All modern DAC/AMPS are broken

[Bullwinkle J Moose]

Why?

(1) They should all support USB Audio Class 1 and just work without drivers up to 24bit/96Khz like the Fiio BTR3K
(it even works in Windows XP as a DAC/AMP without drivers)

(2) They should automagically set the DAC's sampling rate to the sample rate of the audio file (Like the Micca Origin G2 on a USB port) so that a 44 Khz file does not play at 48 Khz, but magically plays at the correct sample rate without manual adjustment

They should then set themselves to the maximum "compatible" oversample rate
44Khz file should oversample directly to 352 Khz, or a 48 Khz file should be oversampled at 384 Khz without manually setting anything

(3) Different versions of Windows have different usable sample rate options
Windows 8.1 will not play any of my DAC's at oversampling multiples above 88Khz (176 and 352 Khz are not allowed)
Windows 10 plays at any sample rate the DAC can handle, but half the time it is set to a multiple of 48Khz when it should really be a multiple of 44.1Khz

(4) Special audio players or endless tweaks should not be required to get bit perfect audio at the correct sample rate

(5) "Most" Realtime / System-wide EQ's in Windows only works when running a DAC from the optical port
We need a Professional Realtime System-wide parametric EQ that works directly over the USB port so I can use the precision clock on the DAC itself instead of the computers clock
(optical and coaxial SPDIF does not sound as good as USB direct digital)

I can live without #5, but I wish my Hidizs S9 had 1 though 4
It would be the perfect DongleDac!

Any other problems with modern DAC/AMP's that I missed ?

I'm sure there are a few

 

[Veri]

You are confusing oversampling with upsampling, even when you feed the DAC 44/48k data it will still oversample within the DAC to very high rates. That's the nature of delta-sigma design..

I'd rather not force Windows to upsample to some maximum rate just because it's supported, and feed the DAC the original data.

 

[voodooless]

Your problems are mostly OS related.. most devices work out of the box without drivers in Linux and MacOS. Since the is doesn’t know the samplesrates of the audio played at any point in time, one rate to rule them all is choosen. That way you can even play multiple sources with different samplerates. Point 5 I cannot relate to..

None of these are the DAC’s fault. It just does what it’s told.

But tell us, how are amps broken?

 

[Mnyb]

I eq and use USB ? What’s the problem ?

 

[dpturner]

windows determines all of that? or is it the player application that exhibits those behaviors? and audio gear should cater to what windows does? i'm so confused...

 

[Bullwinkle J Moose]

I eq and use USB ? What’s the problem ?

Really?

What "System-wide" realtime professional grade parametric EQ are you using on your USB DAC for Movies / music and youtube?

 

[Purité Audio]

I use the PEQ in my RME dac, for music only the PEQ in ROON, or the PEQ in my speakers.
Keith

 

[Racheski]

I use Equalizer APO with Peace GUI in Windows 10. Why is it broken?

 

[Bullwinkle J Moose]

Your problems are mostly OS related.. most devices work out of the box without drivers in Linux and MacOS. Since the is doesn’t know the samplesrates of the audio played at any point in time, one rate to rule them all is choosen. That way you can even play multiple sources with different samplerates. Point 5 I cannot relate to..

None of these are the DAC’s fault. It just does what it’s told.

But tell us, how are amps broken?

One rate to rule them all is often the wrong sample rate
A DAC should play a 44.1Khz file at 44.1 and automagically switch to 48Khz for a 48Khz file (like the Micca origin does - but sounds horrible anyway)

How are amps broken?

Title should read DAC-Amps / not DAC's or Amps

They are broken because they are attached to DAC's that do not work as they should

 

[Bullwinkle J Moose]

I use Equalizer APO with Peace GUI in Windows 10. Why is it broken?

That's not a professional EQ, sounds worse than the realtec EQ, and gets in the way of just using my computer

 

[abdo123]

Really?

What "System-wide" realtime professional grade parametric EQ are you using on your USB DAC for Movies / music and youtube?

Equalizer APO. Works flawlessly.

 

[abdo123]

That's not a professional EQ, sounds worse than the realtec EQ, and gets in the way of just using my computer

what the fuck is a professional EQ?

 

[abdo123]

Instead of getting angry, read this thread instead

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...nding-the-windows-audio-quality-debate.19438/

Basically, Windows sucks for audio.

 

[Mnyb]

Really?

What "System-wide" realtime professional grade parametric EQ are you using on your USB DAC for Movies / music and youtube?

Equalizer APO

 

[Bullwinkle J Moose]

I use the PEQ in my RME dac, for music only the PEQ in ROON, or the PEQ in my speakers.
Keith

You lucky B*%$#rd

I was hoping for a great seamless software version for free

Too bad Microsoft would never include a seamless, high quality anything

 

[Racheski]

That's not a professional EQ, sounds worse than the realtec EQ, and gets in the way of just using my computer

It sounds great to me and I have zero desire to upgrade to different software. It's also free.

 

[Bullwinkle J Moose]

what the fuck is a professional EQ?

I'd like to see something like Fabfilter's EQ plugin built into Windows without adding popup windows that get in the way, and be SYSTEM-WIDE!

It's a great EQ, but not a system-wide realtime EQ

 

[Racheski]

What is the difference between "realtime" EQ and "non-realtime" EQ?

 

[abdo123]

It's a great EQ, but not a system-wide realtime EQ

it is system wide. if the application uses the system OS mixer then the EQ will be applied. Using the OS mixer is the norm, not the exception.

I use it for video games and spotify.

This is not an opinion, that is a fact.

it does anything you want in the digital realm except making filters. Can’t get more professional than that.

 

[Bullwinkle J Moose]

You are confusing oversampling with upsampling, even when you feed the DAC 44/48k data it will still oversample within the DAC to very high rates. That's the nature of delta-sigma design..

I'd rather not force Windows to upsample to some maximum rate just because it's supported, and feed the DAC the original data.

I don't believe I am confusing the two
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/dac-oversampling-vs-upsampling.201330/

While I have been known to upsample an uncompressed wav file from 44.1 to 88.2 or 176.4 or 352.8 Khz, I also think that the DAC should.....

1. Oversample at an exact multiple of the input frequency "regardless of filetype"

2. Correctly identify the input frequency of the file and adjust itself accordingly without foobar or any other adjustments in Windows

3. Working seamlessly without drivers on any operating system (yes, even Windows XP)