DSD Mk1 as external DAC to improve computer sourced audio

Audio Components
1

I badly want to improve the audio quality from YouTube Music Videos from my Falcon NW Computer. I have good external speakers and Preamp / AMP, but this last step, to clean up the source, has me baffled!

The simplified system: Computer > Preamp / AMP > Speakers plays audio fine; with coaxial cable from green colored Audio Out (that uses motherboard DAC) to preamp, etc.

Attempted to improve the audio by sending the digital output from computer to external DAC, by connecting USB cable from PC to PS Audio DS MK I DAC and selected “USB INPUT” on the DAC. Connected XLR cables from DAC to same preamp – but get no audio!

Spent considerable time downloading Drivers from PS Audio to computer: Configured Computer Settings: Device Manager, click on “PS Audio USB 2.0 Audio Devices” then “PS Audio Perfectwave DSD”; resulting PS Audio Driver is dated 9/10/2012, Version 1.61.0.0

Verified that computer Default Audio Device is “PS Audio Perfectwave DSD”.

Result is still same; no audio to speakers.

I then substitute the PSA DAC with another PSA DAC of similar age/model and get same result, no audio output to speakers. :frowning:

Suggestions?

2

Check your midi settings.

3

Welcome Gunnar.

A couple of things you could check/try.

  1. I assume your computer is running Windows (otherwise the PS Audio driver wouldn’t install)? Open the ‘Sound’ Control Panel applet by pressing the ‘Windows’ key and the ‘R’ key together. In the ‘Open’ field type ‘mmsys.cpl’ and press the ‘Return’ key. The applet window should open at the ‘Playback’ tab. Confirm that the entry for the ‘PS Audio’ device has a green ‘check’ or ‘tick’ symbol alongside it. This indicates that WIndows is using this device as the default audio device. Select or click once on it and click on the ‘Properties’ button. Click the ‘Levels’ tab and confirm the output is not muted and not set to zero. Click on the ‘Enhancements’ tab. For the moment I’d recommend selecting ‘Disable all enhancements’ by clicking the checkbox. Click on the ‘Advanced’ tab and, for the moment, select the ‘16 bit, 44100 Hz (CD Quality)’ format. Click the ‘Test’ button. You should hear some test tones. If not then you may have a driver installation issue. If this is the case, cancel out of the ‘Properties’ window, back to the main ‘Sound’ window and try making your ‘PC Line Out’ device the default (presuming that you’re using the ‘line out’ jacks to your preamp) and confirm your can get audio. However, if you heard the test tones when using the PS Audio device, go to 2.
  2. Are you accessing YouTube through a browser or another program? If you’re using a browser, you may only be able to use the default audio device that Windows provides. Some browsers may let you choose an output device. If you’re using another media program to access YouTube, as weedeewop suggested, check which audio device it’s using.

That’s about all I can suggest but just a note about using the PS Audio device (DSD Mk1) as the default device. That may not give you the best quality audio as Windows’ inbuilt audio subsystem mixes your YouTube audio with any audio generated by other running programs (and Windows itself). For best results, choose some other output device for the default and dedicate the PS Audio device to your YouTube source program.

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Thank you for your thoughtful reply MikeK. I will enthusiastically try your suggestions in the morning. - Gunnar

5

I used to have a DSJ before my Mk2, but I’ve never understood the DSD Mk1 to be fussy about drivers or to even need any to get it to work with a PC. Do you have any other cheap USB DAC to test on that computer, or do you have any other computers that you can plug the Mk1 into? That would be the easiest way to figure out what’s going on.

Another possibility, if you really do have a compatibility issue with that particular PC, is that you could try using a Matrix Audio X-SPDIF3 (current model) or X-SPDIF2 (great sounding used bargain) which will handle the USB input and convert it to I2S. This device should not require any special drivers. You might want to do this anyway—if you knew anything about the Mk1, it’s that it sounded much better with I2S input (HDMI style plug on the DSD Mk1) since this is how PS Audio intended it to be connected to their sources. Everybody started putting the X-SPDIF2 in the circuit once they realized what it was doing for the sound.

Finally, this has nothing to do with solving your audio problem, which I am sure you’ll figure out, but my last piece of advice would be to buy the Audioquest JitterBug FMJ and put it in between your USB jack and your USB cable. The motherboard is an unbelievably noisy component, and I could not believe how much this little thing decreased the noise level and improved the sound. I can even AB the difference instantly with a cheap pair of headphones when this thing is plugged into my PC.

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Some good advice there fvector750.

I think you need, at least with Windows, to install the Matrix Audio-supplied driver to allow a USB connection from Windows to the X-SPDIF 2/3 because it uses the Audio Stream Input Output (ASIO) protocol which is not native to Windows.

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Ok, yes, you’re probably right about that. It’s been a while, so my memory is foggy, but I’ve also had other ASIO devices that I do remember installing some drivers for, so maybe I already had something installed.

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