DSD Sr. with Bridge II popping with all digital music formats, Please Help!

I am not sure this is true. From what source did you base this statement?

Mconnect is the app PSA audio endorses for use with the Bridge II card. Mconnect is the app designed my ConversDigital who manufactures the hardware for the Bridge II card. There are other means for which to stream to the DS DAC/Bridge II, Roon included but what you stated doesn’t align with what I am familiar with in terms of the Bridge II and the software it is compatible with.

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Do some research. Roon has partnered with several manufacturers to optimize dacs for use with Roon. When you hook your DSdac up to Roon it is recognized and set to let your Dac do all upsampling. It even shows audio path.
I base this on information from PS audio and Roon!

Sure, but that is Roon optimizing their software to recognize the DS DAC (like they do with ALL the other manufacturers’ equipment specs they build into the software). That is not the same as PS Audio optimizing the DirectStream DAC for Roon. Roon designing their software in this fashion has nothing to do with PSA hardware design and quite different of a scenario compared to what you stated prior.

Really? Please explain.

If the Directstream DAC was “optimized” for Roon then the majority of the streaming issues reported with the DS and the Bridge II wouldn’t turn out to be Roon related. As Jeff said you’ve got the scenario backwards.

The signal path is automatically set for optimal sound quality. That is what I mean by optimized.
I have been running Roon for about a year through my DSDac via bridge2. Never a single problem. Stability of Mconnect was always an issue. I believe PS audio worked hand in hand with roon to accomplish that.

worth a try

I recognize the distinction you are making.

I think it would be a shame if the OP had to stop using Roon as it is by far the best way to stream and organise your music library (especially compared to MConnect). Also it is not cheap.

The vast majority of people use Roon with the DSDac (myself included, I have two) without any problems at all. So that suggests that there must be something unique in the OP’s case that causes the issue.

It could be as I suggested earlier that some of the settings are incorrect, if that is not the case then it means it is not something wrong with Roon itself but some kind of interaction between Roon and some other variable in their system (otherwise everyone would have the problem).

If all else fails it may still be worthwhile to send the DAC and Bridge back to PS Audio to see if they can recreate the problem.

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If you go JRiver, I’m a huge fan, run this program and make all the recommended settings.

http://www.whitebear.ch/dmra

Again, I would like to thank everyone who has helped with my issue. I have come a long way in getting to the root of the popping.

After I got MConnect working I moved onto JRiver. Got that working once I figured out how to do the DLNA thing.

The popping is greatly reduced in volume and it only exists on DSD (.DSF) playback.

So to summarize: Going with basic installs of Roon (no configuration) and JRiver All FLAC and MP3 files play without popping. But when I play DSF, DSD files on Roon or JRiver I get a pop every once and a while. This pop is not as loud as before. But it is certainly there.

So setting Roon to the basic settings reduces the volume and occurrence of the popping. I am getting the same thing on JRiver (Flac play fine, and DSD pop).

I am wondering if it my network. I am assuming that the DSD (.DSF) files are bigger and take more bandwidth on the network. Correct?

Your network can probably carry more bandwidth - by a long way - than what any audio format would require.

As Brodric said it should not be a network bandwidth issue. I would still suggest sending your DAC back to PS Audio for them to check both it and the Bridge out. There may be some odd kind of fault in it that only rears its head in very selected situations with DSD audio. I can confirm that I have no issues playing back DSD via Roon. I don’t use JRiver but the fact that also gives the pops suggests there may be something wrong with the DAC.

Curious about this analyzer program. I’m a big fan of jriver as well. I just play things bit perfect / no upsample or conversion. What does this program do that I have not done? :slight_smile: have you found any audio improvements by using it? Thx.

Just a simple way of analyzing your network and using it to get the settings in JRiver correct. For example, DSF file settings. Nothing to do with making things sound better. Run it and see, or don’t.

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Do you get pops on DSD with mConnect? If not then not a Bridge or DS problem.

I can’t seem to get MConnect able to Run DSD (.DSF). I would like to be able to do that, but can’t.

I got this on update eventually just unplugging the is2 cable and then plugging it back in did the trick

Several days of testing later . . .

DSD (.DSF) files are popping playing through Roon, JRiver, and Mconnect.

I spend hours listening for the pops on Non-DSD files (mp3 and flac). No pops.

So how in the would does it pop for only DSD files? And only on the bridge?

I think you’re going to need help directly from a PS Expert from here @jamesh

Some of them might be occupied at AXPONA for the next few days.