Upsampling, up-converting and oversampling...confused

[Jud]

The question is whether it would be best to upsample to 192kHz on-the-fly or to feed the D/AC with the original 44,1kHz sample rate.

 

R

 

Likely neither.

 

In my experience, offline upsampling > inline upsampling > in-DAC upsampling. Using inline upsampling versus in-DAC, you can take advantage of superior filter designs permitted by the resources of the computer versus the more limited resources in the DAC chip. All else being equal, offline upsampling allows you to use the superior filter designs permitted by the computer, yet not have your computer working at upsampling/filtering simultaneously with wanting lower electrical noise while playing music.

 

Of course, all this may be more or less audible given individuals' systems. In your particular case, since the highest input rate is 192kHz and the eventual internal sample rate is 384kHz, whatever you do before the DAC will always interact in some way with that last in-DAC doubling step from 192>384.

 

As you say, you don't have the equipment to do measurements. So just listen. It's not a test, you can play around as long as you like, change your mind, whatever - eventually you'll find which you prefer. A couple of suggestions:

 

- It's essential in making valid comparisons to equalize volume. Otherwise, whatever's louder will sound better/clearer. An inexpensive and convenient tool to help with this is the SPL Graph that is part of the Audio Tools app. It's available in Apple's App Store; not sure about Android.

 

- You weren't there when the songs were recorded (I'm assuming), so what do you listen for? Variety. What makes different albums, or different tracks on the same album, sound more different from each other? There are always variations, track to track, album to album, even within a track. The more your system picks up those differences, the better job it's doing. The more "same" everything sounds, the more your system is imposing its own sound on everything, and the less you're hearing the full variety of what's truly on those tracks.

 

- Listen for what's familiar from your experience. Guitars (especially acoustic) should sound like guitars, vocals like human voices, pianos like pianos. As I like to say, no one ever walked out after a Pavarotti recital raving about the bass or treble response. If you're hearing "impressive" bass or treble, or gobs and gobs of "detail" on everything, then see above about what it means when every track sounds the same.

[audiventory]

I am always in favour of measurements but I don't think I have the equipment for that.

 

R

 

Measurements is not only equipment matter. First is methodics. Experienced engineer able get any results ... with suitable methodics

 

Jud detailed and clear described listening process. Light loudness increasing (1...2 dB) or light level's comression is "cool enhancing" of sound Acoustic guitars one of my favorite samples for testing apparatus.