Digital vs analog differences and usage

[thirdworldking]

hey guys just wondering what you use most digital or analog audio

 

i would also like to know what the main differences are between them (pros and cons) and why people use analog or digital?

[mvitkun]

Linus actually answered this in a live stream,pretty sure it was 2-3 livestreams ago.

 

can't recall how he answered it exactly.

[MrSuperb]

hey guys just wondering what you use most digital or analog audio

 

i would also like to know what the main differences are between them (pros and cons) and why people use analog or digital?

 

all audio ends up as analog signal at the drivers of your speakers, headphones, etc.

 

The question only is where the conversion from digital to anlog occurs.

[MrSuperb]

Linus actually answered this in a live stream,pretty sure it was 2-3 livestreams ago.

 

can't recall how he answered it exactly.

 

Audio is one of the few things Linus doesn't really know too much about (at least he says that himself)

[MetEishYa]

Audio is analog. The storage of audio now days is mostly digital. For this reason  that's why a good quality sound card is needed since it converts the digital signal played by the ipod, computer, cd player to an analog signal which then gets played though headphones, speaker etc ie audio. If they say it has an digital audio out this is meant to go to a DAC (Digital to analog converter).

[t0wer]

The question only is where the conversion from digital to anlog occurs.

unless you use cassettes, 8-track or vinyl. 

[MrSuperb]

unless you use cassettes, 8-track or vinyl. 

 

*sigh*

[Kevinkt]

*sigh*

Cassettes are sooooooooooo good tho! not.

[Hoppa]

Any sort of audio file stored on your computer is digital, whether it be a loss-less file or a compressed mp3.

As T0wer said, "cassettes, 8-track or vinyl" are analogue.

 

Me? I prefer to have a digital cable connecting my digital computer to my digital receiver. As you probably know a digital cable (such as coaxial or s/pdif) only carry 1's and 0's making no loss from the original audio.

To me, using a 3.5mm analogue audio cable is like holding up a microphone and recording from the output and playing back what the mic listens to; there is a loss of information while transferring the audio to the speakers.

 

I understand that people say the audio is converted back to analogue from the receiver to the speakers, but I just don't like to use analogue plugs. To me they cause static and a poor quality sound (in extreme cases it can sound terrible). 

With digital cables you don't have to worry about bad contacts on the connection, like with the analogue cables which is another reason why I prefer digital. 

 

 

 

[ShearMe]

bad poll is bad

[Cosmos_i7]

Audio is played via analogue and stored digitally. I'm not aware of any digital headphones or speakers, if you think about it they would be pretty useless because they will only be on or off. Even if everything is digital through USB speakers the audio is still analogue, I'm unsure as to what you mean by the difference between digital and analogue audio.

[OddballMV]

A bit more research is necessary me thinks.  ;)

[mr moose]

I could write an encyclopaedia on the difference and what's good and what isn't. But I will condense for the sake of ease of understanding.

 

A really high quality tape (1" reel to reel, not cassette) will provide exceptionally good quality, not as good as HDD or cd but better than given credit.

I really like vinyl, but if you don't understand the art that goes into engineering a vinyl record then the appreciation is somewhat lost.

8 track, that's an american thing I know nothing about.

[Glenwing]

Audio is played via analogue and stored digitally. I'm not aware of any digital headphones or speakers, if you think about it they would be pretty useless because they will only be on or off. Even if everything is digital through USB speakers the audio is still analogue, I'm unsure as to what you mean by the difference between digital and analogue audio.

 

They would have to have a DAC in them.  And power.

[MrSuperb]

They would have to have a DAC in them.  And power.

 

There are many good quality active speakers with builtin DACs+AMPs ;)

[Glenwing]

There are many active good quality speakers on with builtin DACs+AMPs ;)

 

Yeah, I was thinking more of headphones :P

[mr moose]

hey guys just wondering what you use most digital or analog audio

 

i would also like to know what the main differences are between them (pros and cons) and why people use analog or digital?

Now I am awake, I assume your question is which source do you use the most? to which my answer is digital, because most of my music comes from either cd or download. 

 

If you want to know which one is better than the answer is still digital, digital (especially high bitrate or raw data) is the highest fidelity sound medium.

 

If you want to know what I prefer? well that depends on my mood, sometimes I prefer to listen to vinyl (complete with background noise and clicks). This one is not about fidelity but about appreciation for record engineering and the music of the time.