New Direct Stream owner/Roon user seeking advice

Audio Components DACs
1

My Direct Stream arrived a couple of weeks ago and I have already experienced many hours of enjoyment listening to it. My setup is the following:

My Direct Stream is connected via ethernet using Zyxel power line adaptors. (My router is in another room and a direct connection is impossible.) It feeds a McIntosh MA6500 integrated amp and Sonus Faber Concerto Home stand-mounted speakers. My system also includes a REL Brittainia subwoofer.

Attached is a Roon screen shot of an MQA file played through the Direct Stream. As I understand it, the reference to “MQA Full Decoder” means I am getting the optimal MQA setup currently available through Roon. Is that correct?

If I am mistaken about that can someone advise what settings I would need to change?

To the best of my knowledge I have no Roon DSP settings of any kind as of now.

Am I correct in understanding that adding DSP settings will interfere with proper (or full) MQA playback? So in other words if I want to use DSP (without interfering with MQA) I would need to reset the device (within the Roon settings) when I play a non-MQA file?

If I should choose to try that, can anyone suggest some initial DSP settings to try with a Direct Stream DAC?

Two other questions:

  1. In choosing Hi-Res files at HD Tracks or other sites, does it make any difference to the Direct Stream what format I purchase? To be as specific as possible, I already own “Bill Evans: Some Other Time (The Lost Session From The Black Forest)” in a 24/192 format. Would I expect to hear a meaningful difference if I purchased it at DSD 2.8 or DSD 5.6, which HD tracks also offers? I know ultimately it depends on my own ears but I’m wondering if anyone can offer some technical guidance about whether it would or would not make any difference in how the Direct Stream processes the signal.

  2. I could setup my Direct Stream using a Sonore microRendu (with an Uptone Audio LPS1.2 power supply). In that case the microRendu would use the ethernet connection and would then connect to the Direct Stream via USB. Any strong opinions – other than to listen myself :smirk: – about the pros and cons of the two setups (used in both cases in conjunction with Roon)?

Many thanks.

Roon_PS%20Audio_MQA
Roon_PS Audio_MQA.jpg2176Ă—1584 587 KB

2

Under Device Setup for your DS Dac make sure the “MQA Capabilities” are set to “Decoder and Renderer”. Looks like you have already done this so you should be hearing MQA.

MQA
MQA.jpg1266Ă—1284 47.3 KB

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Sorry but I have not tried DSP settings,

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4

Thanks. I just checked and “Decoder and Renderer” is selected. Roon must have done that automatically, because i don’t recall doing it myself.

Do you have any experience with DSD downloads and your Direct Stream?

5

I only have 2 DSD downloads in my collection. I like the DSD version compared to standard FLAC downloads. Do you have any specific questions regarding DSD?

DSD
DSD.jpg1216Ă—1214 44.9 KB

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Just the one at the end of my original long post: Do the different DSD formats (eg 2.8. vs 5.6) make any difference with a Direct Stream?

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Sorry but both of my albums are DSD 2.8. Maybe someone else can chime in.

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This may help with what formats work with what input.

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Thanks very much!