The KillerDAC Audio forum
General HIFI => Other DACs => Topic started by: rhlauranna on February 12, 2015, 10:40:09 PM
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well, I am rather sure that there is "more" to come in the future, so let me move this from DSD-recommendations to this place here:
"Quote from: rhlauranna on January 11, 2015, 03:36:02 AM
...while we are waiting for Doede to come out with his DDDAC-DSD.
Hi R,
Would you please share inside progress on this? I really keen Getting my hand on one!
Chanh"
Well, this is a question that you should ask Doede directly... I hardly know anything… and yes, on the contrary I encourage you not to ask Doede because he hardly has ever any time, and the more he gets kept off the smaller becomes the time frame he has at his disposal for research…
What I can say is, that we are long time going pregnant with the idea of having/getting a DDDAC-DSD, and wherever flying around the globe it is already long time cooking in Doede’s head regarding that matter…
But, as I told already elsewhere, it is quite a different thing whether only ever “dreaming” of something and barking around how “bad” or “disappointing” other (DSD-)DACs are and what they all do (wrong) and to develop a DSD-DAC on its own with that know-how in engineering technology that is necessary to solve the problem on this highest level and adequately “handle” the data that way that we are now generally used to (and which are still not yet finished) with the DDDAC1543 and DDDAC1792…
believe me, more than two years ago I was the one to urge Doede to develop such a thing… initially the motivation for him to do so was rather restricted, but regarding all these dramatic positive results in reproduction reached so far with the other DDDACs in the meantime, he more and more faced the solution of this task… and at the beginning of last year we thought (Doede thought) perhaps having some prototype for initial tests ready for around Christmas last year…
…but as it turned out DSD is still another level in highest end engineering, an even much higher level (I cannot “judge” this personally, I can only listen to what I am told)… to bring it “really” to the point, the problem is not to build just a “simple” DSD-DAC, to build one at all, but to build one on exactly that level of the two other DDDAC1543 and DDDAC1792… much more genius has to be put into developing and the whole affair is much more time consuming as initially expected…
so, there is by no means anything “ready” yet… the only thing that I can tell, is, that I am waiting as urgently as any other one interested, and that, when it will be ready, the initial tests will be held here on my system… why ? well, I told already, I know of no system on the globe – so far – that would be able to fully reveal the true capabilities of the qualities of the different Doede DACs (think of the 500 horse powers of Formula I to bring onto the road without squeaking)…
… and my intention is to get Jean Hiraga and his long time editor here together to hopefully initiate some sort of “qualified” test and report regarding that matter…
I am deeply convinced, that the process that is fulfilling here during the last years and the ones to come, is not only hobby, it is much more, it is HiFi-history in the making… and I am very proud to be part of it..
The only “problem” is that everything regarding DDDAC-DSD is still in an embryonic phase, but it is to come…
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Many thanks R for the post. As always, your answers are in depth and details.
There were much discussions of DSD DAC from Doede. He has let the cat out back last year, 2014, was saying to watch out for something new in 2015.
I wish not bombard him with email about DSD, he is probably overhemimgly recieved many emails from others'....!
Please keep us posted if anyone of you out there aware of any new development wrt Doede DSD?
Cheers,
Chanh
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so, finally here is news regarding the DDDAC-DSD... last weekend Doede revealed his first basic DDDAC-DSD prototype obviously still with some minor noise issues at Utrecht in his Mother Country to the public for a first listening impression...
if you want to get more in detail. please feel free to have a look over at the DIY-site...
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-line-level/224108-nos-192-24-dac-pcm1794-waveio-usb-input-411.html
let me just put together some infos and pictures from over there and add the ones that I got already from Doede some time ago, so that those who are interested may have a look as well at the technical side...
(http://i59.tinypic.com/250qces.jpg)
(http://i61.tinypic.com/22kevp.jpg)
(http://i57.tinypic.com/8vrbtf.jpg)
(http://i62.tinypic.com/10fv1fo.jpg)
is there anybody able to distinguish this digital signal without any "viewable" digital stairs from a measured analogue one ?
(http://i58.tinypic.com/2lur6b.png)
and as always - for me - one of the best indicators to "see" how things are working, and as to be expected from Doede as close to perfection as it gets:
(http://i61.tinypic.com/c2peh.png)
I am just wondering: contrarily to the "different" results regarding all the "different" kinds of tweaking the "different" DDDAC1794...
#4103
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-line-level/224108-nos-192-24-dac-pcm1794-waveio-usb-input-411.html
"Throughout the afternoon it became quite apparent that different people liked different thing in the Sound signature, and we all agreed that that one of the beauties of audio DIY’ing in that sound could be tailored to individual preferences."
for more information see here:
#371
http://killerdac.com/forum/index.php/topic,842.360.html Reply
...the listening impressions of all the participants regarding the new DDDAC-DSD were unexpectedly as superbly unified as I hardly have ever read when being tested...
let me just quote... dwjames #4111
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-line-level/224108-nos-192-24-dac-pcm1794-waveio-usb-input-412.html
"Great to see the potential for DSD to really offer something special, and really cool to see the innovative solution planned. I hadn't paid DSD much attention before, but now I'm interested"
and Supersurfer #4110
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-line-level/224108-nos-192-24-dac-pcm1794-waveio-usb-input-411.html
"The big surprise for me was the DSD dac proto. This complete discrete design was intriguing, first thing we all were looking for was the DAC chip; but there was no DAC ship
This is a very cool and novel design!
[...]
This DAC sounded like no other source I have ever heard; so extremely open, transparant and detailed! This is VERY promising for things to come!"
and stijn001, #4103
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-line-level/224108-nos-192-24-dac-pcm1794-waveio-usb-input-411.html
"So then the discrete DSD prototype/breadboard, with it’s “antenna’s”, was up. Doede had already warned us that there were still some noise issues. After he’d switched it on, this were instantly noticeable but not that intrusive, something like minus (+/-) 70dB high feq. white noise, nothing to nasty. I will not try to explain why what and how, as Doede will undoubtable do this when the time comes, if this dac makes it into the real world (I do hope so) . However when the music started, everybody in the room looked at each other surprised and in awe. By this time we were pretty tuned in to Stefan’s set-up, but this sounded very different & very special. There was an instant revelation of dynamics and space and the bass was so heavy and defined, almost as if the linearity wasn’t there anymore. Was this what it was supposed to sound like.., ok, right!? Quite the eye-opener and a great prospect of things to come."
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I have said it elsewhere on this forum, but perhaps the next step in dac evolution, is to develop a chipless dac.
This isnt ground breaking (others have done it), but I dont know if anyone has realised the full potential of this approach ??
I am very pleased to see this development happening, and to read that doede is pursuing the chipless dac.
Please keep us posted as this unfolds.
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BTW, HF noise is a known by product of the DSD format, and DSD dac manufacturers generally filter it out. Our DSD software converters also filter.
I've always felt this was the ironic part of hi res dsd. A big justification of the format is the ability to store high frequencies, but on playback they're filtered out anyway.
This is a simplistic view, but still, gotta love the irony.
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This isnt ground breaking (others have done it), but I dont know if anyone has realised the full potential of this approach ??
Agreed! This was previously looked at but incomplete nor successful. However if it is done right, it should be ground breaking..., in that I meant, is not simply applied a low pass filter like PS Audio DS DAC or Lampizator's. I guess we will wait and see...? I was promised a phototype from the very first batch pcb to come out. ;)
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Chanh, can you point me to any information that describes what Lampizator has done? i need to get up to speed on it, last timed i went looking it was a bit of a mystery.
If doede can retain the HF music while removing the HF noise, then he'll be onto something. i look forward to seeing this unfold.
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I don't know specifics, but found some recent taken photos of the internals of the Lampizator 7 DSD DAC:
(https://scontent-nrt.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10421204_876638599054136_4587286854208791706_n.jpg?oh=8704318154461880e24b5700d0448eae&oe=557AC978)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/11008557_876638662387463_2405265141327101040_n.jpg?oh=444513b6338c849f6a914a7228364614&oe=557FF310&__gda__=1434936473_6654a49ec306e04cc8ec6e6df20ffc97)
(https://scontent-nrt.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/11043032_876638682387461_5291000177596523873_n.jpg?oh=b1d37d08a2b885f937444efcfedd2c06&oe=5587010F)
(https://scontent-nrt.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10612859_876638715720791_994845990426602112_n.jpg?oh=5bffccec11d595cf2c094f790fcfc16d&oe=5593440A)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/11017520_876638762387453_3580462312035664867_n.jpg?oh=5c8927d3c8da0ad16c146781c5806aeb&oe=55955A2E&__gda__=1434739780_06dd010d9a0a220f1c14ed5342aced95)
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I like what I've heard of DSD material so far, so definitely the direction I'd like to get into.
I feel there may also be some merit in using software like HQPlayer (I think Terry has mentioned it before) that realtime samples PCM to DSD.
A pure DSD only DAC seems so basic compared to a PCM based DAC. Another case of Less is more perhaps?
I personally also like the Lampizator idea of having tube output/power stage to give that drive and 'colour' to the music. But in saying that, I look forward to getting onto Doede's solution!
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Chanh, can you point me to any information that describes what Lampizator has done? i need to get up to speed on it, last timed i went looking it was a bit of a mystery.
Lampizator has started this project back 2011. He publicly released infor in 2012/13, a DSD unit for sale was in 2013, if I was not mistaken. It was a $8k price tag for the basic unit. I think you could find out from his website. Probably, Tuyen is more up to date than I am?
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If doede can retain the HF music while removing the HF noise, then he'll be onto something. i look forward to seeing this unfold.
...that's exactly what is already cooking in Doede's head for quite some time now, and he told that it will not only be very special, but very very special, and he has already some specific ideas what to build and try out (please don't ask for details, I don't know, but it is all kind of "ideas" that have not yet been tried out in this specific research-area so far and of which neither him is able to anticipate the results)...
we will have a test of these "things" at the end of april just ready before the big shoot-out in Paris in June (he promised)...
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Chanh, can you point me to any information that describes what Lampizator has done? i need to get up to speed on it, last timed i went looking it was a bit of a mystery.
If doede can retain the HF music while removing the HF noise, then he'll be onto something. i look forward to seeing this unfold.
...that's exactly what is already cooking in Doede's head for quite some time now, and he told that it will not only be very special, but very very special, and he has already some specific ideas what to build and try out (please don't ask for details, I don't know, but it is all kind of "ideas" that have not yet been tried out in this specific research-area so far and of which neither him is able to anticipate the results)...
we will have a test of these "things" at the end of april just ready before the big shoot-out in Paris in June (he promised)...
Yes - that's called a low pass filter. You let the low frequencies through (music) and filter out the DSD noise.
There is nothing magical or special about it - just lot's of different ways to do it. Every DSD DAC that has ever
been made has some form of low pass filter.
There are 2 basic design parameters, a/ the order of the filter which means the 'steepness' of the filtering and b/ the type of response
of which there are many. The response will dictate how well the filter will handle transients. For example a Chebychev response may give
very aggressive filtering of noise but it may also show ringing when you put a square wave through it. On the other end of the spectrum
a Bessell may have not as good noise filtering but have perfect transient response - zero ringing on square wave.
WRT DDDAC, the PCM1794 also has various DSD internal low pass filters which you will generally supplement with a post DAC analog filter.
The type of analog filter really depends on how much DSD OOB noise is coming out of the 1794 DAC.
WRT Lampizator DSD DAC, he is doing something completely different of which you won't find much information about. Having said that
it's pretty clear to me what that is.
T
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The DDDAC-DSD does not use the PCM1794 chip. It uses no off the shelf DAC chip. That was the idea. :)
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The DDDAC-DSD does not use the PCM1794 chip. It uses no off the shelf DAC chip. That was the idea. :)
So then we back to the basic idea of low pass filtering a raw DSD data stream.
Same rules apply - and a few extra ones :) They are a/ jitter b/ distortion generated by the logic gates doing the data stream switching.
Most audiophile designers will rationalize that because you get rid of the DAC itself then you magically get rid of all associated evils caused by the complexity
of the DAC.
The reality is that, low pass filtering a raw DSD data stream is a great idea conceptually but you still have to deal with items a/ and b/ above,
as such a good DAC will most times sound better because it deals with those issues, despite the added complexity.
Addressing them requires really good knowledge of high speed design and filter design. However if you do address these various issues of jitter, non linear
switching and the right low pass filtering, I think it is the best way to go.
That's the way I am currently heading.
DACless DSD. Maybe we should call it DLDSD!!
Getcha pants off! :) :)
T
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Terry, i reckon the issue with current generation dsd dacs, is the filtering is compromising the music. Its not leaving the music and associated transients untouched. Easy for me to say, hard to prove, but that is my hunch.
Lampizator looks to be taking a different approach, and i "guess" that he is leveraging the natural attributes and limitations of the output tubes to address, at least in part, the significant wart that is associated with playing back 1 bit data. People rave about the LampiDSD. I'd love to hear it.
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I like what I've heard of DSD material so far, so definitely the direction I'd like to get into.
I feel there may also be some merit in using software like HQPlayer (I think Terry has mentioned it before) that realtime samples PCM to DSD.
A pure DSD only DAC seems so basic compared to a PCM based DAC. Another case of Less is more perhaps?
I personally also like the Lampizator idea of having tube output/power stage to give that drive and 'colour' to the music. But in saying that, I look forward to getting onto Doede's solution!
teagle(terry has a dsd music server what dsd recording you like tuyen?
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Just out of interest. How many of you guys actually listen to DSD music files played from a computer?
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Just out of interest. How many of you guys actually listen to DSD music files played from a computer?
Why bother when it does not cut it. I have heard it played here (Direct DSD music files played from a computer) it was OK, certainly had potential, but what does that statement really mean. I can sing and some may think i have potential.
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Just out of interest. How many of you guys actually listen to DSD music files played from a computer?
Yes, i do. Macmini, audirvana, into dsd dac(loki). Not sure what the point of your question is?
The loki is pretty average. My Korg is better. Have listened to a Mytek on my system, and it was good, but still fair way short of 16bit into Killer.
Would love to hear the Lampizator on my system, but there isnt many around.
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Why bother when it does not cut it. I have heard it played here (Direct DSD music files played from a computer) it was OK, certainly had potential, but what does that statement really mean. I can sing and some may think i have potential.
You can sing??? some people like mp3's so anything is possible
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Why bother when it does not cut it?
What based on one listening session with someone else's gear.
It might just have been that what you heard was not a fair representation of what can be done with this medium.
Maybe DSD reproduction is for someone who is super serious about music reproduction and really know's how to
tune it to his system, and his system as a whole. (Geez it may be just like a KillerDac). ;D
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Would love to hear the Lampizator on my system, but there isnt many around.
here is some quote that might be of interest:
#4183
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-line-level/224108-nos-192-24-dac-pcm1794-waveio-usb-input-419.html
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Why bother when it does not cut it?
What based on one listening session with someone else's gear.
It might just have been that what you heard was not a fair representation of what can be done with this medium.
Maybe DSD reproduction is for someone who is super serious about music reproduction and really know's how to
tune it to his system, and his system as a whole. (Geez it may be just like a KillerDac). ;D
Graham, would you please clearly state what your position is ?? ?? ?? ??
Are you having a go at me? Please be clear.
You are using a usb powered korg dsd dac. Are you saying this Korg dac is the future in digital audio??
To be honest, I have no idea what your position is !!
If it wasnt obvious, I think dsd is the way forward, but I dont think we have heard all of its potential (yet).
Please clarify your point.
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Why bother when it does not cut it?
What based on one listening session with someone else's gear.
It might just have been that what you heard was not a fair representation of what can be done with this medium.
Maybe DSD reproduction is for someone who is super serious about music reproduction and really know's how to
tune it to his system, and his system as a whole. (Geez it may be just like a KillerDac). ;D
Graham - There is a lot of time / money / emotion here attached to 16 bit 0 x OS so I don't see any real motivation to explore
other potentially superior alternatives fully.
I can say this, recording people I know who regularly transfer 1/2" or 1/4" tape masters to various digital formats usually get
the best results with 2 x DSD (5.6MHz), then 24/192 PCM.
To me it's pretty clear but as usual, in the convoluted world of hi end playback with various forms of euphonic tube based
DAC's, results get scewed. People blame this or that, PC versus transport etc etc but I don't give a sh!t about all this. There
are digital formats, digital storage / delivery systems (transports or PC) and there are convertors.
You have to address them all separately.
T
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I have motivation.
I have more DSD music on file, than i do 16bit. And that is not a small statement.
I want to hear DSD in all its glory !!!
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So i had a chat with G, to check in and confirm what he meant. There is a couple of important points he was making.
Why bother when it does not cut it?
What based on one listening session with someone else's gear.
i've got a big library of hi-res music (sacds, dvda's, etc). What has always struck me about these formats, is you can achieve good results with economical gear. And that continues to be the case.
My own opinions are based on my personal experience, using my own gear (both for playback and recording). I reckon it does cut it (dsd), I think the potential is there to take it further down the road, than has what been achieved with 16bit. For sure. Of the units i have tried, I dont believe i could take a dsd solution as far as what the kdac is doing. Half the issue is, its not just the dac, its how we feed it.
It might just have been that what you heard was not a fair representation of what can be done with this medium.
If you are talking about a situation where someone takes their hires dac to SV's, and they do a comparison with SV's Kdac on SV's system. This does happen a fair bit. People walk away pretty deflated. Its the norm actually, park the thought, will come back to this.
Maybe DSD reproduction is for someone who is super serious about music reproduction and really know's how to
tune it to his system, and his system as a whole. (Geez it may be just like a KillerDac). ;D
Well I would say that any regular poster on this forum is super serious about music, and we all spend time tuning our system as a whole. This part of your post can easily be construed the wrong way by any reader on this forum. In the context of the scenario above (comparo at SVs) , few could claim to know more about tuning a system as a whole than SV,,,,, but in a quick 1 night demo session the requisite tuning has not taken place for the DSD source. So your point is, why draw conclusions about the format, based on these 1 night demo sessions. Fair call.
In fact, shoot outs can be complete folly. Take *anything* over to SV's, interconnects, power cable, dac, yada yada, it doesnt matter what it is,,,, be prepared to walk away questioning the component under comparison. That is because SV's system has been so highly tuned around all his current components, they all work intricately together to produce the result, swap something in and 99% of the time it will be a step backwards for the system. The knifes edge balancing act he has achieved has been disturbed by introducing the change on his system. So if introducing a major change like completely different source device/format, a system re-tune should happen before conclusions could be formed. Agreed.
Coming back to feeding the source problem (the transport). This is the thing that prevents me from investing significant money on a Lampizator dsd dac, or any hires solution for that matter, the transport part of the equation hasnt been solved. Or i havent found it. We know that half the Kdac equation is a modified CDM1 transport,with tweaked clock, and i2s connections into the dac. The difference this makes is huge. We need to really nail a hires computer transport solution, IMO. I dont have the time to explore this directly anymore (have wasted thousands of hours on computer audio over the years). But i continue to watch with interest developments in this space.
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Oz, I have a lot to say about all this, as you probably figured (LOL) :) but no time ATM. Appropriate response coming when time permits.
cheers
T
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...finally Doede has revealed some infos on the DIY-site regarding his new DDDAC-DSD beta...
(http://i60.tinypic.com/2j108qx.jpg)
for more you might want to have a look here:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-line-level/224108-nos-192-24-dac-pcm1794-waveio-usb-input-438.html
#4376 and #4377
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Aaahhh, yesterday was a very enjoyable day and finally one of „those“ days in HiFi that I am always longing for …
CLIMBING ON MOUNTAIN TOP …
When reading this please pardon my deficiencies regarding technical “understanding” and abilities in precise explanations… and please keep in mind that even I tend to “compare” “things” which simply are not comparable – or at least are not comparable at this phase…
(http://i58.tinypic.com/xnvggo.jpg)
...both Doede and me were urgently waiting for this day to come and to test out exactly that what we long time wanted to:
his newly finished DDDAC-DSD “protytype B” with a “noise reduction” switchable in different steps...
(http://i58.tinypic.com/hte97l.jpg)
(http://i58.tinypic.com/qr0mt4.jpg)
in “comparison” to my totally untweaked DDDAC1794 four deck with Bernd’s power supply (we could have tested other DDDAC 1794
(http://i60.tinypic.com/erxw5i.jpg)
(http://i61.tinypic.com/124ertv.jpg)
(the new DDDAC1794S blue deck with shunts...)
for example Doede’s own 8 deck with Sowters… and 1543 constellations (my 120)
(http://i61.tinypic.com/1zvvhg6.jpg)
but as it came out at the moment we felt no desire to do this…)
(http://i62.tinypic.com/idf9ys.jpg)
(http://i60.tinypic.com/fw6jib.jpg)
(http://i62.tinypic.com/14eb9yx.jpg)
(Doede installing and configuring the new DDDAC-DSD...)
(http://i57.tinypic.com/wrm74h.jpg)
(http://i61.tinypic.com/29dhjzo.jpg)
(http://i57.tinypic.com/nl4osg.jpg)
(http://i60.tinypic.com/sgr05z.jpg)
(http://i58.tinypic.com/35jjbtl.jpg)
To make it short. For me:
1. this is the fulfilling of music-reproduction of a given recording (although the ultimate surroundings have yet to be build and complementarily integrated)…
(http://i60.tinypic.com/35l7omp.jpg)
(the whole new DDDAC-DSD with WaveIO, Doede's own power supply delivering 5 Volt for the WaveIO and two laboratory power supplies for 9 Volt and 15 Volt..)
2. and yes, the newly different steps in “noise reduction” have an influence on the sound… but you will need a finely tuned high end system to be able to recognize it at all… you will notice the more noise the more efficient your system is, otherwise when normal music is playing you will hardly even notice… playing pure ISO reminded me a little of listening to vinyl’s surface noise way back then…
(http://i57.tinypic.com/1zl7gjr.jpg)
But be aware, the new DDDAC-DSD is not to be meant in the sense that it “replaces” the DDDAC 1794 (or any other DAC for that matter), that would not work, the DDDAC-DSD is a construction completely on its own and does not play PCM…
…so it is not possible to simply “exchange” this one DAC with the DDDAC1794 (or any other) to be able to play “all” digital sources, but for our personal listening pleasures regarding the ISO-formatted-content generated from SACDs that we have in use, this is definitely the icing on the cake…
1. …to make no mistake, let me repeat: one cannot install a DDDDAC-DSD and simply get rid of the DDDAC1794 (or others), no, those HiFi-aficionados who want to listen to ISO in greatest purity without any “pollution” will need this DAC in addition to the already existing one(s) playing all the PCM-stuff. Point one.
2. Point two is that all the different already existing and implemented sorts of power supplies for the DDDAC1794 for 5 Volt and 12 Volt neither can be used for the new DDDDAC-DSD. It is because the latter works with 8 Volt and 15 Volt. Just here for testing purposes Doede managed to generate these degrees of voltages by combining adjustable laboratory power supplies (so nothing special, just to satisfy the need at the moment… but he told that in the near future he will care for creating special power supplies with these voltages for his DDDAC-DSD)…
3. Point three was very special (to me): what most of you already know and the one or other has already in use for quite some time with his DDDAC1794 Doede for this purpose brought with him stackable shunt-regulators which he pulled over within a second on both of the decks for the left and the right channel… as I did not have listened to shunt-regulators this way, I can tell now, these are a “must”, they have a very strong positive and desired effect on the reproduced sound reminding me heavily of all the positive effects of controlled power supplies... (and if I theoretically imagine in a future step all those shunts with controlled power supplies – my oh my…)… by the way, there is good news for all the DIYers out there: there are new boards in the making with already integrated shunt-regulators done by Guido Tent… there will be no changes on the boards, just the fulfillment of the integration of the shunts with no longer need for any individual tweaking…
(http://i60.tinypic.com/23hroyr.jpg)
4. When listening to Patricia Barber’s Light My Fire (MFSL, ISO) with the shunts on Doede emphasized: “Now she is here”, and later on his wife was struck in awe saying: “It is like sitting in the first row of a concert!”…
…although at that time an uncomparable “comparison” the newly DDDAC-DSD – because of still being prototype (the DDDAC-DSD, now is in the same phase of development as was the DDDAC1794 some two and a half years ago) – did not sound “better” as the given other constellations that we actually have in use, just different…
…and the difference became immediately and obviously clear in that what “Supersurfer” from the DIY-er site fully justified already pointed out: “…I have not listened extensively to the DSD proto to make a thorough analysis but in my recollection there is a […] sound signature: open, dynamic, the music flows without any restrictions. This is the new benchmark in streaming audio...“
…just let me add, contrarily to other opinions - to me at the moment – the new proto DDDAC-DSD still does not “match” the sound of my DDDAC-1794 four deck (it was the same with the DDDAC1794 which did not match the DDDAC1543 within the same phase of development)…
…but I dare to interpolate and theoretically integrate that what is to come (based on my ears and the last six years of experience with all the other DDDAC-types and power supplies in all their different phases of development)…
… in combination with the right supporting complementary “things” and power supplies – the new DDDAC-DSD rather soon will not only become even better on its own, but reach “perfection”… perfection in the sense of reproducing ISO-files…
…this is another really spectacular effort and for me one more proof, Doede is a genius…
Bravo !!!
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Hi Reinhard, thanks for the update.
When using a PC as the source tranport (as is needed to play iso's), it is possible to use software to convert PCM to DSD.
The reverse of what you do today with DSD to PCM is possible. So it is true, that you can deploy a DSD only dac, and still play your PCM files (by using that software).
Like any software based solution, the SQ is driven by the software code. But it is possible, and worth trying.
Would save the significant costs associated with building 2 x dacs.