In my long and arduous journey towards understanding the ins and outs of hi-fi audio I have hit a road block. What is the difference between a DAC and a decoder? When reading reviews for Blu-ray players or AV receivers I often hear them talk about how they can decode Dolby True HD or DTS-HD Master Audio, does this mean they automatically have a good DAC as well? One would think that a device with the ability to decode the highest quality audio formats, would also come equipped with a very good DAC. Although I think I have a broad understanding of these two functions, I'm still a little fuzzy on exactly what they each do, and what the differences between them are. While I know to look for players and receivers that can decode Dolby True HD or DTS-HD Master Audio, how do I know whether my player or AV receiver comes equipped with a good DAC?
Also, where in the audio signal chain do you recommend having the digital to analog conversion done?
In my long and arduous journey towards understanding the ins and outs of hi-fi audio I have hit a road block. What is the difference between a DAC and a decoder? When reading reviews for Blu-ray players or AV receivers I often hear them talk about how they can decode Dolby True HD or DTS-HD Master Audio, does this mean they automatically have a good DAC as well? One would think that a device with the ability to decode the highest quality audio formats, would also come equipped with a very good DAC. Although I think I have a broad understanding of these two functions, I'm still a little fuzzy on exactly what they each do, and what the differences between them are. While I know to look for players and receivers that can decode Dolby True HD or DTS-HD Master Audio, how do I know whether my player or AV receiver comes equipped with a good DAC?
Also, where in the audio signal chain do you recommend having the digital to analog conversion done?