So 24 bit means over 140dB S/N ratio.So why,when I send a signal to my analogue outs,doesn't it fry my inputs which will be +4dBu.Could someone expand on digital analogue relationship?
Thx!
Full Scale
that's obviously the maximum value possible in theory with a perfect signal.
I'm really not good at those numbers, but it doesn't mean anything about quality of the effective signal.
CD Audio is something around 90 db 'dynamic range' (which is of course not exactly the same as SNR).
Grab some audio from a bunch of CDs and check the dynamic range of the tracks.
On top of the pops stuff you'll hardly find anything greater than 20 db. Some call it compressed to death, others find it powerful.
At least we're used to that kind of listening mostly by radio transmissions.
Though most audio CDs are 16 bit recordings, I'd guess about 75% of the players have only 12 bit converters and some (like Revox) with 14 bit converters but excellent filters (are said to) outperform full 16 bit units.
A vinyl record can't go beyond 65 db due to surface noise of the stylus, no matter how expensive or 'audiophile' the equipment is.
Still there are lots of vinyls out sounding better than their CD counterparts.
The improved dynamic range was one of the biggest pro CD arguments btw, see above what we got
Don't rely on numbers, just trust your ears.
I forgot: it doesn't mean the signal gets amplyfied that much, so you won't need an extra cooler or protection for the next stage.
cheers, Tom
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: astroman on 2003-03-07 13:44 ]</font>
I'm really not good at those numbers, but it doesn't mean anything about quality of the effective signal.
CD Audio is something around 90 db 'dynamic range' (which is of course not exactly the same as SNR).
Grab some audio from a bunch of CDs and check the dynamic range of the tracks.
On top of the pops stuff you'll hardly find anything greater than 20 db. Some call it compressed to death, others find it powerful.
At least we're used to that kind of listening mostly by radio transmissions.
Though most audio CDs are 16 bit recordings, I'd guess about 75% of the players have only 12 bit converters and some (like Revox) with 14 bit converters but excellent filters (are said to) outperform full 16 bit units.
A vinyl record can't go beyond 65 db due to surface noise of the stylus, no matter how expensive or 'audiophile' the equipment is.
Still there are lots of vinyls out sounding better than their CD counterparts.
The improved dynamic range was one of the biggest pro CD arguments btw, see above what we got
Don't rely on numbers, just trust your ears.
I forgot: it doesn't mean the signal gets amplyfied that much, so you won't need an extra cooler or protection for the next stage.
cheers, Tom
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: astroman on 2003-03-07 13:44 ]</font>