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RME User Forum → ADI-2 & 2/4 Pro series, ADI-2 DAC series → Playing SACD and DSD files through ADI-2
I have a Sony UBP-X700 bluray player and want to play my SACDs through the ADI-2 DAC. But how do I connect it?
The Sony manual says:
"The Sony feeds a DSD-signal from the HDMI output if a Super Audio CD or a DSD file is played, if the connected unit supports DSD."
So how do I connect the Sony HDMI output to the ADI-2 which has no HDMI input? Is a separate conversion box needed?
indeed the manual has no other output for DSD as the HDMI, you may need a converter box.
Here a link to the user manual :
https://www.sony.com/electronics/suppor … 84072M.pdf
This could be a box to help :
https://www.digitec.ch/de/s1/product/c2 … i+to+spdif
I suppose your BluRay player is connected to a TV.
Most TV-sets have an Optical out.
So you could try to use the TV as HDMI to Optical converter.
In the TV you might need to configure the Optical out for having a fixed level, not volume-controlled, to feed an uncorrupted DSD-stream.
BTW, isn't SACDs native format DSD? So at the end of the day your audio will be converted into PCM stream.
No big deal, but I only want to mention it, because SACD media are usually bought because of better audio quality.
If you play SACDs through TV then I think the normal Stereo tracks in PCM / WAV format are being used by the player.
Not 100% sure.
No TV involved in music listening, signal goes from the Sony bluray player to the ADI-2. I had it connected through coaxial out- and inputs, but learnt that DSD was only available via Sony's HDMI output. The manual says Sony's coaxial output adjusts the output sampling rate to 48, 96 or 192 kHz PCM, depending what ADI-2 asks for, I guess.
What I wish for is a DSD signal from the Sony that ADI-2 converts to analogue with no PCM involved. Otherwise there's no point.
You won't find any SACD players with digital DSD outputs, for copyright reasons. And I don't think any TV will send DSD to a digital output.
This device claims to be able to do just that, but the compatibility list strangely only mentions RME devices that don't do DSD.
Well, I was aware of that (unless you get an old Sony Playstation) but thought that "streaming" from one device to another maybe was possible.
My problem i still there, though, even if this is not the right forum. I would have to rely on the Sony DSD DAC analogue signal from the HDMI output. How do I connect/convert that to the RCA/XLR inputs on my headphone amps?
If by "headphone amp" you are referring to the ADI, there's no point in and no way to connect a "DSD DAC analogue signal" (and HDMI is digital), because you'd have to convert to digital again. What exactly is wrong with using PCM?
…The manual says Sony's coaxial output adjusts the output sampling rate to 48, 96 or 192 kHz PCM, depending what ADI-2 asks for, I guess.
What I wish for is a DSD signal from the Sony that ADI-2 converts to analogue with no PCM involved. Otherwise there's no point.
If you don’t find a suitable HDMI audio extractor, 192 kHz PCM is a good sample rate for use with ADI-2.
Already far beyond good and bad, there’s no audible night and day difference to be expected to DSD.
On the other hand, ADI-2 and it’s features might make a difference.
In contrary, as DSD in general excludes every processing, PCM lets you take full advantage of all ADI-2 options.
If you don’t find a suitable HDMI audio extractor, 192 kHz PCM is a good sample rate for use with ADI-2.
It's unlikely that the player will provide any more than the 44k CD layer audio at the SPDIF output. Not sure what PCM over HDMI would do, but then you need an extractor again...
KaiS wrote:If you don’t find a suitable HDMI audio extractor, 192 kHz PCM is a good sample rate for use with ADI-2.
It's unlikely that the player will provide any more than the 44k CD layer audio at the SPDIF output. Not sure what PCM over HDMI would do, but then you need an extractor again...
I‘m referring to this, it‘s a simple check to find out practically:
…The manual says Sony's coaxial output adjusts the output sampling rate to 48, 96 or 192 kHz PCM, …
I always think, DSD was an interesting idea in the first place, but it’s multiple limitations are the opposite of user friendly.
This is not my expertise, but AFAIK, you can only playDSD with an ADI2 when it is a file on a computer (through usb), so you need to rip the audio file from a sacd
I‘m referring to this, it‘s a simple check to find out practically:
mdr30 wrote:…The manual says Sony's coaxial output adjusts the output sampling rate to 48, 96 or 192 kHz PCM, …
Yes, I saw that, but then the player would either have to convert DSD to PCM internally at the set sample rate or upsample the 44k CD signal. Both is likely to be unlikely... :-)
This probably applies to other disc formats only. But I'm speculating, the manual isn't clear.
sacd is a copy protection scheme developed by sony that did not gain much populartity due to its limitations. There is no way to play sacd files outside a chain deemed "secure" by its designers. Signal transport is via hdmi and special logic that decodes the copy protected datastream.
You need to rip the sacd layer to a file before you can play it outside of this environment. spdif output of unmodified sacd players is always downsampled pcm with low sample rate, i.e. 44 or 48 kHz. Just google rip sacd for the full story. This was possible with some older modified blueray players, oppo if I remember correctly. These are not available anymore.
You my revert to a professional service like the following: https://hfx.at/shop/en/services/76-ripp … sacds.html
I did some experiments, even SONY PS3 doesn’t even access the SACD layer of a disc.
Standard disc players are out anyway, as they have the above mentioned copy protection.
So, maybe just some HDMI Audio Extractors might handle this.
Here's the setting of sound of the Sony bluray player.
I've chosen 192kHz for Digital Out (coax or optical, SPDIF
When I play a SACD the RME plays it in 44.4/16:
Here's the setting of sound of the Sony bluray player.
I've chosen 192kHz for Digital Out (coax or optical, SPDIF
When I play a SACD the RME plays it in 44.4/16:
This is a copy protection related limitation of the player.
ADI-2 plays whatever you throw at it.
Better than here, my player refuses to send any digital signal at all from a SACD track.
Just had my PS3 configured for max sample rate - it sends 176.4 kHz, and ADI-2 receives it.
But that’s just upsampling of the 44.1 kHz CD layer, no extra quality gained.
If you check with a normal CD you might see 192 kHz.
When I play a SACD the RME plays it in 44.4/16:
That's probably just the CD layer... Or at best a converted, downsampled version of the SACD signal.
sacd is a copy protection scheme developed by sony that did not gain much populartity due to its limitations. There is no way to play sacd files outside a chain deemed "secure" by its designers. Signal transport is via hdmi and special logic that decodes the copy protected datastream.
You need to rip the sacd layer to a file before you can play it outside of this environment. spdif output of unmodified sacd players is always downsampled pcm with low sample rate, i.e. 44 or 48 kHz. Just google rip sacd for the full story. This was possible with some older modified blueray players, oppo if I remember correctly. These are not available anymore.
You my revert to a professional service like the following: https://hfx.at/shop/en/services/76-ripp … sacds.html
A bunch of older cheap Sony BluRay players also can be used, no real modification needed. Just a thumb drive.
sacd is a copy protection scheme developed by sony that did not gain much populartity due to its limitations. There is no way to play sacd files outside a chain deemed "secure" by its designers. Signal transport is via hdmi and special logic that decodes the copy protected datastream.
You need to rip the sacd layer to a file before you can play it outside of this environment. spdif output of unmodified sacd players is always downsampled pcm with low sample rate, i.e. 44 or 48 kHz. Just google rip sacd for the full story. This was possible with some older modified blueray players, oppo if I remember correctly. These are not available anymore.
You my revert to a professional service like the following: https://hfx.at/shop/en/services/76-ripp … sacds.html
I wouldn't have described it as "sacd is a copy protection scheme", but I get your point. There is a lot more to SACD than copy protection (DSD being the obvious thing), however, getting a license for building an SACD player requires that the only way you output exact digital is via an interface that has copy protection. Which means only over HDMI with HDCP. There can be no supported way to get an exact digital output without the copy protection.
However, based on the fact that all software has bugs, people have figured out how to hack many Blu-ray players to run software that exports the SACD bitstream without encryption. You're not going to find that your PS3 natively supports that. But many, including the PS3, can run software that will do it. The hardest part of ripping SACDs is muddling through the threads that help you get set up. That can be frustrating. But once you're set up it's easy-peasy.
I use a Sony BDP-BX59A that I picked up at the local Goodwill for $9.95. It works well, and I'm now hooked, so I went back and picked up another BDP-BX59A a few weeks later for the day that the first one fails. That one was $7.95.
RME User Forum → ADI-2 & 2/4 Pro series, ADI-2 DAC series → Playing SACD and DSD files through ADI-2
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