The Schiit Yggdrasil 2 DAC

[Al M.]

It is the quality of the original engineering and of course the mastering that matters most, not the format. IMHO.

Agreed.

I just don’t get the devotion of some to DSD.

Some also prefer digitally mastered LPs to the original digital file. There seems to be something in the process that makes the sound more appealing to them.

 

[rbbert]

Mojo Audio’s definition refers to it as 5 bit PCM. PWM,PDM, etc are different techniques of PCM.

DSD is a form of PWM, and most engineers would consider it (PWM as well as PDM) distinct from PCM; they all can be used to digitally encode an audio signal in binary form, but that is really the only similarity.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Thank you, Joe.

 

[DaveC]

It is the quality of the original engineering and of course the mastering that matters most, not the format. IMHO. I just don’t get the devotion of some to DSD. The good thing is that there are options for everyone in terms of hardware and software.

I have some DSD material that sounds really good, but not so much that it would be a big deal to have to convert them to PCM.

You can end up with a lot of DSD files if you have a bunch of ripped SACDs. I wish I did, but alas I do not.

 

[Al M.]

DSD is a form of PWM, and most engineers would consider it (PWM as well as PDM) distinct from PCM; they all can be used to digitally encode an audio signal in binary form, but that is really the only similarity.

Distinct from PCM? From Antelope Audio (makes pro recording gear):

"A new studio format has been developed addressing the issue of DSD mixing, usually referred to as “DSD-wide”, which retains standard DSD’s high sample rate but uses an 8-bit, rather than single-bit digital word length, yet still relies heavily on the noise shaping principle. It becomes almost the same as PCM (it’s sometimes disparagingly referred to as “PCM-narrow”) but has the added benefit of making DSP operations in the studio a great deal more practical. The main difference is that “DSD-wide” still retains 2.8224MHz sampling frequency while the highest frequency in which PCM is edited, is 384kHz. The “DSD-wide” signal is typically used for SACD mastering. As a result of this technique and other developments there are now a few digital audio works stations (DAWs) that operate, or can operate, in the DSD domain."

 

[rbbert]

Distinct from PCM? From Antelope Audio (makes pro recording gear):

"A new studio format has been developed addressing the issue of DSD mixing, usually referred to as “DSD-wide”, which retains standard DSD’s high sample rate but uses an 8-bit, rather than single-bit digital word length, yet still relies heavily on the noise shaping principle. It becomes almost the same as PCM (it’s sometimes disparagingly referred to as “PCM-narrow”) but has the added benefit of making DSP operations in the studio a great deal more practical. The main difference is that “DSD-wide” still retains 2.8224MHz sampling frequency while the highest frequency in which PCM is edited, is 384kHz. The “DSD-wide” signal is typically used for SACD mastering. As a result of this technique and other developments there are now a few digital audio works stations (DAWs) that operate, or can operate, in the DSD domain."

That sounds a bit like it is worded for mass consumption? The mathematics involved in PWM are distinct from those in PCM; whether that translates into an audible difference can be and is debated.

 

[Al M.]

That sounds a bit like it is worded for mass consumption? The mathematics involved in PWM are distinct from those in PCM; whether that translates into an audible difference can be and is debated.

Regardless, as stated earlier, with links including from NativeDSD.com, most DSD recordings go through a DXD stage for editing, which is PCM.

 

[Rshaw]

New to the forum. Very impressed as to what I've heard from various members. I'm on the very lowest rung on the ladder. Hoping for a little direction. System to date, Peachtree Amp 500, Their new PreDac (preamp) Balanced, Audiolab 6000CDT, Tekton Double impacts (upgraded) SVS sb 4000 Sub, My room, for whatever reason seems to be perfect, at least by my ear. Old rock and Roller from the past, Streaming Amazon HD, via USB computer based and CD listening.
Extremely pleased with The Dac's in the Peachtree and the sound of the Audiolab 6000CDT. Just wondering about adding Jays Audio CDT to system or The Schitt Yggy2? Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Robert TN

 

[Ron Resnick]

Welcome to WBF, Rshaw!