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Topic: More DSD nonsense (Read 3319 times) previous topic - next topic
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More DSD nonsense

I just stumbled on this one

http://www.whathifi.com/news/ces-2015-aste...rk-audio-player

Quote
The AK500N is described as the "ultimate MQS (Mastering Quality Sound) network audio player", with features including one-click CD-ripping, DLNA-based networking capabilities and PCM to DSD conversion.
[...]
Meanwhile, Astell & Kern says the AK500N is designed to use a built-in battery for noise isolation; blocking out the noise from its AC power supply. Music playback is a battery-only operation.

The dedicated DSD chipset converts high-res 32 bit/384 kHz WAV PCM and 24 bit/352 kHz FLAC PCM files to DSD64 data with no down-sampling. Real time PCM-to-DSD64 playback is available too.

Apparently people are supposed to pay 9000 pounds for a device that needs to run from a battery because the designers couldn't design a proper power supply, and had to do (software) conversion to DSD because the DAC isn't able to do it properly. Just using the right parts in the first place would solve a lot of problems I guess 
Music: sounds arranged such that they construct feelings.

More DSD nonsense

Reply #1 –
People who think 32bit/352kHz PCM is a useful or necessary audio format for playback will likely shell out 9k pounds to convert that to an inferior format.
It's only audiophile if it's inconvenient.

More DSD nonsense

Reply #3 –
Do you have to use some extra expensive and exotic batteries too? :-)

More DSD nonsense

Reply #4 –
Give them a chance.  They just upscaled a mobile player and gave it feet.  One day soon I'm sure they'll learn how to build a power supply that doesn't rely on batteries

More DSD nonsense

Reply #5 –
In just remember how many years i had to read how quantization in digital sounds so bad especialy with redbook audio. This is not a problem at all and falsely used.
Now that PCM is converted to dsd i find it hard to add 1 bit of dither to 1 bit of audio so if there ever was a digital format suffering from quntization errors isn't it dsd then?
Is this convertion free of unwanted quantization?
I can imagine it does not matter for direct dsd ADC but isn't his PCM to dsd pure nonsense?
It is argued it sounds better since modern delta-sigma DACs internaly do dsd conversation worse as these external solutions.
I can't imagine how it can at these high overkill bandwiths.
Is troll-adiposity coming from feederism?
With 24bit music you can listen to silence much louder!

More DSD nonsense

Reply #6 –
You only add dither when you go from higher to lower resolution. Are you going from 1 bit to zero bits?

I think the answer is that DSD already contains massive amounts of dither, which is then filtered out.

More DSD nonsense

Reply #7 –
All PCM to DSD conversion does is add quantization noise -- which you really should remove again with a post-DAC analog filter...
"I hear it when I see it."