Does DSD sound better than PCM?

[dragonspit4]

Does DSD sound better than PCM?
Do you get better sound?
I am so confused.

 

[Purité Audio]

PCM is perfectly adequate, DSD was a flawed medium thirty years ago, nothing has changed.

 

[Ron Texas]

Most DSD had to go through a PCM stage for mixing and the like because only minimal adjustments can be made to DSD.

 

[dragonspit4]

Most DSD had to go through a PCM stage for mixing and the like because only minimal adjustments can be made to DSD.

for music listening , if you convert PCM to DSD, do you get better sound?

 

[Blumlein 88]

for music listening , if you convert PCM to DSD, do you get better sound?

There are those who claim that. If it were true, it would indicate DSD has a coloration that some people prefer. Like some people prefer vinyl even though it lacks fidelity vs PCM.

Often there is a sound level difference between the output of the same file in PCM vs DSD. If you take that into account, I would expect DSD not to sound different in most cases.

As for editing referred to above, you pretty much can't edit or process a DSD file other than in very simple ways. So production of DSD usually involves converting to DXD which is PCM at 352.8 khz 24 bit. Doing your editing in DXD, and then converting it back to DSD.

You could download and listen to various versions here:
http://www.2l.no/hires/index.html?

If you ask me, the answer is no you don't get better sound just using DSD.

Imagine if I digitally record (either with DSD or PCM) an old cassette tape. Either will accurately represent the tape, but the sound quality won't be improved just because I record it in a different medium.

 

[watchnerd]

Does DSD sound better than PCM?
Do you get better sound?
I am so confused.

If I use Roon in "exclusive mode" to listen to DSD natively, it sounds better to me than non-exclusive-mode DSD-to-PCM conversion.

I don't know if that's a consequence of the format, the conversion, or the mode.

 

[Thomas savage]

Every single SACD I have with a PCM layer I prefer the PCM . The DSD sounds rolled off somehow and just dull but who knows if they are the same masters , I could just be disliking ‘audiophile ‘ mastering .

Imo DSD is epic bullshit.

 

[Thomas savage]

If I use Roon in "exclusive mode" to listen to DSD natively, it sounds better to me than non-exclusive-mode DSD-to-PCM conversion.

I don't know if that's a consequence of the format, the conversion, or the mode.

That’s intresting , could we capture the signal and have a look at what the difference might be ?

 

[watchnerd]

That’s intresting , could we capture the signal and have a look at what the difference might be ?

By converting the analog back to digital? That would be PCM.

Or maybe my ADI can record in DSD, never tried -- either way, there is a "different format" question.

 

[Blumlein 88]

By converting the analog back to digital? That would be PCM.

Or maybe my ADI can record in DSD, never tried -- either way, there is a "different format" question.

Listening to the analog output if it sounds different something is different. Seems a PCM recording of that analog result would give you a chance to see what it is. It may or may not work, but would be worth looking into I think.

 

[Thomas savage]

By converting the analog back to digital? That would be PCM.

Or maybe my ADI can record in DSD, never tried -- either way, there is a "different format" question.

Don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions damn it..

 

[watchnerd]

Listening to the analog output if it sounds different something is different. Seems a PCM recording of that analog result would give you a chance to see what it is. It may or may not work, but would be worth looking into I think.

Trying to think if I can do that without creating a feedback loop in the ADI...

The 'stupid simple' option would be to unplug the XLR outs to the monitors on one side and plug it back into the analog inputs, but in analog world, that's feedback city....

 

[dragonspit4]

Every single SACD I have with a PCM layer I prefer the PCM . The DSD sounds rolled off somehow and just dull but who knows if they are the same masters , I could just be disliking ‘audiophile ‘ mastering .

Imo DSD is epic bullshit.

then why do audiophile want to use DSD? they claim DSD sounds better.

 

[watchnerd]

then why do audiophile want to use foo? they claim foo sounds better.

FIFY

where foo = USB scrubbers, "audiophile" USB or ethernet cables, cryogenically treated cables, demagnetizers, CD stoplight green pens, TICE audio clocks, AC power scrubbers, Mpingo disks, harmonic resonators, etc, etc.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Trying to think if I can do that without creating a feedback loop in the ADI...

The 'stupid simple' option would be to unplug the XLR outs to the monitors on one side and plug it back into the analog inputs, but in analog world, that's feedback city....

You can do one channel at a time by feeding left output back into right input. No feedback. Then reverse for other channel.

 

[watchnerd]

You can do one channel at a time by feeding left output back into right input. No feedback. Then reverse for other channel.

Or just do one channel.

We don't really need both channels for this, do we?

 

[graz_lag]

Every single SACD I have with a PCM layer I prefer the PCM . The DSD sounds rolled off somehow and just dull but who knows if they are the same masters , I could just be disliking ‘audiophile ‘ mastering .

Imo DSD is epic bullshit.

 

[watchnerd]

https://www.mojo-audio.com/blog/dsd-vs-pcm-myth-vs-truth/

With bonus MQA content, too.

And multibit bullshit, too...

 

[restorer-john]

https://www.mojo-audio.com/blog/dsd-vs-pcm-myth-vs-truth/

It's that type of blatant misinformation that makes the internet the mess it is.

 

[graz_lag]

https://www.mojo-audio.com/blog/dsd-vs-pcm-myth-vs-truth/

With bonus MQA content, too.

And multibit bullshit, too...

One of my Hero :

https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/6nla0a