Quote:
Originally Posted by brainwreck
Stews, got a link to that thread?
Strictly speaking audio, I think that converter quality is about the last thing to worry about after (in order) instruments, microphones, room, monitors, frontend (preamps and line amps) and output (line amps and power amps). If we haven't given great attention to the above, I think it is pointless worrying about tiny differences in converters.
Good performance of the system/interface is pretty critical, though. If you are getting clicks/dropouts/stuttering, the system/interface is pretty much unusable for audio. But here I think that if we haven't given good attention to optimizing the system for reliable sample throughput and low latency, worrying about which interface has the best performing drivers is much less important. That is, outside of issues such as a driver crashing the system.
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https://www.gearslutz.com/board/gear...r-ada8000.html
To give people the benefit of the doubt, it may not be that they're embarrassed about getting it wrong so consciously lie with the excuses. It could be more that they're unaware of just how unreliable our perceptions are (as many people are) and are so sure they're hearing a massive difference when it's not a blind test that they think the only explanation is that something else is at play.
I would imagine you're right that the converter is definitely at least one of the last things to worry about. Technology has just got to the point that even the affordable "prosumer" products are very good.
When it comes to mic preamps I've read a lot of great engineers swear they're one of the most important things. I've heard others say pretty much the opposite and that they don't make much difference. I'd tend to believe that they impart more on the sound than the converter but any time I've had spare cash and fancied a nice preamp I've never convinced myself it'd really make a difference.
I have vague memories many years ago of listening to some comparisons and not hearing a huge difference but I could easily be mis-remembering that.