Berkeley Audio is announcing a new DAC:
http://cybwiz.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/berkeley-audio-design-alpha-dac.html
It ships with an offline DSD to PCM converter that runs on a PC
From the announcement:
"Careful consideration was given to providing the highest possible reproduction of DSD files by the Alpha DAC Reference Series. 99% of modern DAC’s, including the Alpha Reference Series use mult-bit D/A converters because they provide better performance than 1-bit converters – even those who advertise “native” DSD compatibility. So, at some point, the 1-bit DSD stream must be converted to multi-bit for all of those DAC’s.
We could, like many other manufacturers, convert 1-bit DSD to multi-bit within the Alpha DAC Reference Series and show “DSD” in the front panel display. That would be the easiest approach from a marketing perspective. But that would also mean increasing the amount of processing in the DAC during playback which would degrade audio quality, and audio quality is the reason the Alpha Reference Series exists."
MY TAKE ON THIS:
They are basically saying, we don't do true 1-bit DSD, never have and never will, and 99% of manufacturers claiming they do, don't really do native DSD because they convert to multi-bit, which sounds better anyway. I guess the "1%" That does true native 1-bit DSD would be likes of EMM Labs. This must sound like a bit of heresy in the rapidly growing church of DSD converts......
It also appears they are suggesting for the 99% of multi bit DACs parading as DSD dacs (which would include my MSB), you are better off converting offline to High Rez PCM, because it offloads processing duties from the DAC. This would make eminent sense to me, and would be consistent with my experience that (on my MSB DAC anyway) DSD buys you absolutely nothing high rez PCM cannot deliver.
ANY THOUGHTS?
http://cybwiz.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/berkeley-audio-design-alpha-dac.html
It ships with an offline DSD to PCM converter that runs on a PC
From the announcement:
"Careful consideration was given to providing the highest possible reproduction of DSD files by the Alpha DAC Reference Series. 99% of modern DAC’s, including the Alpha Reference Series use mult-bit D/A converters because they provide better performance than 1-bit converters – even those who advertise “native” DSD compatibility. So, at some point, the 1-bit DSD stream must be converted to multi-bit for all of those DAC’s.
We could, like many other manufacturers, convert 1-bit DSD to multi-bit within the Alpha DAC Reference Series and show “DSD” in the front panel display. That would be the easiest approach from a marketing perspective. But that would also mean increasing the amount of processing in the DAC during playback which would degrade audio quality, and audio quality is the reason the Alpha Reference Series exists."
MY TAKE ON THIS:
They are basically saying, we don't do true 1-bit DSD, never have and never will, and 99% of manufacturers claiming they do, don't really do native DSD because they convert to multi-bit, which sounds better anyway. I guess the "1%" That does true native 1-bit DSD would be likes of EMM Labs. This must sound like a bit of heresy in the rapidly growing church of DSD converts......
It also appears they are suggesting for the 99% of multi bit DACs parading as DSD dacs (which would include my MSB), you are better off converting offline to High Rez PCM, because it offloads processing duties from the DAC. This would make eminent sense to me, and would be consistent with my experience that (on my MSB DAC anyway) DSD buys you absolutely nothing high rez PCM cannot deliver.
ANY THOUGHTS?