Computer Audio Asylum Music servers and other computer based digital audio technologies.

---

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] Thread: [ Display  All  Email ] [ Computer Audio Asylum ] [ Return to Search Results ]

---

[ Alert Moderator ]

---

RE: DSD DACs that handle DSD natively and via SPDIF?

Posted by Tony Lauck (A) on June 23, 2014 at 17:45:31

In Reply to: RE: DSD DACs that handle DSD natively and via SPDIF? posted by Sprezza Tura on June 23, 2014 at 14:11:57:

"But the funny thing is that we all know, because of concerted efforts by the press and marketing hype by manufacturers, that if a DAC is not "DSD Ready" it is DOA."


If the issue is just DSD, then it is possible to stream DSD through a file, NOS and streamer that are clueless as to the format of the actual audio, i.e. whether it is DSD or PCM. (That's the whole point of the DoP kluge.) If a streamer is capable of taking files from a NOS at 176/24 and sending them via SPDIF or AES/EBU then that streamer will play DoP encoded files stored on the NOS. These can generated by running a converter program from native DSD files. The DAC has to be capable of decoding DoP data.

Given that the engineering and manufacturing costs of adding DSD capability to an otherwise competent hi-res DAC are trivial in comparison to other project costs, it is no wonder that the market has gone this way. This is more than marketing hype because, for better or for worse, there are more DSD recordings out there than 176/24 or 192/24 recordings. It is not necessary to take a position on whether DSD is better or worse than these PCM formats to reject DACs that don't have dual capabilities. It is only necessary to note that it is impossible to convert between these formats without noticeable loss of sound quality.



Tony Lauck

"Diversity is the law of nature; no two entities in this universe are uniform." - P.R. Sarkar

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

The Cable Cooker

---

[ Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]

---

[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]

---