Phil Leigh;582320 Wrote: > Just to recap - quantization noise is an error in the lowest 1/2 bit > (remember it's a "rounding error")and so is very tiny in a 16-bit > scenario where the signal level of the recording is at minimum -40 to > -50dB. You still seem to be searching for something that isn't to be > found - i.e. some kind of proof that in 16-bit audio there are tiny > variations in level that cannot be captured. The fact is such > variations are VERY tiny and would always be swamped by variations in > the real noise floor of the recording and replay system, never mind any > ACTUAL music that might be playing. Remember that one sample contains > data representing all sounds simultaneously occurring - it's the > cumulative total of all contributory sine/cosine waves. > > Since dither is introduced during the recording/mastering process to > effectively hide the quantization noise, the whole point is moot anyway > :-) > > > If you want to hear quantization noise, record a sine wave in 16-bit at > -90dB and play it back with a LOT of gain and no dither. > > Digital audio (done properly) simply doesn't have the intrinsic "flaw" > that too many folks interpret from looking at all of those nasty little > staircase sine waves dotted around the Internet. > > Now, if you are in the habit of listening to -90dB sine waves on their > own (you sure won't hear them alongside ANYTHING else!) , I urge you to > upgrade to a 20+bit recording/replay chain :-)
Honestly Phil, I just like to understand things. It may amuse you to know that i have been quizzing a mathematician friend of mine who knows quite a lot about information theory (but not audio) about the effect of noise on digital information. He ended saying- "now that's not theory that's practice." Incidentally on the 20 bit track.... I have been fiddling with Dbpoweramp making 24 bit recordings of HDCDs which i have never been able to decode before. Now would I right in thinking that these should sound about as good as 24 bit files bearing in mind your scepticism about anything more than 18 bit resolution. Of course there's the sample rate too but .... Now it would be an interesting conclusion that all the 2 channel audio world ever needed was HDCD. Almost all Linn recordings are downloadable HDcd coded at a much lower price than the 24 bit files. Ditto reference recordings on HDtracks. -- adamdea ------------------------------------------------------------------------ adamdea's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=37603 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=82050 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
