Berkeley Audio DAC Series 2 or Naim DAC. Or?

Al M.

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It's a pity, you have not found relevant DSD recordings. In my experience and with my DAC, most DSD recordings are superior to PCM. As a Tidal user, I almost do not by PCM files, but when I see a quality DSD download at High Definition Tape Transfers or at Native DSD, it's very difficult to resist. I am mostly into Jazz and Classical, so your case may be very different.

No, my case is very similar. I also am mostly into classical and jazz. I am also strongly into avantgarde versions of both genres, and especially on classical avantgarde one format rules, Redbook CD.
 

microstrip

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Echolane, apparently you had the same reaction as myself to the logic of the argument that most DSD goes through PCM mixing/mastering stages. For some strange reason, many people don't.


Because knowledgeable people know that PCM without specifying rates leads to ambiguous and misleading statements in particular debates.

Many DSD recordings are edited in DXD, DXD is 352/24. At this rate PCM is considered to have superior or equivalent quality to DSD . Edits, mixing and mastering are usually carried in DXD in DSD recordings and those recordings are considered as DSD. Surely I would prefer to have access to the DXD files - the few I have clearly outperform the redbook equivalents in the DCS Vivaldi. But most recording companies do not want us us to have access to those precious full information master files, and sizes are enormous.

I was also guilty of rejecting DSD until I got equipment that could play it properly and show the intrinsic qualities of the format. BTW, unfortunately in general we do not have the technical details of how our recordings were recorded, mixed or mastered.
 

Echolane

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Apr 24, 2018
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Echolane, apparently you had the same reaction as myself to the logic of the argument that most DSD goes through PCM mixing/mastering stages. For some strange reason, many people don't.

.

That realization was a major turning moment for me. That and the relative unavailability of my favorite opera music in native DSD. What’s the point of DSD if it is so commonly converted to PCM. I will wait for the future to decide where things will go.
 

Al M.

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Because knowledgeable people know that PCM without specifying rates leads to ambiguous and misleading statements in particular debates.

Many DSD recordings are edited in DXD, DXD is 352/24. At this rate PCM is considered to have superior or equivalent quality to DSD .

While it is certainly worthwhile pointing this out, unfortunately this is not relevant to the principle discussed.

That realization was a major turning moment for me. That and the relative unavailability of my favorite opera music in native DSD. What’s the point of DSD if it is so commonly converted to PCM.

What's the point indeed, I agree. There is no point talking about the "magic" of DSD and that it is such a different digital approach when it went through PCM stages, regardless of how high the sample rate in those might be.
 

Legolas

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No, my case is very similar. I also am mostly into classical and jazz. I am also strongly into avantgarde versions of both genres, and especially on classical avantgarde one format rules, Redbook CD.

IMO one of the things 'propping up' the obsession with DSD is the way some modern DACs convert PCM to DSD. In those cases they may avoid the filtering and up sampling issues of DS and end up with a different route to unfiltered and basically 'not messed with' data. Many of the Lampi models sound better on the DSD FPGA than the PCM R2R board. I was not so impressed with the PCM board on the GG1 I heard, I believe it is / was based on the Soekris board which is available direct for around 200 USD? (confirmation required).

Anyway, what I am saying is, the DSD subject has IMO two aspects, pure DSD recordings played in DSD format, and PCM converted to DSD via HQ Player or in the DAC itself.

BTW anyone know if the CH Precision C1 is converting to DSD on the fly. When I heard it at home, even though it is an R2R DAC it looked to be up sampling of converting to some insanely high data rate according to the display, with no way to turn that off. (I had the dealer with me at the time).
 

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