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.
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".
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.
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.
And another huge Sony screwup, Delmar, which many don't realize is this. When Sony bought Columbia Records some years ago, they simply did not release the tapes for remastering, etc. So they buy American music and kept it hostage ! Actually this was not a screwup, but just a way to make more money down the road.
Excellent summary, @delmartoad! Sony is the sole reason why SACDs never got to rule the market as it should have. Sometimes the producers are theire own worst ennemi.
@@joeb4349 i agree totally and not only that but is it any coincidence that the best SACD’s available for a given title are the Japanese import SACD’s? Just compare the Santana & Miles Davis Japanese Quadraphonic SACDs to their counterparts, no contest.
Sony owns a LOT of music, plus cross - pollination, between music companies. Not to mention Napster, when digital music, CD's, were first developed, music companies were very worried, paranoid, terrified, that if they released a, `Perfect, easily copied medium,' they would only sell one copy, & then everyone could easily copy this, with no loss. Plus, Streaming! Took a while. Was it, Apple? ~ began selling downloads, for about a dollar, to $1.25, for each song. When people do something, for a long time, it's hard to change; the paradigm for making $ in the music business, for many years, was to release music onto a physical disc, a record, distribute & promote this, usually on radio, pay the artist as little as possible {read: nothing, in many instances!}, & fervently hope that many people will buy! Transforming to streaming, was a big deal, took years! & yet, today, we still want our own copy of a CD, vinyl record! I think that this is why, Sony restricted SACD playback - you had to buy THEIR player {which has a relatively poor quality chip}, &, SACD quality, couldn't be copied ~
"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.
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 Anyways..... For less than $400, not a bad price of entry for DSD beginners ; )
🤗 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 💚💚💚
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.
@@googoo-gjoob True, which is one of my reasons for using it. But the last OS is mighty fine and all versions were avaliable on their site last time I looked
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.
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').
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.
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).
I am curious about DSD, but just cannot seem to get there. It is not clear what I would need to do to set up a functioning system--though it is clear that downloaded files are the way to go. I have a Schitt DAC, but am not sure it plays DSD files. Beyond that, it is not clear whether there is much music that I will want. Perhaps some reader here can tell me where to find DSD recordings of orchestral music (originally recorded as DSD, not just some 16/44 WAV file converted to DSD).
any advice for Audirvana settings playing DOP back over a modest recording studio audio interface (Dac) ? Young poor hifi enthusiast here and don't have money for a dedicated DSD dac
I disagree. The basics are simple. You want a universal player (because it has HDMI) and set it to output SACD natively into an AVR that can handle it, which these days are pretty much all of them made by Sony, Marantz, Denon, Yamaha, Onkyo as well as the high end brands. If you want a budget solution get the Sony player and a $400 Onkyo AVR. That's if you don't already own an AVR that does DSD.
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.
@@Wizardofgosz I didn't express the odds of DSD getting a second life. Yeah, as a distribution media it already died with SACDs ages ago. It would require some really strong motivation for the giants of operating system R&D (Apple, Microsoft, Google especially) to incorporate native DSD support with exclusivity (non-mix) mode. Without native OS support and all new music being mastered in digital PCM, forget about DSD ever becoming popular.
There is also the Sony HAP-Z1ES. It plays DSD-files from local network or built in hard drive. User interface is a bit lacking if you library grows big
Yeah great! But i moved in a TA-ZH1ES and well use a NAS to dac to amp or something else.. Sony HAP-Z1ES doesn't like if the internal HDD is bigger than 1 tb and the menu is even worse than the original SONY NAC-HD1E had back in 2005? And HAP-Z1ES sounds really lean compared to TA-ZH1ES but it's well kinda old anyways from 2014 ish.. I would look these Cambridge audio ones rather than Sony in that price range cuz i bet the 2k isn't worth for "streamer" cuz it sound like 500€-800€ range one to my ear "now" days back then it was better for cuz of reasons xd And HAP-Z1ES loosing support soon.. Maybe at 2025 so it happens same faith what NAC-HD1E happened and all other Sony stuff happens all ways.. Sony's support sucks ass really..
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.
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.
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.
SACD is the best way for me because of physical media aspect and labels like MoFi and analog productions. The easiest way but not cheapest way is to get a universal player which can play dsd over hdmi and AV-Receiver capable of playing direct dsd. I have oppo bdp-105D and denon avr-x3700h. Oppo can decode/play native dsd when connected over rca or XLR for stereo. For multi channel it’s connected via hdmi (with bitstream output) to denon and denon must be put on direct mode to play native dsd without pcm conversion. The worst thing that happened to sacd in recent years was oppo exiting universal player market.
My mom bought an Astell and Kern player and we bought a 256 DSD file and put it on there. Only problem is that there is some problems with the file where it cuts out in one ear for a second on a couple songs. IMO not worth the space it takes and the $42 spent but I had to try it.
How long is Sony going to have control over the playing of the DSD file format? It seems odd that active files and not Sony files are still restricted (i.e. having to license from Sony DSD in your equipment)
I download .dsf files @128 DSD; transfer them to a compact flash drive; insert the flash drive into my Tascam DA-3000 player / recorder ... and press play. “Limited” to DSD 128 ... but it sounds very, very good!
Hey Paul, I'm a newbee in the audiophile commmunity.. I recently bought Polk LS200 bookshelf, I only had a AV receiver to push them, Harmon Cardon that is rated as a high currency receiver.. and a marantz dvd player.. I realise this combination is not ideal to get the better performance from LS200 so just a week ago I purchased a denon DCD-1600NE CD and SACD Player with plans to get the denon 1600 NE intergrated amp later.. ok mean while I'm playing the sacd player with the Marantz AV receiver and I start to get bad noise coming from the right speaker but only certain songs from my four play regular cd, the noise only occur at mid range to upper range tones only on certain songs, could this be the speaker (polk LS200)? that's only 5 months old or playing regualr cds in sacd would maybe cause this?? Need help with this one.. Please!!... Solution found.. the noise was coming from the metal stands.. the nuts worked their way loose and created a horrible noise that made it seem like it was coming from the speaker
Downloading DSD files or ripping the DSD (DSF) files off the SACD disc is the best way to go. There's plenty of sites that shows how to rip the files off a SACD disc.
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.
Many buyers, purchase these components, one at a time, to eventually create a complete system; I purchased a complete PS system, all at once {thought even this took a little time!}. Some quality manufacturers do this, combine a CD played & a quality DAC, such as, I think, McIntosh, {though I'm not sure about SACD}, but this combined unit costs about the same as the two top PS Audio units! There is also consideration of, `Electro - Mechanical,' interference. A wire, with current, has a magnetic field. This diminishes, rapidly, by the square of the distance. May / will affect sensitive equipment. Including INSIDE, one box, unit. As do I, another M700 amp owner, placed these on top of each other, then said that when he separated them, the sound improved! And, each unit, is, 'Insulated.' So, separating the CD Transport, from the DAC, with each having its own optimized power supply, transformer {not to mention the power regenerator!} is likely to be improved performance, & at this level, costs about the same. If you can, try both set ups, see if you can hear the difference! {There is, reputedly, a, `McIntosh Sound,' which many, obviously, like!}
Ok, this helps! So I could download the 256 DSD albums onto my laptop and then just connect it to the coaxial in the back of my McIntosh ma5200 integrated amp? I’d also need some software. Or is there more involved than that?
I do not have ma5200 but the usb on it is hires thus with proper installed drive and Foobar for example in should work. But it will probable work as DSDoverPCM and not as native DSD. You can try, DSD demos are available for free.
@@martinkormunda2264 thank you. What do you mean by a properly installed drive? Wouldn’t I just attach my laptop to the amp? Also, how do you get native DSD?
OK - so based on this I downloaded Roon for a subscription fee, then had to download Tidal (for a subscription fee). So now theoretically I am listening to DSD? All Tidal tells me is that I'm getting "lossless CD quality" and it does sound pretty good (through PS Audio PerfectWave DS DAC). Am I finally listening to Paul's vaunted DSD? How would I know?
Hello sir I like the channel and I have a question about dsd. I have a preorder from mofi which is the thriller one step vinyl. Since clear detail about how master analogue is transferred to dsd and then pressed onto vinyl I want to know how according to ur expertise did they manage that ? And since no editing or mixing is possible on dsd Did they go to pcm and then back to dsd and if so doesn’t that take away all the benefits of dsd ? Please explain in detail I would appreciate it very very much as I got confused especially after watching a TH-cam steam with Bernie grundman and others saying since the step involves going to pcm then that takes away from mofi’s goal on the one step dsd process as I understood it from them.
@@angelwars3176 I just did and waiting. The crazy thing is at 100 dollars thriller is still on 33 and I have an email from them that they are going to press it on 45 later next year after I asked them about it and that’s just nuts to me because if you are pressing it then just do it on 45 like the rest especially since the price of all their one step 45’s is 125 dollars which is just 25 dollars more then the the current thriller 33 one step and I don’t know why would they do that except for making more money and it’s already overpriced considering it’s coming from a dsd file.
Although SACDs are still being produced in limited quantities for a niche rock/pop market, the glory days of the format (approximately the years 2000 - 2005) are gone. Sony considers the format obsolete, along with DSD. So there's very little, if not complex, support.
I think Sony would beg to differ on that - every Sony blu-ray player continues to support SACD. SACD was always niche, sadly - though there are wonderful exceptions like MoFi's upcoming Thriller on SACD and Elfman's Serenada Schizophrana.
@@richardt3371 Sony is supporting legacy media by building CD/DVD players. Paul has stated several times in his videos when this comes up that Sony is down to only one factory that publishes SACD(DSD) media. If you buy a $100 LP player at Walmart likely it has the ability to play 78rpm & 45rpm records. Likely there are still LP manufacturing plants that can make 45rpm and 78rpm records. That does not mean that that media is still relevant.
@@wilcalint Your comment was that Sony consider it "obsolete", along with DSD. I would suggest that as Sony still manufactures SACDs along with SACD players, it does not consider it obsolete, merely limited in appeal. I don't think anyone considers DSD to be obsolete - it is widely available on hi-res music sites, and many classical performances are released on DSD, as well of course as Octave Records. No record player that I've seen in the last twenty years plays 78rpm records, and certainly not a £100 supermarket record player. 78 is obsolete as no 78 records are produced - at all - whereas 45RPM continues with a healthy current and future catalogue of half-speed masters.
@@richardt3371 There were some very high end 78rpm LPs produced in the hay day of vinyl in the late 70's. We're gonna differ on the definition of "obsolete" and legacy supported. Sony is supporting Legacy media. Very little to none SACD/DSD products are being actively manufactured. Even though most if not all CD/DVD players will play the media. I see a LOT of research in streaming video. A LOT. So if there is a new media for audio it will come out of that.
@@wilcalint 78 RPM records are obsolete. They haven't been made in the past 40 years. I challenge you to send a link to a $100 turntable that plays a 78 rpm record, and if you can do so, I'll happily retract my words. SACD however is still manufactured - it is niche, and I've always said it is niche, but this year alone see MoFi releasing Thriller on SACD, Octave releasing SACDs, and 74 releases on SACD from DG in just this coming month. There is a world of difference between niche and obsolete - obsolete includes 78 RPM which is no longer manufactured, and requires either a gimmicky crapola turntable or a specialist hi-end trurntable to play it, as opposed to Denon, Marantz, Arcam, McIntosh, and Sony who all still produce SACD players. Streaming video (completely off-topic but OK) is also niche - it's been around a few years from the likes of DG and Apple Music, but it's small fry compared to streaming audio and hi-res audio downloads.
Well SA CD sounds like a winner. Can disk makers make a SA CD? I'd need to start with dsd 64 but Ardour my DAW cant do that can it? I'm running Ubuntu Linux for all audio. My Scarlet 18-i20 cant do that either or can it?
this is why SACD rips are great. I can use my RME DAC + Roon (DoP) and even take DSD on the go with my Hiby R3 Pro Saber (native DSD playback) SACD is amongst the least consumer friendly format imo. But to be fair the Japanese companies regardless of industry (cue manga, and Nintendo conent) will hawk eye anything related to them. HDTT is a great source of DSD along side Native DSD and HDTRACKS.
I use a Sony ES UBP-X1100ES 4k blu ray player and a Denon AVR-X4700H to play back SACDs over HDMI, including multi-channel versions. Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy.
It can be just more easier. A streamer with internal dac capable for dsd formats like my cocktail audio x40 fishing files from the NAS or internal hard disk
Might not be considered "high end" but my Denon DCD-800ne CD player can play up to DSD256 via a USB flashdrive. The DAC inside is a decent PCM1795, Burr Brown (192kHz/32-Bit) and it sounds great to me. I assume it would not output any DSD via coax out to an external DAC but I'll have to try that one day. At least I have an easy way to listen instead of jumping through hoops with my PC.
@@angelwars3176 so that is how they do it? My current external DAC doesn't support DSD but if I get another one sometime, I assume I'd use my PC to output USB to the DAC using Foobar and it would then take the DSD directly to analog out. Not sure what the advantage of iRiver or whatever it is called would be. Thanks.
@@angelwars3176 I think Paul said in the video that Foobar2000 was capable...Sounds interesting and should be even better than using my CD player. I do like the convenience of it though....
@@angelwars3176 looking at a $350 Geshelli Labs J2 with an AKM chip. It has had great reviews and they offer their own USB module and driver to do up to DSD512. I need a way of getting the DSD into the DAC in my living room. I don't really want a noisy PC with a fan running in there. Wish a silent iPAD was capable somehow. Thanks for the info.
I just download the DSD files and put them on a USB stick... Then just plug it into a receiver or DAC or whatever that can interpret DSD. Easy! No software or cables or discs needed.
Never succeeded in making Foobar play native DSD through my DSD capable DAC. On the other hand if playing a few DSD files is the only thing you will use Roon or JRive for, then, it is just too expensive and bulky, not worthy. I've been overall very disappointed about how difficult it is to play my DSD downloads.
below assuming you are running Foobar on windows o/s first make sure you have setup ASIO driver for the device To setup Foobar, get the files foo_input_sacd-1.5.1.zip foo_out_asio+dsd-0.2.2.zip (file version is latest at time of this writing) In Foobar, file > preferences (or ctrl+p) select Components and install above select Playback > Output, select your DAC under device dropdown setup output format according to ability of the DAC further setting under "ASIO+DSD" if desired Now select Tools > SACD if your DAC can handle DSD, select DSD under type Under Advanced, Playback > Thread priority check use MMCSS put "Pro Audio" after MMCSS mode
@@philiptong4978 Thank you very much for your help. However, the outcome from foobar is not DSD as the DAC indicates the type of file it is receiving and is not getting DSD. Apparently, foobar is converting the DSD file to PCM and sends it to the DAC. This can be done by other software such as Music Bee with less setup required. I was expecting that foobar would be able to read and send native DSD to be processed by the DAC, not by the computer. Nevertheless, I appreciate your kind assistance.
I don't understand why Sony doesn't relinquish their patent rights on SACD or the like? It isn't like THEY are doing anything with it now. Enable optical or solid-state players to output pure DSD into a DAC via USB (I assume optical Toslink might not have the bandwidth to do DSD64 but I'm not sure about that), or maybe coax can. We aren't interested in copying it these days to make "illegal copies", we are interested in HEARING it. If a DVD or Blu-ray player could hold an album's worth of DSD256 and it all simply work, we'd be very happy. Many of us don't want to have to use a noisy PC, no matter how good the Foobar2000, JRiver, Audivarna, etc., are. We'd prefer a physical album in a CD form factor with artwork, lyrics, pictures, and information about the recording. Downloads are OK, but don't connect you with the music like a physical format does, at least for releases you really care about.
Let me help. Go get a Korg DS-DAC-10R. Start ripping your vinyl to DSD 2X with that killer table you got. Then playback thru the Korg since it supports Native DSD. Paul got a little long winded. Don’t buy the octave stuff as there is no mainstream music there. You will need to make your own DSD files from vinyl if you want the sound of vinyl in a digital form. Note: DSD 2x or 4x of mainstream titles will probably never be sold because basically it IS the master tape. Record companies want to keep selling you stuff over and over. DSD raw files are not copy protected. They want to sell the vinyl because it is physical media and not a easily copied….but DSD is the way
@@edfort5704 octave is a good start to something but it’s kinda a niche thing right now. They have no name artists. If some more mainstream people recorded there they would get more fans. I listened to some of it and couldn’t get thru it. At this point the only digital I like is needle drops of my vinyl.
I agree. I also use Korg for ripping vinyl to DSD. DSD128 is fine. The only downside is the inability to manipulate the file data. But, of course, you can also rip to PCM if you wish, where software allows such things.
Asking a manufacturer how to do something gets a predictable response. The DirectStream DAC is wonderful and plays DSD X 20. However SACDs (DSD X 1) are easily ripped on plentiful Bluray players (
The complexity and cost to listen to the limited number of recordings is just not worth it yet. No offense but I have heard some of Octave's recording and the sound is good but the music is just not my taste. Sorry Paul.
DSD? The saying “flogging a dead horse” comes to mind. DSD is technically inferior to PCM and was obsolete the day it was invented. Many of todays finest recordings are recorded with PCM and distributed in 16/44.1 CDFormat. Poor recordings are down to sloppy production methods during recording and has little to do with the choice of distribution format. If you think DSD sounds better then that’s fine. Just be aware that you could be buying Megabytes of high frequency noise.
a Mac mini is a PC there's no difference except the operating system and both can be swapped between the two if you want to play dsd native Linux lite audiophile Linux or snake oil Linux.
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.
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".
Whenever streaming or DSD or downloads or Roon, etc. are mentioned, the "Tower of Babel" comes to mind. My CD player is "good enough" for me.
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.
What is a DAP?
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.
They did the exact same thing with Minidisc. Sony the record company crippled Sony the technology company.
And another huge Sony screwup, Delmar, which many don't realize is this. When Sony bought Columbia Records some years ago, they simply did not release the tapes for remastering, etc. So they buy American music and kept it hostage ! Actually this was not a screwup, but just a way to make more money down the road.
Excellent summary, @delmartoad! Sony is the sole reason why SACDs never got to rule the market as it should have. Sometimes the producers are theire own worst ennemi.
@@joeb4349 i agree totally and not only that but is it any coincidence that the best SACD’s available for a given title are the Japanese import SACD’s? Just compare the Santana & Miles Davis Japanese Quadraphonic SACDs to their counterparts, no contest.
Sony owns a LOT of music, plus cross - pollination, between music companies. Not to mention Napster, when digital music, CD's, were first developed, music companies were very worried, paranoid, terrified, that if they released a, `Perfect, easily copied medium,' they would only sell one copy, & then everyone could easily copy this, with no loss. Plus, Streaming! Took a while. Was it, Apple? ~ began selling downloads, for about a dollar, to $1.25, for each song. When people do something, for a long time, it's hard to change; the paradigm for making $ in the music business, for many years, was to release music onto a physical disc, a record, distribute & promote this, usually on radio, pay the artist as little as possible {read: nothing, in many instances!}, & fervently hope that many people will buy! Transforming to streaming, was a big deal, took years! & yet, today, we still want our own copy of a CD, vinyl record! I think that this is why, Sony restricted SACD playback - you had to buy THEIR player {which has a relatively poor quality chip}, &, SACD quality, couldn't be copied ~
I was thinking why I can't play my Direct Stream Digital audio on my personal computer. Thank you, Mr. Paul!
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!
"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.
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
Anyways..... For less than $400, not a bad price of entry for DSD beginners ; )
Excellent help, thankyou!
🤗 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 💚💚💚
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.
The DirectStream DAC is indeed wonderful. Stay away from PCs as a source. You won't believe the difference
sadly, there will be no more updates for the DSDAC
@@googoo-gjoob True, which is one of my reasons for using it. But the last OS is mighty fine and all versions were avaliable on their site last time I looked
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.
Why bother? ultimately SACD is DSD64 ultimately now inferior and pointless when most folk are recording in DSD 256 including Paul/Octave records?
@@angelwars3176 Cuz sometimes, I like to own physical medium.
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').
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.
Thanks Sir for the info
Thanks Paul for your spinning head, I thought I was the only one.
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).
They start at 111€ with analog multicahannel outputs.
I am curious about DSD, but just cannot seem to get there. It is not clear what I would need to do to set up a functioning system--though it is clear that downloaded files are the way to go. I have a Schitt DAC, but am not sure it plays DSD files. Beyond that, it is not clear whether there is much music that I will want. Perhaps some reader here can tell me where to find DSD recordings of orchestral music (originally recorded as DSD, not just some 16/44 WAV file converted to DSD).
any advice for Audirvana settings playing DOP back over a modest recording studio audio interface (Dac) ? Young poor hifi enthusiast here and don't have money for a dedicated DSD dac
I learned something new. It sounds like trying to listen to “real” DSD isn’t worth the aggravation.
Round of applause 👏
then youre better off looking the other way. because if you get a taste.......
dsd allows you to feel the harmonics of the room and its volume resonance. It's astounding, almost feels live on quality recordings.
Amen
I disagree. The basics are simple. You want a universal player (because it has HDMI) and set it to output SACD natively into an AVR that can handle it, which these days are pretty much all of them made by Sony, Marantz, Denon, Yamaha, Onkyo as well as the high end brands. If you want a budget solution get the Sony player and a $400 Onkyo AVR. That's if you don't already own an AVR that does DSD.
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.
@@Wizardofgosz I didn't express the odds of DSD getting a second life. Yeah, as a distribution media it already died with SACDs ages ago. It would require some really strong motivation for the giants of operating system R&D (Apple, Microsoft, Google especially) to incorporate native DSD support with exclusivity (non-mix) mode. Without native OS support and all new music being mastered in digital PCM, forget about DSD ever becoming popular.
Paul, in another video on the DSD subject, you mentioned Audirvana, is that still one of your recommendations? I use a Mac (not sure if it's relevant)
There is also the Sony HAP-Z1ES. It plays DSD-files from local network or built in hard drive. User interface is a bit lacking if you library grows big
Yeah great! But i moved in a TA-ZH1ES and well use a NAS to dac to amp or something else.. Sony HAP-Z1ES doesn't like if the internal HDD is bigger than 1 tb and the menu is even worse than the original SONY NAC-HD1E had back in 2005? And HAP-Z1ES sounds really lean compared to TA-ZH1ES but it's well kinda old anyways from 2014 ish.. I would look these Cambridge audio ones rather than Sony in that price range cuz i bet the 2k isn't worth for "streamer" cuz it sound like 500€-800€ range one to my ear "now" days back then it was better for cuz of reasons xd And HAP-Z1ES loosing support soon.. Maybe at 2025 so it happens same faith what NAC-HD1E happened and all other Sony stuff happens all ways.. Sony's support sucks ass really..
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.
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.
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.
SACD is the best way for me because of physical media aspect and labels like MoFi and analog productions. The easiest way but not cheapest way is to get a universal player which can play dsd over hdmi and AV-Receiver capable of playing direct dsd. I have oppo bdp-105D and denon avr-x3700h. Oppo can decode/play native dsd when connected over rca or XLR for stereo. For multi channel it’s connected via hdmi (with bitstream output) to denon and denon must be put on direct mode to play native dsd without pcm conversion. The worst thing that happened to sacd in recent years was oppo exiting universal player market.
My mom bought an Astell and Kern player and we bought a 256 DSD file and put it on there. Only problem is that there is some problems with the file where it cuts out in one ear for a second on a couple songs. IMO not worth the space it takes and the $42 spent but I had to try it.
How long is Sony going to have control over the playing of the DSD file format? It seems odd that active files and not Sony files are still restricted (i.e. having to license from Sony DSD in your equipment)
I download .dsf files @128 DSD; transfer them to a compact flash drive; insert the flash drive into my Tascam DA-3000 player / recorder ... and press play. “Limited” to DSD 128 ... but it sounds very, very good!
What about streaming DSD using a PCM wrapper, DoP? My Eversolo has that option under the “External DAC” settings.
I use an iPhone 12 with ONKYO player + Shanling UA2 DAC but just recently find out that via iPhone, the DAC can’t process DSD purely but as DoP.
Hey Paul, I'm a newbee in the audiophile commmunity.. I recently bought Polk LS200 bookshelf, I only had a AV receiver to push them, Harmon Cardon that is rated as a high currency receiver.. and a marantz dvd player.. I realise this combination is not ideal to get the better performance from LS200 so just a week ago I purchased a denon DCD-1600NE CD and SACD Player with plans to get the denon 1600 NE intergrated amp later.. ok mean while I'm playing the sacd player with the Marantz AV receiver and I start to get bad noise coming from the right speaker but only certain songs from my four play regular cd, the noise only occur at mid range to upper range tones only on certain songs, could this be the speaker (polk LS200)? that's only 5 months old or playing regualr cds in sacd would maybe cause this?? Need help with this one.. Please!!...
Solution found.. the noise was coming from the metal stands.. the nuts worked their way loose and created a horrible noise that made it seem like it was coming from the speaker
Downloading DSD files or ripping the DSD (DSF) files off the SACD disc is the best way to go. There's plenty of sites that shows how to rip the files off a SACD disc.
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.
I wonder why PS Audio don't put their PerfectWave transport and dac into one box to make a fully integrated DSD player?
I guess because physical sources are more or less outdated because of the download posabilities..
Many buyers, purchase these components, one at a time, to eventually create a complete system; I purchased a complete PS system, all at once {thought even this took a little time!}. Some quality manufacturers do this, combine a CD played & a quality DAC, such as, I think, McIntosh, {though I'm not sure about SACD}, but this combined unit costs about the same as the two top PS Audio units! There is also consideration of, `Electro - Mechanical,' interference. A wire, with current, has a magnetic field. This diminishes, rapidly, by the square of the distance. May / will affect sensitive equipment. Including INSIDE, one box, unit. As do I, another M700 amp owner, placed these on top of each other, then said that when he separated them, the sound improved! And, each unit, is, 'Insulated.' So, separating the CD Transport, from the DAC, with each having its own optimized power supply, transformer {not to mention the power regenerator!} is likely to be improved performance, & at this level, costs about the same. If you can, try both set ups, see if you can hear the difference! {There is, reputedly, a, `McIntosh Sound,' which many, obviously, like!}
Ok, this helps! So I could download the 256 DSD albums onto my laptop and then just connect it to the coaxial in the back of my McIntosh ma5200 integrated amp? I’d also need some software. Or is there more involved than that?
I do not have ma5200 but the usb on it is hires thus with proper installed drive and Foobar for example in should work. But it will probable work as DSDoverPCM and not as native DSD. You can try, DSD demos are available for free.
@@martinkormunda2264 thank you. What do you mean by a properly installed drive? Wouldn’t I just attach my laptop to the amp? Also, how do you get native DSD?
@@slistone1940 , the people at *1-800-PSAUDIO* will be glad to hold your hand.
OK - so based on this I downloaded Roon for a subscription fee, then had to download Tidal (for a subscription fee). So now theoretically I am listening to DSD? All Tidal tells me is that I'm getting "lossless CD quality" and it does sound pretty good (through PS Audio PerfectWave DS DAC). Am I finally listening to Paul's vaunted DSD? How would I know?
To answer my own question, the PerfectWave DAC says "PCM". So WTF?
Hello sir I like the channel and I have a question about dsd. I have a preorder from mofi which is the thriller one step vinyl.
Since clear detail about how master analogue is transferred to dsd and then pressed onto vinyl I want to know how according to ur expertise did they manage that ? And since no editing or mixing is possible on dsd Did they go to pcm and then back to dsd and if so doesn’t that take away all the benefits of dsd ?
Please explain in detail I would appreciate it very very much as I got confused especially after watching a TH-cam steam with Bernie grundman and others saying since the step involves going to pcm then that takes away from mofi’s goal on the one step dsd process as I understood it from them.
Email MoFi and ask them how they created this recording and if they don't reply don't buy it.
@@angelwars3176 I just did and waiting. The crazy thing is at 100 dollars thriller is still on 33 and I have an email from them that they are going to press it on 45 later next year after I asked them about it and that’s just nuts to me because if you are pressing it then just do it on 45 like the rest especially since the price of all their one step 45’s is 125 dollars which is just 25 dollars more then the the current thriller 33 one step and I don’t know why would they do that except for making more money and it’s already overpriced considering it’s coming from a dsd file.
Although SACDs are still being produced in limited quantities for a niche rock/pop market, the glory days of the format (approximately the years 2000 - 2005) are gone. Sony considers the format obsolete, along with DSD. So there's very little, if not complex, support.
I think Sony would beg to differ on that - every Sony blu-ray player continues to support SACD. SACD was always niche, sadly - though there are wonderful exceptions like MoFi's upcoming Thriller on SACD and Elfman's Serenada Schizophrana.
@@richardt3371 Sony is supporting legacy media by building CD/DVD players. Paul has stated several times in his videos when this comes up that Sony is down to only one factory that publishes SACD(DSD) media. If you buy a $100 LP player at Walmart likely it has the ability to play 78rpm & 45rpm records. Likely there are still LP manufacturing plants that can make 45rpm and 78rpm records. That does not mean that that media is still relevant.
@@wilcalint Your comment was that Sony consider it "obsolete", along with DSD. I would suggest that as Sony still manufactures SACDs along with SACD players, it does not consider it obsolete, merely limited in appeal. I don't think anyone considers DSD to be obsolete - it is widely available on hi-res music sites, and many classical performances are released on DSD, as well of course as Octave Records. No record player that I've seen in the last twenty years plays 78rpm records, and certainly not a £100 supermarket record player. 78 is obsolete as no 78 records are produced - at all - whereas 45RPM continues with a healthy current and future catalogue of half-speed masters.
@@richardt3371 There were some very high end 78rpm LPs produced in the hay day of vinyl in the late 70's. We're gonna differ on the definition of "obsolete" and legacy supported. Sony is supporting Legacy media. Very little to none SACD/DSD products are being actively manufactured. Even though most if not all CD/DVD players will play the media.
I see a LOT of research in streaming video. A LOT. So if there is a new media for audio it will come out of that.
@@wilcalint 78 RPM records are obsolete. They haven't been made in the past 40 years. I challenge you to send a link to a $100 turntable that plays a 78 rpm record, and if you can do so, I'll happily retract my words. SACD however is still manufactured - it is niche, and I've always said it is niche, but this year alone see MoFi releasing Thriller on SACD, Octave releasing SACDs, and 74 releases on SACD from DG in just this coming month.
There is a world of difference between niche and obsolete - obsolete includes 78 RPM which is no longer manufactured, and requires either a gimmicky crapola turntable or a specialist hi-end trurntable to play it, as opposed to Denon, Marantz, Arcam, McIntosh, and Sony who all still produce SACD players.
Streaming video (completely off-topic but OK) is also niche - it's been around a few years from the likes of DG and Apple Music, but it's small fry compared to streaming audio and hi-res audio downloads.
You can connect a SACD capable transport to a DAC other than PS Audio over HDMI. I do it all the time.
Yes but it converts to PCM so slightly defeating the object.
@@angelwars3176 No, my Denon AVR-X8500H has on board native DSD decoding over HDMI
@@gotham61 Does it actually handle DSD natively i.e it doesn't convert to PCM?
@@angelwars3176 Yes, with "Direct" or "Pure direct" engaged, it will decode DSD natively (5.6MHz 1x only) and bypass all PCM DSP enhancements
@@gotham61 Excellent! - that is exceptional and DSD 128 is darn good.
Well SA CD sounds like a winner. Can disk makers make a SA CD? I'd need to start with dsd 64 but Ardour my DAW cant do that can it? I'm running Ubuntu Linux for all audio. My Scarlet 18-i20 cant do that either or can it?
You can run Foobar on Linux with the DSD plugin and it works fine. Personally I prefer Strawberry, which only does DoP but it works fine with my DAC.
🤯ok now I’m totally confused.
this is why SACD rips are great.
I can use my RME DAC + Roon (DoP) and even take DSD on the go with my Hiby R3 Pro Saber (native DSD playback) SACD is amongst the least consumer friendly format imo. But to be fair the Japanese companies regardless of industry (cue manga, and Nintendo conent) will hawk eye anything related to them.
HDTT is a great source of DSD along side Native DSD and HDTRACKS.
I use a Sony ES UBP-X1100ES 4k blu ray player and a Denon AVR-X4700H to play back SACDs over HDMI, including multi-channel versions. Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy.
I had that Sony ES 1100 a few cycles back, not confident i was getting great sound even playing SACD's.
Any one knows about highres player or streamer can play iso sacd without convert?
Is it possible to play DSD in my car or when walking around e.g. using an iPhone or Android? Or is it only a home format?
U can use a DAP which can decode DSD and connect it to your car's audio system via AUX input. A bit clumsy, but it works
@@geddylee501 Thanks. So DSD will be no good for me, as I mostly listen to music when travelling and outside.
Sony do a very expensive car unit I seem to remember...
Roon vs. JRiver?
Is dad sacd or what is it can someone explain please
VOX player app on MAC plays DSD.
It can be just more easier. A streamer with internal dac capable for dsd formats like my cocktail audio x40 fishing files from the NAS or internal hard disk
Might not be considered "high end" but my Denon DCD-800ne CD player can play up to DSD256 via a USB flashdrive. The DAC inside is a decent PCM1795, Burr Brown (192kHz/32-Bit) and it sounds great to me. I assume it would not output any DSD via coax out to an external DAC but I'll have to try that one day. At least I have an easy way to listen instead of jumping through hoops with my PC.
Should sound A1 but keep in mind it is converting the DSD to PCM.
@@angelwars3176 so that is how they do it? My current external DAC doesn't support DSD but if I get another one sometime, I assume I'd use my PC to output USB to the DAC using Foobar and it would then take the DSD directly to analog out. Not sure what the advantage of iRiver or whatever it is called would be. Thanks.
@@rosswarren436 yep you need a DAC that handles DSD but make sure your PC is outputing DSD to it - this normally requires DoP to do so.
@@angelwars3176 I think Paul said in the video that Foobar2000 was capable...Sounds interesting and should be even better than using my CD player. I do like the convenience of it though....
@@angelwars3176 looking at a $350 Geshelli Labs J2 with an AKM chip. It has had great reviews and they offer their own USB module and driver to do up to DSD512.
I need a way of getting the DSD into the DAC in my living room. I don't really want a noisy PC with a fan running in there.
Wish a silent iPAD was capable somehow. Thanks for the info.
Computer-ish things make my world go around.
I just download the DSD files and put them on a USB stick... Then just plug it into a receiver or DAC or whatever that can interpret DSD.
Easy!
No software or cables or discs needed.
Never succeeded in making Foobar play native DSD through my DSD capable DAC. On the other hand if playing a few DSD files is the only thing you will use Roon or JRive for, then, it is just too expensive and bulky, not worthy. I've been overall very disappointed about how difficult it is to play my DSD downloads.
below assuming you are running Foobar on windows o/s
first make sure you have setup ASIO driver for the device
To setup Foobar, get the files foo_input_sacd-1.5.1.zip foo_out_asio+dsd-0.2.2.zip (file version is latest at time of this writing)
In Foobar, file > preferences (or ctrl+p)
select Components and install above
select Playback > Output, select your DAC under device dropdown
setup output format according to ability of the DAC
further setting under "ASIO+DSD" if desired
Now select Tools > SACD
if your DAC can handle DSD, select DSD under type
Under Advanced, Playback > Thread priority
check use MMCSS
put "Pro Audio" after MMCSS mode
@@philiptong4978 Thank you very much for your help. However, the outcome from foobar is not DSD as the DAC indicates the type of file it is receiving and is not getting DSD. Apparently, foobar is converting the DSD file to PCM and sends it to the DAC. This can be done by other software such as Music Bee with less setup required. I was expecting that foobar would be able to read and send native DSD to be processed by the DAC, not by the computer. Nevertheless, I appreciate your kind assistance.
the DAC may allow many input terminals but some of them are PCM only, e.g. coaxial (digital), optical (S/PDIF)
@@philiptong4978 Yes I know, but to send DSD music, I connect the computer to the DAC using USB, which must work for DSD.
I am still a PCM beliver. It is no use if the master records were not record in DSD, most of them were just conversion and that's loss occurs.
I am owner of a denon a110 amplifier which allows me to stream dsd dsf flac wav files and in excellent quality
I don't understand why Sony doesn't relinquish their patent rights on SACD or the like? It isn't like THEY are doing anything with it now. Enable optical or solid-state players to output pure DSD into a DAC via USB (I assume optical Toslink might not have the bandwidth to do DSD64 but I'm not sure about that), or maybe coax can. We aren't interested in copying it these days to make "illegal copies", we are interested in HEARING it. If a DVD or Blu-ray player could hold an album's worth of DSD256 and it all simply work, we'd be very happy.
Many of us don't want to have to use a noisy PC, no matter how good the Foobar2000, JRiver, Audivarna, etc., are. We'd prefer a physical album in a CD form factor with artwork, lyrics, pictures, and information about the recording. Downloads are OK, but don't connect you with the music like a physical format does, at least for releases you really care about.
Sony X-1100 ES 4K UHD Player goes up to DSD
@4:32 some sort of 'computerish' kind of thing ? I think you mean , ... Foobar2000 !
Let me help. Go get a Korg DS-DAC-10R. Start ripping your vinyl to DSD 2X with that killer table you got. Then playback thru the Korg since it supports Native DSD. Paul got a little long winded. Don’t buy the octave stuff as there is no mainstream music there. You will need to make your own DSD files from vinyl if you want the sound of vinyl in a digital form. Note: DSD 2x or 4x of mainstream titles will probably never be sold because basically it IS the master tape. Record companies want to keep selling you stuff over and over. DSD raw files are not copy protected. They want to sell the vinyl because it is physical media and not a easily copied….but DSD is the way
Apart from the call to not buy the octave stuff (that's not nice to say such things here), I wholeheartedly agree.
@@edfort5704 octave is a good start to something but it’s kinda a niche thing right now. They have no name artists. If some more mainstream people recorded there they would get more fans. I listened to some of it and couldn’t get thru it. At this point the only digital I like is needle drops of my vinyl.
I agree. I also use Korg for ripping vinyl to DSD. DSD128 is fine. The only downside is the inability to manipulate the file data. But, of course, you can also rip to PCM if you wish, where software allows such things.
Asking a manufacturer how to do something gets a predictable response. The DirectStream DAC is wonderful and plays DSD X 20. However SACDs (DSD X 1) are easily ripped on plentiful Bluray players (
Step 1 -- Lie down comfortably and relax your wallet as much as you can
Jajsjsjajajajajaa
....while listening to some nice vinyl....
Easy
KORG DAC and RME DAC plays DSD.
The complexity and cost to listen to the limited number of recordings is just not worth it yet. No offense but I have heard some of Octave's recording and the sound is good but the music is just not my taste. Sorry Paul.
DSD? The saying “flogging a dead horse” comes to mind. DSD is technically inferior to PCM and was obsolete the day it was invented. Many of todays finest recordings are recorded with PCM and distributed in 16/44.1 CDFormat. Poor recordings are down to sloppy production methods during recording and has little to do with the choice of distribution format. If you think DSD sounds better then that’s fine. Just be aware that you could be buying Megabytes of high frequency noise.
I agree.A well mastered CD is still good enough.
@@bigdaddycool1000 hear hear
a Mac mini is a PC there's no difference except the operating system and both can be swapped between the two if you want to play dsd native Linux lite audiophile Linux or snake oil Linux.
If you have well recorded 44/1, 16 bit, it will make DSD superfluous.