24 bit audio

[Dellboy]

Hi Guys,
I have an Acer Aspire TC-895 PC running windows 11. I have a Zero 09 version dac/headphone amp connected by usb. The dac states that it is 24 bit 192khs. When I go into my Sound/Properties menu the only options are for 16 bit audio! Does this indicate that the dac is not capable of 24 bit or the computer? If it is the computer is there a way to modify to achieve a 24 bit output?
Regards

 

[voodooless]

Looks like it only does 16 bit 48kHz over USB:

what I have managed to find is that it supports 24bit audio at 192khz over optical or coaxial and 16bit audio at 48khz over USB

It seems to use PCM2704 for USB, which is only 16 bit.

 

[pma]

Hi Guys,
I have an Acer Aspire TC-895 PC running windows 11. I have a Zero 09 version dac/headphone amp connected by usb. The dac states that it is 24 bit 192khs. When I go into my Sound/Properties menu the only options are for 16 bit audio! Does this indicate that the dac is not capable of 24 bit or the computer? If it is the computer is there a way to modify to achieve a 24 bit output?
Regards

Have you installed ASIO drivers? What did it say then? In ASIO control panel?

 

[ZolaIII]

The device is capable of 192 KHz 24 bit two chenel PCM but only if you feed it trogh optical input. If you fead it trogh USB it's limited to 16 bit and basic sample rates only (probably because they used cheap USB bridge chip). In the future try to learn about device's actual capabilities before purchasing one. For couple bucks more you could have got all better and with legacy Dolby support.

 

[Dellboy]

Looks like it only does 16 bit 48kHz over USB:



It seems to use PCM2704 for USB, which is only 16 bit.

Thanks. Is it possible to add digital outputs?

 

[Dellboy]

The device is capable of 192 KHz 24 bit two chenel PCM but only if you feed it trogh optical input. If you fead it trogh USB it's limited to 16 bit and basic sample rates only (probably because they used cheap USB bridge chip). In the future try to learn about device's actual capabilities before purchasing one. For couple bucks more you could have got all better and with legacy Dolby support.

Thanks. By device do you mean the DAC?

 

[Dellboy]

Have you installed ASIO drivers? What did it say then? In ASIO control panel?

Not sure what to do!

 

[voodooless]

Have you installed ASIO drivers? What did it say then? In ASIO control panel?

That won't help, the hardware is not capable of more.

 

[staticV3]

@Dellboy you can use a USB to Toslink converter like the Hifime S2 Digi to connect to your DAC via Toslink. That way you get full 24/192 output.

Edit: if you're fine with 24/96 max, then there's also the cheaper Hifime UT23.

 

[ZolaIII]

Thanks. By device do you mean the DAC?

By device I mean (audio) device as whole. That a crempie small tower case all do it has one PCIE X1 expansion slot it won't be exactly easy to put anything in it and I am certain neither placement nor power supply unit quality will help regarding EMI.
Best would be if you can sell that Zero and buy something more appropriate (good self stand DAC/ hedaphone amp with it's own power supply and appropriate USB bridge) if you really need one that is (24~32 bit with DSD native and cetera and cetera what ever you may think is useful or that you may need once).

 

[ZolaIII]

@Dellboy you can use a USB to Toslink converter like the Hifime S2 Digi to connect to your DAC via Toslink. That way you get full 24/192 output.

Edit: if you're fine with 24/96 max, then there's also the cheaper Hifime UT23.

Would rather go with internal sound card for the purpose like Asus Xonar SE (around 40$) anyway but as stated it's a small case so that wouldn't be great either.

 

[ThatM1key]

I'm hoping you got this thing for cheap, considering how old it is (2011). They should've added analog inputs to that thing, so that you could add a better DAC. Now you gotta buy a spdif device.

I looked at your motherboard and you have no optical/spdif headers. If your not using a GPU and don't use that PC for gaming, you could add a soundcard that has optical/spdif outputs. The Creative SB Audigy RX 7.1 has an optical out but it used to costed less than $40. I 2nd the ASUS Xonar SE. I assume maybe your not a "PC Guy" and is afraid to open up a PC or maybe you were like me, got a Dell because of a good sale and actually costed less than building it yourself (in terms of part cost).

 

[staticV3]

@ZolaIII @ThatM1key what advantages do you see in going PCI-E instead of USB?

 

[ZolaIII]

@ZolaIII @ThatM1key what advantages do you see in going PCI-E instead of USB?

That it doesn't have to go through the faulty USB line at any point in any moment (not that PCIE or molex power line will be much cleaner in same conditions but anyway).

 

[ThatM1key]

@ZolaIII @ThatM1key what advantages do you see in going PCI-E instead of USB?

I would rather buy a budget internal soundcard by a major company then risk losing my money to a no-name SPDIF converter. There is good SPDIF converters like the Topping D10s but his amp probably costed less than that.

What I liked about PCI-e was that it was separated from USB Bandwidth. The more USB devices you add to a computer that uses a USB DAC, the more skips and strutters you'll have (When there's a USB Load). My last soundcard was the EVGA NU Audio, great performance/measurements at a good price, the problem that it was a literal USB DAC stuck on a PCI adapter and on top of that, had very terrible drivers. Considering how rapid USB DAC tech is growing, I eventually bought a Topping E30 because I wanted something better than my Topping D10.

I miss and don't miss soundcards. It was neat having good performing soundcard sitting inside of a PC, it felt, sounded and looked great. The problem is that it wasn't bandwidth, it was the slot. That slot could've been used for a SATA Adapter, Capture Card, TV Tuner (At at the time), WIFI card, NVME card (If 4x), etc. For a convenience, USB is easier. Regardless of many motherboards, adapters & Windows reinstalls I went through, heavy networking always seemed to make my USB DAC's unhappy.

 

[ZolaIII]

Well EMI rejection rate is a lot and hard to get (power and other signal like WiFi - RF... emitter). I really (high) hope designer's will take more care both regarding used enclosure materials and placement - separation rules in the future.

 

[ThatM1key]

You dont have to like every comment

 

[Soniclife]

Hi Guys,
I have an Acer Aspire TC-895 PC running windows 11. I have a Zero 09 version dac/headphone amp connected by usb. The dac states that it is 24 bit 192khs. When I go into my Sound/Properties menu the only options are for 16 bit audio! Does this indicate that the dac is not capable of 24 bit or the computer? If it is the computer is there a way to modify to achieve a 24 bit output?
Regards

The alternative approach to fixing this is to not care and just live with it as is, unless it's causing a problem. 16/48 isn't an audible problem if done right.

You could explore using decent software to resample to 16/48 compared to whatever is doing it now, probably the OS, and see if it sounds any different to you.

 

[ThatM1key]

The alternative approach to fixing this is to not care and just live with it as is, unless it's causing a problem. 16/48 isn't an audible problem if done right.

You could explore using decent software to resample to 16/48 compared to whatever is doing it now, probably the OS, and see if it sounds any different to you.

Nothing wrong with 16/48 but the problem is that USB DAC could be terrible. We seen multi-thousand dollar DACs cheap out on USB and the results were not pretty. Although in the review, the guy said "The USB DAC sounds very similar to the S/PDIF DAC with the exception of lesser bass response, this like with the rest of the amp might improve as it’s used however as of writing this review I’ve only used it for about an hour.". Maybe back then ZERO tried to get a good USB?

It looks like this machine started in 2007, then later in 2009 got improved.

 

[Soniclife]

Nothing wrong with 16/48 but the problem is that USB DAC could be terrible.

Or it could be fine, there is no reason it has to be bad just because it's older, and does not have modern USB. I'm mainly trying to let the OP know that the lower rates are nothing to worry about, if they are happy with the sound as is they are fine, any improvement is likely to be marginal at best.