Lonely Raven
Seasoned Member
Jack of all Trades, Master of None
Posts: 3567
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My DirectStream has a form of the Digital Lens buffer in the Bridge II network interface if I recall correctly. I'm not sure there is anything like that, software wise, that could be done on the PC. That kind of memory buffer (which is what the digital lens is) is something that usually gets implemented on the DAC....because that's where the jitter needs to be filtered out just before it hits the DAC chip. Doing it on the PC *might* help, but then you're still at the mercy of your interface and cable *between* the PC and the DAC.
For example, we do some sort of Memory Player buffering magic on the PC and reduce the jitter from 10 to 5 (just making up arbitrary numbers for my example), but then you go out an optical port and it's 50 cent (from the lowest bidder) converter, through your fancy $300 TOSLINK cable, and now your DAC converts it through it's $1 (from the lowest bidder) converter and it gains 10 jitter....your total jitter would be 15. Better than without - but your real goal would be to have that Digital Lens technology right where the data is coming in, buffer and reclock to reduce that jitter to my arbitrary example of 5.
Where a combo like the PS Audio Memory Player and DirectStream knock all the other systems on their butts, is because the Memory Player takes your data in the buffer getting you my imaginary measurement of only 5 jitter, then feeds that data directly to the DAC chip via I2S. I2S being the native interface of DAC chips, it doesn't need to go through any jitter causing 50 cent interfaces.
At least that's how I understand it. Ted Smith says it's all a moot point because the DirectStream ignores any clock information so the external jitter is a non issue....but then I wonder why the I2S sounds that much better?
Again, my point is all about Jitter - so in the end it's really your DAC that will make the *biggest* impact on jitter reduction and sound quality - but I still feel the better the signal is you can give your DAC to work with, then less it has to work to make it sound good. (shrug).
I hope some of that made sense. It's tough because every DAC does it's thing differently (at the audiophile level) depending on how the designer tackles their goals (and their budget).
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