TerryS;629480 Wrote: > But is it true that the distortion of a signal only 54 dB below full > scale will have about 1% distortion due to quantization error, or does > dithering improve this significantly? How much does dithering improve > the situation? > > I've never seen a good discussion of this. Does the book Phil > recommended above have some good information on this? If so, I'll > order it and give it a good read. > > BTW, thanks to everyone for taking the time to enlighten me without > feeling the need to question my ancestory as so often happens in these > kinds of discussions. > > Terry
Firstly we need to clear up the issue of dither. In audio, dither is added when REDUCING bit-depth - e.g. from 24 to 16 bit. It is done here to reduce the effects of quantization distortion in the 0.5 LSB (of the 16).... so that the 8 LSB's of the 24 are not brutally truncated, but actually rendered to something slightly less offensive and more musically meaningful. As to your -54dB signal = 1% distortion assertion... you will never hear (because it will be too quiet) a -54dB sound that is happening simultaneously with anything else - it will be completely masked. In fact I can point you at a track that has a Souza marching band buried at -35dB under a Bach choral solo - it is impossible to hear the Souza. Yes if you reduced the ENTIRE track to -54dB you will get that level of distortion audible if you turn up the volume very high on your amp so you can actually hear something. Bear in mind that tape hiss from a 30ips analogue reel-reel tape deck in perfect order was circa -60dB... -- Phil Leigh You want to see the signal path BEFORE it gets onto a CD/vinyl...it ain't what you'd call minimal... Touch(wired/XP) - Audiolense 3.3/2.0+INGUZ DRC - MF M1 DAC - Linn 5103 - full Aktiv 5.1 system (6x LK140's, ESPEK/TRIKAN/KATAN/SEIZMIK 10.5), Pekin Tuner, Townsend Supertweeters, Blue Jeans Belden Digital,Kimber 8TC Speaker & Chord Signature Plus Interconnect cables Stax4070+SRM7/II phones Kitchen Boom, Outdoors: SB Radio, Harmony One remote for everything. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Phil Leigh's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=85 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=87175 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
