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Darren Steven

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  1. Ok - some homework has helped me answer my own question: Provided the data being transmitted is some form of PCM, (ie not DSD or similar, which is for all intents is an analog signal), at any point in the chain, we can exactly reconstruct the original source data. Jitter (at the bit level) and clock drift does not matter from the perspective of having perfect data reconstruction, provided it's not severe enough that the recovered clock is not in sync with the data. If the DAC has no fifo/buffering (do they? every other data comms system on the planet does), then the only jitter that matters is that in the frame level clock (which tells the DAC that there is a new value to do its stuff with). I can understand how frame clock (sample clock) drift at audio frequencies, of a large enough magnitude would result in audio artifacts, but random, high frequency (+- a few ps) would be really hard to detect in the audio (would be ultrasonic perhaps). Similarly with noise/isolation issues. That needs to be kept out of the DAC/Anaolg side. Unless its really bad (and impacting digital performance), it's the isolation of the DAC inputs that are the critical things, as that's where the noise can actually impact the analog output. Fancy isolation in a digital-digital converter reduces the isolation required at the DAC input, but should not alter audio quality, as the full audio signal data value is correct and present at the DAC input still. Power supply is probably the other noise source. Even with good input isolation at the DAC, noise might make it in from your PC etc, into the DAC (or amp) PSU's. Have I got it right?
  2. I've just come across this thread, and found the OP interesting, but I don't understand the technology apparently. I have a simple question: At what point in the signal chain does it become impossible to reconstruct the original file on the disk (or the material contents of it), and why?
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