DSD is a simple format but not very popular even in pro-circles as it is very impractical to edit or eq etc. To do any of these operations it is normally converted to PCM and then back to DSD again.
The other bad news is that it is a noisy format as used with SACD-disks (DSD64). This is handled with noise shaping, moving the noise mostly up above 20kHz (which may or may not be well handled by your amps). I fact SACD/DSD64 are said to be worse than CD:s at high frequencies.
This means you cannot brickwall-compress the music as you can with a CD which I think most see as an advantage. On the other hand this noise is also often subjectively heard as brightness. My personal take is I rather have upper frequency noise than over-compressed music so I still buy SACD:s and rip.
As an aside, in the old analog days adding signal dependent noise was used as a mixing trick to make your mix sound brighter and stand-out on the radio (escpecially AM). As an example I have been told Abba used this trick in radio-mixes.
If you want to hear how good DSD actually can sound - go for DSD128 or even better DSD256 and music that can be handled without edits.
I use DSD, but as SACDs. These I play on a player that has two âprocessorsâ; one for PCM and a separate true 1 bit processor for DSD. Naim use DoP as far as I can tell and therein is the problem. If you want to hear what DSD can do then you need to use a dedicated 1 bit DAC.
Iâm using a Holo Audio DAC and play DSD files natively - not DOP - from an external SSD via USB. I have ripped all my SACDs and buy DSD downloads from High Definition Tape Transfers, Native DSD and Blue Coast Music. Played natively DSD is imho the best sound source available and the Holo Audioâs DSD DAC is superb.
I have also enjoyed the latest DSD256 files from HD Tape Transfers. Their explanation on why it sound so good was that DSD is easier on the DAC (if it handles DSD natively) causing less electronic noise.
You need a device with an app to locate and âplayâ the DSD in itâs native format. I have been using a Pro-Ject Stream Box ultra RS - which has a USB input and USB output. It can handle up to DSD 256 in native mode. I connect my external SSD drive containing my collection of DSD files to it. Connect itâs USB output to the Holo DACâs USB input and all is controlled by the Pro-Ject Play app from my iPad/iPhone. I am just upgrading to a Lumin U2 mini to replace the Pro-Ject - which sounds excellent by the way and streams Qobuz/Tidal/Spotify etc too plus upsampling and buffering.
I use DSD via SACDs, which I absolutely love â bar far and away my favourite digital format.
SACDs are played on an Oppo 205 universal player via the analogue outlets. Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, Dylan, Goldfrapp, Can, plus a host of jazz and classical titles all get heavy play in these parts, and the SACDs sound wonderful: detailed, meaty and rich, with a high boogie factor.
I understand. Looks like my naim streamer, used as a transport, converts the signal to DOP despite having it set to native output. So after all of that i still havent heard the DSD DAC in the Holo!
I was suspicious when the sample rate shown on the Holo didnât match the DSD rate, in fact it corresponds with conversion to PCMâŚ
If you really want to hear native DSD - and it is the best imho - you must have a streamer/app the has USB input and USB output that allows native DSD passage and the ability to choose the music played with an app. I also have a Korg MR2000S DSD recorder - similar machine to that still being used in recording studios making DSD masters. Recording from an audio cassette at DSD 128 from a good Nakamichi cassette deck is amazingly good - people wouldnât believe that by the way. HDTT sometimes record from old consumer reel to reel tapes from the 60s and the results are great.
I donât bother too because the dsd albums I like are also in original analogue format, so I prefer to put an lp. The new or recent albums on DSD are generally for classical music, which I donât listen to.
No, there are always misunderstandings what DoP is (here DSD is encapsulated in PCM for transporting and completely lossless).
But Naim products donât have a DAC integrated, which can handle DSD directly and before decoding DSD will transferred to PCM, which isnât lossless.
For me Iâm letting in using the Naim Unity Atom HE Roon convert DSD to PCM with 352.8 kHz and this sounds ok.
But with other DACs (Lumin, exaSound, Matrix Audio, Primare, Oppo, Topping, âŚ), which are hsndling DSD directly, I prefer converting all sources to DSD (256 or 512), which sounds for me more analogue.
In general my way is donât let the DAC converting the sources before decoding, but outside on a PC with Roon or HQPlayer, which sounds for me really better.
Most music I love is available on CD 16bit 44.1 resolution only, have some SACDâs but most music I have acquired over the years on this format was more an expectative of gaining better sound reproduction out of my system and they did do that in some cases, even got the Sony SCD-1 when it was out.
Today I mostly stream, my SACDâs and CDâs are collecting dust, purchased last year a Denon DCD 2500NE that sounds very good but never use it.
What I found is that some dacâs play realy well DSD other shine with PCM, for example the DCD 2500 does DSD realy good, as well some IFi DACâs, Naim does not like DSD but shines with PCM, so converting in roon the DSD to PCM before sending to the NAIM streamer is a must.
Regarding MQA, the absence of it on some brands is similar to the absence of DSD on some dacâs, I would love to have it, but also can live without.
