DSD playback

Hi-Fi Corner
1

Hi mates,

How Naim streamers (NDS in my case) playback DSD 64 files?
DOP, native or convert them to PCM ? Not really clear for me.
Unity Core manual says that DSD files are converted to PCM if I am correct.
As I read somewhere NDS uses ‘DOP’ method, no conversion.
Core converts DSD files according to manual and as I know conversion is
not fully lossless. Then what happens when I use my NDS in streaming mode
together with Core ? Does NDS play DOP files or converted files ?

Pls be so kind to explain me these things.
Thx a lot.

2

Just checked a DSD album I have on my Core. The NDXS is showing it playing as a DSD64 file.

3

Here’s a screenshot…

image
image1242×2208 435 KB

4

Should have been ND5XS…!

5

The Naim streamers use LPCM DACs, so they convert DSD to LPCM in the DSP that does the reconstruction filtering. This is done with 40 bit resolution hardware.

6

Don’t worry too much about how or why, Naim streamers play DSD

DoP is simply a means of carrying a data stream of DSD, the DSD data is packaged within stereo 24 PCM data framing, there is no conversion & native DSD is presented at the endpoint.

1 Like
7

Thx for your replies.

If I understand well NDS uses DOP.
Core converts to PCM if it is true.
Then NDS plays the converted file by Core ?

Sorry if my perception is cumbersome…

8

No, as I said in my post, there is no conversion.
DoP is a system that carries DSD over PCM between server & player
DoP takes groups of 16 adjacent 1-bit samples from a DSD stream & packs them into the lower 16 bits of a 24/176.4 data stream.
DoP is simply DSD data packaged within stereo 24 PCM data framing, there is no conversion.

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9

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