Why the difference? No, not amps.

[tvrgeek]

The main difference I find is higher levels using spdif or ip network inputs to my receivers vs HDMI. HDMI definitely has lower signal levels in my setups. Don't know why that is. And what I mean by levels is, I have to run higher volume to get the same SPL.

That would be something is using DSP to reduce the volume. Nothing to do with the physical transport layer.

 

[Chrispy]

USB, Toslink, Coax. In many of the reviews, there is a marked difference in performance. Why? Bits is bits. Is this a matter of the source clocking differences or the receiver implementation differences. How is it a couple DACs are the same, and very good, on all three? In many cases, fiber is an advantage as no ground loop and it should not take more than a half-brain engineer to keep host based noise from causing spurious bits, jitter, or dropouts. All are unreliable transports. That seems like it should change by now as we have error correction methods from the communications and computer industry. Heck, even 2 or 9 code into a buffer and then clock it out.

Experiences? Thoughts? Fixes?

Well reviews are pretty sketchy often enough, but level matching occurs to me first.

 

[tvrgeek]

Well reviews are pretty sketchy often enough, but level matching occurs to me first.

Not following you. What does level matching have to do with objective distortion and jitter measurements on the bench?

 

[Chrispy]

Not following you. What does level matching have to do with objective distortion and jitter measurements on the bench?

Sorry, didn't see the tests for each. Seemed a subjective comment.

ps but audibility?

 

[Killingbeans]

YES DAC reviews herein. Objective measurements. Not subjective reviews.

Links to examples?

 

[kchap]

What "world clock" Is that GPS, or IRIG. A, or H? Real time or do you sync a local Rubidium time base and have a "studio time" . They are pretty cheap but the PESHE paperwork was a killer.

Word clock. In the digital audio usually refers to a digital timing signal running at the sample rate; 44.1k, 48k etc. What constitutes a "word' will vary but N x 16 bits or N x 24 bits is a good start. Studios that deal in audio and video might distribute a clock that is some multiple of the video frame rate. I some experience of clocks in communications only an idea of the general concepts in audio and video.

 

[antcollinet]

YES DAC reviews herein. Objective measurements. Not subjective reviews.

Care to give us a link - where the difference is substantive (Audible).

 

[jsrtheta]

This is probably an interesting question for engineers and audio pros, who likely constitute a majority of the people here.

Not so much for consumers.

Now, show me a well-conducted DBT where someone actually hears jitter, and I'll perk up and pay attention. In close to 30 years, I've never seen such a result from valid testing. I have seen herculean, and expensive, efforts to "tame" jitter. I haven't heard it make a difference. Remember "Jitter Jail"?