Another happy user here. It took reading over 100 pages of the ripping thread but I got it working with a different random USB stick.
DSD playback options
- Thread starter MikeyFresh
- Start date
I've gone all the way down the dsf Foobar rabbit hole to discover it doesn't really push straight dsd without some sort of conversion. Now I'm trying Hysolid which is cool but I keep getting dropouts with big pops (even with the max hardware buffer.) Is it Jriver for me now or is there something else this PC user should try?
Much thanks for this forum! Huzzah!
Much thanks for this forum! Huzzah!
I did not know Foobar converts DSD by default. I thought if you had all of the correct plugins installed it was straight DSD, however my experience with that was on Windows 7 and dates to about 2015-16, so it's possible I'm not remembering it right or things have since changed?
What DAC and drivers are you using with Foobar and what is the indication that it transcodes to PCM?
JRiver is solid but if you'd like to explore another freeware, maybe musicBee will work. I think you need an ASIO driver, and certainly all EQ, DSP, digital (software) volume controls need to be disabled, otherwise there is always conversion to PCM going on, even with JRiver.
Another option might be Audirvana 3.5, though that legacy version isn't going to be updated anymore as they've gone to a subscription pricing model, but you can trial it for 30 days to see if you like it. Alternatively, the newer Audirvana Origin might fit the bill instead, I think both are $89 after the trial period has expired.
My personal preference is JRiver, though I'd double check to be sure you have Foobar configured properly as I think it can do native DSD with the right settings and Windows driver.
I was able to get it to say it was pushing DSD but not with my DAC, it shows 176400Hz PCM and gives no sound. I'm using the JDS labs Atom with the ASIO drivers. When I went to Hysolid the DAC immediately recognized 2.8MHz DSD.
Thanks for the other names to try! I'll give them all a go.
If thats the original Atom DAC and not the newer Atom DAC+, I think thats the issue as the original was not DSD compatible to my memory.
There is also the question of DSD native compatible, or only DoP compatible, and you have to set the player software accordingly for each.
Proof that Foobar is working with DSD. Check the Atom DAC specs to determine if it's even DSD compatible at all, and if so does it require a DoP setting in software.
The DAC is the ATOM+ I didn't know there was a distinction, sorry.
I couldn't get Foobar to work with DoP toggled on or off. I couldn't get it to pass audio in DSD mode. They've made a lot of changes to the way they handle DSD. I believe it used to work but clearly doesn't as well as it once did. I changed one variable, the player, and got audio and recognition in the hardware of DSD.
Up next: JRiver trial!
I have seen where some DACs will display 176.4 when properly decoding DoP, however that would be the DAC display itself. I'm guessing with the Atom+ you were referring to some indication in Foobar itself as I don't think that DAC has a sample rate indicator?
Anyway, DoP can look to a DAC like PCM, as it is actually packaging the DSD as 16-bit/176.4 "frames", so I'm curious exactly what indicator or display you are referring to that suggested PCM with the Atom+, and also would suggest then trying to confirm with JDS Labs what the display is actually supposed to say, as well as if its supposed to be able to handle native DSD, or is it DoP only?
The Atom+ Instruction Manual almost lacks any mention of DSD whatsoever, with nothing at all about native DSD or DoP, not a word. One possibility there is you need the XMOS Driver and/or firmware installed, as the standard bit depth without it is actually 32-bit, even though there is no 32-bit source material.
That could potentially foul up DoP, because DoP relies on use of a 16-bit word at 176.4kHz. Of course if the DAC is supposed to handle native DSD, then none of that would apply, but since the manual makes no mention of DSD at all, I think you should contact JDS Labs and ask them.
When I use Hysolid I get this info recognizing sample rate and DSD mode from the hardware. I'll get more info tomorrow.
So that would suggest the DAC does not require DoP.
Were you definitely using the ASIO driver with Foobar too?
Software volume defeated or at 100%, and no DSP or EQ?
I've tried all the options I can imagine. ASIO for the DAC, even ASIO for Foo. Both SACD decoder components, DoP on and off, "use dsd processor" and not. Here's a shot with Foo in the back showing that it thinks it's playing DSD, and ATOM on top showing half the DSD sample rate via PCM (and I don't get audio)
If you have any settings for me to try I'm happy to but I've decided it's not working with the current version. Older versions did seem to work.
If you have any settings for me to try I'm happy to but I've decided it's not working with the current version. Older versions did seem to work.
You would have to ask JDS Labs, I think what you are seeing is Foobar operating in DoP mode, i.e. it is DSD, just packaged as 176.4 PCM "frames". But you get no audio that way.
Without any real mention in the JDS Labs documentation as to their exact implementation for DSD, or exactly how to configure their driver it's very hard to say.
What about the XMOS driver and firmware I mentioned? Is it possible that too needs to be installed but as yet has not been? Ask JDS Labs, they provide a phone # and everything, I bet if you just called them they might answer the phone.
I came across an interesting album. I bought "Music of Turina and Debussy" on Telarc and I ripped the album today. I use DSD Master to create 6-track FLAC files and 2-track Apple Lossless files.
The thing I like about DSD Master is it can read an entire album and apply the appropriate gain globally to compensate for DSD being typically 6dB below 0dBFS. I usually see gain increases of over 6dB but the 6-channel gain increase for this album was only 1.77dB and the stereo tracks were around 2dB. Could this be the case of an album being incorrectly mastered for DSD? I think I might better off playing the FLAC and Apple Lossless files rather than the actual disc.
The thing I like about DSD Master is it can read an entire album and apply the appropriate gain globally to compensate for DSD being typically 6dB below 0dBFS. I usually see gain increases of over 6dB but the 6-channel gain increase for this album was only 1.77dB and the stereo tracks were around 2dB. Could this be the case of an album being incorrectly mastered for DSD? I think I might better off playing the FLAC and Apple Lossless files rather than the actual disc.
Interesting, and the disc is billed as Pure DSD, having been recorded using the Sony/Phillips DSD recording system, so it's not been transcoded from PCM unless circa 2001 by default some aspect of the mixing/mastering process involved PCM.
I ripped Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here and the playback is not gapless. What did I do wrong? I use an Oppo 203 for playback.
I've moved this post here from the SACD ripping thread where it is somewhat off-topic, as all SACD rips done using the tools and methods detailed there are in fact gapless by default.
The issue you are having is not a ripping issue per se, it is a playback issue that is specific to your hardware/software setup.
There is more than one way you can playback DSD using an Oppo UDP-203. Are you using the player as an endpoint over DLNA/UPnP (network playback), or are you attaching a USB storage device to the player and accessing those files directly (local playback)?
So sorry. I couldn't figure out what happened to my post but now I know. This board is new to me and I didn't see the notice.
I am using the Oppo with USB storage and played back using the Oppo interface.
OK I think that's preferable to network playback in that Oppo did not properly implement DLNA/UPnP with a feature called SetNext, at least not initially with the UDP-203, though they might have fixed that via firmware update at some point. If not, then the 203 won't playback gapless over the network.
For local USB playback I think it should, however there is likely a setting for it in the Oppo OSD menu, and it looks like it might not be supported for DSD playback. From the Unofficial Oppo UDP-203 FAQ:
If the above is correct, the DSF file type is not supported for local gapless playback either. This is one very unfortunate shortcoming of an otherwise fabulous disc player, and I remember at the time the 203/205 were released there was some hope the issue would be corrected (for both local and network play) via a firmware update, but I'm not sure if that ever happened or not.
Thanks for finding that. I have the latest firmware and it apparently wasn't ever enabled for dsf files. I can combine all the files using the Tascam editor and it works but then there is no individual file selection possible. If I want gapless it looks like I'll have to convert the dsf files to hi res FLACs.
I just tried the stereo tracks using a Topping E50 DAC and it plays gapless but it can't play the multi channel versions.
For the stereo tracks you'll have various good options including use of something like the Topping E50. For the MCH tracks, those options narrow considerably when it comes to DSD playback, and thats nothing unique to the UDP-203, very few AVRs, DACs, etc support MCH playback of DSD.
@NSBulk what do you think? Is converting the MCH tracks to 24/88.2 FLAC the thing to do?
My processor can play DSD files directly both stereo and multi-channel. But getting the files to it to play gapless is the problem. But conversion to PCM should work pretty well. I'll be interested in @NSBulk 's response.
