Airlens with DSD

Network Audio
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Just got the AL. Now I don’t need my CD transport. AL sounds better, much better….one less component out of my system. Dynamics are extremely good with excellence in timber and musicality. Best streamer I have used by far.

Only one strange thing.

Using coax into my Chord Qutest. Qutest will play DSD 128 over coax using DOP. Setting for dip switches on AL for max dsd of 128 and DOP. However, I can’t get DSD 128 to the dac with AL, but it does stream native DSD 64? Very strange. No DSD 128. Roon is music server running ROCK on a NUC. Roon NUC connected in other room via RJ45 to AL.

Roon plays my DSD 64 files without any issues but converts all my DSD 128 to 64. Roon and my DAC show native DSD 64, no DOP is used in the transmission of the file.

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Hi John. Great to hear you’re enjoying the AirLens. You might be the first AirLens customer to try DSD128 over coax :slight_smile:

I was able to get DSD64 going through the AirLen’s coax and it sounded great, but don’t have any DSD128 to play with as yet.

I expect if all the AirLen’s switches are set to up it should output DSD128 via coax.

Has anyone else tried DSD128 over the AirLen’s coax, such that you might help John with this one?

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I put all the dip switches up and got native 128 DSD over coax to my Chord DAC along with 64 DSD. No DOP. Works great, very happy.

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@john.marsh - Thanks for posting your “native 128 DSD over coax” experience, as I have the same DAC.

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That’s fantastic to hear @jamco and @john.marsh that you’re able to get DSD128 via coax to your Chord DAC from the AirLens!

I tried playing DSD128 from the AirLens to the DS2 via coax and got no sound at all. The same music will play between those units @128 via I2S.

From all this, and some help from the PS Audio guys, I now understand the DS2 limits the flow via coax to DSD64.

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To be clear, I was excited to read about @john.marsh experience. It will likely be awhile before I have time to try native 128 DSD over coax. I first need to replace a drive in my Synology NAS; I’m glad it’s mirrored.

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