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Low Level Detail

"Unlike analog signals, distortion rises in digital replay as the output is lowered towards the noise floor."

I have read this several places. The one I can remember is Jim Smith's, "Get Better Sound."

I'm not trying to boost my particular system, but I would like share something I've been thinking;

A good SET amp coasting along at 100 milliwatts output produces almost no distortion. A good modern compression driver/horn combo produces ten times less distortion than it's direct radiator counterpart.

It's possible that when you get your system to ultra low levels of distortion like that, is when you can really start to hear the low level details in a recording. Horn guys call it "micro detail," and I think it's the same exact thing. It's why horn guys love their turntables. Vinyl, or most any analog format, has plenty of low level detail. 16/44 does not. Is the detail covered by the higher noise floor, or is it a matter of quantity of data? Or does the greater data push the noise floor down by moving it up out of the audible band? Ai yai yai.

Not saying any good system won't let you hear the difference, but SET/horns may just make it a little plainer.


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Big speakers and little amps blew my mind!


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