Denon X3700H "sounds better" on 48Khz instead of 44,1 Khz - how to verify?

[anphex]

Greetings everyone,

I don't know what is going on here but upon switching the sample rate of my PC that is connected via HDMI 2.1 to my Denon 3700X AVR to 48 Khz from 44,1Khz it has a rise in clarity. I am super wary of placebo, so how do I verify this difference? I have an Interface an measurement mic. Dunno what setup would be best to measure this. I am using the internal amps of the Denon. I have heard that the Denon resamples some stuff internally to 96 Khz (a multiple of 48 Khz) and Audyssey runs at 48 Khz anyway (which I am currently using).

The chain is PC -> HDMI -> Denon -> Speakers. No other device currently included.

 

[delta76]

Ask a friend or partner to do a blind test for you. Without you knowing whatsoever they change the sample rates. You take notes on what you think better and compare after, maybe, 10 tests.
To make it even better, they can have random patterns like A, A, B, A, B, B

 

[voodooless]

If you have an audio interface, just connect a pre-out to it, and use REW to do some distortion measurements in both modes. If there is a difference, it wil show up there.

 

[anphex]

If you have an audio interface, just connect a pre-out to it, and use REW to do some distortion measurements in both modes. If there is a difference, it wil show up there.

Nice, so simple! Will report back after trying it out today.

 

[roladyzator]

You can also use RMAA to run more tests at once (THD, IMD, FR, noise).

 

[anphex]

Nope, absolutely placebo. It looks all the same in REW. Since I didn't know how Java/ASIO/Windows an the different sample rates interact with each other on two separate devices, I basically tried all pairs.

No difference whatsoever.

RMAA just crashed (just closed its window) on me no matter what settings I tried so I didn't bother.


MAYBE it's just that more audio samples/recordings are done in 48 Khz thus getting better restoration through the "matching" DAC oversampling restoration filter?

As I said, weird. Gonna have serious talk with my brain tonight.

But I learned that the Denon might have serious crosstalk in the surround channels. While having the fronts unplugged in doing preout measurements in the ranges of 1-2Vrms I could hear REW doing its thing on the left surround speaker.