POLL: WHO IS/HAS USED DSD?

[Yearofthegoat]

Just checked:
- AVR displays 'DSD' when the source is SACD from a disc player. Playback is gapless
- AVR displays 'PCM' when .dsf files are played back in foobar. Playback is gapless
- AVR displays 'PCM' when .dsf files are played back in Kodi 19.5. Playback is gapless

The .dsf files are held on my Synology NAS, HTPC is on gigabit ethernet (not wireless). The above holds for MCH and stereo (as expected).

Yes - it was a while ago that I looked into all this and now you mention it I do recall reading that one needs special hardware/drivers to stream DSD directly.

 

[crwilli]

Sony just developed SACD because their patent on CD was about to expire?
Any actual SQ benefits over red book ?
Keith

Like all music, it depends on the recording. I have found SACDs if purposefully produced, sound fantastic. I also have SACDs that are Ho-hum. Same can be said for CDs. It’s not about the bits. It’s the recording process and engineering.

 

[Yearofthegoat]

I think I'd agree with that. Re. the whole can-you-hear-the-difference thing, there's a definite but subtle difference between my CD of Queen's The Game, and the DVD-Audio. Couldn't tell you what it is - I don't believe it's the bit-rate/sample-rate uptick - but I'm prepared to buy that it was prepared differently.

Mostly I like SACD and DVD-Audio for the MCH versions though. Please Mr Postman by the Carpenters has to be heard in surround.

And earlier today when I was checking foobar etc. I lost an hour listening to War of the Worlds -- got totally sucked in! Which is probably what it's all about.

 

[Sokel]

There are DAC's that handles things differently,I have measured couple of them,here's one,judge for yourselves:

PCM vs DSD

Did a little comparison and I was wondering if any friend with better gear here has tested this. Results you're about to see is probably narrowed to the specific DAC but it's interesting to see how it handles things differently. I will not try to decipher the results other that DSD seems much...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[FeelinNoPain]

Now I know that they sound the same, but my perception remains.

Sometimes it seems that the “correct” default position on this forum is that everything sounds the same always. Your perception is your perception. I’m a scientist, bought all my gear based on my (admittedly non-exhaustive) understanding of physics and relevant measurements of the gear. I want to be skeptical of DSD, but on my system, same album sent to my streamer via AirPlay from Apple Music vs. DSD from my NAS - yes they sound very close to the same but yet not exactly the same, and I’ll take my DSD file, thank-you very much. It’s subtle, but it’s real.

Ya I know I’m late to the party. Just had to chip in my 2 bits.

 

[mkt]

Sometimes it seems that the “correct” default position on this forum is that everything sounds the same always. Your perception is your perception. I’m a scientist, bought all my gear based on my (admittedly non-exhaustive) understanding of physics and relevant measurements of the gear. I want to be skeptical of DSD, but on my system, same album sent to my streamer via AirPlay from Apple Music vs. DSD from my NAS - yes they sound very close to the same but yet not exactly the same, and I’ll take my DSD file, thank-you very much. It’s subtle, but it’s real.

Ya I know I’m late to the party. Just had to chip in my 2 bits.

I'm not an expert and don't use airplay but the internet says Airplay downgrades the lossless stream from Apple Music to AAC256.

 

[FeelinNoPain]

I'm not an expert and don't use airplay but the internet says Airplay downgrades the lossless stream from Apple Music to AAC256.

Yes, that’s part of what I’m saying. Even AirPlay comes very close to the the quality of my locally accessed DSD file. It’s shocking, really.

edit: I don’t think it’s AAC256, though. I think it’s lossless 16/44.1.

edit2: I suppose I need to double-blind test from locally stored PCM to make any kind of fair comparison.

 

[antcollinet]

Sometimes it seems that the “correct” default position on this forum is that everything sounds the same always. Your perception is your perception. I’m a scientist, bought all my gear based on my (admittedly non-exhaustive) understanding of physics and relevant measurements of the gear. I want to be skeptical of DSD, but on my system, same album sent to my streamer via AirPlay from Apple Music vs. DSD from my NAS - yes they sound very close to the same but yet not exactly the same, and I’ll take my DSD file, thank-you very much. It’s subtle, but it’s real.

Ya I know I’m late to the party. Just had to chip in my 2 bits.

Also - quite possibly different mastering with less dynamic compression on the DSD.

And correct - airplay is 16/44.1

 

[mkt]

Also - quite possibly different mastering with less dynamic compression on the DSD.

And correct - airplay is 16/44.1

Is that airplay in general or airplay of Apple Music?
"In short, currently Apple Music lossless streams (and only Apple Music streams, any locally stored ripped content does not have this issue), get transcoded to AAC 256kbps before playback via Airplay, which means no Apple Music lossless via Airplay, at least for the moment."

https://www.reddit.com/r/AppleMusic/comments/ubj7bt

 

[antcollinet]

Is that airplay in general or airplay of Apple Music?
"In short, currently Apple Music lossless streams (and only Apple Music streams, any locally stored ripped content does not have this issue), get transcoded to AAC 256kbps before playback via Airplay, which means no Apple Music lossless via Airplay, at least for the moment."

https://www.reddit.com/r/AppleMusic/comments/ubj7bt

You'd need to link to the actual thread - which as far as I can see, you haven't. I"m not going to go searching.


I can't be certain, since I don't use apple music. But if I were via a browser on my mac, then outputting the sound to soundsource and then to air play - I very much doubt that apple music running in the browser would have any way of knowing that it was sent via airplay.

And even if that thread has good info, then the internet is at least conflicted - since this article states that apple muisc is 16/44 over airplay - sometimes more:

Apple AirPlay 2 supports 24-bit lossless audio, but you can’t use it

If AirPlay is limited to 16-bit CD-quality streams, how is the HomePod able to use AirPlay at a better-than-CD 24-bits?

www.digitaltrends.com

 

[FeelinNoPain]

the internet is at least conflicted

There’s also this write-up: https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/bits-and-bytes/apple-music-lossless-mess-part-2-airplay-r1026/ See section Results Without Context, “UPDATED”.

 

[ZolaIII]

There’s also this write-up: https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/bits-and-bytes/apple-music-lossless-mess-part-2-airplay-r1026/ See section Results Without Context, “UPDATED”.

Scratching my head - getting Apple music to HiFi

Airplay can't do hi res and as of now it is only AAC and not ALAC. I suspect this will change down the road Any sources for this?

www.audiosciencereview.com

Remarkably retarded if you ask me. Good old DLNA (up to 192 KHz and more importantly 24 bit including DSD64)!

 

[FeelinNoPain]

My streamer indicates “Apple lossless 16/44.1” as the file resolution when receiving AirPlay, regardless of the resolution or format (320k mp3 to 196khz) of the file sent by my iPad or MacBook. I think it’s accurate.