Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site moncol.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxj!houxm!vax135!petsd!moncol!ben
From: ben@moncol.UUCP (Bennett Broder)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Sony vs Phillips
Message-ID: <169@moncol.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 23-Jan-85 23:32:55 EST
Article-I.D.: moncol.169
Posted: Wed Jan 23 23:32:55 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 25-Jan-85 21:06:39 EST
Organization: Monmouth College, West Long Branch, NJ 07764
Lines: 20


With all the talk on the net recently about CD sampling rates, I have
wondered why nobody has brought up the question of sampling accuracy.
I have read in audio magazines that there are 2 basic types of CD
players:  those following the design of Sony, and those following the
design of Phillips.  From what I understand, the Sony uses a 16 bit
sample, but the Phillips only uses 14 bits.  It seems to me logical
that the Sony system, which quantizes the signal into one of 65536
different amplitudes would have far greater resolution than the 
Phillips, which quantizes into one of 16384.  But I notice that many
of the high end CD players (like my Revox) use the 14 bit
system.  Are there advantages to the Phillips system that justify
the use of fewer bits?  Do they use some kind of 'trick' to achieve
the same amount of resolution?  I would appreciate a discussion of
the merits of these competing systems.

                                        Ben Broder
                                        ..vax135!petsd!moncol!ben
                                        ..princeton!moncol!ben