How the PS Audio DAC uses DSD

[@MichelleOBrienNZ]

I don’t get it. What’s the point of converting PCM to DSD? At best you get the same information as PCM. If you plug a digital source (DSD coverted from PCM, or native DSD( ibto a power amp, you won’t get anything, because it is a digital, not analog, signal. Only buy putting the DSD through a DAC, and passing the converted analog signal through to the power amp will you hear anything. So, why bother converting a PCM signal into DSD, then passing that through the DAC to output as analog, when all you will get is what was was contained in the PCM file? Sure, it makes sense to do this for DSD files, if you can get hold of any (apart from SACD’s). But there will be no benefit in converting PCM to DSD & putting that through a DAC than putting the PCM straight through a DAC. Not unless the DAC used for PCM is inferior to that used for DSD. If anything, it adds an unnecessary conversion into the digital audio chain. Whatever you do will always be constrained by the data being fed in. As we used toi say in IT - garbage in, garbage out. Except that PCM isn’t garbage, especially over 24 bit & 48 kHz, given you have to filter out most of what is above 20kHz to avoid artefacts & distortion being pulled down from inaudible frequencies.

[@ThinkingBetter]

How is the performance between these two: DXD to DSD in the production process vs DXD to DSD inside the DirectStream DAC? If the math is the same, you should hear the same exact audio.

[@hugoromeyn4582]

Hey Paul! Is that tiny loudspeaker on top of that power strip the new PS Audio FS-000001? ;P

[@gizmothewytchdoktor1049]

hi paul. given the question at hand i thought a few folks might find this helpful if they lack a bit of background & required a basic summary. thanks for the function/chain explanation on your unit. =dok=

[@HiFiInsider]

Paul is working tech support emails. lol....

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

🤗 THANKS PAUL…FOR EXPLAINING THIS 🧐 …AND WE BELIEVE “DSD IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO “ 👍😍😍😍

[@audiofilius1]

I like the baloney sandwich analogy.... 😋

[@DrLoveQc]

Hi Paul, have you seen to the Audio Science Review analysis about the Octave Music Don Grusin? In the review we see that on both DSD64 and 192KHz PCM has a huge noise hill after 22KHz up to about 80KHz. Seems like there was no low pass filter applied to the files. Maybe it is not possible the way you record it, but since all DAC will likely not apply a low pass filter as a SACD player would do (and PS audio DAC has settings for filtering I think) , it seems counterproductive for the high fidelity to me. Or am I wrong? For sure we'll not hear it, but my dog will hehe, and amplifier will likely amplify a part of this noise depend of it's BW. This would add to the power consumption, distortion level and maximum level since it draws powers from the Xfo and caps. Cheers from Canada

[@MS-ug3gm]

Dual 2xAD1865N :) + amanero... Whatever pcm or dsd, everything sounds great.

[@JonAnderhub]

Hey there Paul can you explain to us about the "high frequency crap" that is contained in the DSD signal that isn't contained in the original analog signal that you are saying DSD (PDM) is exactly like? It seems a bit confusing that you are telling us that DSD (PDM) is exactly like the analog signal but it contains "high frequency crap" that needs to be filtered out. Doesn't that "high frequency crap" affect the signal-to-noise ratio of the upper frequencies of an SACD? Will less expensive low pass filters on playback equipment affect the quality of the playback of the SACD?

[@user-ff9rx7kq2g]

Got alot of TLA"s rollin around these parts LOL

[@PiOhMy]

Audio Science Review just exposed the smoke and mirrors behind your claims of DSD in recording on your Octave Music label. I wasn't aware that Paul or anyone at P.S. Audio isn't competent or knowledgeable enough to defend those claims with math and science, only unsubstantiated claims with no measurements and a tacit plea to believe an avuncular story teller's version of "Spooky actions at a distance." Yikes.

[@WalksWithNoFear]

Sounds more like the Audio Science Review pot calling the PS Audio kettle black.

[@PiOhMy]

@@WalksWithNoFear perhaps you can be a little less vague... or perhaps you can't?

[@avro66]

Totally agree Tony,

[@nh18343]

Audio science review did tests that in his opinion showed poor results and now everyone is getting all excited and says he exposed and such. The guy basically spent the whole video talking about noise and not the recording quality. He literally explains the wikipedia page of DSD now he is God? There is way more to it than what he talked about.

[@PiOhMy]

@@nh18343 Nope... not god... better... a man of science.

[@nathanevans6277]

Something that I've been wondering about DSD. Back in the 90s Marantz had a system called bit stream that was one bit pulse density modulation. Is modern DSD the same as bit steam or is it something different? If any of my fellow audiophiles knows I'd really like to know.

[@baderbaderh3250]

same

[@chefsteve8381]

Paul you've eaten one to many baloney sandwiches...

[@ford1546]

DSD. cd disc has 2 layers. a PCM and a DSD. team. therefore you can play DSD. on regular CD player. and DAC. will always show what a computer is set to. a computer always uses PCM. A computer converts DSD. to PCM. A CD player that sends out DSD then it should say DSD in dac. display if dac. can play DSD In a way you need two pcs. dac in a box to play both.

[@yerfdogjohnny]

Another informative video. By the way, any news on when the new Perfectwave DirectStream DAC will be available? I assume a new version is in the works considering the current model has been out of stock for a while.

[@googoo-gjoob]

are you referring to OBSIDIAN? if so, i havent heard anything new on that in almost 3 years.

[@williampearson4968]

@@googoo-gjoob 3 years and no OBSIDIAN? Huge R & D investment and a final cost of $$,$$$

[@googoo-gjoob]

@@williampearson4968 , agreed. ill be sticking w/my beloved DirectStream DAC. OBSIDIAN will be in the $20k neighborhood. i not only dont _live_ in that neighborhood. i dont dare even *drive through it.*

[@williampearson4968]

@@googoo-gjoob Unfortunately, I haven't won the fabled Power Ball or Mega Million Lottery..........I keep trying though ... maybe someday!

[@googoo-gjoob]

@@williampearson4968 , they can be had 60% off on audiogon. my $6000 dac is below 3k right now.

[@imkow]

I think a DSD class-D power amplifier will make a difference.. DSD PDM->amplified analog but a DSD DAC still output line-level 1.7v analog singal, then pass-through a class-D amp..with the process of DSD PDM->line-level analog ->PDM->amplified analog..which makes not much improvement over, say, a mp3 playback with class-D amp. mp3->PCM->line-level analog->PDM->amplified analog...

[@fsmoura]

Expensively

[@googoo-gjoob]

can be found on Audiogon right now for less than $3k

[@RobCCTV]

Yet another dishonest representation of DSD. Yet another 'chat' that is actually an advert for PS Audio products. The dishonesty is because it has widely been confirmed that the highest quality PCM is INDESTINGUISHABLE from DSD. The only differences are measurable by instruments. FACT.

[@geoff37s38]

Correct.

[@josephvanalstyne4049]

if you have a multibit dac that to me is closest to analog. saber dac. akm. burr brown. have more clarity but not the analog feel. i have an old sacd player. if you play 16 bit cd's through it with a tube amp or pre amp. sounds closest to analog without using an actual sacd.

[@michaelrovner4165]

sorry, but there are many factors involved in data conversion to analog...PCM uses brick wall filters that sound bad... every commercial dac uses 1 to 3 bits of conversion...unless it is a very old resistor ladder dac or industrial rdac.. yes very high rates of PCM like 384khz to 1.456MHz PCM are extremely good and can sound like DSD is because the ringing from the brickwall filters is very low...and the phase response in the 10khz to 40khz range is intact.

[@RobCCTV]

@@michaelrovner4165 Seems you believe all of the marketing that the likes of PS put out. I should have mentioned:- I am from an electronics design background, and so am not impressed by all of the technical details that you seem so ready to believe. What you say is far from correct. Too readily people quote what the manufacturers say, e.g. that so-and-such competing technologies "sound bad". Simply not true, in the case of high-rate PCM vs DSD.

[@avro66]

Correct,

[@alainthiry3965]

"dsd pcm...: they are all converted to dsd". Why convert dsd to dsd? From the man who say in another video that ethernet cable have no influence on sound i doubt of all he says...

[@nathanbell6962]

Roon with dsd 512 upscaling is far superior to all pcm for me

[@dylnjshua4256]

Goon with dsd but spelled backwards 215 downscale is far terrible to all peeceem for you

[@redleather420]

considering the direct stream DAC only has 10 bits of distortion free playback yet costs 40 times more than something that performs better from china. why all this talk of high end bitrates and files if the SINAD and THD and intermodulation distortion is so high on the DAC? let alone all the proplems with DSD having SIGNIFICANT high frequency noise past 20khz causing the files to be half a GIG PER SONG. it all kinda seems like a scam if you put it all together , im sure most people wouldnt be able to tell in a blind test but still. youd think you could keep up with the chinese. PS audio DAC cant even put out 2.5 volts through XLR, thats less than my 100$ portable device and it has more distortion.

[@carlosmante]

Don't worry, be happy with your $100 leather Sadomasochist Toys...Enjoy. ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

[@TheDanEdwards]

"PS audio DAC cant even put out 2.5 volts through XLR" - The specs say 2.818 VRMS Balanced output. "the direct stream DAC only has 10 bits of distortion free playback " - ???

[@chefsteve8381]

@@TheDanEdwards Industry standard is 4 volts...And 15 bits dynamic range less than cd quality all for a measly $6800 ...laughable at best...

[@chefsteve8381]

@@carlosmante Always wondered what sort of fools bought these snake oil DACS, now i know....

[@geoff37s38]

It not only seems like a scam, it actually is a scam.