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[hillcreative]

Just attached my new Benchmark DAC1 to mediaCenter 23 on UBuntu and it sounds gorgeous. The DAC1 up-samples everything to 110KHz then outputs a sweet analog to headphones or XLR. Question: any suggestions on what to set Output Encoding to? Currently trying 88.2 KHz 64 bit 2 channel. Source is 44.1 16bit 2 channel (linear PCM WAV files)

[bob]

Just attached my new Benchmark DAC1 to mediaCenter 23 on UBuntu and it sounds gorgeous. The DAC1 up-samples everything to 110KHz then outputs a sweet analog to headphones or XLR. Question: any suggestions on what to set Output Encoding to? Currently trying 88.2 KHz 64 bit 2 channel. Source is 44.1 16bit 2 channel (linear PCM WAV files)

I'm not an expert on this but you could try turning on the SoX resampling option in MC then use sample rates that are even multiples of your source material.
I.E 44.1k -> 88.2k or 176.4k
48k -> 96k or 192k

[astromo]

Like Bob, I'm no expert either but I'd set MC to do no encoding and leave the source signal untouched. If your DAC upsamples - great. Let it do that work in one step.

Keep it simple and don't mess with the signal more than you have to. I'd use MC for volume leveling / replay gain. That sort of thing - just the basics.

At least do a comparison and let your ears decide.

[hillcreative]

Thanks for the suggestions!
In other words turn off the Output Format and let the DAC1 do the upsampling and DA conversion.

[RD James]

You'll have to set sample rates for <44.1kHz and >192kHz, and probably want to set channel mixing to 2 channels too, rather than outright disabling it.
Enable SoX and TPDF Dither too.
 
You may also prefer to upsample everything to the maximum rate that your DAC supports if you play random tracks rather than albums, since that will avoid sample rate switching between tracks.

[hillcreative]

You'll have to set sample rates for <44.1kHz and >192kHz, and probably want to set channel mixing to 2 channels too, rather than outright disabling it.
Enable SoX and TPDF Dither too.

So sorry to ask but where do I set SoX and TPDF Dither. It does not seem to appear in the Output settings.  -Cheers!

[bob]

So sorry to ask but where do I set SoX and TPDF Dither. It does not seem to appear in the Output settings.  -Cheers!

SoX is in the main audio options menu.
The Dither is under Audio->Advanced. I have no idea what that does!

[astromo]

SoX is in the main audio options menu.
The Dither is under Audio->Advanced. I have no idea what that does!

Just shakin' boxes on planes apparently:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dither#Etymology


Each to their own but with the source involved:

Source is 44.1 16bit 2 channel (linear PCM WAV files)

I'd still suggest starting off with a minimalist approach and then making adjustments progressively and listening for positive change.

For dithering, I've left the MC default JRiver Bit-exact Dithering switched on. I've not done a comparison with the options. When I get the chance / inclination, I'll have to remember to check this out.

[RD James]

When you use TPDF dither it reduces distortion caused by audio processing. There's no downside to it.
That Wikipedia page goes into some more detail about it.

[akira54]

When you use TPDF dither it reduces distortion caused by audio processing. There's no downside to it.
That Wikipedia page goes into some more detail about it.

But the Dac1 has unbelievably good correction algorithms itself, so why mess around with JRiver? I would switch off any sound processing by JRiver and thereby enjoy what must be one of the best DACs on the planet.

[RD James]

But the Dac1 has unbelievably good correction algorithms itself, so why mess around with JRiver? I would switch off any sound processing by JRiver and thereby enjoy what must be one of the best DACs on the planet.

Dither is about eliminating distortions which occur before the audio reaches your DAC. It's not something a DAC can correct after the fact.
I also don't agree with the notion that all audio processing is bad. Something like JRiver's Volume Leveling makes a big difference to the user experience, and dithering prevents it from affecting the audio quality.