Should we go digital all the way

Posted by Rodent [IP: 24.64.2.36] on May 29, 1999 at 12:01:32
Using Mozilla/4.05 [en]C-AtHome0404 (Win95; U):

In Reply to: Should we go digital all the way posted by Brad Broten on May 28, 1999 at 17:30:04:

What you are describing would actualy be a digital transducer, but maybe the practical question is: How close to the transducer should the A/D conversion take place?

We already know that 2 or 3 way speakers with individual matched power amps for each transducer ie: bi or tri-amping is superior to driving the speakers at high levels through a crossover.

If the matched amps are physically in the speaker cabinet it eliminates the endless debate about speaker wires. Similarly why can't the D/A converter also be in the speaker cabinet? Obviously it can and this would be a sonically better solution.

It's not a good practise to drive low impedance loads through a filter (crossover) at high currents at the end of long wires. But it comes down to this, it's cheaper.

To your computer comments: I agree, computers should not convert the signal into analogue in any way. Their D/A converters leave a lot to be desired, and they have no concept of ground isolation. These days they are fast enough to process everything digitally. IEEE 1394 (Firewire) and USB have the bandwidth to get the signals out of the PC in their native digital form. Conversion to analouge should be the domain of the Hi-Fi makers.

Rodent

Follow Ups:

Return to the new SMR Forums Menu

Design & HTML © SMR Home Theatre, Images © SMR Home Theatre cannot be reproduced without permission.  The images on this page are digitally watermarked.  New forum messages should be posted into SMR Forums v2 - http://www.smr-forums.com/

	The Web   SMR Archive