How to play DSD

DSD is the best-sounding digital audio format in the world, but how does now play it?

[joeythedime]

I think, one of the best ways to manage and listen to DSD files is via a dedicated digital source / network player (these are pretty much specially engineered dedicated audio computers with high levels of internal noise isolation). Either with a high quality built in DAC or feeding an external DAC. I run a Cary Audio DMS 700 as my digital source, it's a high quality streamer, you can directly attach hard disks for file storage, access a NAS, has a built in high quality DAC and can play back DSD up to 512. Most digital sources can also be used as a pre-amp. There are some very nice higher end digital sources on the market, Lumin, AURALiC, Aruender. In Paul's rack you can see an Innous.

[jjarango]

I agree that the best option for the questioner is to use only digital files (DSD, via download) on a computer, use software like Audirvana, or Roon, or JRiver, to avoid the CPU interpreting the files, and take the signal via USB or fiber optics to a DAC that can play DSD, of which there are several very good ones on the market (including PS AUDIO's DirectStream DAC, of course). This is how I use DSD and the sound I get, as Paul says, is "glorious".

[budgethometheaterandhifi]

"We sell this stack, but your best bet at the end of the day is a computer". I love that, Paul. People will buy your stack just because of that recommendation. Cheers.

[DelmarToad]

Another great video & explanation. Heavy shame on Sony for making & keeping DSD so complicated & ultimately suppressing its market. I guess after they bought all those labels they developed internal conflicts? Sony made DSD & SACD such a huge screwup that the analog-only crowd still conflate DSD & 16bit PCM.

[arthurkillen]

An android phone or tablet, with the free Hiby Music app (or the paid UAPP app) will play DSD files in native format to your DAC. Both apps have settings to enable this. You just need the usb cable. It's easy.

[angelwars]

SACD is twenty plus years old and is based on DSD64. DSD is now most commonly captured at a bit rate of 256 so it's just going backwards to bung this stuff on a disc plus there is additional compression involved especially for a multichannel recording. The additional factor is (how many times does this have to be repeated?) most SACD/universal disc players convert DSD to PCM before 'analogue' therefore defeating any benefit the pure DSD has. Many players will allow DSD to be streamed out via HDMI but the problem is, as Paul has said, finding a DAC/receiver that will then convert the DSD without conversion to PCM.
The easiest way to play DSD is on a DAP. No conversion, no DoP, it just plays the darn file. Simplezzz.

[unofficialaccount]

I was thinking why I can't play my Direct Stream Digital audio on my personal computer. Thank you, Mr. Paul!

[odizcvw]

Download is the way to go. The Directstream DAC sounds like a really well thought out retail DAC. I like the fact that PS audio provides software upgrades to keep it current. Also, on the PC / processor front, it is easy to download free Linux and the bit perfect MPD player is included. Your phone can be the user interface with apps that talk to MPD. I use MPDroid.

[AllboroLCD]

Sonys UBP X700 & X800 model disc players are an EXCELLENT starting point! They can be gotten for less than $200 and play EVERYTHING. SACD & DSD files! HDMI out only though, so for budget non-HDMI DSD DACs, you need an I2S converter box that costs roughly $75
For less than $400, not a bad price of entry for DSD beginners ; )

[budgetaudiophilelife-long]

🤗 I saved up bought the audiophiles guide and the 💿 CD and I bought an OCTAVE RECORDS download and I play it with my iPad Pro 4th generation 🤗😎👍 and just an FYI for those on a budget 😢😅 like myself.. I bought a SONY UBP-X 800 M2 (which plays all formats VERY WELL) On sale for $200 US 🤗 and I also bought several ZESKIT 8K UHD 4K 120 hdmi cables 🤩🎼 for $20 US ….ENJOYING THEM AND I HOPE EVERYONE ELSE ENJOYS THEIR AUDIOPHILE JOURNEY 💚💚💚

[trevorjerue]

Well said, Paul. I recently discovered Roon can play DSD (via .dsf files) so I’m pretty excited about that over using foobar2000. I think whichever DAC you use will need to be connected to a computer via ASIO driver to best process the DoP stream. PS Audio DACs and some others have such a driver. I didn’t see it mentioned in the video and thought I would throw it out there. When I tried playing .dsf files last night in Roon without specifically selecting the ASIO driver it seemed to work…but might try using the driver next time.

Side note: The Perfectwave SACD transport is incredible, but for this question have to agree with Paul, DSD downloads + capable DAC are a good way to start.

[sean_heisler]

I download .dsf DSD files, put them on a flash drive, plug it into my iFi Zen Stream and they play great through my Denafrips Pontus II!

[ptg]

Excellent advice... Would love to see @Paul cover SACD and DSD decoding using external DSD capable DACs via I2S over HDMI and its implication on mixing and matching different brands of SACD transport and DSD DACs... The whole copyright thing is so bizarre for the 21st century especially when one can get DSD files legitimately.

[adrianserrano]

You forgot an all-in-one alternative. A DAP! (Digital Audio Player). I have an Fiio M11 Plus LTD compatible with DSD files and it is such a flawless and audiophile experience.

[richardt]

In my experience most SACD players have really good DACs built-in - it's such a niche requirement that it's kind of taken for granted that the person buying an SACD player is looking to buy a higher-end product. Marantz and Denon both use excellent DACs in their SACD players (unsurprising as they start at £1200+), and if you look around there are still some Denon Universal Disc Players (DBT-3313UD) that play SACDs with astonishing clarity (I use it in my set up, alongside a dedicated SACD player, for playing Blu Ray Audio, DVD-Audio and SACD, and the 3313 is always outstanding, playing back through HDMI).

[ThinkingBetter]

For DSD to succeed we need streaming services to endorse it and devices that can play the DSD data in exclusive mode (no mixing) to the DAC. The latter is the main reason DSD is not popular for streaming. All those "multi app" device where audio can be mixed from multiple sources are inherently optimized for PCM due to the mixing needs. If PS Audio could be so kind to push Apple, Microsoft, Google and others to endorse DSD to be better integrated in their future OS versions, we could see a revival of DSD. Personally I would love DSD as format for all analog recordings ever made when I stream music. Analog mastered recordings should exist as native DSD master while digital mastered recordings should exist as native PCM master being seamlessly available in the same streaming service with zero lossy transcoding or compression.

[mddawson]

The SMSL DP5 (up to DSD256) or Eweat DMP20 or DMP50 (up to DSD512) DAC/media players will play DSD streams or DSD files off USB sticks and portable hard drives (also inbuilt hard drives for the Eweats').

[Poraqui]

SACD players may have an advantage over the DSD DAC route. Because of the way that recording in DSD works, noise shaping has to be implemented in order to "transfer" the noise generated in the audible band to 22khz plus frequencies. Usually SACD players have a filter (that, in some instances can be customised) to prevent these high frequency noise from getting into the speaker, being the tweeter the most affected by these. On the other hand, the generality of DACs sends the full spectrum to the amp and speakers. And this can lead to problems in the future.
Granted that there can be some audio information in those high frequencies, but in most DSD64 recordings, what I see is noise, so having the filter in the player might still be a useful thing, especially if you don't have amps and speakers that are rated to handle 50-100khz frequencies.

[robertspringer]

Thanks Paul for your spinning head, I thought I was the only one.

[barney]

NOW I understand what's going on.
Some guys at Sony are bottle necking quality audio and dripping it out over decades to eke out as much $ as they can over something we can't actually discern but if we have to impress colleagues and high school friends with how much money we spend we can bedazzle them with unintelligible babblegab metrics all so we can play a mono Beatles recording of Love Me Do all over again.... but tens of thousands of dollars later and that's what "Trickle Down Economy" really amounts to.
Thank you Ronald Raygun for squeezing us into poverty. Nice job.