2. digital
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What digital evolution?

I posted this as a reply in another thread, but believe it's thought-provoking enough to warrant its own post:

Is it really accurate that digital processing technology is evoloving (depreciating) quickly? The economics of technology don't seem to support this.

Unlike computer hardware which benefits from Moore's Law, and can therefore process more software at a given price point due to falling prices of memory and processor power, DACs are still processing the same 44.1 kHz software that is over 20 years old (not talking about high-res formats like SACD and DVD-A). DACs are not challenged with processing bigger programs at faster speeds that need more computer memory. Aside from upsampling, are there really improvements in D/A algorithms or other techniques that benefit from Moore's Law economics?

If this is true, good DAC design should remain competitive over time. Aren't the "best" DACs (Meitner, DCS, Weiss, etc) still competitive years after release? What technology is evoloving so quickly in D/A conversion?
skushino

Showing 1 response by viggen

viggen
838 posts
 
I feel every sentiments expressed here are very good.

My beef with this digital evolution, atleast in the stateside, is that we can't even get redbooks to sound right most of the time. I hope the recording industry can go back to the basics before brainstorming new formats.

Every new CD should be HDCD.

Ofcourse, for the recording industry, where is the money in that...

Regarding the evolution of digital technologies, I don't think you have too much break throughs in terms of DAC chips outside of upsampling. But, there seem to be many new implementations of the same building block from SE and tube outputs to Non OS configurations..

Digital amps are sure taking off.

Just a thought, I remember asking my teacher when I was in high school why computers didn't make better CD players than CD players since the computers have massive processing power compared to CD players. Yes, I was a budding audio geek even then.
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