DSD

[cvrle59]

Normally, difference is not significant, but there is something special in DSD, kind of magic. It makes it so natural,relaxed, simply said "analog", with lots of air around instruments, and voices. It is hard to describe it without listening. My best word would be, just right.

[frd1996]

Tony, I think what we talked about was the simplicity of the filtering (all through the recording chain) maybe being beneficial to the sound of DSD? We talked about other DACs that also pay attention to the digital reconstruction filters & they all seem to benefit from this - Chord Hugo & some others even when playing PCM. So the Meitner converting PCM internally to DSD may just be benefitting because there is no reconstruction filter needed on the output - I don't know?

Most, if not all, of modern DAC chips operate on delta-sigma (D-S) principle. That means when they are fed with PCM stream they must internally translate it into DSD-like form before converting it to an analogue voltage/current waveform. If you feed you DAC chip with DSD you simply skip this step. My guess is that DSD may sound better from a simple fact that the PCM part of the converter chip is simply shut down and does not influence the output section. But again - this is only a hypothesis.

As for the quality I do not have opinion - I did not have occasion to test both formats long enough. From what I heard at Tony's the difference in quality between PCM and DSD is very small. On the other hand I know people that would die for a sound of good old TDA1541A (not a D-S chip).

[sbgk]

there's an interesting thread on CA about dsd - bit depth of dsd, way over my head, but some may find it interesting.

[cvrle59]

More I listen DSD, more I'm thinking about "HiRez Vinyl Records".

[cvrle59]

You haven't heard digital to sound like analog...try this double dsd album.
http://www.highdeftapetransfers.com/pro ... p?pid=8207