Tagged: DAC

Turning your phone down before a Bluetooth speaker or DAC often re-processes the digital signal. Here's what's actually happening, and when it matters.

Running a separate DAC off HDMI eARC in a home theatre involves compromises most installers won't mention. Here's what actually happens to the signal.

Your app says 24-bit/192kHz but your DAC's display says something else. Here's what's actually happening to the signal, and whether it matters.

Multiroom apps are built for speakers in rooms, not headphones at a desk. Here's how to get Spotify Connect, AirPlay and Roon actually feeding your DAC properly.

eARC is convenient but it's not neutral. Here's what actually happens to your two-channel sound when the AVR's HDMI board becomes your DAC.

Multiroom streaming almost never sends bit-perfect audio to every zone. Here's what resampling and format conversion actually do to the signal, and when it matters.

A built-in headphone output and a dedicated amp aren't the same job. Here's how to tell which one your headphones actually need.

DSD, MQA, bit-perfect, hi-res PCM — Nell Shaw sorts which digital audio format claims genuinely change what you hear and which are marketing noise.

What actually changes when you stream to headphones: service quality settings, exclusive mode, and the DAC steps that matter more than the app you use.

One box or two? Hannah Reid cuts through the marketing to explain when a combined DAC/amp unit is smart and when separates genuinely pull ahead.

Dave Okafor asks whether budget network streamers can genuinely hold their own against pricier rivals — and what you actually lose if you don't spend up.

Every major streaming service has quality settings that most people never touch. Here's what those settings actually change in the signal chain — and where it genuinely matters.

Digital volume attenuation has a bad reputation, but is it deserved? Theo Mensah separates the real maths from the folklore.

USB audio is more complex than a simple cable swap. Nell Shaw breaks down drivers, transfer modes and what actually matters for headphone listeners connecting a DAC to a computer.

Building a desktop headphone rig that actually performs means more than buying good cans. Jonno Fraser walks through the chain from source to ear.

The DAC chip is only half the story. What the output stage does to that signal — and how it interacts with your amp — matters just as much.

Network streamers, DACs, amplifiers and passive speakers can work brilliantly together — if you understand where the chain can break. Hannah Reid explains how to get it right.

Jitter, clocking and word-clock inputs: do they matter in a home cinema system, or is it audiophile folklore? Jonno Fraser cuts through the noise.

Hi-res, MQA, lossless, lossy — the format wars are loud and mostly confusing. Here's what actually changes what you hear through headphones.

USB, optical, coaxial or AES/EBU: which DAC connection actually changes what you hear? Eleanor Shaw sorts the physics from the folklore, setup by setup.

Do you need an external DAC? Dave Okafor explains when a dedicated converter genuinely improves your sound and when your built-in one is good enough.

Network audio clocking decides how much jitter reaches your DAC. Marcus Vale explains the causes, how to measure it, and which fixes actually work.

Roon, UPnP or a manufacturer's app: which streaming protocol sounds best? Theo Mensah explains what each does and what really changes the sound.

The NAD C 589 CD player pairs MQA Labs' QRONO d2a processing with an ESS Sabre DAC. Here is what that means for serious listeners and Australian buyers.

dCS debuts its first multichannel DAC at High End Vienna 2026: eight stereo Ring DAC implementations, discrete Class A outputs and 16 channels.

The Astell&Kern AK HC5 puts the flagship AK4499EX DAC chip, an OLED screen and a 150-step volume wheel in a $450 USB-C dongle. Here's how it stacks up.

Spotify's three-tier Premium plan gates lossless 24-bit FLAC behind Platinum in five emerging markets. Here's what it means for Australian listeners.

Astell&Kern's A&ultima SP4000T debuts at HIGH END Vienna 2026 with four vacuum tubes in a portable player. Here is why the design matters to listeners.

Orchard Audio's Starkrimson 25 Mono shows GaN amplification is still being pushed hardest by small specialists, not big brands. Here's what it means.

The Chord Quartet runs four million WTA filter taps across five FPGAs and adds a built-in ADC. Theo Mensah explains what FPGA reconstruction really does.

AKM's comeback is complete as the AK4499EX flagship DAC chip reaches Astell&Kern's US$450 AK HC5 dongle, the first portable DAC to carry the chip.

MQA's successor technologies are finally shipping in real products. Here's a clear-eyed account of what survived the collapse — and what's still missing.

HiFiMan's HE1000 WiFi and Arya WiFi make a planar flagship wireless by using Wi-Fi, not Bluetooth, with onboard R2R DACs. Here is why that matters.