What is "upsampling"
Posted by: Rockingdoc on 14 December 2006
Can someone please explain what upsampling in a DAC does please?
I have a USB DAC with the option to set upsampling, but as I'm not sure what it does, I don't know when to use it.
The DAC is used for listening to Apple lossles files in i-tunes.
I have a USB DAC with the option to set upsampling, but as I'm not sure what it does, I don't know when to use it.
The DAC is used for listening to Apple lossles files in i-tunes.
Posted on: 14 December 2006 by Jono 13
Upsampling as I understand is to increase the resolution of a digital recording by increasing the number of bits per sample or increasing the sampling rate or both.
The extra bits being the upsamplers guess as to what should be mid-way between 2 adjacent bits.
It is supposed to smooth out poor or low quality recordings.
Jono
The extra bits being the upsamplers guess as to what should be mid-way between 2 adjacent bits.
It is supposed to smooth out poor or low quality recordings.
Jono
Posted on: 14 December 2006 by Earwicker
It can increase the "effective" resolution. Some hardware makes a real pig's ear of it though, introducing considerable distortion, so proceed with caution. Best bet is software upsampling - there's a high-quality upsampler plugin for Foobar - but at highest quality and 192kHz it uses a fair bit of CPU power. It can, however, put the musicians in your room!
I use it occasionally with my X-Fi soundcard (I no longer own a hi-fi CD player), I can't remember what the plug-in is called, give me a shout if you're interested and I'll check for you. The card has a nifty bit-matched playback, so it will D-to-A at whatever sample you rate you feed it without onboard resampling.
EW
I use it occasionally with my X-Fi soundcard (I no longer own a hi-fi CD player), I can't remember what the plug-in is called, give me a shout if you're interested and I'll check for you. The card has a nifty bit-matched playback, so it will D-to-A at whatever sample you rate you feed it without onboard resampling.
EW
Posted on: 14 December 2006 by JamieWednesday
Rockin', is that the RA DAC? How is it?
Posted on: 15 December 2006 by Rockingdoc
It is the RA DAC-1, which offers 192 upsampling or bypass.
I previously used an M-Audiophile USB-DAC with variable upsampling, (which I think was recommended here), and the Russ Andrews blows it away. As it should at 500 quid.
I am not a Russ Andrews fan but I am so impressed with; the sound quality, build quality, faultless plug-and-play ease of use, and general aesthetics of the RA DC-1, that I may buy another one for my home system.
I currently use the DAC with my office PC, into a Tim de Paravicini valve headphone amp. The sound is so beguiling that I have been lingering at work to "just play one more" rather than going home to listen to my Naim system!
With MP3 the upsample is better, with Apple lossless files, I'm not so sure.
I also feed the DAC with a digital output from an ancient heavyweight Cambridge Audio CD3, which sounds best of all.
I previously used an M-Audiophile USB-DAC with variable upsampling, (which I think was recommended here), and the Russ Andrews blows it away. As it should at 500 quid.
I am not a Russ Andrews fan but I am so impressed with; the sound quality, build quality, faultless plug-and-play ease of use, and general aesthetics of the RA DC-1, that I may buy another one for my home system.
I currently use the DAC with my office PC, into a Tim de Paravicini valve headphone amp. The sound is so beguiling that I have been lingering at work to "just play one more" rather than going home to listen to my Naim system!
With MP3 the upsample is better, with Apple lossless files, I'm not so sure.
I also feed the DAC with a digital output from an ancient heavyweight Cambridge Audio CD3, which sounds best of all.