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RME User Forum → ADI-2 & 2/4 Pro series, ADI-2 DAC series → ADI-2 DAC & IFI Zen Stream
Hello, I have this beautiful dac with ess chip, I have combined it with the ifi streamer, web radio and pcm are ok but I have doubts with the dsd (dsf). The IFI unit doesn't recognize RME can handle dsd direct and output it in dop, did I do something wrong on the dac settings? The manual talks about dsd direct but I can't find it in the dac options. Thank you.
Please don´t use DSD.
Feeding DSD disables almost all ADI´s DSP-functions, DSD Direct bypasses even volume control.
Everything bypassed ADI loses its reason to exist, and makes it quite a total impotent.
Using DSD is like one first saws his/hers legs off, and then tries to walk as fast as possible. Not very intelligent behavior.
DSD is propably implemented along only to fulfill the specsheet (ADI´s DAC-chip supports it) and for little wannabe-audiophile -customers as a "cool" raise-my-virtual-audiophile-tier -feature.
In reality DSD is unpractical as hell, and should definitely be avoided in all normal circumstances.
Hello, I have this beautiful dac with ess chip, I have combined it with the ifi streamer, web radio and pcm are ok but I have doubts with the dsd (dsf). The IFI unit doesn't recognize RME can handle dsd direct and output it in dop, did I do something wrong on the dac settings? The manual talks about dsd direct but I can't find it in the dac options. Thank you.
DSD Direct from the manual (DAC chip mode) and what you meant (data transfer mode) are two different things. The ADI only supports DoP for transfer, which is no limitation or such at all. All DSD data will arrive as pure DSD.
Surely you lose the engineering quality of the dac with dsd but it costs nothing to try it and I would like to give it a try.
When I start a dsf the graphics don't turn blue, they stay green and I continue to use volume and tone. From what I understand with the ess chip I can't use the dsd direct (it's not even in the menu options) but I expected that with the dop the screen would go blue and lose the controls but it doesn't.
I have a few items in the menu that relate to the dsd and I haven't touched them since I turned it on and since I updated it a week ago.
In this case here converting a PCM to DSD doesn’t make any sense (if ever).
It will be converted back to PCM before DA-conversion.
Anyway- the theoretical benefit of DSD needs an uninterrupted DSD stream from the recording mic (or the last analog step in the recording studio) to the DA-converter.
As DSD is by no means digitally editable, not even by simple volume changes, there are only few occasions for the above to be realized.
Transfers from analog tape, like MFSL do, come to mind.
For contemporary music productions the premise “no editing” is almost impossible to be complied.
In private use you could transfer vinyl discs (preferably true analog sourced ones, from before ca. 1982) to DSD, to gain a pure analog/DSD stream.
Surely you lose the engineering quality of the dac with dsd but it costs nothing to try it and I would like to give it a try.
When I start a dsf the graphics don't turn blue, they stay green and I continue to use volume and tone. From what I understand with the ess chip I can't use the dsd direct (it's not even in the menu options) but I expected that with the dop the screen would go blue and lose the controls but it doesn't.
I have a few items in the menu that relate to the dsd and I haven't touched them since I turned it on and since I updated it a week ago.
This statement is different than your first post. The ADI will automatically turn to DSD playback when a valid DoP stream is detected. I have no experience with the iFi streamer nor can do support for that unit.
When I first got my adi 2 dac fs, First thing I did was to play dsd.
I have thousands of sacd images. To be honest! I can’t hear any difference between dsd direct. And dsd to pcm.
Absolutely no difference.
I do have entire living stereo collection which are supposedly analog recordings, to dsd.
You can hear background hiss.
Qobuz is what I listen too now Good ole pcm.
Hello, I did various tests.. it reads the dsds but ifi transmits them only in DOP, ifi sees the adi kernel and sees that it does not accept direct dsds and therefore transmits in dop, adi receives and decrypts without the possibility of intervention, it bypasses the dsp but the screen does not change color, it always remains the color set, in my case green. Thanks for listening to me.
Hello, I did various tests.. it reads the dsds but ifi transmits them only in DOP, ifi sees the adi kernel and sees that it does not accept direct dsds and therefore transmits in dop, adi receives and decrypts without the possibility of intervention, it bypasses the dsp but the screen does not change color, it always remains the color set, in my case green. Thanks for listening to me.
My akm adi changes colour when dsd is played.
Then again it’s using direct dsd.
If think ess DACs convert dsd to 5 bits or something along them lines. So there’s a tiny amount of processing.
Where as the ak chip is un
changed. Direct dsd .
Hello, I did various tests.. it reads the dsds but ifi transmits them only in DOP, ifi sees the adi kernel and sees that it does not accept direct dsds and therefore transmits in dop, adi receives and decrypts without the possibility of intervention, it bypasses the dsp but the screen does not change color, it always remains the color set, in my case green. Thanks for listening to me.
The color doesn't matter much. Go to the Status Overview screen, check the line with USB. That one will say DSD when DSD has been detected. When DSP is already decativated this screen will proof that the unit is in DSD mode, and that you need to look more closely to see the color change. BTW, it is most visible when using the Cyan color as base.
Yes, with cyano it's much better! yes pressing 1 reads dsd64, many thanks!
One last thing if I may .. I connected it to a luxman 509 and I use the volume of the apli, how do I understand the optimal volume level to keep in the rme before blocking it?
... I connected it to a luxman 509 and I use the volume of the apli, how do I understand the optimal volume level to keep in the rme before blocking it?
Look here:
CRIS_DS80 wrote:... I connected it to a luxman 509 and I use the volume of the apli, how do I understand the optimal volume level to keep in the rme before blocking it?
Look here:
Thanks, I just tried. is it possible that +1 on the reference level is enough for me? If I set a level of +7 when I go beyond half the volume the amp starts to have too many highs, with +1 I can bring it to clipping without tone imbalances.
KaiS wrote:CRIS_DS80 wrote:... I connected it to a luxman 509 and I use the volume of the apli, how do I understand the optimal volume level to keep in the rme before blocking it?
Look here:
Thanks, I just tried. is it possible that +1 on the reference level is enough for me? If I set a level of +7 when I go beyond half the volume the amp starts to have too many highs, with +1 I can bring it to clipping without tone imbalances.
Sure, as you heard it, too high levels can overdrive an integrated amps input.
To avoid this the “Case 1” guide starts with amp’s volume control at middle position.
CRIS_DS80 wrote:KaiS wrote:Look here:
Thanks, I just tried. is it possible that +1 on the reference level is enough for me? If I set a level of +7 when I go beyond half the volume the amp starts to have too many highs, with +1 I can bring it to clipping without tone imbalances.
Sure, as you heard it, too high levels can overdrive an integrated amps input.
To avoid this the “Case 1” guide starts with amp’s volume control at middle position.
Sorry, one more question, now 3 out of 4 songs bring the peak level to the red of the dac, do you think it's okay or should I lower the volume further? I don't hear distortions
.. 3 out of 4 songs bring the peak level to the red of the dac, do you think it's okay or should I lower the volume further? I don't hear distortions
It’s normal.
Most contemporary tracks are mastered to hit full scale / 0 dBFS all the time, which shows red on the meters.
ADI-2 has a headroom of 2.5 dB above that.
Only if you see the text “OVR” there is clipping/distortion.
Can only happen if a DSP function like ADI-2’s EQ boosts the level.
In this case it’s suggested to dial back the Volume a little.
RME User Forum → ADI-2 & 2/4 Pro series, ADI-2 DAC series → ADI-2 DAC & IFI Zen Stream
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