Since digital audio works by converting precise patterns of numbers into sound, shouldnt all digital players sound the same?
In a word, no. Leaving aside the issue of lossy compression schemes which are designed to reduce file sizes, the digital code recovered from a disc or hard drive should indeed be identical to the original. However, there is a major caveat in this – each sample value is only valid as a representation of the original analog signal level at a precise moment in time. Anything which disturbs the exact timing of the stream of samples will give the correct values at the wrong time. In simple terms, it distorts the original analog audio signal so that the replay is no longer identical to the original. In technical terms this timing error is known as jitter, and it must be reduced to miniscule levels to ensure that the theoretical resolution of a digital system is realized. Once that is done, it is necessary to consider the process of converting the digital samples back to the analog signals which will be amplified and sent to the speakers for listening. This process is also prone to a range of
