Hello, is a discussion topic, I see so many other DACs making DSD 512 or 1024 and PS Audio. Why ?? Can it be possible ?
The DS’s hardware is basically quadrate. If higher rate inputs were supported they would have to be converted to quadrate, not what people would expect. It’s possible that other future PS Audio DACs could support higher DSD rates.
Hello Ted, what is quadrate ?
“Quad rate” DSD is DSD256. It’s four times the rate of the original DSD spec, which is also known as DSD64.
In the DirecStream specs only say DSD 128. So it does 256 ?
Heh. This gets complicated.
You know that the output stage of the DS DAC is pure DSD, right? It switches between positive and negative voltage at a super high rate and that signal goes directly into an analog low-pass filter circuit. That’s literally all it does to convert DSD bits into analog audio signal.
When the DAC was first released, those bits and that output switching were done at double DSD rate, aka DSD128. And so on the input side the maximum supported DSD rate was also DSD128, via USB or I2S. I think initially the maximum PCM rate was 192kHz but I can’t be sure.
All of those inputs got upsampled to 28.224MHz (10x the original DSD rate or 640x 44.1) then modulated back to 5.6448MHz which is the DSD128 rate.
Well that changed in one of the major software updates. These days, all inputs get upsampled to 56.448MHz (20x DSD or 1280x 44.1!) and then modulated down to 11.2896MHz… which is DSD256. The physical output of the DS DAC is now DSD256 switched to positive/negative voltage and passing through a low-pass filter.
But on the input side, though we’ve gotten support for 352.8kHz PCM we don’t yet have support for DSD256 inputs. Ted’s working on it, I hear. I’m not 100% sure but it may be that the only way to get that data rate into the DS DAC will be via I2S.
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That’s cool. I have a I2s interface that supports DSD512, so when release will be possible to do that. And I’m getting the bridge II now too.
I think Ted’s point is that you would be putting DSD512 in, but getting DSD256 out. Would you actually be happy with that?
It’s probably better to leave the DS DAC’s input support at a maximum of DSD256. That way if you have DSD512 or DSD1024 source material, it’s your choice to downsample it to DSD256 to play back on this DAC. Plenty of software and streamers out there will do that for you.
I just mentioned the DSD512 as future proof for the DSD256 sample rate. I would be very happy if the DAC input will be upgrade to the DSD256 since that’s the maximum output rate.
I didint know about the way DSD works. I think my question is answered.
Thanks all of you guys