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D/A and A/D | Digital Show and Tell (Monty Montgomery @ xiph.org)

FL Studio · explainer · Watch on YouTube

Audio & video engineeringInformation theory & signal processing

What it is

Monty Montgomery of Xiph.org gives real-time demonstrations of sampling, quantization, bit depth and dither using real audio equipment, including both digital analysis tools and vintage analog bench gear. It shows that sampled audio is not stair-stepped and corrects common misconceptions about digital audio.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN calls it the gold-standard debunking of audiophile myths and the stair-step misconception, and recommends it as a primer on digital audio.

  • 15 people recommended it
  • 13 different months
  • 5 strong recommendations
  • first 2017, last 2026

What HN commenters said

  1. “might be the best explanatory video I have ever witnessed”

    Possibly the best explanatory video ever on digital audio.

    combatentropy, 2018-09 · Strong recommendation · in “Ask HN: Favorite teachers on YouTube?”

  2. “I wish I could force any audiophiles to watch it before they waste their money on snake oil.”

    Debunks audiophile snake oil.

    mhh__, 2019-07 · Strong recommendation · in “A Pixel Is Not A Little Square (1995) [pdf]”

  3. “These people need to be tied to a chair, have their eyelids taped open, and force-fed Monty Montgomery's video.”

    Corrects myths about digital audio versus cassette.

    SeanLuke, 2023-01 · Strong recommendation · in “Why Cassettes?”

  4. “This (11-year-old) video is the gold standard for addressing this concern”

    Gold standard rebuttal of stair-stepped digital signal misconception.

    sramsay, 2024-03 · Strong recommendation · in “Sampling: What Nyquist didn't say, and what to do about it (2018) [pdf]”

  5. “also made an amazing video response to the many responses he received to this article”

    Amazing video busting myths using analog equipment.

    hackingonempty, 2026-07 · Strong recommendation · in “24-bit/192kHz music downloads and why they make no sense”

  6. “Try watching this video”

    Explains digital audio and sampling.

    olau, 2017-08 · Recommendation · in “24/192 Music Downloads Are Very Silly Indeed (2012)”

  7. “It's worth watching the video in my references [1] - it's a proper hacker's view of digital audio”

    Hacker's view of digital audio and how it becomes analogue.

    louthy, 2018-05 · Recommendation · in “A 1970s Teenager's Bedroom (1998)”

  8. “I like Monty Montgomery from Xiph's explanation video[1] on Sine waves, sampling and digital stairsteps.”

    Explains sine waves, sampling and digital stairsteps.

    mc32, 2019-02 · Recommendation · in “The Vast Re-Education Program of the Superbowl Ads”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: sampling, nyquist, bit depth, dither, audiophile myths, xiph

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