For quite some time, I have noticed that some nice systems have head units that feature higher bit DACs (above redbook... What's that value agian!?) like Denon (Of course, they don't make decks anymore.) and Clarion. I understand that w/ digital audio the higher the resolution, the better the sound approaches analog. Meaning that, the reproduction will sound better & closer to the original performance.
Is there any brands that carry this feature as well!? :dunno: Also, is there a notable & signficant difference!?

 

One thing to note, Denon still makes headunits for car audio - for info go to http://www.redmountainaudio.com They import them and sell them on the US market.

Many heads out there carry either dual 20 or 24 bit DAC's on them. (Clarion HX-D10, Clarion 9255, Sony CDx-C90, etc...) Others stick to 1 bit DAC's (Eclipse comes to mind). I think that you would have a hard time justifying one head being better then the other in a mobile environment based on just this one specification. The heads ability to provide a clean signal to your amps has to do with a myriad of design choices....not just the DAC's.

For example, people have often argued that Eclipse (generally known as one of the leaders for SQ heads) with it's 1 bit technology can outperform other heads with higher bit dacs.

A few people from ECA did do a test over at Image Dynamics comparing the Denon Z1 (one of the finest heads on the market today) to a cd transport/outboard ID DAC combo. Rick McCallum had purchased a Denon to go in his new car, and wanted to compare it to his old Alpine 799x + the Image Dynamics DAC20.

To make a long story short, they found that in a high end listening room, the SQ was significantly enhanced when the outboard DAC was used, and the Denon was listed for sale the next day.

They said that the whole stage was different and the listening experience was enhanced. One thing to keep in mind is that the test system was a full horn system, tube amps, etc....

Now you need to decide if these differences will translate into the automotive environment. Also, are you confident that your system is up to par to display such differences?

 

one more thing to add....some searching over at either carsound.com or elitecaraudio.com would get you some better technical answers about the differences concerning bit number and it's affect on SQ.