Dummies Guide to Pi2AES! Throw away your PC or laptop.

The AES standard officially only supports up to 192 kHz. However, it is not unheard of to be able to transmit at 384 kHz assuming both ends of the signal supported. The big issue to recognize is that at an over sampling of 128fs you get a clock rate of almost 50 mhz. This can be quite challenging for the receiving end to decode the clock from the data stream.

of course, this begs the question of is there any real value of 384 kHz to sonic quality. Personally I say no. I would even question 192 kHz, but that seems to be well established and most people are comfortable with it. That is, of course, just my opinion, and I am far from an expert in the actual hearing department!

 

Part of this for me is that I like the ability to use digital volume control and lose less data. Because I'm attenuating in an upsampled world, I lose fewer bits. You will be able to say what I mean using technical descriptions far better than I. The sonic impact of HQPlayer upsampling to me is largely that (a) I get to apply the filter & shaper that I want (which does have a clear sonic impact), and (b) I am doing digital volume in a world where we have far more bits to play with.

Also, @Michael Kelly thanks that's super helpful. Most likely means I'll need to experiment with AES @ 192 and 384 over USB and see in what cases I like one vs the other. Plenty of grist for my nervosa! Many thanks again.