1 Topic by dm21xxx (edited by dm21xxx 2021-02-17 09:46:39)

  • Registered: 2021-02-16
  • Posts: 2

Topic: Max bit depth is limited to 24 bit with rme driver in windows 10

On my RME ADI-2 DAC:
With any sample rate I choose in Madiface - max bit depth is always limited to 24 bit with rme driver in windows 10 advanced properies of RME ADI-2 DAC sound device
(only 16 and 24 available - 32 bit option is absent)
test screen on DAC show no bit depth for USB connection at all sad

Windows OS is regulary updated
RME FW and driver are last ones
DAC is connected to separate USB hub as recommended in RME manual
(Same issue if using usb 2.0 or 3.0 port on PC)

2 Reply by cyrano (edited by cyrano 2021-02-16 20:31:09)

  • cyrano
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  • From: Belgium
  • Registered: 2015-04-28
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Re: Max bit depth is limited to 24 bit with rme driver in windows 10

Oh, my. Some confusion here...

Bitrate is network, or streaming content. Like a 128 Kbps MP3.

8, 16 or 24 bit is bit depth. A CD is 16 bit, fi. And that's sufficient for playback. It's 96 dB dynamic range. Very loud. For recording, you might want 24 bit if you're gonna edit that recording later.

Recently, some pseudo 32 bit devices have surfaced. Yet a 32 bit audio DAC or ADC doesn't exist. It's not a lie, though. You can emulate 32 bit audio by using two ADCs or DACs. One of them treats the lower part of the wave and the other one the upper half. Some clever math combines the two 24 bit signals into one 32 bit signal. A big advantage in recording, if you have sudden burst of signal that exceeds the 24 bit range. Like in news gathering. In a usual studio, you don't need it.

For playback, none of this matters one bit though.

That's why the only two choices are 16 and 24 bit. That's what's available.

And even 24 bit is overkill for playback. You simply can't hear the difference. Even if someone invented a really new speaker it would be utterly useless as human hearing can't handle 32 bit dynamic range. Hec, we can't even handle the 144 dB dynamic range offered by 24 bit. The top is far above the pain threshold (120 dB) and the bottom is far below the noise that is present even in an extremely quiet listening room.

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  • KaiS
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Re: Max bit depth is limited to 24 bit with rme driver in windows 10

Sidenote:
There‘s no commercially available electronic device / amplifier with a dynamic range of 144 dB.

Still the 24 bit resolution does make sense, as there’s usable signal inside the noise floor.

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  • Registered: 2021-02-16
  • Posts: 2

Re: Max bit depth is limited to 24 bit with rme driver in windows 10

cyrano wrote:

Oh, my. Some confusion here...

Bitrate is network, or streaming content. Like a 128 Kbps MP3.

8, 16 or 24 bit is bit depth. A CD is 16 bit, fi. And that's sufficient for playback. It's 96 dB dynamic range. Very loud. For recording, you might want 24 bit if you're gonna edit that recording later.

Recently, some pseudo 32 bit devices have surfaced. Yet a 32 bit audio DAC or ADC doesn't exist. It's not a lie, though. You can emulate 32 bit audio by using two ADCs or DACs. One of them treats the lower part of the wave and the other one the upper half. Some clever math combines the two 24 bit signals into one 32 bit signal. A big advantage in recording, if you have sudden burst of signal that exceeds the 24 bit range. Like in news gathering. In a usual studio, you don't need it.

For playback, none of this matters one bit though.

That's why the only two choices are 16 and 24 bit. That's what's available.

And even 24 bit is overkill for playback. You simply can't hear the difference. Even if someone invented a really new speaker it would be utterly useless as human hearing can't handle 32 bit dynamic range. Hec, we can't even handle the 144 dB dynamic range offered by 24 bit. The top is far above the pain threshold (120 dB) and the bottom is far below the noise that is present even in an extremely quiet listening room.


@cyrano

Thanks for bitrate / bit depth  note - already corrected in original post

  • From: Spain
  • Registered: 2017-11-24
  • Posts: 5

Re: Max bit depth is limited to 24 bit with rme driver in windows 10

cyrano wrote:

Oh, my. Some confusion here...

Bitrate is network, or streaming content. Like a 128 Kbps MP3.

8, 16 or 24 bit is bit depth. A CD is 16 bit, fi. And that's sufficient for playback. It's 96 dB dynamic range. Very loud. For recording, you might want 24 bit if you're gonna edit that recording later.

Recently, some pseudo 32 bit devices have surfaced. Yet a 32 bit audio DAC or ADC doesn't exist. It's not a lie, though. You can emulate 32 bit audio by using two ADCs or DACs. One of them treats the lower part of the wave and the other one the upper half. Some clever math combines the two 24 bit signals into one 32 bit signal. A big advantage in recording, if you have sudden burst of signal that exceeds the 24 bit range. Like in news gathering. In a usual studio, you don't need it.

For playback, none of this matters one bit though.

That's why the only two choices are 16 and 24 bit. That's what's available.

And even 24 bit is overkill for playback. You simply can't hear the difference. Even if someone invented a really new speaker it would be utterly useless as human hearing can't handle 32 bit dynamic range. Hec, we can't even handle the 144 dB dynamic range offered by 24 bit. The top is far above the pain threshold (120 dB) and the bottom is far below the noise that is present even in an extremely quiet listening room.

That´s right. But there are some field recorders that have the ability to record 32-bit floating point WAV files. And it seems to work fine, at least for field recording and filmmakers.
https://www.sounddevices.com/32-bit-flo … explained/

Jorge

Windows 10, i7-6800K, ADI-2 Pro, Fireface UFX II

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