Bit-perfect test
It is essential to test if the Toslink source that is connected to the PowerDAC-R is setup to pass music without any
alterations. Alterations of original music data could cause serious SQ degradation !!
Alteration to original (CD) recordings could have numerous causes e.g.!
•Software volume control in streamer/player/pc music application!
•Equalisation in streamer/player/pc music application!
•Sample-rate conversion in streamer/player/pc music application!
•Compression in streamer/player/pc music application!
•DSP alterations in streamer/player/pc music application!
•Re-clocker devices in digital signal path to PowerDAC-R!
•Isolators in digital signal path to PowerDAC-R!
•Other devices in digital signal path to PowerDAC-R!
•Use of MQA (test) files converted to MQA!
•Streaming services you can’t test but they might do any of the above.!
•Other ?!
To make sure that music data is received by the PowerDAC-R without alterations you can use the built-in !
bit-perfect tester in the PowerDAC-R**.!
For this we have 4 wav test files (44.1kHz / 48kHz / 88.2kHz / 96kHz*) that can be played on your !
source (streamer/player/pc music application) to check if the music data arrives in the PowerDAC-R !
without alteration.!
This can only be tested with the PowerDAC-R in the muting volume setting (“-“ on display).
You have to wait until the streaming on PowerDAC-R stops (the decimal point “.” is off)
before (re)trying (next) track !!
Make sure that sample rate is correctly set before playback (in streamer/player/pc music application).!
Now play the track, when track play is finished a “P” should be displayed, if not then playback is NOT bit-perfect.!
The “P” will become “-“ after stream stops (“.” is off).!
You will have to re-run bit-perfect test if anything (any setting) is changed in your steamer/player/pc music
application.!
Download and unzip the bit-perfect test wav files using this link: pd-bitperfect-wav-files.zip!
* There is not enough CPU power left to check sample-rates > 96kHz!
** If you bought a PowerDAC-R before October 2021 you will need to do a firmware upgrade to be able to use the bit-perfect test.!
