24/96 (HIRES files for playback...)

[st8v8n]

Bit depth: Rockbox will decode all formats to as high a bit depth as possible for both lossy and lossless formats. All internal processing is also done at 32 bits bit depth. However, all current targets truncate to 16 bits at the output. This can be fixed if someone cares enough about it to do some programming, but the DACs in current targets really aren't good enough for this to make much sense.

anybody please tell me is this the reason why i always feel better with rockbox sound quality(an old topic  talking about this.. http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php?topic=6139.0 )

sorry for off topic...

~~

[soap]

Is there any reason to believe this device does anything other than use the iPod as a USB hard drive and get track info from the iPod database file?
I, personally, find this easier to believe than a super-secret way to stream high-bitrate audio through the USB port.

[saratoga]

anybody please tell me is this the reason why i always feel better with rockbox sound quality(an old topic  talking about this.. http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php?topic=6139.0 )

Its not.

[dreamlayers]

I looked at some info online just for amusement purposes.  I wouldn't actually want to get any of those things or develop support for them; I just find it amusing to see how "audiophile" products get hyped and marketed using pseudoscience.  In some cases, I'd find it more respectable if they asked you to send a lot of money and promised to in return bless your music so it sounds better.  At least then they'd make it clear that they're not making scientific claims.  Anyways...

The Wadia iTransport can apparently get digital data from the iPod Classic and the newer nanos.  I suppose they are able to output SPDIF and it's just an overpriced dock.  For other iPods (the ones supported by Rockbox), it goes into "extended interface mode" where the "click wheel interface" is not available.  That means they haven't been able to get digital audio out from those iPods, and so they just use the iPod as a USB mass storage device.  In this mode you get a horrid simplistic interface:  you can either continue playing what you were playing via the iPod's interface or you can play everything in all tracks mode.  Here's a PDF FAQ and PDF manual.  Here's a page with some low res pics of the insides, and some ridiculous mods.  Oh, and the thing is not HIRES:  I read that it always outputs 16 bit and 44.1 kHz!

If you want digital out from earlier iPods, you need another overpriced gadget, the MSB iLink.  The iPod needs to be modded for that.  I guess they connect I2S to dock pins.

The only reasonable related task that I can think of is support for streaming audio to a USB audio device.  That would allow both reasonable use, like streaming to USB wireless headphones, and unreasonable use, like streaming to a USB audio device which is built from vacuum tubes instead of solid state electronics.

[Lornecherry]

First, let me state that I'm not trying to invade your space with an audiophile nose-in-the-air attitude. $1500 is certainly not excessive with respect to a music server (with a DAC and headphone amp (which is what the Wadia system actually is.) What it is not, is a glorified ipod doc with a Wadia nameplate. And the Wadia doc is not $1500 ...it's $379 ...the matching DAC and built-in Ray Samuels headphone amp is $1500.

Secondly, commenting on the sound of a system or device without hearing that device elicits very little in the way of constructive criticism. Quite simply, the Wadia/ipod combination replaces a fairly high-end CD player in its functionality and sound quality. If you do get the chance to listen to the Wadia tapped into a decent sound system, it may well change your opinion of both what is possible on the ipod and the need for CD player whatsoever. It's that good.

Taking it to 24/96 is simply the next logical step; hence my questions here. That would allow DVD-A and vinyl ripping. With 100's of LPs this is not a silly fascination, but rather an attempt to get high-end sound on a portable device.

Again, I'm sorry if I ruffled a few feathers ... I'm simply questing for the best sound possible, as I know the capabilities of portable music are just beginning to be realized with devices such as the Wadia, the iMod and the various headphone amps that are becoming quite popular. - Lorne

[saratoga]

First, let me state that I'm not trying to invade your space with an audiophile nose-in-the-air attitude. $1500 is certainly not excessive with respect to a music server (with a DAC and headphone amp (which is what the Wadia system actually is.) What it is not, is a glorified ipod doc with a Wadia nameplate. And the Wadia doc is not $1500 ...it's $379 ...the matching DAC and built-in Ray Samuels headphone amp is $1500.

With all due respect, if you pay that much for a DAC, you're probably being ripped off.  High quality 24 bit DACs in this frequency range cost dollars, not hundreds of dollars.  Delivering a few mAs worth of current at low frequencies with 100dB of SNR is not a particularly expensive proposition given modern IC costs.

Again, I'm sorry if I ruffled a few feathers ... I'm simply questing for the best sound possible, as I know the capabilities of portable music are just beginning to be realized with devices such as the Wadia, the iMod and the various headphone amps that are becoming quite popular. - Lorne

I don't think you've ruffled any feathers, and I'd certainly welcome support for a device like this if someone provided the code.  Its just amusing that people buy junk like this, thats all. 

For kicks though, if you've got one these things, you should run RMAA on it and see just how well it works.

[ElEsido]

Excuse my question, if this has already been mentioned i didn't find the relevant post.

What quality is being put through optical out of a rockboxed iriver H1xx when you play a 24/96 or a 24/192 lossless file?

Thanks
ElEsido

[nc8000]

Excuse my question, if this has already been mentioned i didn't find the relevant post.

What quality is being put through optical out of a rockboxed iriver H1xx when you play a 24/96 or a 24/192 lossless file?

Thanks
ElEsido

I would also love to know the answer to this as I have tried to download som 24/192 flac files from Linn Records and they play fine in RockBox on the H140 but what is actually output on the optical out, 16/44 or full 24/192 or something else ?
This is feeding the optical in on the iBasso D1 and soon iBasso D10 dac/heaphone amp combos.

[Febs]

Read the second post of this thread.

[ElEsido]

The second post of this thread talks about "the output" and "all current targets [note: I believe this means the players?] truncate to 16 bits at the output" So please help me understand if the following is correct:


File --> Internal DAC of the Player --> Internal Amp of the Player
      \
        --> Optical Out SPDIF  --> External DAC  --> External Amp

What Rockbox sends to either the internal DAC or the Optical Out is a 16bit signal which is in any case resampled to 44100? Or is a higher bitrate/frequency signal sent to Optical out while the internal dacs of the targets cut it down to 16bit?

[nc8000]

Read the second post of this thread.

I did read that but need the same clarification as ElEsido since many external dacs can handle better than 16/44, and anyway that post is getting on for being nearly a year old so something could have changed or has no development happened on RockBox for nearly a year 

[Chronon]

The Rockbox playback engine currently resamples everything to 16-bit/44.1KHz Stereo - because it was written for the iriver H1x0/H3x0 which can only handle that samplerate.

The DACs in the ipod should be capable of a range of samplerates up to 96KHz, as well as 24-bit output.  But the playback engine needs adapting to use it.

As far as I know it's this 16bit/44.1kHz Stereo data that's sent to both the internal DAC and the digital line out. 

I'll leave the quote.  But please note this is an old post and I'm not sure what has changed since then.  To be sure about this you should follow Llorean's advice below. 

anyway that post is getting on for being nearly a year old so something could have changed or has no development happened on RockBox for nearly a year 

nc8000, I hope I don't need to point out the logical fallacy in what you posted.

[Llorean]

Why don't you plug it into something and listen to it to see if it outputs at the right bit/samplerate? Surely you ought to be able to hear the difference easily, if this matters so much. And if you can't hear the difference, why does it? Honestly, I think that since the digital output is before the DAC it can be at higher bit and sample rates, but I'm not certain and in the time you guys have spent asking about it, you could've taken five seconds and checked.

As for whether Rockbox has been developed in the last year in a way that may have changed this: There's a changelog. It's updated constantly. One thing that definitely isn't our job is to go and read through the changelog for you. Nobody can keep track of all the changes of Rockbox because there are many people working on it. If you want to know if something has changed, spend your own time reading the change log. Please don't ask or expect us to do it for you.

[nc8000]

Sorry to have bothered you lot. With such arrogant and selfrightous pricks like you I see the folly in ever coming here in the first place and will make sure never to do so again.  

[Llorean]

I'm sorry that you chose to misinterpret it as such. It was an honest answer meant to generaly point you in the right direction, and it really is unreasonable to expect someone else to research and repeat for you updates that are already posted publicly.