16 Bit vs. 24 Bit for Mac OSX
Can a Mac, or specifically an IMac, be configured for 16bit 44.1khz via USB?
I've an IMac 20 that I'm using with a Benchmark DAC1. I've noticed the following -
When opening up the Midi/Audio Interface Application and selecting "Built in Input" and setting it to 16/44.1, it appears it's sending 16/44.1 to my DAC. I'm well familiar with the sound of 16/44.1 compared to 24/44.1 from my experience with my PC using Foobar, and the sound appears to be 16 bit coming from the IMac. When I select the Benchmark Dac1 under "Output Device Settings" in the Midi, the IMac then appears to revert to 24/44.1, as is set under the output device options.
My curiousity is that the Midi setting is for "Built in Input" not output. Further, the output settings are still 24/44.1 with the Benchmark as the default output device, I've only selected the Input settings options to change them. Am I confusing anything here? When the input settings are chosen, no output settings are listed at all within the menu, so there's nothing to alter there unless I go back to the pulldown menu and select the output device again.
Sorry if I'm not explaining this well, but basically I've found 16/44.1 to be preferrable for redbook lossless. I'm not a big fan of the extra sound stage and bloom that 24/44.1 offers over the original 16bit source material as it's recorded.
Steve (Audioengr), if you catch this post, you suggested setting Output on the Mac to 24/44.1 for true bit perfect. But when I select Input device and set it to 16/44.1, it definitely sounds like 16 bit and to my ears appears to be bit perfect as well.