Time resolution of Redbook (16/44) PCM

[Blumlein 88]

giving away my secrets here but

psst

https://www.nativedsd.com/product-tag/pure-dsd/

Hunnia Records and Eudora Records are two that I know of so far that do native DSD recording.

Then there are analog tape-assisted labels like Blue Coast Records, whom I hope to buy some music from (but it's a bit pricey).

DSD from PCM just isn't the same. I WANT MY NATIVE DSD.

You are bothered by PCM, but not worried when a couple stages go thru reel to reel tape? That is hardly Native DSD when it goes through analog for mixing/editing along the way.

 

[Stereo Skunk]

You are bothered by PCM, but not worried when a couple stages go thru reel to reel tape? That is hardly Native DSD when it goes through analog for mixing/editing along the way.

tape sounds nice. what can I say?

 

[Stereo Skunk]

You are bothered by PCM, but not worried when a couple stages go thru reel to reel tape? That is hardly Native DSD when it goes through analog for mixing/editing along the way.

What I like about Blue Coast Records is their ESE collection. Real acoustic environment, live takes, acoustic music. Not all of it is good though. I gotta sift through there and find some music I really like.

 

[DonH56]

How can mixing and mastering in DSD be an advantage.. it’s impossible.. to do any editing other than just a plain cut, you’ll need to convert to a multibit format first.

Not what I meant, sorry... I find differences in source material, due largely to the mixing and mastering process (using whatever tools and audio formats), far outweigh the impact of the number of bits and sampling rate used in playback.

 

[fieldcar]

My favorite part of DSD is how the ultrasonic noise and aliasing artifacts creates audible distortion throughout the audio chain. It adds a "bit-crunchy warmth" that nyquist band-limited PCM can't dream of reproducing.

 

[Stereo Skunk]

My favorite part of DSD is how the ultrasonic noise and aliasing artifacts creates audible distortion throughout the audio chain. It adds a "bit-crunchy warmth" that nyquist band-limited PCM can't dream of reproducing.

View attachment 148254

so it creates audible distortion when you convert from PCM?

Better just record in DSD then...

 

[jae]

My favorite part of DSD is how the ultrasonic noise and aliasing artifacts creates audible distortion throughout the audio chain. It adds a "bit-crunchy warmth" that nyquist band-limited PCM can't dream of reproducing.

View attachment 148254
View attachment 148258

Nuke it from orbit.

 

[Music1969]

BUT. what on earth does a delta sigma modulator do with DSD data? Maybe it just modulates it lol. And yes, theres for sure digital volume control on the QA361, but I did try it also with the LO.

Welcome to the wonderful 'black box' where you don't actually fully know what's happening to your precious DSD ;-)

I'm not sure any Topping DACs support 'DSD Direct' mode, even if their DAC chips do.

With RME, you enable this mode manually via on screen menu. And disable too.

 

[Wes]

Oops, I must have computed 1/44100 * 10e6 while thinking 10**6.



ITD = interaural time differences? In other words, RBCD can represent time differences below what humans can perceive?

What time differences can humans perceive? And under what conditions?

 

[voodooless]

I'm not sure any Topping DACs support 'DSD Direct' mode, even if their DAC chips do.

At least E30 does, possibly others as well

 

[Music1969]

At least E30 does, possibly others as well

It's permanently in 'DSD Direct' mode?

or can be selected in menu ?

 

[Stereo Skunk]

It's permanently in 'DSD Direct' mode?

or can be selected in menu ?

 

[Stereo Skunk]

why would it post without the attachment?

 

[audio2design]

Nothing! It’s converted to PCM first. The DSD direct AKM DAC’s can bypass the modulator and PCM conversion.

No, like most PCM input DACs they convert to multibit Sigma Delta DAC. Single bit DACs have their issues and high bit R2R have their issues. Most DACs are sigma-delta (technologically similar to DSD) but use a multi bit DAC as opposed to single bit due to improved performance.

 

[audio2design]

DSD from PCM just isn't the same. I WANT MY NATIVE DSD.

DSD to PCM and back is a mathematical operation. It can be lossless. Mastering in native DSD makes little sense since it is mathematically intensive with no real benefit.

 

[audio2design]

DSD sounds smoother. I prefer DSD128 to DXD.

Ooookay

 

[voodooless]

No, like most PCM input DACs they convert to multibit Sigma Delta DAC.

Yes, eventually. But first comes the volume control (AK4093 as an example). To do that on DSD data, you’ll need to convert to some multibit format.

 

[voodooless]

It's permanently in 'DSD Direct' mode?

or can be selected in menu ?

RTFM

 

[Blumlein 88]

What time differences can humans perceive? And under what conditions?

Under some conditions an interaural difference of 10 microseconds.

 

[Blumlein 88]

tape sounds nice. what can I say?

Tape will be the bottleneck. You'd not hear a difference in DSD from tape vs 96 khz pcm from tape.