Audio analog-to-digital converters

The major issues in decisions about the architecture of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) for audio are discussed. In particular, some of the theoretical and practical issues associated with noise-shaping oversampling ADCs-single and multibit are considered. The approach taken is to look at ADCs in general, and then to discuss how the requirements of audio allow the use of one approach, and do not allow the use of another. Multibit oversampling noise-shaping ADCs are discussed in some detail because, at the time of writing, this architecture is increasingly dominant. Noise and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as well as other circuit-specific issues are not covered, except where they are affected significantly by ADC architecture choices.