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DSD Remastering Engine in my DAP

Joined
Dec 24, 2024
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If my DAP has this:

DSD Remastering EnginePCM (Pulse Code Modulation) audio is resampled into an 11.2MHz DSD (Direct Stream Digital) ultra-high-frequency 1-bit audio stream. The single-bit stream delivered to the DAC has a character far closer to that of analogue, giving you even more ways to enjoy your music.

So do I even need to download DSD files at all???

Or

Will DSD files sound better because no conversion is taking place as opposed to the PCM files which go thru a conversion process?
 
DSD Remastering EnginePCM (Pulse Code Modulation) audio is resampled into an 11.2MHz DSD (Direct Stream Digital) ultra-high-frequency 1-bit audio stream. The single-bit stream delivered to the DAC has a character far closer to that of analogue, giving you even more ways to enjoy your music
That is unfortunately marketing hyperbole. You can't un-PCM a PCM encoded file - it will still be a PCM as DSD bitstream. "... far closer to analogue... " makes no sense.

Will DSD files sound better because no conversion is taking place as opposed to the PCM files which go thru a conversion process?
It all depends on the DAC architecture (and facts about this are often proprietary and so tricky to confirm). In theory, some DACs handle DSD with fewer steps than PCM (and some DACs don't).

In theory, DSD may be better than PCM if (and only if) the entire chain, including the entire recording chain) is pure DSD. If there's a PCM step anywhere (e.g. to do EQ), then you are listening to PCM regardless of the file format. Of course, PCM at anything higher than CD red book is better than even the youngest people can hear.
 
If my DAP has this:

DSD Remastering EnginePCM (Pulse Code Modulation) audio is resampled into an 11.2MHz DSD (Direct Stream Digital) ultra-high-frequency 1-bit audio stream. The single-bit stream delivered to the DAC has a character far closer to that of analogue, giving you even more ways to enjoy your music.

So do I even need to download DSD files at all???

Or

Will DSD files sound better because no conversion is taking place as opposed to the PCM files which go thru a conversion process?
I have a Marantz player which plays back everything using a filter from DSD. So with a pure DSD file or DSD recorded SACD I have no PCM steps in my chain.

Back when my ears weren't completely shot, I could still hear no difference between a pure DSD SACD or file and the CD layer on hybrid classical discs, blind, with the sharper (but still not great) PCM filter. Remember that pure DSD is a very rare thing: most recordings are edited, and most editing requires PCM conversion, so it's probably all or partly been PCM in any case at some stage.

The only thing to worry about is implementation. If that's good enough, all's well. Your DAC is probably converting both PCM and DSD to a different format for conversion anyway: most of the modern DAC chips do.

Reject any idea of DSD purism. As for the settings on your DAP, just compare (blind if you can) and choose what sounds best if there's a difference, but it's unlikely unless some conversion in the process has been mishandled.

As for needing to download DSD files, that will depend on the masters. You might avoid some poor (dynamically overcompressed) remasters by choosing DSD alternatives. For identical masters, choose the cheaper option and you'll get the same music.
 
That is unfortunately marketing hyperbole. You can't un-PCM a PCM encoded file - it will still be a PCM as DSD bitstream. "... far closer to analogue... " makes no sense.


It all depends on the DAC architecture (and facts about this are often proprietary and so tricky to confirm). In theory, some DACs handle DSD with fewer steps than PCM (and some DACs don't).

In theory, DSD may be better than PCM if (and only if) the entire chain, including the entire recording chain) is pure DSD. If there's a PCM step anywhere (e.g. to do EQ), then you are listening to PCM regardless of the file format. Of course, PCM at anything higher than CD red book is better than even the youngest people can hear.
> In theory, DSD may be better than PCM

What theory is that?
 
> In theory, DSD may be better than PCM

What theory is that?
I think It should be possible in theory to get lower noise than way, but in practice the difference will be inaudible.


do I even need to download DSD files at all??
No, not really, but that is true regardless of what special features your DAC has. As @MaxwellsEq mentions, PCM outstrips human hearing in most cases even just with basic 44.1/16. A different (hopefully better) master from the studio will be vastly more different.

As an aside, a DSD / PCM converter is no more a "remastering engine" than a video upscaler is a movie director. Remastering usually involves a person doing stuff in the studio to make a recording sound good.
 
As an aside, a DSD / PCM converter is no more a "remastering engine" than a video upscaler is a movie director. Remastering usually involves a person doing stuff in the studio to make a recording sound good.

Agreed, I thought it sounded like a pretty grandiose title for a really simple function.
 
> In theory, DSD may be better than PCM

What theory is that?
Principally the rationale behind its creation. Sony and Philips worked on an audio disc which would be better than CD and this was the outcome, based on the technology trends of the era. In theory, the noise shaping pushes noise in the audio frequencies lower than CD and the difficult-to-get-right brickwall filter was avoided. I own no DSD content, so can not personally perform a comparison.
 
If my DAP has this:

DSD Remastering EnginePCM (Pulse Code Modulation) audio is resampled into an 11.2MHz DSD (Direct Stream Digital) ultra-high-frequency 1-bit audio stream. The single-bit stream delivered to the DAC has a character far closer to that of analogue, giving you even more ways to enjoy your music.

So do I even need to download DSD files at all???

Or

Will DSD files sound better because no conversion is taking place as opposed to the PCM files which go thru a conversion process?
Having only 1 bit bit depth for signal only switching between on and off will bring you closer than ever to the analog experience compared to 65536 sample levels of 16 bit or 16.8 million sample levels of 24 bit audio... /s
 
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