musicom;671553 Wrote: > No BS Any time that the volume is controlled in digital domain, the > system "shaves bits" in order to reduce the volume,thus reducing > resolution and sound quality. So for critical listening one runs the > SB at 100% volume and control the gain in the analog stage. > > I have several SB systems, but on the main high end system and the HT > system, the SB runs at fixed output. The bedroom, kitchen and computer > room systems use the remote for the volume control.
Yeah but but from 24 bits all 16 bit data is padded to 24 bit by the player anyway. So for normal redbook CD all you get is more noise when you lower the volume in it's upper settings the bit chopping starts at much much lower volumes but then the noise levels is fairly irritating anyway . For so called hirez you can assume the 20bit's are music the rest is noise anyway With decent gains scaling as described by Toby10 the sq loss is negligible for most uses. You can also use inline attenuators on the player to get better gain scaling. It is probably why it's popular to put a squeezebox with attenuators direct to a power amp , the sq loss is smaller than many preamps leaving such user on the + side :) That said I also use 100% fixed volume for various reasons including dts-cd's and that my digtal speakers and preamp already have a digital volume control of higher quality with dither, and all kinds of processing enabled in the speakers and processor I just do not want an unknown factor . And with a dithered digital 24 volume control you get no sq loss at all in any practical application, it's actually better than any potentiometer + amp combo . How so with correct gain scaling the volume will be very very low when sq losses set in and you won't be able to hear it. And dither actually increases the resolution beyond mere bits, making a dithered 16bit cd actually carry information beyond the 96dB spec . 24bits is 144dB and if you have a dithered system it's is practically infinite resolution, all error will by swamped and pale in comparison to the rest of the system and mostly it's a couple of 1000's times better than the actual recording. -- Mnyb -------------------------------------------------------------------- Main hifi: Touch + CIA PS +MeridianG68J MeridianHD621 MeridianG98DH 2 x MeridianDSP5200 MeridianDSP5200HC 2 xMeridianDSP3100 +Rel Stadium 3 sub. Bedroom/Office: Boom Kitchen: Touch + powered Fostex PM0.4 Misc use: Radio (with battery) iPad 64gB wifi +3g with iPengHD & SqueezePad (in storage SB3, reciever ) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mnyb's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=4143 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=91197 _______________________________________________ Touch mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/touch
