• Registered: 2019-10-13
  • Posts: 3

Topic: PCM vs DSD

Greetings ,

Its been 4 weeks since I have acquired the rme adi2 dac.
Enjoying it quite a bit!

I currently use it with the following setting on lineout:

volume ref : +1dB
volume : 0
volume lock: on
auto ref: OFF
EQ: OFF

The DAC feeds into an Cambridge Audio CXA60 integrated amplifer.

Source is hi res audio files from jriver using ASIO driver (set to bitstream DSD).

When I play a DSD file the dac indicates DSD detected correctly.
If in Jriver I turn of bitstream DSD is delivered as PCM to the DAC.
I noticed there is some difference both in volume as well as detail resoultionwhen the same file is supplied as DSD vs PCM.
I am assuming that this maybe due to the filters applied on PCM.
Are there any settings that I can make on the DAC that will give me the same voulme / resolution for both PCM and DSD given the same source.

Thank you for your help.

2 Reply by jiw (edited by jiw 2019-10-20 15:36:15)

  • jiw
  • AES/EBU artist
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2018-07-13
  • Posts: 161

Re: PCM vs DSD

Look at section 17. DSD on p. 32 in the manual (https://www.archiv.rme-audio.de/download/adi2dac_e.pdf).

Direct DSD reduces the level to -3.5 dB.

  • Registered: 2019-10-13
  • Posts: 3

Re: PCM vs DSD

Thanks for your reply .
To clarify I am not using DSD direct mode on the dac ( just set a DSD detection to ON and supplying bitstream DSD from jriver ).
The volume, when dac identifies the source as DSD ,is actually higher than when the same is converted to PCM and sent.
PS - I have taken the time to go over the manual and also looked at quite a few threads in the forum but couldn’t figure out how to equalise DSD and PCM version of the same file to sound the same. ( I tried level matching the volume by ear but resolution remained different using the filter ‘SD slow’ mostly ..although tried with the default sharp as well )