HardwareBanter - View Single Post - WTF is this on winfast nf4fsk8aa motherboard, wierd optical spdif ?

**Flasherly[_2_]** · February 7th 19, 07:19 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt

On Thu, 7 Feb 2019 00:48:17 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

So far I think I prefer the analog sound, it sounds a little bit more
smooth... but the optical is probably slightly better for recognizing
vocals... at least this was my experience when I tested it via hdmi on
laptop, which had a different audio chip I think, not sure though.

-
I run mine SPDIF through an external processor, an old hardwired
DBX(tm) compressor/expander box. The expansion occurs at a voltage
RMS input value, dialed in, whereupon the output is also dialed in for
an amount, or ratio, expanded (sometimes called "pumping" in audio
terms), at a setpoint for the former.

Anyway the SPDIF (processed at a higher sampling rate than actually
encoded or probably necessary) is hooked to a powered converter, from
there is first processed by the DBX, whereupon the DBX output is sent
into one of two vacuum-tube preamps, which follows through, duplicated
actually, for the final analogue amp(s - one is Class D, the other
Class A/B).

The duplication aspect occurs for a wet-dry Fx (between SPDIF and
non-SPDIF) comparison, although in reality it can tend to affect
frequencies as presence, depending on how they're dialed in against
one another through an actual Mixerboard for blending them.

As the S/PDIF carries of uncompressed PCM audio, from the software at
a higher rate than the RCA output, differences are subtle from an
A/B-perspective with perhaps gain output ranges as well to account.
Mixed or blended S/PDIF-RCA within the mixer unit there's possible to
achieve an shelving-effect on the upper frequencies.

Not necessarily a bad thing, but I've also 450-watts combined over two
amps and four speakers in two brands of reference monitors. Depends
on the output volume and mixing. I generally favor the S/PDIF and DBX
as source with a little wet/dryness from the RCA, depending on which
set of speakers I'm emphasizing: one set is 8ohm speakers and have
lower bass responses, whereas the other are 4ohm and have more
mid-frequency presence.

Bi-amping in a sense, although I do usually blend for close enough to
an equal sum perceptual output of power from both amps and speaker
sets;- both speaker brands, Polk Audio and Alesis reference monitor
series, do both sound musical in their in their own respective right.

For all that power (I've also a 115V unit for metering 200-watt power,
hooked into the output amp stages), where 75-watts is plenty for
"pushing it" when accounting, at anything higher, spurious peaks apt
to "clip" and shut down an amp for safe-state momentary recovery. Not
exactly bringing on thunder, but at 15- or 20-watt things do get LOUD.