How to get DSD working in a networked (Roon) setup?


Dear,

I recently received a few DSD albums and would love to play these.

In the manual of the T+A MP 3100 HV, I read
"The MP 3100 HV can be used as a high-quality D/A converter for other devices such as computers, streamer, digital  radios etc. which are fitted with poor-quality converters or no converter at all. The MP 3100 HV features two optical and two electrical S/P-DIF digital inputs on the back panel to allow this usage.

A USB-DAC input on the back panel permits to use the MP 3100 HV as D/A
converter for computers.

At the USB DAC IN input the MP 3100 HV accepts digital PCM-encoded stereo
signals with sampling rates of 44.1 to 384 kHz (32-bit) and DSD data with
sampling rates of DSD64, DSD128, DSD256* and DSD512*."

To use the T+A MP 3100 HV to play DSD files, I have to connect it to a PC using a USB cable? Is my understanding correct?

I have all my music on a NAS in the basement. I use Roon to play (flac) files on my stereo. Is there no other way to get DSD to play?

Ideally, I would prefer to add a device in my network to play DSD. 

This "USB DAC" truly puzzles me. 

Thank you for your advice.

128x128koenvingerhoets

Showing 3 responses by bhoage

No, Roon is not down sampling.  The signal path shows DSF DSD 64 on Roon.

The ability to play natively vs via DoP and/or down sampled is dependent on the DAC and also the port used.

I'm using a Moon 280d with Roon via Ethernet.  A supported config for native DSD up to DSD 256.  Straight SACD rips are DSD64 but up sampling to DSD256 works fine as well.

I ripped all of my SACDs and stored as .dsf files on my hard drive and they are recognized and play via Roon as DSD.  Works like a charm.

the thread below (and buying a cheap pioneer player)  is was got the ball rolling for me several years ago.

best of luck 

 

Roon is able to play whatever your dac is capable of receiving / decoding.  If you have a DSD256 file and your dac is able to take it Roon will pass it on.  Roon is not the limiter.  You dac and what it is able to process (or how it it is configured in Roon) would be the limiter.  All I was meaning with DSD64 in my post is that a standard sacd rip is DSD64.

As I mentioned, my dac can handle up to DSD256 so if I play a sacd rip with no upsampling it will play at DSD64.  If I have a DSD256 download it’ll play at DSD256.  If I have a DSD 512 download it will downsample to DSD256 as that is the highest bit rate my dac is set up to use in Roon.

If you click on advanced under you dac setup in Roon, all of those configs for max PCM and DSD sampling rates should be there.  That is what is limiting things and those settings should align with your dac’s capabilities.

Hope that helps… or at least clarifies my last post.  Best of luck.