Thank you Ryan! I will check it out.
Now I think you are trying to gaslight us . . . I sent DSD files (.DSF) directly from my MacBook Pro to the DS Sr. via USB for YEARS before adding a Matrix to the mix.
One of us is wrong, and it is not me. The piece you are missing is DoP. You can play a native DSD file on a Mac using, say Audirvana Plus, and it will transmit it to the DS Sr. via USB using the DoP background process, which the DS Sr. can decode quite well.
Since it is apparent that you will not accept this reality unless and until you hear it directly from @tedsmith himself, I am going to check out of this bizarro discussion and put you on ignore. At anytime that you opt to recant your misstatements and apologize for the name calling, I would consider un-ignoring you.
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You’re still not sending the DSD Sr a true .DSF stream.
That program is probably converting to DOP on the fly…thats all i’m saying.
It is working on my end, Al. Ryan’s posts are hidden now, and I see a small notation indicating as much, with the option to unhide them. Here is one example:
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I think you should ignore if you want to ignore, I’m tired of your howls anyway.
If anyone would like to have a discussion thats great…I’m ok with being wrong. From now on i’ll just start with, ‘this is what works for me’…then I wont be in trouble for saying things people take as bible testament.
To my eyes you need to adjust Roon settings,they are not correctly set.
Max bits per sample 24
Max sample rate pcm 358
Max dsd 128 or 64
Fixed volume
Try those at first
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I would like to sincerely thank everyone for their help! I downloaded and installed Bitperfect and Bitperfect Master. I then reset the volume control to “Fixed Volume”. NOW the DSD files are playing correctly. I couldn’t have done all this without your help. This forum and the people on it are awesome!
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False. DoP contains the raw DSD bits, think if it as an envelope. It was invented just so that DSD could be smuggled thru a 24/176.4k PCM channel and if it was bit perfect the DSD could be unwrapped at the end. Most of us play pure DSD from wherever and have our playing programs wrap the DSD into DoP and then let the DAC unwrap it.
If you try to send a DSF stream to a DAC it won’t know what it is. Your playing program extracts the DSD out of the DSF envelope and either sends raw native bits at a high sample rate (which many or most systems can’t deal with except perhaps over USB or I2S) or it wraps them into DoP so that almost any system can play it.
The point is that DSF and DFF (and sone .wv files) are simply containers like .flac files and past the player are gone and irrelevant. DACs only see native DSD or DoP. Also, FWIW I hardly ever use .DSF or .DFF files to play DSD, I’m a fan of .iso files (a direct SACD image)
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but I said more things in that comment…
I understand that DOP is DSD(dsf) over PCM.
What I was saying was that hes not only sending simply the .dsf stream…as you later said.
This was another fun night on the forums, friends.
Let’s do it again tomorrow, I’ll bring the frustration. See you there 
Manchmal gibt es einfach nicht genug bier.
Here we go…
I have only used BitPerfect with iTunes, and that in the distant past. I don’t know if other programs support it. If you are using Roon, I don’t think you need it. Its main purpose was to allow iTunes to play songs at their native sample rate rather than whatever fixed rate Audio Midi Setup was set on. iTunes did not support DSD files and the Master DSD program addressed that with the hybrid files. The Master DSD program will also convert DSD files to PCM (true PCM files).
Definitely do not need BitPerfect with Roon on a Mac.
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I’m contemplating getting either a Matrix-2 or Sonore equivalent. As some one stated in another PSA Forum topic, I am cheating in my way of extracting I2S on my “Disc Transport”. It sounds incredible and I heard the improvement over S/PDIF (Coax) immediately.
Now the Sony HDMI Video output only supports True DSD signals at the 64fs/2.8MHz data rate. This is great for spinning SACD discs but not compatible with 5.6/11.2 MHz files. 5.6MHz plays fine via USB (DoP from my PC w/ Audirvana). 11.2MHz file only playback via the mediocre Sony DAC’s Analog Out’s.
My DS Sr.’s 2nd I2S input is lonely and I wonder, do these USB to I2S HDMI boxes provide aTrue DSD out at all Data rates or does is do DSD over PCM at all rates. Will I notice any improvement in SQ with these boxes ?
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The last time I checked, the DS DAC’s excellent-sounding I2S input is capped at DSD 128. If that is still the case, the DS would not decode your DSD 256 (aka 4xDSD and DSD 11.2 MHz) files.
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As the resident prime supporter of questions, it’s perfectly reasonable that you wanted to know if Underwood HiFi is a WW dealer prior to purchase. Underwood is well known here because of his outrageous deals on PSA equipment prior to the direct sale only move.
As a fellow resident of Maui, I can say that on the surface Underwood doesn’t look so convincing. It’s run out of their residential home in a semi-upscale neighborhood called Kahana Ridge in West Maui. A neighborhood that has extremely strict rules about businesses and even the ability to rent one’s home. It’s certainly not an audio showroom in any regard.
That said, Walt is as legit as they get, but it is a drop ship business. Taking the address posted on the Underwood website, you can see photos of the house that is Underwood HiFi, just for interest sake.
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/89-Kahana-Makai-Rd_Lahaina_HI_96761_M81401-60719
I appreciate your response.
It was actually my good friend @bootzilla that found the authentication that Walter was a WW dealer and I promptly bought from him.
I just like to be sure at this price range, thats all.
Walter is, as you said, 100% legit and I had a great conversation with him as I was in the process of buying my WW HDMI cable from him.
I would recommend Walter all day long, truly a great guy.
Hey rajugsw!
Please check out the matrix, you can get it on amazon risk free…they have a great return policy if you decide to not keep it.
Start at the beginning of this thread, there is good information…but to sum up, this is what I did:
I purchased the Matrix SPDIF-2 + ifi 5v DC switching power supply + good USB cable (I already had a AQ Diamond USB) + Pangea HDMI.
This provided a noticeable improvement in DSD64 and PCM files compared to simply connecting my AQ Diamond to the DSD Sr.
Then per @bootzilla recommendation I purchased the ‘UltraCap LPS-1.2 PSU’ holy crap it sounded even better. Later, I updated to a ‘Wireworld Platinum Starlight 7 HDMI’. There was incremental improvement imo adding the WW HDMI cable but it was still an improvement. Imo, the greatest improvement came from the power supply.
Anyways, A/B testing with my current matrix setup(using I2S) compared to directly connecting USB to my DSD Sr is a no brainer. The matrix makes it sound far better imo.
To start buy everything on amazon…let it wow you, remember you can always return it if it doesn’t…but I think you will be impressed.
Good luck!
Ryan
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As far as the rest of it, when it comes to technical DS things, best to defer to Ted. And you will absolutely have much better sound getting away from iTunes and BitPerfect. After a long journey of trying just about everything Mac based, I settled on Roon with HQPlayer. Granted, it’s pricey ($950 total), but it’s a substantial improvement over iTunes/ BitPerfect in every regard except familiarity.
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Thanks for the heads up.
I’m still getting into this hobby, but really like it…I started out with ‘DSD Master’, ‘Bitperfect’ and Itunes because they were cheap and easy.
I have actually been reading more about Roon and really like what it can offer…that will most likely be my next upgrade.
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