DSD256 and how it's being played

Thanks, Steven. That’s an interesting idea.

What we’re going to work with for the moment is mastering in both DSD128 and DSD256 at the same time. Thus the final offering will have available 64/128/256

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Hey Andrew. I’ve been quietly playing around a lot with this. All our new recordings are DSD256 from the get go and they sound so much more alive, spacious, and in the room than anything I have ever heard. I can switch between the microphone output and the DSD256 monitored output and hear nearly zero difference (something not true on 64 though DSD 64 remains better than any PCM anything).

Of course the DAC matters. Most of my listening has been through one of three DACs, the one built into the Pyramix recording system, the DS (in I2s mode) and the original Ted Smith TSS prototype (when I can pry it out of Darren Meyers’s hands).

Lots to absorb here and I need lots more time of playing, but 256 is extraordinary. Another league.

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Ok I have to say that I’m not sure I can take the difference between DSD64 and 256 (with Roon through Lumin T2). I’m a violinist, think I have a good ear, but who knows?

I expect that it matters a lot on how it was recorded in the first place.

Can someone give me say five titles that show a difference to you that I can get and try out? Some originally recorded in DSD128/256 and others remastered? (I saw Waltz for Debbie above.) If I still can’t tell the difference, well …

Also I wonder whether there’s knowledge bias here. Knowing that what you’re playing is DSD256 (and having paid extra for it) might increase your propensity towards liking it more? Just a thought.

It’s a matter of how resolving your system is. I cannot tell any difference in my bedroom system even between CD’s and SACD’s with my Krell AV processor and Sony blue ray player. But from a highly resolving system in my living room with my Esoteric streamer and DS DAC, the difference is very apparent.

And George, the DS Jr. should be just like the DS Sr. Feed it through I2S from a DSD 256 capable streamer or server with the Sunlight firmware update and you should be fine. Use a USB to I2S converter if your streamer or server does not have a I2S output.

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Download DSD 256 to computer. Transfer file to usb flash drive. Plug usb flash drive into the Panasonic play everything except SACD, use the internal Panasonic DAC, with balanced outputs to the BHK Preamp to the M1200’s

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Download to a computer. Play with Audirvana Origin through a USB cable to a Marantz SACD 30n. The latter converts/upsamples all digital data to DSD 256, so no conversion will be necessary.

Actually, @minnesotafats has a friend who is enjoying even better gear from him. Matt and I used to one up each other with our systems. Now we try to outdo each other with systems we borrow to friends. His friend is winning so now I have to step it up.

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Many thanks, Clifton. Time for a new toy. ISB → I2s.

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I thought the latest update allowed for native 256 on the Grimm?

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Until the FR20 comes out with a matching Center Channel you can loan me a KEF Reference 4 Meta in high gloss black/gray.

Thanks in advance. :wink:

https://us.kef.com/speaker/stereo-speakers/center-channel-speakers/reference-4-meta.html

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Al, you can help your cause by helping my system anytime :wink:

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In order for the Grimm to work its magic, it must send the timing information from its clock to the DAC. This requires an AES/EBU or SPDIF cable. These cables are limited in bandwidth and cannot do anymore than what they do as single cables. They are limited to DSD128. (Dual cables are an option and used by many high end companies including PS Audio on the PST) There is not software or firmware that can improve on this cable limitation. Grimm feels that the processing they do to the signal, as in jitter elimination etc, more than makes up for the down sampling. Most reviewers and I myself also agree that they may be on to something.

It amuses and befuddles me that my $2800 fancy USB card on my Pink Faun is limited to DSD128. I must say bah to this. I will contact Jord at Pink Faun and see what the deal is. He wants me to buy a Pink Faun Ultra. I want to buy one as well. But I am not interested in any device that can’t do DSD256 or DSD512. DSD1024 is too much storage for me. But I do have 42TB of Raid 6 storage on my NAS so perhaps I do have space. My fear is the first available DSD1024 titles will be Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac, or gasp, Supertramp.

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I was going to guess that “Jazz at the Pawnshop” would be first, but it looks like DSD1024 is here already and that warhorse is not on the current NativeDSD list (most of these titles appear to have been upconverted from DSD128 or DSD256):

https://www.nativedsd.com/catalogue/?filter_quality=dsd-1024-fs

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Is there a Grimm MU1 in my future? Lol

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Grimm cannot do 256! Okay, I erased it from my wish book then. :fearful:
I should forget DS II and wait for DS III which can decode 1024.

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I’ve heard the Grimm MU1 and I’ve heard DSD 256. I can live without DSD 256 if I had a MU1.

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Darn, that is not what I want to hear. :money_mouth_face:

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That news sounds so…grim…for DSD :wink:

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Hey, now. Them’s fighten’ words.

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