From the M19 manual:The Bricasti M19 converts DSD to PCM before conversion to analogue. I would therefore not consider it. The M21 does not accept the DSD bitstream via I2S over HDMI and therefore can't be used to play SACD's.
SACD and DSD playback and the M19
When playing a SACD, when using the AES or SPDIF outputs the DSD playback with the M19 is done via DoP, ,
and Native via the I2S.. The M19 does not employ and sample rate conversion or up-sampling of the data streams
and passes the original sample rate. The only processing done is for creating the DoP format for DSD out the AES
and creating the serial data streams for AES and SPDIF.
The M19 maintains and preserves native formats on the disk;.when playing a CD the output will be 44.1k 16bits,
when playing an SACD the output can be DSD 64 or if the CD layer is selected it will be 44.1. These data streams
are passed directly to the connected DAC for conversion.
I2S Output on the M19
The M19 has a proprietary implementation of I2S. There is no “standard” for the use of I2S outside the confines of
a product as its intended use is for interconnecting of PCBs inside of a product. In our implantation, we use an RJ45
connector and it will mate to one of our DACs if it is fitted with the same RJ45 connector I2S option. It should be
noted that this interface is intended for use with our products and is not meant for general use with other products;
the AES and SPDIF are there to support other manufacturer’s products as they are defined standard and will work
with any product that supports these standards.
The I2S input is now listed as an option for all new Bricasti DACs, and as an upgrade path for previous customers as well.
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