Modern AVRs generally can and do apply DSP to *all* inputs, including analog. Avoiding that is what the 'Direct'/"Pure Direct' options are for.
see discussion e.g.,
https://www.avsforum.com/threads/denon-x4400h-does-analog-input-gets-converted-to-digital.3286182/
That Arcam performance hit is hardly an across-the-board finding in Amir's tests of AVRs, nor does Amir determine if and when it is *audible*, which is what really matters.
Nor have you determined it. The differences you purport to hear with your great are easily within the usual realm of bias...
I go away for a few days and whackable moles proliferate, oh dear.
Huh?
The above bolded statement isn't my only puzzlement; I can't figure out if this person is a mathematician, astrophyisist, or doctor of 'physical medicine', as it seems to have claimed to be all three.
I for one sure do...
Indeed.
Audible (at enhanced levels) degradation of 'reverb tails' is an issue when there is insufficient bit depth ('resolution') and/or truncation has occurred (e.g. conversion without dither).
Neither has been an issue for decades.
I am happy not to have the 'purist' mindset. Is seems Dr. Toole doesn't either.
I want the audio product that is delivered to me to be 'purist'. What I do with it from that point on, to make it sound better to me, is my choice.
So do we in the non pro audio world. It's hard to avoid them.
At what playback level do you listen to reverb tails? Can you perceive the difference at the normal playback level, or do you have to crank things up during the reverb tails?
Uh huh. There's a reason for that.
Alas, over...
Yes, and it was beside my point. Most people will never 'need' to add an upsampling step in their signal chains because if one is used it will be built in already, e.g. in DAC,s e.g in convolution in Audyssey.
If you've gone down the road of crafting bespoke 'sound treatment' filters-- I'm...