Computers and servers struggle with DSD and breeze along with PCM. If you want your DAC to get friendly with DSD, is USB the only/best option for connecting?
I’m an audiophile car audio enthusiast or hobbyist per se but this channel has taught me so much and Paul is excellent at explaining techniques and everything else! Love the channel @psaudio
USB doesn’t make audio bad. It doesn’t make video bad. It doesn’t make images bad. It doesn’t make your power point presentation bad. Data is data and USB can reliably transfer all bits unharmed. Paul has a point about USB if you decide to power your DAC through the USB cable from a computer, cause that can induce some noise in your analog output. But just don’t do that!!! Always use a DAC that has a separate quality power supply and make sure your gear is grounded to avoid common mode current noise, and USB can be absolutely excellent for audiophile systems. USB does not only allow for capability negotiation but it also allows for jitter free asynchronous audio transfer, which is much better than one-way SPDIF.
Protocols have strengths and weaknesses and it's an incorrect simplification to just say "Data is data and USB can reliably transfer all bits unharmed". There are error detection and correction codes in use (with limited if mostly effective capabilities) , there are potentially re-transmissions happening, clock inaccuracies and such
I think when Paul refers to "USB" he is really referring to pre USB 3.x days and he has little experience in the performance of the newer implementation of it. Most computers built after 2013 feature USB 3.x ports.
Hey paul! Just got myself the sprout 100 and just want to thank you and your son scott for bringing it to the market. Came from a marantz pm5005 and the difference was astonishing. I cant stop listening, the depth, detail, unreal power it delivers is just great. I cant afford those high end stuff that others have and this gave me a taste of what high end audio is. Great job really! As for the topic, i use usb all the time and have a separate dac (ifi idac2). I love that thing and its just better than anything i ever had (that not saying a lot as im poor lol). Anyway, you guys at ps audio rock! Never stop doing what your doing.
You observed that USB is the "worst sounding" of the digital transfer options. Surely poor sound quality would be a function of the hardware/firmware/software of the sending device, rather than the connection medium. Digital protocols (including USB, HDMI, AES/EBU, S/PDIF, etc.) just ship bits from point A to point B. As long as the bits themselves are OK, the ports and cables are "innocent bystanders".
Fat Rat One question: I have a Sony UHD blue ray with separate audio and video output, and passing it to the Yamaha Aventage Receiver can it perfectly read the DSD files from my hard drive (plugged into the BD's usb). Does that mean that that exclusive audio output HDMI is an I2S?
Ps Audio should send I2S using USB Type C connectors so you can’t plug them in upside down. Also, if you send substitute a DSD bitstream in lieu of video signals using Alt DP Mode, you could also add simultaneous USB bi-directional functionality. Just a thought.
Hi, Toslink cannot transfer DSD. Spdif has enough bandwidth to transfer up to 1x DSD (dsd64) through DOP. For more data (i.e. dsd128, dsd256, dsd512 etc) I think that USB is the only viable option.
I'm doing exactly that that with my Sony/PS Audio rig over Ethernet Cables and HDMI I2S Cables. I have to ways to access true DSD files and play them back "Native" DSD. I can use my Sony's remote control (pain in the ass but it works) or Audirvana.
“DSD can’t be played from a server”. I’m not quite sure what he is talking about here. I can create DSD content, store it on a DLNA server and “stream” it back over a LAN to any number of DSD capable media players. DLNA is a a standard and has been around since 2003 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Living_Network_Alliance Media players based on ffmpeg can capture and play DSD content. Audacity is an Audio capture and editing platform based on ffmpeg. VideoLAN (VLC) Media Player is based on ffmpeg. I also understand that the MicroSoft Media Player uses ffmpeg code ffmpeg.org/ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FFmpeg www.videolan.org www.audacityteam.org/ ffmpeg is an Open Source Code software package. There is no license fee to use all or some of the code. It is widely used as most video and audio editors and players today are really just ffmpeg with lipstick. Having said that someone creating a media player or editor could choose to not use, or prohibit DSD, record or playback content. If the DSD file(s) are stored on a server that has either a Samba or NFS share, and your DSD capable media player can access that share, then the DSD file(s) can be streamed and played. VideoLAN (VLC) and Kodi are media players that are capable of this. And that can be done with live streams as well. kodi.tv/
It could be SERVER MESSAGE BLOCK. Is this the articly you wanted.. Server Message Block provides file sharing, network browsing, printing services, and interprocess communication over a network. The SMB protocol relies on lower-level protocols for transport. The Microsoft SMB protocol was often used with NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NBT) over UDP, using port numbers 137 and 138, and TCP port numbers 137 and 139. NBT for use by NetBIOS is supported on Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows NT, and Windows Me/98/95. NetBIOS is not supp UNIX includes filre and directory permissons. NFTS has ACCESS CONTROL LISTS. The can wrist s schee script for Linux to automats backup from shares on computers and cop the giles to s server and then make a TAR backup. It eliminates everyhtign stopping ONE POINT of failure if everyon euses a commen servers. THNAKES YUOES AND THUMBBES UPS. I uses audacity beon LINUX because I cant afford WUndows 7 and higher. nOW i KNOW ABOUT FFMPEG. thank you I leanr new thinge every dayes! THANKES YUO AND THUBMMBES UPS!
@@graxjpg Paul does a very good job of launching a spirited discussion then petty much lets the issue get taken up in the discussion. Rarely will he intervene. This particular issue should be of interest to all.
I'm using a Sony UBP-X1000ES with HDMI Video to I2S Adapter Boards and can access my DSD files either by USB memory stick files plugged into both my Sony AVR &. my Sony X1000ES. The DSD & PCM I2S are fed to the two I2S inputs of my DirectStream Sr. DAC. I get the 64fs, 1Bit DSD message on the DSD's Blue Screen when I spin SACD's or DSD files. DLNA works great with Audirvana (Beta).
Is it better to send my DSD over PCM files from my Mac using a USB cable to my galvanically isolated USB input on my DAC, or to use a USB to XLR cable to the DAC (assuming such a cable exists)?
I don't think USB transfer is the worst. USB is just transferring the data, binary bits. It keeps the integrity of data, the protocol makes sure there is no adding, no deletion, no modification.
Yeah, watching him I often put a grain of salt. As long as the cable isn't bad enough (which is 99.9% of USB cables in the market) that the error rate caused a significantly failed checksum, you should be fine. Last time in the forum, someone argues since it is asynchronous it would affect the audio. Yeah sure human can outspeed a Ghz+ processor
I was surprised that you didn't directly mention clock stability. In all transfer methods other than I2S the clock must be embedded and extracted. Perhaps you answered this indirectly when you said that I2S sounds the best.
These days, every usb dac (or it's really crap) has its own clock, it buffers received data and reconstructs the flow. The old synchronous method is not used since years.
@@sebsoud The DAC can provide the clock in USB mode since USB is bidirectional and therefore can have flow control, but for S/PDIF, Toslink, etc., the DAC must follow the source's clock since it has no way of controlling the flow.
I've been thinking about buying the Sony UBP-X800M2 Blue Ray player as an audio only player. It supports DSD and SACD. It also has 2 HDMI ports 1 for audio only. Not sure if it's I2S or not, though. Supposed to be the best for audio playback. It's only $400 Cdn. Any thoughts? My PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell DAC won't have any problem with I2S. Great vid, Paul.
Hdmi are not i2s as standard there is a hack module you can get to extract the 2 channel dsd.but not multi channel dsd.ive got sony ubp-x700 that just hdmi into my pioneer av that is dsd64 only but it's not i2s.
@@markclancy5371 The Sony and Oppo SACD players I have had all will pass multichannel DSD over the HDMI cable to a receiver that accepts multichannel DSD.
@@matthewsallman1700 didn't say that just said not i2s which isn't really hdmi.to get i2s you need an hack board.but is it true dsd and not converted to pcm like coaxial cables do with dop.
The phrase certainly does. If they added the shortened term 'Pro' to the phrase, it would sound an even better phrase. *Shout out to their marketing department. I'm available most days and twice on Sundays.
One question: I have a Sony UHD blue ray with separate audio and video output, and passing it to the Yamaha Aventage Receiver can it perfectly read the DSD files from my hard drive (plugged into the BD's usb). Does that mean that that exclusive audio output HDMI is an I2S?
Nope and will be DSD over PCM as Paul described in the Video. Only PS Audio PerfectWave Transports and Ted's DSD Jr./Sr. DAC's along with Sony Universal Disc Players and AVR's are capable of stripping off the SACD layer of a disc or play a file over a DLNA Network or via it's own USB inputs.
So its not possible for a DAC to receive native DSD from a computer or did i got it wrong? Which transports actually can deliver such signal? As much as i know SACD players have no digital out because of copyprotection......
Many SACD players can pass DSD over HDMI - normally to an AVR that has HDMI inputs. Digital Rights Management is built into the HDMI interface which lets this happen. However if a computer, and not a licensed disk player, is involved the DRM are not managed and you must use some form of PCM.
@@matthewsallman1700 Hallo. Unfortunately there is no seperate DAC known to me with an HDMI input. I just ordered an Ares 2 that can handle native DSD through Optical, Coaxial and USB. But what is it good for it there is no such devise that actually can deliver native DSB through these connectors:(
Welcome to high-end digital audio! There are a number of file formats now in use: traditional PCM via AIFF or WAV, compressed lossless FLAC and ALAC, DSD (direct stream digital) which uses single bit depth but with a very high sample rate, and now MQA which is sort of a DRM FLAC that requires authorized software/hardware to 'unfold' it. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_Stream_Digital
USB is inferior compared to the other signals Paul mentioned. It has a more square/edgy type of sound, not being so analog/natural. It can still sound pretty okay. Coax is the very best way to go in terms of sound quality and not using too much money. I suggest that everybody that has a PC streamer use a gustard u16 external clock and an uptown audio iso regen together. And have a GPS coax cable connected to the gustard. These 2 boxes give you 10x better value for your money. These 2 boxes are so good that a 1000 dollar system can sound like a 10.000 dollars system, and a 10.000 dollars system will sound like a 100k system. And when that is done, get some really good custom made LPSU for those boxes. (crucial) When you have these things set up, everything you own sounds sooooooo much better and you save so much time and many years of frustration. (The gustard takes control over the clock and processes the signal externally, this creates a magical sound where the timing gets crazy good and you can turn the volume up to about the double) The isoregen regenerates the USB signal which funny enough also affects the coax signal. The people I know that paid about 2k for this, now own setups that are beating everything in the stores usually costing 5-10x more. (no one really knows about it, because the default LPSU for the Gustard and Isoregen and really bad, like most other LPSUś on the market) I2s is not worth using your time on. It has a lot of potential and looks good on paper. But integrating it with a good LPSU, is a whole other thing that nobody really knows how to do. If you have a good USB setup and want to use a USB cable, I suggest the cheap Oyaide usb cable, and a really short version of it around 50cm. (that is some of the best USB sound for the money)
For the normal people that do not get it: Everything you do on a cd or DAC or streamer affects the clock. So this and that part that gets upgraded and the clock becomes more stable. And if you buy a more expensive cd, the cd usually performs better because the clock is more stable. This solution I have provided removes the internal clock, so you are separating it from the rest of the system. You can either then play the normal game most people do by paying more to get more good sound. Or you can bypass the whole game, and do this, so that everything you do on your system has a 10x effect, so that you do not have to use as much money. That should make it easy to understand for most people.
if using USB you really want to use a reclocker is a must! USB has a 46 nanoseconds delay causes issues something cheap like ifi ipurifier3 USB clean up the signal as well lowest noise pollution by 100 times and eliminates jitter does PCM DSD and DxD about $150
With all my respect to Paul... This remind us that main purpose of PS Audio is to be profitable, and they have to advertise for their product in a way or an other... the way used in this video is a shame! especially for pple how don't know how the technology works and rely on such missleading video. Shame on you ! USB Dacs quality are variable indeed BUT the USB transmission itself have no impact whatsoever (other than powing the dac with the usb cable, and it is discutable as well because most usb dsd decoding have noise correction with a perfect efficiency most of the time).Missleading in the hi-res audio domain is a norm apprently PS audio is no exception.
I think you don’t know what DoP is, it just adds a PCM header to the DSD data without even touching it, so there’s not a difference sound-wise between using DoP and native DSD.
"Computers and servers struggle with DSD and breeze along with PCM" That's because DSD is not really digital Paul. Use a DAP and forget pissing around with cables. The DSD goes straight to the DAC. Job done big tick.
DSD (direct stream digital) everything in form of files is digital.. yes you can play dsd with dap but dac in the dap is not comparable to stand alone dac.. and to stream to standalone dac usb is the best option