On 12-08-2012 17:11, Ralf Mardorf wrote: > On Sun, 2012-08-12 at 18:02 +0200, Tom Gundersen wrote: >> The second case, where the total gain should be <0dB, I would have >> thought intuitively that doing this purely in software (especially on >> very faint signals) would be less ideal than doing it in hw (you'd be >> throwing away the resolution, wouldn't you?), but I'll admit that I >> don't have the experience to talk about that with any authority. > > It's a common misconception that keeping the level lower than 0dB would > lead to less "resolution". It depends to the sampling rate and bit depth > and less to the level control. > > Sampling rate would not matter to level discussions since it limits only the maximum frequency that can be properly sampled or reproduced. For the same bit depth a lower playback output level will yield a lower signal-to-noise or signal-to noise + distortion ratio, thus leading to the same effect of having a DAC of less resolution playing at full scale, so in a way you can say that for lower output levels you have less resolution. -- Mauro Santos
