Is there a way to know if one ADC is better than another?

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fgplayerx
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Is there a way to know if one ADC is better than another?

Post by fgplayerx » Sat Oct 25, 2014 4:17 pm

Appart from the specs,

Is there a practical way to decide if one Analog to Digital Converter is better than another?
Last edited by fgplayerx on Sun Oct 26, 2014 3:58 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Tarekith
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Re: Is there a way to know if one ADC is better than another

Post by Tarekith » Sat Oct 25, 2014 6:53 pm

Other than listening?

If you don't trust the specs or reviews you can find online, I don't know any other way.

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Re: Is there a way to know if one ADC is better than another

Post by fgplayerx » Sun Oct 26, 2014 1:52 am

Yes. But does it boil down to: "I like the resulting recording from this ADC more than the other"?

Or, are there tests that one could do to the resulting recording to define that one ADC is better than another.

I have read in forums that some ADC at 44.1kHz,16bit might be better than others at 96kHz,24bit.

What would make one better than others. Hardware? Conversion method?

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Re: Is there a way to know if one ADC is better than another

Post by Tarekith » Sun Oct 26, 2014 8:47 am

Hardware usually, how accurate it can convert to digital, noise floor as low as possible, etc. Some of it can be software too, more and more A/D/A units like my Hilo are coming with digital routing and sample rate conversion built in.

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Re: Is there a way to know if one ADC is better than another

Post by fgplayerx » Wed Oct 29, 2014 6:58 pm

So, in the name of science and in paper, which one of these two consumer products would offer a better Analog to Digital performance:

-Sonoma Wireworks Guitarjack 2 with the AKM 4556VT chip.
http://www.akm.com/akm/en/product/datas ... o=AK4556VT
Documentation states: 24-bit ADC, 24-bit DAC.

or

-Line 6 Mobile In with the NXP LPC1756FBD80 chip.
http://www.nxp.com/products/microcontro ... FBD80.html
Documentation states: 12-bit ADC, 10-bit DAC.
NOTE: There is a second chip with the markings NXP 380HN. And from this one I can't find documents. The Line 6 Sonic Port has the same two chips.

I have exceeded my quota but here are two pictures in dropbox of some of the inner chips and components of the two interfaces. The Guitarjack 2 is easy to open up. The Mobile In, well, was not so easy.

Guitarjack 2 and Mobile In side by side:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/vu5hx56ge0bza ... 1.jpg?dl=0

Inner components that I could identify. Guitarjack 2 to the left and Mobile In to the right:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/sn64xg93td01t ... 2.jpg?dl=0
Last edited by fgplayerx on Fri Oct 31, 2014 4:35 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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Re: Is there a way to know if one ADC is better than another

Post by Tarekith » Wed Oct 29, 2014 7:13 pm

No idea, personally I haven't used either. Either should be more than good enough for recording your guitar though, and I say that as a picky guitar player myself. Errr, no pun intended. :)

I have used pretty much all of the Line 6 Pod devices over the years though, and always thought they sounded great. So personally, I'd be more inclined to go with the Line6, especially considering the software it comes with.

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