Maximum PCM Bit Depth
Maximum PCM bit depth is the highest PCM word length a device accepts or passes in its supported audio path.
It is measured in bits and is separate from sample rate. The product-wide maximum does not imply that every interface supports that word length.
Maximum PCM Bit Depth — Upscaler
For an upscaler, this figure describes a supported PCM signal word length. It should not be substituted for the numerical precision used inside its processing or digital filters.
Compare the relevant input and output path and its sample-rate conditions. A high internal arithmetic precision does not prove acceptance of an equally long input word. Increasing output word length does not recreate information absent from the source recording.
Maximum PCM Bit Depth — USB Reclocker
For a USB reclocker, the bit-depth maximum describes the PCM word length supported by its digital transfer path. It is separate from the highest sample rate or DSD format.
Compare the interface and receiving device’s limits. A lower-capacity output may not support the overall maximum, and a USB data-speed label does not itself state PCM bit depth. Keep the supported signal format distinct from any oscillator or processing specification.
Maximum PCM Bit Depth — Equalizer
For a digital equalizer, maximum PCM word length describes the supported digital audio signal, not necessarily its internal DSP precision. The active interface or mode can impose additional restrictions.
Compare the input and output formats needed by the system, including sample rate. A processing engine using more bits does not automatically accept that word length at its connectors. Analogue equalizer inputs do not have a PCM bit-depth specification.