Folks, I always believe that it is helpful to ask basic questions, so here I go. I am having some trouble with J River 20.0.63, on Win 7, getting things configured correctly to output DSD for DSD files and play PCM. If I set bitstreaming to DSD in Options, Audio, Settings then PCM files do not play. If I leave bitstreaming off and encoding to “none” in DSP & Output Format, then it looks like J River is sending PCM to the DAC, and in any case I get buffering in the middle of tracks. If I set output encoding to any of the DSD options then I get choppy and obviously non-functional audio. So it’s a bit of a stalemate - i can get DSD to play correctly and i can get PCM to play correctly but so far not with any single set of configuration options. Seems this can’t be right?
EDIT: just rebooted my server and set bitstreaming to ON and it looks like I am now working, but please share your settings. It would be lovely if J River’s documentation kept pace to some degree with their code (Sort of like what Gandhi once said about Western Civilization: “I think it would be a good idea.” :))
I created two free 20 minute setup and tweak screencast videos for folks looking to listen to DSD (and other hirez, etc) via JRIver. It includes, setup, tweaks, customizing views, exporting to JRemote, etc.
The link shows two ways to watch: online streamed and download actual videos. The stream is via a 3rd party and they offer very little data in their free plan, so if you go there and the plan quota is used up for the month simply go back and download the actual videos to your computer.
Although my videos are available in a couple forums, I chose this link because it sits in a post on a JRiver Tips and Techniques thread I started (i.e the rest of the thread has lots of helpful info, screengrabs, etc).
I highly recommend both of these videos for anyone wanting basic setup info and also guidance in how to set up views. Ted, there was a specific question I was looking for the answer to which I didn’t really articulate clearly: I have my USB server (which at the moment is a physically different box than the one which connects via the Bridge) set to bitstream. At one point I wasn’t able to play PCM files with that box checked but that seems to have been due to a glitch which a reboot fixed. My question is what’s the relationship between the bitstream checkbox and the various DSD-related settings in “Output Encoding” in the “DSP and Output Format” screen?
Setting bitstream simply allows JRIver to send DSD as DSD (or DoP, depending on the DAC needs), so a DSD-capable DAC will get unconverted DSD. That is a must for DSD-capable DACs to get a DSD file from JRIver. It is a setting, not a downsampling, upsampling or format conversion. Those are done in DSP and output settings.
DSP and output format is independent of this one-time bitstream setting. These outset format setting are settings that, when left alone, will send all files to the DAC with their own native sample rates. If you want to change that then one can decide whether he/she wants to take non-DSD files (i.e PCM) and convert them on-the-fly to some multiple of DSD, or just have them treated at their native PCM rate. Or conversely, if one has a PCM DAC, one can, in the output format section, tell JRIver to convert on-the-fly DSD to PCM. Furthermore, one can up or downsample within PCM ranges…so if your DAC only does 24/96 tell JRIver to downsample everything over that to 24/96 (and/or anything below that to upsample to 24/96).
Let’s say you have a DSD-capable DAC like the DS. Since Ted’s design already upsamples everything to deep space then finally DSD128 I would not touch DSP/output settings at all. Just make sure everything gets to the DS natively, so therefore set bitstream to DSD, period.
Lets’s say you have a DSD-capable DAC but find that it’s PCM sweetspot is 24/96 (i.e everything PCM sounds best at 24/96). Set bitstream to DSD, sample rate all PCM to 24/96 and don’t touch “output encoding”.
Ted, thanks. When i set J river to bitstream, the display panel on the DS DAC shows the input as DOP - I assume this is correct as direct DSD cannot yet be streamed via USB?
USB can handle native DSD via compliant ASIO drivers, for example. My display only shows input as DSD and rate as DSD64 (or DSD128), not DoP. You must have a different firmware than my current 1.2.1
I can quickly change my I2S input to be native DSD or DoP, depending on Minimserver settings. I tried both this morning…both show same DSD display. FYI.
Anybody? I am at firmware 1.5.6 and using the Perfectwave WASAPI driver. the manual, admittedly an old document at this point, implied that native DSD over USB was not yet possible. I don’t see any other settings I can change in J River.
it’s beta firmware. should’ve mentioned that. Anyway it’s no biggie, music plays and I was mainly just curious. Thanks for all of your info. I do still think that the J River people need to figure out a way to keep their documentation more up-to-date, but is of course their own issue.
Duh, of course. Seems like Ted/Paul are now capturing the DoP flag in the display info, so as to differentiate between DSD input and DoP. Nice, frankly, if that is the case. I look forward to the firmware this week.
I am having some trouble with J River 20.0.63, on Win 7, getting things configured correctly to output DSD for DSD files and play PCM. If I set bitstreaming to DSD in Options, Audio, Settings then PCM files do not play. If I leave bitstreaming off and encoding to “none” in DSP & Output Format, then it looks like J River is sending PCM to the DAC, and in any case I get buffering in the middle of tracks. If I set output encoding to any of the DSD options then I get choppy and obviously non-functional audio. So it’s a bit of a stalemate - i can get DSD to play correctly and i can get PCM to play correctly but so far not with any single set of configuration options. Seems this can’t be right?