DSD Playback

DSD is the best recording and playback technology ever. But, how does one play it?

[laurelhardy]

Congrats Paul, on a very successful Montreal audio fest, according to many people, the PS audio room with the FR-30 speakers was one of the best room at the show, and for some THE best sounding room, well done.

[ptg]

To playback DSD files: If I use a computer/laptop, either PC or MAC, I use Audirvana.. Plug the computer's USB-A into a DAC that can decode DSD files (Topping, Denafrips, MarantzSACD30n's DAC input, all are USB-B ports). Works great. MACs are slightly easier as there are no drivers involved. If I load the DSD files into a thumb drive, I plug the thumb drive into my Marantz SACD30n's USB input for drives and off we go ! To play SACDs, I just pop it into my Marantz SACD30n and no other DACs are involved. May not be optimal but it works very well for my use cases.

[harrym]

Excellent explanation Paul, I always see your videos they are so enlightening for us -long time audiophiles- much of my questions have been answered over time. I'm also a Octave records customer, I love the sound of SACD. Please keep good work.
Cheers, Harry.-

[killacallahan]

Good afternoon, I agree with everything you said Paul, however with Hegel amplifiers they Only have two integrated in Hegel lineup (h590 & h390) will play/recognize DSD & MQA. (The top two) The rest (h190, h120, h95) of the integrated amplifiers Dac's will ONLY play PCM. USB & optical is 24/95 either net & coaxial is 24/192. With that being said, I LOVE MY HEGEL-H95 entry level 60 wpc integrated. The Dac sounds incredible. I do have an external dac for DSD oh and mqa if you're into that lol (Cambridge Audio Dacmagic 200). those top integrated start at $6000.00 other one $11, 000.00. and if the writer bought either one of these top of the line Hegel integrated. He probably would know the answer to his own question. lol

Thanks for all you do brother. I don't miss a video.

[Graphiaphoto]

Thanks Paul, love those FR30's behind you.😍👍👍. DSD files are readily played on a computer via a downloaded player app such as JRiver Media Center app for Windows, and Audirvana for Apple IOS, both are excellent playback apps and also there is ROON, a subscription based player/music management subscription based app for the metadata fan. DSD music file characteristics of high resolution are like going from 720p to 4K TV. A DAC is required to process the DSD file and pass it thru to your pre-amp and speakers or headphones. Collecting DSD files and putting a playback system together is like rediscovering music that you have been listening to your whole life but now you can actually hear into the recording.

[TheMarkRich]

I play DSD files directly from my Fiio M11. Works very nicely!

[kenblair]

Wow ! More confusion. Okay, I have a Pioneer DVD/CD player, that can play SACD. Currently, I play my CD's from the player, through a Schitt Dac, , to my stereo .Question, will your DSD CD, work in this fashion ? Thank you.

[stephenwong]

Don't think foobar2000 on Mac can play DSD. On Windows, it does.

[gilbs]

Does it make sense to purchase space-hungry DSD files if my device doesn't have native DSD playback anyway, and just plays DSD through PCM? Is it any better than directly playing PCM versions of the same albums?

[erica]

I use Volumio on a Raspberry Pi with a Topping D10S DAC. It plays DSD.

[steveaustin]

I use a laptop running foobar under windows to a USB to coax ifi box. Plays them fine. I have to convert to 24/96 for my Cary DAC. Not ideal but works well

[ThinkingBetter]

This sort of user experience is similar to that of the Napster era. I still remember the excitement of being able to get online access to music and download it to my hard drive but also the disappointment of how bad it sounded 20 years ago. Seems DSD used online is preserving the sort of user experience from 20 years ago except now it sounds excellent. What we need is for streaming services to include DSD or master quality PCM. Latter already happened.

[paulroscelli]

My Hegel can handle DSD just fine I can see it play DSD64 did you send it via usb?

[martinfox]

One reason I use a DAP and headphones. Most DAPs handle DSD.

[loveDRAGONCON]

Your family makes fun of you because they have never personally been so passionate about something that they are willing to so openly and honestly share all of it, for free to the unfiltered online audience

[paulstubbs]

I 'just love' how Windows tries to understand files, and gets it's knickers in a knot over your DSD files, why not just send the stupid thing 'bit perfect', to where the user told it to send it, like happened in 'the good old days'.
This does lead to a pile of issues with audio on a PC, I just acquired Jriver audio soft, and it sounded different to Windows native, which is stupid, it's the same data, so there should be no difference. However I do note that my DAC's (smsl M100) display now follows the bit rate of the audio I am playing, rather than being stuck on '44' (44.1 K samples/sec) as it is with windows. 98% of my music is 44.1, so it shouldn't mostly matter, but it does????
Now what on earth 'it' does with DSD I don't know, does my M100 directly handle DSD, no idea. Looking around on the web etc has not enlightened me. then there is streaming to my Volumio

The biggest problem is Windows/Mac OS/IOS/Android processing the audio before it hits your DAC. If my DAC let out an awful blurb of noise when I tried an unsupported file, no worries, I now know and can look into it, but if it's (DSD etc) is being translated in the background (so the Windows audio mixer can handle it) before being passed to your DAC, then your multi thousand dollar DSD compatible DAC investment is waisted, because in the end it's actually playing 44.1 K PCM.

[MadGadget]

For Info all PS3s play DSD, only some play SACD

[Patriot-BOR]

And how do you export a DSD file to a DOP file?

[gizmothewytchdoktor-]

scary paul. this is eerily reminiscent of digital rights management problems.
is the cost of translation programs audibly worth it? is this really a better format than 96/128 sample rate wave files?

[phreak]

I put dsd files on a thumb drive and plug it into my denon receiver.