform of the sound ...
It’s amazing that this misnomer still exists two decades into the third millennium. Digital audio may have its problems, but "stairsteps" ain’t it.

We know from Nyquist that we can get a continuous (analog) signal from a digitally discrete code provided that the bandwidth is half (or less) of the sampling rate. This isn’t a theory - it’s a theorem. It’s a fact.
The higher the sampling rate the smaller the little triangles and the closer you get to the original sound.
Not so. The higher the sampling rate the greater the bandwidth.

For those who can’t comprehend this truth, this video may help.
drbond OP
396 posts
 
@audioman58

Your recommended article seems to explain much about the discussion. The article does immediate clarify one thing that I have noticed: older late 1950’s recordings sound much quieter and clearer on the Esoteric with the much higher bit sampling than it did on the Musical Fidelity with the 24 bit sampling.

Here is the summary from one part:

"So why on Earth would they even create a digital recording format that can’t even be listened to?!?!?!?!?

Simple: bit-depths and sampling rates far above the range of human hearing are used during the recording, editing, mixing, and mastering processes to lower digital noise in audible spectrum when recordings are downsampled to the significantly lower resolution sold in commercially released recordings."


...so, during the down-sampling process of the signal in the DAC, that 35 bit analysis is making some recordings sound much better. . .

However, in the same article, the discussion about the power supply is quite interesting, and how a very quiet power supply would be needed to sample above 20 bits. . .
alan60's avatar
alan60
165 posts
 
You should check out Peter Qvortrup of Audio Note UK's views on higher bitrates, he is talking about bringing out a 12bit player. I am a vinyl man, but the higher end Audio Note Cd players and DAC's are the most Musically engaging digital format I have heard, and that includes top DCS gear, Kondo/CEC, etc.
audioman58's avatar
audioman58
3,878 posts
 
Everyone has a opinion ,Peter at Audionote is far from a expert 
on digital he is far from a digital engineer.
i know AN well I lived in the U.K for over 10 years 
tubes have their own bloom ,Aqua Lascala for example I feel better balanced hybrid are great ,Lampi too has their Tube fans 
With Mosfets and Multibit dac chipsets you can get a lot of the tube goodness ,without the tube artifacts , that’s why we all have 
choices. 

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