I’m updating my settings in MinimServer to work with the DS Mk2 instead of the Bridge II. I had MinimServer set to convert FLAC files to WAV (according to my notes, this reduced the load on the Bridge). I assume there is no advantage to such conversion with the Mk2; but if there is, I’d like to know about it. Most of my files are uncompressed FLAC.
The Bridge required that DSD files be sent as DoP. I know this is not the case for the Mk2 when using I2S or USB inputs, so I also assume there is no reason to do so (and perhaps some slight sonic penalty due to conversion overhead on my NAS, which is not exactly a computing powerhouse). Is native DSD always the best choice if one’s hardware supports it?
You can give FLAC a try, but if you’re already converting to WAV and it works, I don’t know that there’s any point in changing it. OTOH,
I’m pretty sure Ted has stated that there is really no advantage to sending native DSD to the MkII, as it converts it to DoP anyway. Seems like if you send it DoP there’s less for the DS to do.
The recent MinimServer 2.2 rearranged some things, which I have been sorting out today. As far as I can tell, it did not bring my old configuration setting with the FLAC to WAV conversation into the new interface, so I’ve been listening to FLAC. I can add the conversion back easily and will try a test in the next day or so.
I was (am?) confused about how the Mk2 handles things. I thought that it converted all inputs to a very high rate DSD stream; so why would it convert native DSD to DoP only to remove the ‘wrapper’ ? But you may be right.
I asked this question to Ted a while back. Although DSD Mk 2 converts native DSD to DoP internally, there is no advantage in sending one format over the other.