Analog vs. Digital Speakers [SPLIT]

anime-dragon · Post by **anime-dragon** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 4:13 pm

since this about assembling computers, im looking for a good speakers, can anyone tell me the differece between analog and digital speaker? which one is betteR? and why?

anime-dragon · Post by **anime-dragon** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 4:20 pm

WHERE IS the EDIT BUTTON

sorry to double post, but im currently considering this speakers
-->http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/prodde ... LBS=fsweb5

tell me if the features are good so that i can use it with my audigy 2 sound card

narcted · Post by **narcted** » Sat Oct 18, 2003 4:40 am

anime-dragon wrote:since this about assembling computers, im looking for a good speakers, can anyone tell me the differece between analog and digital speaker? which one is betteR? and why?

To me, speakers are speakers. So just get a set that are decent. Only thing I really care about is the wattage and try to get as wide a frequency range as possible.

Aren't all speakers analog? Sound waves are analog. Essentially your sound card is converting analog input to digital for use by the computer. It then takes digital data and converts it to analog signals that are outputted through speakers. How Stuff Works

anime-dragon · Post by **anime-dragon** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 6:13 pm

hey thanks for the link, i thought there are analog and digital speakers.

anyways, i will check that site out. thanks again

jonmartensen · Post by **jonmartensen** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 6:59 pm

Yes, there are analog and digital speakers.

SS5_Majin_Bebi · Post by **SS5_Majin_Bebi** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 11:12 pm

narcted wrote:
anime-dragon wrote:since this about assembling computers, im looking for a good speakers, can anyone tell me the differece between analog and digital speaker? which one is betteR? and why?
To me, speakers are speakers. So just get a set that are decent. Only thing I really care about is the wattage and try to get as wide a frequency range as possible.

Aren't all speakers analog? Sound waves are analog. Essentially your sound card is converting analog input to digital for use by the computer. It then takes digital data and converts it to analog signals that are outputted through speakers. How Stuff Works

Sound itself isn't analogue. Its transport mechanism on the other hand, can be either digital or analogue. To my understanding (this is grossly simplified, BTW, I might be wrong), analogue sound is shunted to the speakers as a waveform, the same way a coaxial cable transports television signals from the aerial to your TV. This method degrades the quality a fair bit. Digital on the other hand is transmitted as a series of 0s and 1s, which results in better speaker response and clearer, sharper sound.

Am I right? Like I said, its only to my understanding so I could be wrong.

narcted · Post by **narcted** » Mon Oct 27, 2003 3:47 am

Sound is always analog. It has to be a wave. True, how the the information is transmitted can be digital, but at some point the information must be converted to analog so the speakers can make the sound. That's why to me there doesn't seem to be any difference if your speakers would recieve the signal as digital or analogue. In either case the signal will become analog for you to hear it.

The analog signal will travel through three feet of wire, which could degrade the signal, but not by anything noticeable. Plus the source recording (the file) is digital. Also each speaker would have to have it's own Analog/Digital Converter. Consider that a sound card costs at least $20 and that's unneccesary expense incurred onto each speaker, IMO.

Can anyone point me an example of a digital speaker? I've never seen them. And if there are holes in my thinking, please feel free to correct.

SS5_Majin_Bebi · Post by **SS5_Majin_Bebi** » Mon Oct 27, 2003 3:52 am

Well sound ITSELF can't be classified as either analogue or digital, technically. But other than that, you're right. In analogue speakers, its an electrical/magnetic waveform, and in digital, its a series of 0s and 1s.

narcted · Post by **narcted** » Mon Oct 27, 2003 5:01 am

Yes, sound is always analog. The sound you hear is analog. Any and all sound that travels through air is analog. It is a wave. A wave is defined by a series of constantly changing physical qualities. That is analog. Digital is information defined as data in the form of numerical digits.

When people refer to digital sound v. analog sound they are usually referring to the source recording. A tape, for example, records the waves made when a microphone diaphram vibrates. This is analog. A CD is a series of 1's and 0's that represent values of the amplitude made by the sound waves when they were recorded. This is digital.

For graphic example see here.

SS5_Majin_Bebi · Post by **SS5_Majin_Bebi** » Mon Oct 27, 2003 5:08 am

narcted wrote:Yes, sound is always analog. The sound you hear is analog. Any and all sound that travels through air is analog. It is a wave. A wave is defined by a series of constantly changing physical qualities. That is analog. Digital is information defined as data in the form of numerical digits.

Sorry, not to be rude or anything (just a little stubborn) but I'm going to withhold agreement on this till you show me exactly how the human perception of sound fits into the category of "analogue". To apply the workings of an electronic device to the human body, while it may work in a crude fashion, will still only be a very gross simplification. Remember that as soon as the compression in the air is picked up by your timpanic membranes and passed through to the auditory centres in your brain it is converted to electricity and a form of "data", one that is "decoded" by your brain. Using this example, it seems that the human sense of hearing combines elements of both analogue and digital AND mechanical (the little bones in your ear move).... So which is it?