Audio Hardware Settings - Why is Sample Rate limited to 96kHz?

[steve.kr]

My project is in 176.4 kHz (32-bit), but Adobe Audition limits the selectable sample rates in Preferences > Audio Hardware to 96 kHz. WHY? My external USB DAC (Topping D90) can do what I'm asking no problem, and my Mac's Audio MIDI Setup app detects and allows me to select 176.4 kHz output to my DAC, but moments pass and it changes to 96 kHz (or 88.2 kHz). Why can I not select 176.4 kHz everywhere and have it stay there?

EDIT: I do not use 176.4 kHz or 32-bit because it's better or because I think I can hear better quality. On my setup, lower sample rates produce audible artifacts, espeically when working with massive multitrack projects. Even 24-bit doesn't allow me to avoid adding dithering between saves, whereas 32-bit makes quanitization error nearly impossible to create/detect, so I don't have to dither every dang time I save / export a file until final mastering stages for 24-bit and 16-bit files.

Please do not argue with me about 32-bit and 176.4 kHz nonsense because I'm on your side and I know I can't really hear more than 16-bits of dynamic range, nor anything much above 16 kHz.

[SteveG_AudioMasters_]

Okay, I'm guessing - but this sounds as though it might be core-audio related, and there are a few checks you could do. Do you have any recording hardware showing up in Audition? Have you tried disconnecting or deselecting it? Also, what is your clock source set to? If you've tried all this already, then my apologies - but on the face of it it has to be something like that, as Audition inherently supports any sample rate you choose, and even lets you use wierd ones if you want: