#22 Reading native DSD

[Jean-Claude Peilloud]

Hello Didier

I use ASIO2 for a long time with a Presonus Studio 1810 Audio interface. I am very happy with the SQ in Stereo and 5.1 with PCM, FLAC, MLP, Monkey’Audio, DVDA, DTS, WavePack and DSD converted to PCM.

Now, I use a M300Mk2 DAC from SMSL that allows the use of native DSDs.
For PCM, FLAC, Monkey’Audio, DVDA, DTS, WavePack the SQ is very good, better than with the Audio interface.

On the other hand, DSD files without PCM conversion are not recognized by the ASIO driver of the SMSL which switches to PCM mode. The sound comes out with a strong sizzle.
I have verified this on several computers with different CPUs, and varying the affinity masks.

I also noticed that WMA does not run correctly, the foobar slider stays at the start and the sound is choppy, but it is less important as WMA is used very little.

I’ve attached a console file of DST64 with a I7-9700 CPU (8 cores / 8 Threads), Affinity masks ASIO 128, Input 28, and also a WMA console file.

Regards et Bonne Année 2022 !
Jean-Claude

[Jean-Claude Peilloud]

Attachment for DST64

[Didier Galardon]

Hello Jean-Claude
Do you have the same problem with your DSD tracks when using the official foobar asio plugin ?

Regards
Meilleurs voeux pour 2022
Didier

[Jean-Claude Peilloud]

For DSD
With the official Asio, the SMSL Asio driver switch to PCM but sound is ok
With the new foo_out_asio + DSD , SMSL Asio driver stay in DSD mode and the sound is good.

For WMA , both asio and Asio+dsd are OK

Thanks for your quick answer

[HansWurst]

https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/digital/pc-software/foobar-2000-for-dummies-part-3-new-experimental-sacd-plugin-v-0-9-x/

[Jean-Claude Peilloud]

To HansWurst:
Thank you for your help, but my question is : How to use ASIO2 with Native DSD.
The page you propose explain how to use ASIO and Native DSD.
I want to keep ASIO2 SQ for PCM and Native DSD.
The only solution I have, up to now, is to send DSD as PCM to the DAC.

This page is also out of date because Maxim Anisiutkin has created foo_out_asio+dsd
see : https://sourceforge.net/p/sacddecoder/support-requests/73/

[HansWurst]

I can perfectly output native DSD with ASIO2 + SACD plugin 1.4.3 on my FiiO Q1 Mark II with its DAC Driver 5.22.0 (TheSycon). If looking closely to the ASIO control panel the DSD file while playing even switches the sample rate and goes back if non DSD file is played. DSD indicator LED also lights on the FiiO. So ASIO2 and native DSD work fine here.

Seems to be your ASIO driver.

What does it matter if one sends DSD as DoP (wrapped as PCM)?

Quote "DAC will strip this wrapper and send the native DSD to the decoding chip."

Quote: The difference between “DSD” and “DSD+PCM” is that the latter will send a converted to PCM stream to Foobar so graphic add-ons like VU-meters, spectrographs and so on will work as they do when playing regular PCM files.

I use DSD + PCM for visual effects here. Both (DSD & DSD+PCM) do work fine.

Quote: This page is also out of date because Maxim Anisiutkin has created foo_out_asio+dsd
see : https://sourceforge.net/p/sacddecoder/support-requests/73/

Didn't know that. Thank you.

But if foo_out_asio+dsd-0.1.6 is based on the original 7 year old ASIO component I'll pass and use ASIO2 instead:

https://hydrogenaud.io/index.php?topic=95031.0

Offtopic:

Does ASIO2 stutter with mp3 or ALAC in your setup?
Edit: Read you have that problem with WMA also...
Do you also have high RAM usage?

Cheers

[Felix]

But Maxim say he was rewritten it?

https://sourceforge.net/p/sacddecoder/support-requests/73/#acd4

[Jean-Claude Peilloud]

According to the readme of the foo_input_sacd I believe that the DSD send to the DAC is a Dop one:
"If your DAC supports DoP through ASIO/WASAPI/DS driver you can set up DSD playback:
1. Open File->Preferences->Tools->SACD page.
2. Select "DSD" for "Type" in "Output (per device)"section."
It is necessary to use the Transcoder, so ASIO instead of ASIO2 to get Native DSD,
or the new ASIO+DSD.
My DAC does'nt allow Dop DSD, so I open this ticket...
If I compare SQ on my DAC with native DSD, ASIO+DSD is better than ASIO2 with DSD converted to PCM. I don't want to change output and SACD convert when I play PCM or DSD.
it's for this reason I ask if Didier has a solution for using Native DSD.
about Alac and MP3 everything is OK with ASIO2
About Ram, I have also high usage; I believed it was due to sample cache size ?

Regards

[HansWurst]

With ASIO2 + SACD plugin 1.4.3 (foo_input_sacd) DSD is not converted to PCM. It is wrapped in PCM and unpacked by the chip of your DAC. There is no transcoding afaik. You can select between PCM, DSD and PCM+DSD in the SACD Tools options.

If your DAC doesn't allow DoP (DSD with PCM wrapping) but only native DSD then simply select DSD here.

I don't quite understand your point because foo_out_asio+dsd-0.1.6 should do exactly the same.
Only the ASIO components are different

Edit:Specs of your DAC

https://www.akm.com/content/dam/documents/products/audio/audio-dac/ak4497eq/ak4497eq-en-datasheet.pdf

Page 37:
D/AConversion Mode(PCM Mode, DSD Mode, EXDP Mode)The AK4497 can perform D/A conversion for either PCM data orDSD data.

Edit2:
You driver is a TheSycon XMOS driver which definitely supports DSD + DoP.

I don't get your problem with ASIO2 here...

[Didier Galardon]

Hi
I am not a specialist of DSD (I only listen to PCM in my system), but I think that Jean-Claude is right when he says that SACD plugin used with ASIO or ASIO2 plugin only supports DSD with DoP. Otherwise the DAC would not be able to make a difference between PCM 176Kz samples and raw DSD64 stream. When looking at the Steinberg ASIO API spec, the Asio plugin should ask for specific type of ASIO buffer when initiliazing the Asio driver, in order to use native DSD. ASIO2 plugin doesn't do this and I suppose old ASIO plugin neither.

Regards

[Jean-Claude Peilloud]

My driver has a lot of features:
https://www.thesycon.de/eng/usb_audiodriver.shtml
but SMSL seems to have reduced some and Dop DSD disappear in DAC Characteristics.
HansWurst , thanks for your Help.
Didier, I understand that it is seems very complex to take into account Native DSD in ASIO2.
Thanks to have clarified all this.
Regards

[HansWurst]

You're welome.
Have you tried the ASIO Proxy Install method?

https://sourceforge.net/projects/sacddecoder/files/foo_dsd_asio/

[Didier Galardon]

Hi,

a fix for the WMA codec bug (and for MP3/convolver one) is available in Ticket #23.

Regards

Didier

[Jean-Claude Peilloud]

Hi Didier
it's ok now for WMA files
Thanks

[Jean-Claude Peilloud]

For Hanswurst
ASIO : DSD Transcoder (Dop/Native ) is OK
ASIO : foo_dsd_asio is ok
ASIO2 : DSD Transcoder (Dop/Native ) : The sound comes out with a strong sizzle.
ASIO2 : foo_dsd_asio : The sound comes out with a strong sizzle.

Regards
Jean-Claude