Square waves or 1's and 0's?

It's 1's and 0's. A cd is basically a file of 1's and 0's. DAC is a computer that converts digital (1's and 0's) to an analog signal ... D to A converter. Data must be loaded into memory before the CPU can process it whether streamed from a computer or transport.

Ideally it should work like any program. When it starts, loads into memory before running. This eliminates jitter, complex synchronization between DAC and tranport ... Can you imagine running your browser or MS Office off a CD drive?

Even HD video is streaming with more data demand than audio. Netflicks almost bankrupted before streaming to compete with the cable companies.

04-03-13: Knghifi
It's 1's and 0's.

Kng, while 1's and 0's are certainly being COMMUNICATED between the two components, the references to the signal, and to the possibility that it might be a square wave, would appear to indicate that what is being asked about is what is being "sent" in a physical/electrical sense.

As you will realize, numbers cannot be sent through wires, in that sense. So when "someone says the signal is 1's and 0's and the next person (critic) says square waves" (quoting from Lynne's second post), they are both wrong.

Regards,
-- Al

Square wave is a generic term for a non-continuously changing voltage signal. It changes in discrete steps. It does not necessarily mean a repetitive signal or actually square. IF it were repetitive, then it is a digital oscillation, also known as a clock. Because even clocks have non-50% duty cycles, even clocks are not actually "square".

1's and 0's are defined as: the high state of the signal is "1" and the low state of the signal is "0". the high and low can be defined as any voltage depending on the logic family and physical interface.

All digital voltage signals actually contain analog components since they do not switch in zero time from 0-1 or 1-0, and because drivers and transmission-lines are not perfect, there is also resulting overshoot, ringing etc..

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Thanks, Steve.

I would add to your comment, though, the clarification that the 1's and 0's that are referred to in your definition are NOT the same thing as the 1's and 0's which constitute the audio data that may be communicated via S/PDIF or ethernet, which are the focus of this thread.

Also, although your definition of a square wave is a reasonable one, it is a looser definition than many others would apply to the term, their more narrow definition also being reasonable IMO. See, for instance, the first paragraph of this Wikipedia writeup, in which a square wave is defined as being periodic, and as having equal durations in its two states.

Regards,
-- Al

Its not sending an exact square wave, but it sends the signal as an analog waveform.

So anyone who says 'square wave' is about 1000x more accurate than the person who says 1s & 0s.