Converting PCM FLAC To DSD!

DarqueKnight
DarqueKnight Posts: 6,765
in Going Digital
I am in the process of converting all of my PCM FLAC format music files to single rate DSD (.dsf) format. I'm loving what I'm hearing.

More later.
Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country!
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,392
    What dac are you using?
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    Tease.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    nooshinjohn wrote: »
    What dac are you using?

    I'm guessing he's got some sort of computer program thats doing the heavy lifting... just not sure which one....
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • DarqueKnight
    DarqueKnight Posts: 6,765
    I am using a dCS Debussy DAC.

    I am not doing PCM to DSD conversion during playback (on-the-fly conversion). I am converting all my FLAC files to DSD format. I am using the format converter tool in JRiver Media Center.
    Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • headrott
    headrott Posts: 5,496
    Awaiting the results Ray. DSD is an excellent format.

    The Debussy DAC is a greta one! (It just needs some tubes in the output stage). :)
    Relayer-Big-O-Poster.jpg
    Taken from a recent Audioholics reply regarding "Club Polk" and Polk speakers:
    "I'm yet to hear a Polk speaker that merits more than a sentence and 60 seconds discussion." :\
    My response is: If you need 60 seconds to respond in one sentence, you probably should't be evaluating Polk speakers.....

    "Green leaves reveal the heart spoken Khatru"- Jon Anderson

    "Have A Little Faith! And Everything You'll Face, Will Jump From Out Right On Into Place! Yeah! Take A Little Time! And Everything You'll Find, Will Move From Gloom Right On Into Shine!"- Arthur Lee
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • DarqueKnight
    DarqueKnight Posts: 6,765
    I perceive that tubes will be a tough sell at dCS, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. :)

    I am expecting delivery of a batch of 6 TB Western Digital Black hard drives (primary and backups) and Sabrent enclosures at the end of this week. The hardware required a low four figure investment. I already had JRiver ($50). I tried two other PCM-to-DSD conversion programs (one free, the other $250). The other two programs sounded very similar to each other and overall both did not sound as good as the original FLAC file. The JRiver conversions were like going from standard definition TV to hidef TV, most notably in the area of spatial properties.

    Re-encoding a 44.1k/16 bit FLAC file in DSD64 format resulted in files that were 4X larger. My digital music collection currently takes up 62% of a 2 TB hard drive. The all-DSD collection will take of half of a 6 TB hard drive.

    Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • headrott
    headrott Posts: 5,496
    edited November 2017
    Ray, are you going to compare a re-encoded FLAC to DSD to an originally encoded DSD file using the same master(ing)? That would be an interesting comparison.
    Relayer-Big-O-Poster.jpg
    Taken from a recent Audioholics reply regarding "Club Polk" and Polk speakers:
    "I'm yet to hear a Polk speaker that merits more than a sentence and 60 seconds discussion." :\
    My response is: If you need 60 seconds to respond in one sentence, you probably should't be evaluating Polk speakers.....

    "Green leaves reveal the heart spoken Khatru"- Jon Anderson

    "Have A Little Faith! And Everything You'll Face, Will Jump From Out Right On Into Place! Yeah! Take A Little Time! And Everything You'll Find, Will Move From Gloom Right On Into Shine!"- Arthur Lee
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • DarqueKnight
    DarqueKnight Posts: 6,765
    Yes. I did a detailed comparison of three versions of Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" produced/(re)mastered by Mark Wilder:

    1. The 1997 Columbia/Legacy CD.
    2. The 1999 Columbia/Legacy SACD.
    3. The 2014 192k/24bit HiRez FLAC download.

    A 44.1/16 FLAC file and a DSD64 file was made from 1 above.
    A DSD dsf file was made from 2 above.
    A DSD dsf file was made from 3 above.

    In addition, 44.1/16 FLAC and DSD64 files were derived from the Mobile Fidelity CD of Kind of Blue and DSD64 files were derived from the Classic Records 4 LP pressing of Kind of Blue and the Mobile Fidelity 2 LP pressing of Kind of Blue. In all, eight digital versions of KoB will be compared.

    Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,392
    Will you be comparing the digital copies to the vinyl as well?
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • headrott
    headrott Posts: 5,496
    edited November 2017
    Thanks Ray. I will check it out. (And e-mail dCS regarding a tube output stage for their DAC(s)). They may tell me to place my tubes in a not-so-pleasant "socket", however. :D
    Relayer-Big-O-Poster.jpg
    Taken from a recent Audioholics reply regarding "Club Polk" and Polk speakers:
    "I'm yet to hear a Polk speaker that merits more than a sentence and 60 seconds discussion." :\
    My response is: If you need 60 seconds to respond in one sentence, you probably should't be evaluating Polk speakers.....

    "Green leaves reveal the heart spoken Khatru"- Jon Anderson

    "Have A Little Faith! And Everything You'll Face, Will Jump From Out Right On Into Place! Yeah! Take A Little Time! And Everything You'll Find, Will Move From Gloom Right On Into Shine!"- Arthur Lee
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • DarqueKnight
    DarqueKnight Posts: 6,765
    edited November 2017
    nooshinjohn wrote: »
    Will you be comparing the digital copies to the vinyl as well?

    Not this time around. My turntable is in storage after converting all my LPs to DSD. :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

    My turntable retirement project is discussed here:

    http://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/174885/the-turntable-retirement-project/p1

    Some people's predictions that I would "miss" my turntable have not proved to be true. It's been sitting in a closet since Feb of '17 and I haven't missed it and its associated inconveniences and aggravations since I sent it into exile. I'd sell it if it weren't for the possibility that I might need to re-record something or I might run across a record or two that I want to add to my collection.

    5nugzger84lp.jpg
    After many years of faithful service, my turntable has been marginalized, exiled, and forgotten.

    I did do a comparison of KoB's vinyl and digital versions here:

    http://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/170830/kind-of-blue-mobile-fidelity-45rpm-vinyl-cd-and-sacd-versions

    In the future, when I am more dedicated to audio than I am now, I will down-convert my DSD vinyl rips to 384k/24 PCM, edit out the snap, crackle, and pops, then reconvert to pristine DSD. It's too bad that DSD can't be edited.
    Post edited by DarqueKnight on
    Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • gmcman
    gmcman Posts: 1,804
    Very interested in your findings Ray, thank you for doing this.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Hamptonman
    Hamptonman Posts: 1
    Anyone else doing this? I just converted 268 of my CD's to DSD. Time Consuming but definately worth it. They sound wonderful on my Holo May KTE and Legend 800 speakers.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter