Squeezebox sound quality vs CD, and Panny XR55 info

[curtis]

So there is no improvement from CD to FLAC?

Since I was disappointed with the CD performance of my DVP-NS75H, I was wondering if getting a Squeezebox would be an improvement. It certainly is more convenient!

Are you using a digital connection...or analog?

Since I have my Squeezebox connected digitally to my pre/pro, with lossless encoding, the pre/pro should be seeing the same bits as from my disc player, which is also hooked up digitally.

As far as improving from CD to FLAC.....how do you improve an original copy? The player/decoder is where the improvement comes into play.

I equate the Squeezebox's improvement over a CD player to be just like any other playback device being better than another.

[curtis]

I am going to move this part of the discussion to another thread.

[Grayson73]

Are you using a digital connection...or analog?

Since I have my Squeezebox connected digitally to my pre/pro, with lossless encoding, the pre/pro should be seeing the same bits as from my disc player, which is also hooked up digitally.

As far as improving from CD to FLAC.....how do you improve an original copy? The player/decoder is where the improvement comes into play.

I equate the Squeezebox's improvement over a CD player to be just like any other playback device being better than another.

I'm using digital coax connection.

That's a good point,..why would a different CD player or squeezebox sound any better than my DVD player if the DVD player is sending the same bits to my Panasonic SA-XR50 via digital coax?

Are people finding analog connections to be superior to digital for CDs?

[curtis]

Are people finding analog connections to be superior to digital for CDs?

Depends on all the components involved.

Some CD players have better DACs or sound quality than receivers or pre/pros and vice-versa.

[Grayson73]

Since my Panasonic SA-XR50 is a digital receiver, it doesn't really have 'DACs'. Therefore, I'm already getting the best sound from my Sony DVP-NS75H via Digital Coax to the Panasonic receiver (unless Optical Toslink sounds better).

If I were to use the analog input on the Panny, it would go through ADC conversion which supposedly isn't good on the Panny.

Therefore, I'm not sure I can get much better sound out of the Panny with other players or Squeezebox unless jitter and other factors are making the NS75H sound inferior.

[curtis]

A digital amplifier amplifies an analog signal.....so it DOES have DACs to convert digital signals that are fed to it.

[Grayson73]

A digital amplifier amplifies an analog signal.....so it DOES have DACs to convert digital signals that are fed to it.

That's only if you use the analog inputs of the Panny (it goes through analog to digital conversion).

SiriuslyCold on AVS said:

It uses Texas Instruments TAS5076 (Six-Channel Digital Audio PWM Processor) and TAS5182 (Digital Amplifier Power Stage Controller)

http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folde...nt/tas5076.html
http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folde...nt/tas5182.html

The TAS5076 converts PCM audio input into PWM.

A true digital audio amplifier (TDAA) chip set consists of a TAS50xx PCM-PWM modulator and a number of TAS51xx PWM amplifiers as shown in Figure 1. At the center of this patented technology is the conversion of pulse-code modulated (PCM) to pulse-width modulated (PWM) signals. The audio signal is maintained in the digital domain right until the last filter before the speaker connection. No analog signal amplification is used, and the PWM signal powers the speakers directly through a passive low-pass filter. This allows the full digital signal chain to pass the high quality audio signal directly to the speaker, without distortion from analog amplification.

[curtis]

First...you have to remember that is a marketing document.

The digital information has to be converted to analog at some point before the speakers. Do you agree that has to happen?

[Grayson73]

There is a conversion step, but its digital - PCM to PWM in the PWM processor (see attachment)

[curtis]

So tell me how the speakers convert digital to analog.....