Good analog and good digital converge?

**anthonyTD** · 13-04-2018, 14:33

But thats just it, it used to be well accepted that if you analyse a sign wave' which was originaly derived from a digital source" that one would be able to see a step formation withing the trace of the analogue signal, this has long since been found to be a myth, but I understand where your coming from as far as the digital side is concerned.

Originally Posted by Bigman80

How very interesting. I seriously think it's all about the missing bits in the waveform that the digital "guesses' at.

Bigman80 · 13-04-2018, 14:40

Originally Posted by anthonyTD

But thats just it, it used to be well accepted that if you analyse a sign wave' which was originaly derived from a digital source" that one would be able to see a step formation withing the trace of the analogue signal, this has long since been found to be a myth, but I understand where your coming from as far as the digital side is concerned.

Don't get me wrong, the improvements I have made here, make digital sources quite enjoyable but when the Vinyl goes on, it's like another level entirely. I've approached digital with the mentality of just trying to enjoy what it does and that's give me access to a really large library of music. If I like something I hear, I'll buy it on vinyl.

**anthonyTD** · 13-04-2018, 15:28

I have had many diffrent CD players in my system over the years, and the one that I always come back to as my main player is from 1989, at the time it was classed as the first Hi end CD player, IMHO Still very hard to beat today, it just seems to me that although the technical side of digital has vastly improved, it has been at the expense of musicality!

Originally Posted by Bigman80

Don't get me wrong, the improvements I have made here, make digital sources quite enjoyable but when the Vinyl goes on, it's like another level entirely. I've approached digital with the mentality of just trying to enjoy what it does and that's give me access to a really large library of music. If I like something I hear, I'll buy it on vinyl.

**struth** · 13-04-2018, 15:39

Originally Posted by anthonyTD

I have had many diffrent CD players in my system over the years, and the one that I always come back to as my main player is from 1989, at the time it was classed as the first Hi end CD player, IMHO Still very hard to beat today, it just seems to me that although the technical side of digital has vastly improved, it has been at the expense of musicality!

is it a secret?

**jandl100** · 13-04-2018, 15:53

Originally Posted by Bigman80

How very interesting. I seriously think it's all about the missing bits in the waveform that the digital "guesses' at.

There is nothing missing.
Digitally recorded waveforms are mathematically identical to the original analog waveform.
No ifs or buts, I'm afraid, that is how the physics works.
Any differences with analog playback are down to analog playback distortions.
Sorry, but mathematically that is just the way it is. Digital sampling is an exact and precisely defined science.
Any "improvements" in analog are distortions.

**Clive** · 13-04-2018, 15:55

Do all DACs sound the same?

Bigman80 · 13-04-2018, 15:56

Originally Posted by jandl100

There is nothing missing.
Digitally recorded waveforms are mathematically identical to the original analog waveform.
No ifs or buts, I'm afraid, that is how the physics works.
Any differences with analog playback are down to analog playback distortions.
Sorry, but mathematically that is just the way it is. Digital sampling is an exact and precisely defined science.
Any "improvements" in analog are distortions.

Mathematicians don't make music. If there's nothing missing, why have higher bitrates? I'm not being antagonistic, I just don't know why there would be a need for more bits if there was nothing wrong with lower bitrates.

Bigman80 · 13-04-2018, 16:01

Originally Posted by RothwellAudio

Don't they? Brian May has knocked out a few tunes

(Ok, an astronomer, but there's a lot of maths in it.)

Lol, there are mathematician/musicians of course but you don't find many in the recording studio, mixing artists material.

**Clive** · 13-04-2018, 16:07

Originally Posted by RothwellAudio

That's an interesting point which brings up a subject rarely mentioned in discussions: that distortion in digital systems increases with decreasing signal level, which is the exact opposite of analogue electronics. A sine wave at full output which uses all 16 bits of a 16 bit digital system might show no distortion or steps, but a sine wave 60dB or more lower would have nowhere near the same resolution.

Which possibly explains digital's poorer ambience and soundstage depth.

Bigman80 · 13-04-2018, 16:07

So, I'm sitting here playing Tango in the Night - Fleetwood Mac in 96/??? (Christ knows what it is) and compared to the CD, it absolutely shits on it. Deeper, wider and way easier to listen to. This is nearer to the fluidity of vinyl as far as I'm concerned

Can someone explain why ?

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