This thread is dedicated to our two primary audio languages analog and digital
Analog signals and digital signals are commonly referred to in stereo systems. But what do the terms mean? More importantly, what difference to they make in terms of the stereo's performance? Digital is generally regarded as a cleaner and more effective signal, with analog slowly going the way of the dodo. But what is the cause of that transition and how does it impact the way we listen to our music?
The other question is, does digital have what it takes?
"Analog reproduces the subtleties and variances of sounds more readily, since its signal can vary in tone. For those who don't worry too much about extra clarity, analog can work just fine; it's done so for quite awhile without many complaints."
At first listen I would have to give analog the edge, but maybe I say this in haste as I am starting to find players that actually deliver more of that "analog" sound when tuned and made as variable as the analog sources are.
how do the signals work?
Analog Signals
An analog signal is a constant electrical signal sent through wires into and through audio equipment to the speaker. The signal is analogous to the original data it is copying (i.e., the sound), hence the name. It has proven to be an extremely reliable technology for many years if the conditions of the mechanics are good.
Digital Signals
Unlike analog signals, digital signals are not constant. Instead, they constitute a series of pulses, each the exact same amplitude and lasting the same length of time. The pulses thus create a binary code of 1s and 0s, similar to the way computers store data. They don't rise and fall the way analog signals do.