The Sony BDP-S6700 is a moderately priced Blu Ray player that will play Blu Ray discs as well as SACD discs, as well as MP3 and FLAC files from the included USB port. This is a current model and also offers video streaming as a bonus. It will also upscale SD video to HD video. Seems to be a tremendous value for audiophiles.
Sony BDP-S6700 Blu Ray Player , Jeff Miller, by Crutchfield's Jeff Miller
Your home theatre system's jack of all trades
I've built a solid Blu-ray collection, so I'm glad to see Sony is still committed to making great disc players. The Sony BDP-S6700 won't play Ultra-HD 4K Blu-ray discs, but it will upconvert standard Blu-ray and DVD discs to near-4K quality for playback on your Ultra HD TV. And this versatile player also offers popular streaming video services and delivers serious picture detail to a 1080p screen.
If you're connecting to a home theatre audio system, the BDP-S6700 supports high-resolution movie sound formats, like Dolby® TrueHD and DTS® HD. It will play CDs, SACDs, and music files from a thumb drive. Plus, it offers a wide variety of streaming audio options.
Dual-band Wi-Fi means smooth video streaming...
Dual-band Wi-Fi gives you a strong, quick connection for streaming services like Netflix. And Sony's noise reduction technology improves the quality of your streamed videos. On top of that, Miracast™ technology lets you “mirror” what you see on your smartphone or tablet on your TV's big screen.
Sony BDP-S6700
Send sound from the Sony BDP-S6700 to a pair of wireless Bluetooth headphones (not included) for late night viewing.
...and music streaming, too
If you're a Spotify® Premium subscriber, Spotify Connect lets you play your albums and playlists through your connected speakers. Or you can download Sony's free SongPAL™ app for iOS® or Android™. It gives you wireless access to the music stored on your phone, Pandora® Internet radio, and even music stored on a DLNA-connected server.
Beam sound wirelessly to headphones via Bluetooth
The BDP-6700's built-in Bluetooth lets you send the sound of your movies, shows, and other media to a pair of Bluetooth headphones. This helps with late night binge-watching. You can catch all the dialogue and hear all the loud, exciting sound effects without waking everyone up.
Product highlights:
Plays 3D and standard Blu-ray discs, DVDs, SACDs, CDs and rewriteable CDs
4K video upscaling for use with Ultra HD TVs
Dual-band Wi-Fi for smooth wireless streaming
Streaming video and music apps for playing TV shows, movies, and music, including Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube™, and Pandora (subscriptions required for some services)
Bluetooth transmitter sends audio from player to Bluetooth-compatible headphones or speakers
LDAC Hi-Fidelity wireless music streaming to and from compatible sources
Miracast-compatible — screen-mirroring with Miracast-compatible smartphones and tablets
Quick Start/Load mode swiftly queues up a disc from the "off" position
Free downloadable Sony SongPAL app (available from iTunes Store and Google Play) helps connect the player to your wireless network and controls playback, and volume
Also gives you control over other compatible Sony speakers as part of a multi-room music system
Control the player and stream content from compatible smartphones and tablets with Sony's SideView app for Apple® and Android™ devices (requires both devices to be connected to the same wireless home network)
BD-Live and BonusView support for added bonus features with compatible discs (requires external USB storage device)
Remote control
Pays Region A Blu-ray discs and Region 1 DVDs
Technical Specs:
Selectable video resolution up to 1080p
Built-in audio decoding for Dolby® Digital, Dolby TrueHD, DTS®, and DTS-HD Master Audio
Plays AAC, AIFF, ALAC, FLAC, MP3, WMA, and WAV audio file formats
Sony BDP-S6700 file format support: Media: Bluray Disc (ROM/R/RE) DVD (+/-R/RW/R-DL/8cm) SACD, CD (R/RW) USB (FAT32/NTFS), External HDD (read)
Sound formats: LPCM, Dolby Digital True HD, DTS HD Master Audio, DTS Neo:6, AV Sync, DRC, DSD
Photo: JPEG (jpg, jpeg), gif, png, mpo (not DLNA)
Front-panel USB port to play music, movies, and images from external hard drives and thumb drives
HDMI output
Coaxial digital audio output
Ethernet port for Internet connectivity
10-1/16"W x 1-1/2"H x 8"D
SONY BDP-BX57 Blu Ray Player
Another even lower-cost option is to get the older Sony BDP-BX57 Blu Ray player. It is readily available on eBay for around $50. It also has the traditional older RCA line output jacks. It will play Blu Ray discs at 1080p resolution, CDs, SACDs, and DVDs. It also has built-in Wi-Fi video streaming and offers USB input for MKV, MP4 video files and MP3 music files.
I got this older Sony STR-DA2000ES receiver to complement my PC/Stereo music center. It can now play FLAC/MP3 files from my HP i7-4790 desktop using an 8 TB internal SATA drive, or stream Internet radio. The DAC in the HP i7-4790 desktop is the Realtek ALC221 chipset. The ALC221 chipset supports 16/20/24-bit output at 44.1k/48k/96k/192kHz sample rates, which is in excess of CD quality 44.1khz audio.
The STR-DA2000ES will fill your room with rich, dynamic, incredibly
precise 7.1-channel surround sound! This receiver's high-end Sony ES
construction and circuitry includes an innovative Digital Drive
amplifier that delivers a whopping 120 full-bandwidth-rated watts x 7
channels of home theater power. Combine that brawn with some serious
brains — dual 32-bit processors equipped with Dolby® Digital EX,
DTS-ES®, DTS 96/24, and Pro Logic® II decoding — and you've got a 360°,
wraparound soundfield that plants you squarely in the middle of the
movie action! You can even set the 'DA2000ES to automatically transform
5.1 and 6.1-channel Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks into thrilling 7.1
sound.
Dual-room/dual-source output lets you enjoy 7.1 surround
in your main room while a housemate listens to a different stereo source
in a second room (receiver, amplifier, or powered speakers required in
second room). Wide-range frequency response and analog multichannel bass
management let you make the most of high-resolution music sources like
SACD and DVD-Audio. The learning/multibrand LCD remote gives you easy
control of all A/V gear, and features macros that you can program to
execute a series of system commands with a single button-press.
The
'DA2000ES offers loads of connectivity for system-building, too,
including component video switching with 80MHz bandwidth for flawless
HDTV transfer, 5 digital inputs, 5 A/V inputs, and more! It's also got
two multichannel inputs, including a 7.1-channel input to keep you
prepared for future formats. Front-panel A/V and optical digital inputs
allow quick and easy hookup of camcorders, game systems, and portable
audio players.
This receiver's beefy construction is ES all the
way, featuring an ultra-sturdy frame-and-beam chassis, an anti-resonant
aluminum front panel, and dual power supplies. This meticulous attention
to every aspect of the 'DA2000ES's build allows it to deliver
consistently excellent A/V performance every time you turn it on!
Product highlights:
120 watts x 7 into 8 ohms (20-20,000 Hz) at 0.6% THD
Digital Drive amplifier
Dolby Digital EX, DTS-ES, DTS 96/24, DTS Neo:6, and Pro Logic II
Sony Digital Cinema Sound modes
dual 32-bit processors
dual-room/dual-source audio capability (line-level stereo output with volume control for 2nd room)
digital and analog multichannel bass management
composite-to-S-video conversion
two multichannel analog inputs (one 7.1, one 5.1)
component video switching: 2 in, 1 out (80MHz bandwidth)
digital inputs: 4 optical (including 1 front-panel), 1 coaxial
Blu Ray 4K UHD players are my new standard for playing audio. The below 3 models from LG, Samsung, and Sony offer UHD 4K video upscaling, 24-bit/192kHz resolution audio DAC, USB input, and Wi-Fi streaming from Netflix, Pandora, and YouTube. They also offer superior cable connections via HDMI ports. They are readily available on Amazon and eBay. Put your library of FLAC audio and HD video on a 256GB USB drive, and you can listen and watch your entertainment library for days.
You can also find older similar models that have the same features. Samsung had the K8500. LG had the UBK8 series and UBK9 series. In side by side listening tests, I found the LG blu ray players had better sound, being more open and dynamic, with fuller bass. The Samsung sounded bright, bass was well defined, but thinner sounding.
In terms of audio technology, the 4K UHD blu ray player will have an updated DAC, able to handle all of today's music formats. Some may look for older CD or blu ray players players, but these are certified for UHD PCM audio files up to 24-bit and 192 khz resolution. The Sony also supports SACD audio CDs.
Managing a music library is getting more challenging with physical CDs taking up more and more room. So storing & burning FLAC files on DVDs, Blu Ray discs, or a file server, is more efficient. Look at FLAC files for preserving your music collection and you have a lossless music collection! Although I am reluctant on parting with my precious physical CDs like a lot of folks. What to do?
Below are some 4K UHD Blu Ray players that I have and can recommend: Enjoy.
LG UBK90 Streaming 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray Player with Dolby Vision
Ultra
HD Premium, Multi-HDR, 4K Blu-Ray Disc Playback, 3D Blu-Ray/ DVD
Playback, 4K Streaming Content, Built-in dual band WiFi, USB media input
Get the best out of your 4K TV
Since
I upgraded to my LG OLED 4K TV, everything I watch looks better. But I
geek out the most over shows and movies in true 4K. They just seem to
pop off the screen. And the LG UBK90 4K Blu-ray player will play Ultra
HD Blu-ray discs with Dolby Vision — the absolute best-quality video
source available today.
Ready for the best HDR formats
Ultra
HD Blu-ray discs with HDR (High Dynamic Range) allow compatible TVs to
display extremely bright and dark black picture content together within
the same image. HDR content makes for serious eye candy on my new OLED
TV — it stands out even among other, stellar-looking 4K videos.
And
this player supports the required HDR 10 format, and the more
sophisticated Dolby Vision format. Dolby Vision is one of the reasons I
ended up going with the LG OLED. Dolby's dynamic system can adjust
brightness and color levels on a scene-by-scene basis.
Netflix
has a bunch of shows in Dolby Vision, and some of them look so realistic
and vibrant that it actually adds to the storytelling. Take the brutal
Western show Godless: the beautiful yet nightmarish landscape is
practically one of the characters. Watching sunlight peek over a
mountain and spill over the dusty terrain with true-to-life shading is
truly a sight to see.
Top movie sound formats and flexible connections
This
player has built-in support for the highest-quality surround sound
formats, like Dolby® TrueHD and DTS Master Audio™. It also plays Dolby
Atmos®-encoded discs. You simply set the HDMI audio output to
"bitstream" when connected to an Atmos-capable receiver.
There
are two HDMI outputs: one for sending audio to your home theater
receiver and one for video directly to your TV. That means you can still
play sound through receivers that don't have a free HDMI input that's
HDCP 2.2 compatible. You can also use an optical digital connection to
get surround sound from the player to your receiver. Dual-band Wi-Fi means smooth 4K video streaming
Along
with playing discs, you can use the UBK90 to stream Netflix® and
YouTube. These are the two video services that offer the most 4K
content available right now. And this player's dual-band Wi-Fi gives you
the strong connection needed for streaming 4K. (We recommend having an
internet speed of 20Mbps or faster for 4K streaming.)
Product highlights:
Plays Ultra HD Blu-ray discs, 3D and standard Blu-ray discs, DVDs, CDs and rewriteable discs full 4K resolution video for use with Ultra HD TVs 4K video upscaling for standard Blu-ray and DVDs HDR (High Dynamic Range) for extended picture contrast and brightness on compatible TVs supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision Dolby Vision adjusts brightness dynamically for premium shading and depth supports lower resolutions when used with non-4K TVs plays Region A Blu-ray discs and Region 1 DVDs
Wireless Features and Technical Specs:
Dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi for smooth wireless streaming from Netflix and other video streaming apps HEVC for watching streamed 4K content from Netflix (requires internet speed of at least 20Mbps) selectable video resolution up to 3840 x 2160 pixels built-in audio decoding for Dolby® Digital, Dolby TrueHD, DTS®, and DTS-HD Master Audio can pass Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks when HDMI output is set to "bitstream" for decoding by a compatible receiver Plays AAC, FLAC, MP3, and WMA audio file formats BD-Live and BonusView support for added bonus features with compatible discs (requires external USB storage device)
Connections and General Info:
Front-panel USB port to play music, movies, and images from external hard drives, thumb drives, or Android phones 2 HDMI outputs for separating audio and video signals
HDMI 1 output is HDMI 2.0a (connected 4K TV and/or receiver must have
an HDCP 2.2-compatible HDMI input, and must have HDMI 2.0a to support
HDR) HDMI 2 input does not output video signal (audio only) optical digital audio output dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Ethernet port for downloading firmware updates remote control 16-15/16"W x 1-13/16"H x 9-3/8"D warranty: 1 year
4K
Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc playback provides the ultimate in audio/video
quality with a stunning 4K picture and state-of-the-art audio. Pop in a
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc and prepare to be transported 4K streaming
content - this internet-ready LG device is capable of delivering an
uncompromising Ultra HD 4K streaming experience. (Additional
subscriptions services may be required) High pressure audio playback - this UHD Blu-ray DVD player Supports high Resolution audio HDR
playback - this LG Blu-ray Disc player is HDR compatible with Dolby
Vision and HDR10. (HDR/Dolby Vision TV sold separately and required for
Dolby Vision playback) Blu-ray & DVD backward compatible - this
LG UHD Blu-ray Disc player is backward compatible supporting both of
these popular legacy standards.
Samsung UBD-M8500 4K Blu Ray Player
If your new 4K TV just arrived, you're probably chomping at the bit to see its best picture. Place an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc into the Samsung UBD-M500 4K Blu-ray player's tray, and savor your movies in true 4K resolution — a staggering 3840 x 2160 pixels. This player delivers an incredibly sharp, realistic picture, even when you sit up close.
The Samsung UBD-M8500 features a sturdy disc drive to prevent vibration. Beautiful, lifelike picture contrast
I think High Dynamic Range (HDR) is the most exciting aspect of Ultra HD Blu-ray. It allows compatible TVs to display extremely bright and dark black picture content together within the same image. (Think tiny stars peeking through the pitch-black night sky.)
This also has Hollywood buzzing. It's given directors a brilliant visual palette to play with — subtle, delicate lighting, sparks of brightness, and true-to-life shading and shadows. Samsung gives you more 4K viewing options — yep, including Netflix®
Have you ever seen the vibrant Colombian landscapes of Narcos in 4K? It is really something else. And the deeper shading and detail make scenes in small cafés feel even more claustrophobic.
When you connect this player to your home network via Wi-Fi or Ethernet, you get several 4K streaming options including Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and M-Go. Plus, you can watch 4K video clips on YouTube. Don't throw out your old discs!
You can still enjoy all your old standard Blu-rays and DVDs on this player. Samsung made 4K upconversion a top priority for the UBD-M8500. Their UHD Upscaling automatically upconverts any signal to 4K resolution. All of your movies and shows will look better than ever. QLED TV
Find out how great the picture is on your new QLED TV (sold separately) with the Samsung UBD-M8500
Impressive sound and music options
Along with the state-of-the-art picture, your movies will sound amazing too. The Samsung UBD-M8500 has built-in support for the highest-quality surround sound formats, like Dolby® TrueHD and DTS Master Audio™. It also plays Dolby Atmos®-encoded discs (just set the HDMI audio output to "bitstream" when connected to an Atmos-capable receiver).
This Ultra HD player's no slouch when it comes to music, either. You can play music from a CD or stream tunes from services like Pandora® or Spotify®. You can even wirelessly connect to a compatible networked PC via DLNA technology and play songs from your computer. Samsung's smart hub is smarter than most
This player's brain is a super-speedy eight-core processor — the same found in Samsung's latest high-end TVs, Galaxy phones, and tablets. It lets you do serious multitasking. You can browse the web without having to interrupt your movie, or use one app while downloading another. Plus Samsung's on-board selection of apps is pretty stacked — streaming video, sports leagues, music, games, you name it. Project images to your screen
While newer phones are getting harder to cram into pockets, sometimes the screens still aren't large enough for certain tasks. Maybe you want to share a video or picture with a group of people. Wirelessly "push" the display to your TV's big screen through the Samsung UBD-M8500. Allshare™, Samsung's take on Miracast™ technology, mirrors the screen of your compatible mobile device, tablet, or computer screen for everyone to see. READ LESS
Product highlights:
Plays Ultra HD Blu-ray discs, standard Blu-ray discs, DVDs, CDs and rewriteable discs (no 3D playback) full 4K resolution video for use with Ultra HD TVs 4K video upscaling for standard Blu-ray and DVDs supports lower resolutions when used with non-4K TVs HDR (High Dynamic Range)-ready for extended picture contrast and brightness on compatible TVs supports HDR10 format plays high-resolution digital music files via USB storage device; PCM files up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution this player accepts Region A Blu-ray discs and Region 1 DVDs
Wireless Features:
Dual-band Wi-Fi for streaming video and music (subscriptions required for some services) streaming video services: Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Vudu, and more streaming music services: Spotify, Pandora, SiriusXM, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn HEVC for watching streamed 4K content from sources like Netflix, Amazon Instant, or YouTube (requires Internet speed of at least 20Mbps) Samsung's Smart Hub lets you scroll through apps and menu while you watch a disc AllShare lets you stream content and mirror screens from compatible Samsung smartphones and tablets Multiroom Link for syncing wirelessly with Samsung Shape wireless speakers on-board web browser
Technical Specs and General Info:
Selectable video resolution up to 3840 x 2160 pixels built-in audio decoding for Dolby® Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS®, and DTS-HD Master Audio can pass Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks when HDMI output is set to "bitstream" plays AAC, AIFF, ALAC, , FLAC, MP3, WMA, and WAV audio file formats front-panel USB port for use with external storage devices 1 HDMI output HDMI 2.0a (connected 4K TV and/or receiver must have an HDCP 2.2-compatible HDMI input, and must have HDMI 2.0a to support HDR) Anynet+ simplifies control of compatible Samsung components via "MAIN" HDMI connection (HDMI-CEC) optical digital audio output remote control Ethernet port for wired network connection 16"W x 1-7/8"H x 8-15/16"D warranty: 1 year
Sony UBP-X700 review: More 4K HDR Blu-ray goodness for less money-CNET
4K Blu-ray is growing up. Current players offer better performance
and cheaper prices than their predecessors. The latest batch of UHD players are available for between $100 and $200 and offer things the early adopters couldn't, including compatibility with Dolby Vision discs.
The Good
The Sony UBP-X700 is a compact powerhouse that offers similar
performance and better features than the X800 for a $50 discount. The
player includes a host of streaming options, and Dolby Vision support is
forthcoming.The time it takes for the player to load Netflix is
insanely fast.
The Bad
Only supports streaming 4K HDR from YouTube. Both cheaper
competitors and Sony's own X800 offer better DVD performance.
The Bottom Line
The Sony UBP-X700 is at the cutting edge of 4K Blu-ray
technology and rewards with a solid performance at a reasonable price.
With a software update available later this year,
the Sony X700 will work with Dolby Vision-encoded discs, lending owners
of DV-equipped TVs a sense of future-proofing.
Unlike the cheaper
LG
UP870 and the
Oppo
UBP-203, which are strictly disc players, the
Sony
UBP-X700 offers the best of both disc media and streaming. It's
relatively fast, offers all of the apps you need, and its picture
quality is top notch.
"But what about the Sony X800?",
you might say, especially as that one's not going away.
Performance-wise it's a wash between the two Sony players -- the main
benefit to the more expensive model is a nicer-looking box and
marginally better DVD performance. At a $50 saving and with the promise
of Dolby Vision in the future, there's no real reason not to buy the
X700. Don't need streaming, though? Save some money and get the equally
impressive LG UP870.
The Sony UBP-X700 is available for $199, £269 or AU$349.
Design and features
In terms of design, the X700 sits somewhere between the up-market, book-like X800 and compact HD models like the BDP-S3700 The
X700 measures a foot across and boasts a two-tone finish, but it lacks a
display on the front panel -- all you'll find there are play and eject
buttons. To the left of the front panel is a drop-down drawer that hides
the disc mechanism.
Apart from the design, what is the difference between the X700 and the $250 X800? Two words: Dolby Vision.
No one likes a format war, but Dolby's baby is one of a handful of HDR
technologies vying for your attention. While support isn't coming till
mid-2018, the X700 also includes the more widespread HDR 10, so you'll have most of the bases covered.
Connectivity is identical to the X800's with two
HDMI
ports -- one for audio and video and a second for decoding audio
from an older, non-4K-sporting AV receiver. The player also comes with a
coaxial digital port, which is a bit unusual, as most
TVs
and
sound bars
support optical, plus it offers a USB connection.
The
menu is sensibly laid out and pretty much identical to the X800's, plus
the X700 has most of the apps you can ask for, including
Netflix
, Amazon Prime Video, Panora, Spotify and Hulu. The player also supports 4K streaming from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube, but only the latter in HDR. Lastly, If you somehow still need it the player includes Miracast for streaming your mobile device's screen to your player as well as DLNA.
The remote control is compact and fun with easy access to most of the functions you'll need.
Performance
There's
a reason Sony players are so popular -- in our testing they have proven
to be consistently good performers -- and the X700 again acquits itself
quite well. We found it was equally comfortable with HD discs, 4K
Blu-ray and YouTube HDR streams. Compared to the X800 though, the
more-expensive player was a little bit better at playing DVDs, with less
moire on the edges of the buildings in our Star Trek test disc. The
X700 gives you a choice of two different settings for upscaling -- Auto1
(2K) and Auto2 (4K). As Auto1 (2) was better than Auto2 with this test,
which indicates that the scaler in our LG OLED TV was taking over the
heavy lifting to bring it to 4K. By contrast, we found both the LG UP
X870 and Sony X800 to do a better job of reproducing DVDs with less
jaggies.
So
the X700 put in a good show picture quality-wise and in terms of speed
it was equally adept. Most surprising was how quickly the player loaded
Netflix -- at only 1.89 seconds it's the fastest a player has ever
performed this test. It felt instantaneous. While we would always
recommend a dedicated
Roku
box instead of a Blu-ray as your main streamer the X700 is a very
good alternative. That said, the X800 is no slouch either -- since we
first looked at the X800, its loading times have also improved, and on
the disc side it is now the second-quickest at loading the Batman versus
Superman 4K BD.
Loading times
Load times (s)
LG UP870
Oppo UDP-203 (discontinued)
Microsoft Xbox One S
Samsung UBD-K8500
Sony UBP-X700
Sony UBP-X800
Netflix (until menu)
N/A
N/A
10.01
7.64
1.89
4.26
MI:III | player on | disk tray open
9.36
14.81
22.87
10.00
12.56
12.41
Batman vs. Superman UHD | player on
21.2
39.3
37.69
28.78
30.72
24.05
Finally,
we watched a number of HDR discs, both in HDR 10 and Dolby Vision. Why
Dolby Vision when it's not supported yet? We had some troubles last year
with the
Xbox One
overblowing HDR highlights on the Dolby-sporting Despicable Me 2
test disc and wanted to see if the X700 did the same. The answer is, no;
it simply read the HDR 10 layer and relayed it without issue.
Likewise, Mad Max Fury Road looked lovely, with a much more natural palette when played through the LG OLED55C8P TV
than we'd seen previously. When you first see the procession of
vehicles as they chase the war-truck (Chapter 2 17.00), the ultra-red
details of the flaming exhausts and the blind guitarist's velour outfit
"pop" but don't look completely unrealistic.
Should you buy it?
For
your extra 50 bucks, what does the X800 give you? The most obvious
answer is a premium build -- while the X700 looks like something you
keep in a motorhome, the X800 more befits a home AV system. The other is
that the X800 is a little faster with 4K load times. But things can
change drastically in 12 months, for while the X800 was the best player
at this time last year, that is no longer the case. In its place we
present two alternatives: for the shttps://www.cnet.com/reviews/sony-ubp-x700-review/treamers, this X700 is the best
option, while for people who strictly want a disc player, the LG UP870
is shaping up to be a budget superstar. Look out for a full review of
the LG player soon.
DSD (direct stream digital) is almost like a mythical creature that only certain audiophiles have confronted before.
These are people who come back from their adventures with DSD telling
wild stories about how they heard this extra-terrestrial beast murmur a
sound that nobody has ever noticed before (besides them).
If you’ve heard of DSD, you may be familiar with these stories. In this article, we’ll uncover if they are true or false; and we’ll separate reality from fiction.
But First, Some Primer
It may sound obvious, but most mythical stories are not real. If
someone were to say that DSD sounds better than PCM, they could be
right.
However, the difference between the two is splitting hairs when it comes down to sound quality.
The drawbacks with DSD are high, and the commercial viability of DSD is non-existent compared to PCM.
Before we look at why this is, we need to make sure we understand some of the fundamentals of digital audio first…
What Are Samples?
The common answer to this is usually something like “samples are pieces of music used in other pieces of music.”
While this is correct, in this context a sample is something much smaller than a piece of music.
A sample is the smallest piece of a waveform possible, describing the wave’s exact position at a precise moment in time.
When all these samples are put together, you get a sound wave. You can think of samples as like pixels but for audio.
In some DAWs and wave editors, you can zoom right in and see little dots on the waveform.
These are samples and you may even be able to move them around, though it’s very hard to edit audio this way unless you are removing a few peaks here and there.
What Is Bit Depth?
Audio is stored in computers with bits – 1s and 0s. So if you have some binary code such as 1001010101000110, since it has 16 digits, this means it has 16 bits.
So bit depth is simply a way to store more information per sample in an audio file in x bits.
16-bit means there are 65,536 different possible values per sample
24-bit offers more than 16 million possible values per sample
32-bit has more than 2.1 billion unique values
But it should be noted that 32-bit float is technically 24-bit with an 8-bit mantissa, and there are no major practical benefits to using 32-bit audio over 24.
What Is Sample Rate?
The sample rate is the number of samples in one second of audio. So if you have a 48 kHz sample rate, then 48,000 samples of the audio are measured per second to recreate the sound.
So, if you are digitally recreating a sine wave at 48 kHz, then you are measuring the amplitude of the sine wave at 48,000 different points per second.
The most common sample rates are 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz, which are used in most DAWs.
What Sample Rate Should You Use For Music?
What sample rate you should use will
depend on the audio quality you prefer, but the differences are very
hard to notice. 48 kHz is the safest option but most consumers can not
tell the difference between 48 kHz and 44.1 Khz.
In this case, we look to other reasons to pick between 48 kHz and 44.1 kHz. Simply
put, 44.1 kHz is a leftover from the CD era, and though it sounds
perfectly fine, 48 kHz is more compatible with video formats.
From an engineering perspective, calculations involving 48 samples per millisecond are neater than 44.1 samples per millisecond.
If you want to use Max, Reaktor, or make your own VST plugins, this is worth considering.
What is PCM?
PCM stands for pulse-code modulation and is the standard digital audio format used to encode sound waveforms digitally.
With PCM, the amplitude of an audio signal is sampled at regular intervals, creating a waveform.
He filed a patent in 1938, describing it in theory with its advantages, but there was no practical application that resulted.
PCM technology was mainly used as a better approach to send telephone
calls in the early 1960s, but the quality was not good enough for
high-fidelity music until the 80s.
It was finally brought into the consumer market in 1982 when the Compact Disc (CD) brought PCM to the mainstream market and took off for its convenience and fidelity.
Instead of sampling the amplitude of audio signals at regular intervals, each bit is an interval that changes depending on the amplitude of the signal.
Does DSD Have a Higher Sample Rate Than PCM?
Yes, DSD (direct stream digital) has a much higher sample rate of over 1000kHz. In comparison, PCM is between 44.1kHz-192kHz.
Does DSD Sound Worse Than PCM?
Not necessarily. The problem with DSD is that you cannot edit, mix,
or master it because there’s no proprietary software to do any of these
things.
DSD also uses extremely high levels of noise shaping,
meaning that at lower frequencies (those we can hear) the noise is very
low, but once you get into ultrasonic frequencies the noise level rises
extremely quickly.
What Is A 1-Bit Format?
A 1-bit format is about as simple as it gets.
Whereas, a 16-bit format has 16 different bits that could either be on
or off at the same time, and the combined bits add more complexity.
History of DSD
In the early 1990s, Sony collaborated with Phillips who had begun
developing the DSD technology, and together the two made the SACD
format, which is the same as DSD but in a consumer format (like PCM is
to CD).
However, while the two had finalized the development of the product, the industry had made a giant step forward.
DAC manufacturers switched from 64fs to 128fs, which is twice the sampling rate, as well as a 5-bit format rather than the 1-bit format that they previously created.
So, they were essentially faced with the dilemma of filming a black-and-white film right when color television was invented.
However, DSD didn’t pan out to be commercially viable enough to be used as a mainstream source of digital audio encoding.
PCM became the dominant analog-to-digital encoding format in the early 80s when CDs were invented.
What Are Some Drawbacks of Using DSD?
The problem with DSD is that it is noisier and offers a more limited frequency range than comparable 24-bit PCM of a sampling rate >88.2kHz.
As a 1-bit format, there isn’t enough space in DSD for it to be dithered properly. As a result, you end up with an elevated noise floor.
The same issue applies to the DAC designs that originally inspired the format.
Which Sounds Better? DSD or PCM?
A lot of controversies have been made over which encoding system
sounds better, but one can never really know unless they hear for
themselves.
Not really easy when almost every digital device uses PCM audio-only.
Furthermore, many argue that DSD is not suitable for high-end
applications and high-resolution audio because of its high distortion,
but there are still audiophiles who swear that DSD DEFINITELY sounds better.
How Do I Listen To DSD?
You can listen to DSD by using an external Digital to Analog Converter, or DAC. A DAC can handle the high sample rates that are used in DSD format and can be connected to your computer through USB.
You will also need software to be able to listen to DSD as well.
Programs like HQPlayer and JRiver work for both Mac and Windows, while
Audirvana works for Mac exclusively, and Teac HR Audio Player works for
Windows exclusively.
Can You Do Post-Production With DSD?
There’s been no method to edit, mix, and master DSD files like you could PCM files.
Therefore, most “commercially available” DSD recordings are recorded
directly to DSD with no mixing/mastering, or are simply converted to and
from PCM!
There are a few new software packages that can mix, master, and edit using DSD, but most are from very small niche companies.
Why Does DSD Need To Be Converted To PCM?
PCM does not have noise in the higher frequencies like DSD so it
allows non-linear processing effects such as saturation and distortion.
DSD also cannot be dithered like PCM audio, because dithering applies
randomness, the 0s and 1s become meaningless and the result is simply
noise.
What Is Dithering?
Dither works by adding a bit of
random noise to the signal: the sample values are shifted around a tiny
bit in an unpredictable way.
This gets rid of the nasty distortion that results when decreasing the bit depth from 24 to 16 or lower.
Even though this raises the noise floor, the result is still less harsh than without dithering.
Dithering is somewhat antiquated and
should only be used in the final stage of the production process in
mastering when preparing a 16 bit master. Do not apply dithering to
anything else!
What Is Quantization?
With PCM, the amplitude of the signal is limited to just one of a set
of fixed values, determined by bit depth. This limiting process is
called quantization.
Dither is needed on the signal to avoid quantization distortion. For example, quantization occurs when a 24-bit recording (with 16 million possible values per sample), gets converted to 16-bit CD resolution (which has only 65,536 possible values).
What Are The Different Rates Of DSD?
DSD comes as the standard DSD64, double-rate DSD128, Quad-rate DSD256, and Octuple-rate DSD512.
The number at the end of the acronym signifies that it is 64, 128, 256, or 512 times the sample rate as a CD.
Are DSD Files Smaller than PCM files?
DSD records a 1-bit data stream at 2.88 MHz. This amounts to roughly
22 MB of disk space per minute. So, if you have a typical song around 3
minutes in length, that would only equate to 66 MB.
PCM files such as WAV use less space, however. For
example, a 24-bit 48 kHz WAV file at the same length is about 40 MB
while an MP3 file of that length would be about 4-8 MB.
Playback Options for DSD
What Is DSD Disc Format?
DSD discs are available through the use of specific recorders and appropriate tools.
These discs can be listened to via certain Sony audio hardware
devices such as the PlayStation 3, as well as certain Sony laptops.
Can DSD Be Used With USB?
Yes, USB is an alternative to using discs with files burnt onto them
for playback. In 2012, a lot of companies teamed up to develop a
standard that detects DSD audio in PCM frames they titled DSD over PCM, or DoP.
DSD vs PCM
When comparing DSD vs PCM, it’s important to note that DSD audio has a
higher noise floor than PCM audio, a more limited frequency range, and
was based on an approach to DAC/ADC design that was substantially
improved right after its release.
The other problem is it’s incredibly difficult to work with. In fact, to perform any kind of serious work with DSD, you have to convert it into PCM.
It really seems that in 90% of cases, your average SACD was recorded
as PCM audio, mixed as PCM audio, and then converted to DSD audio.
Contradictory Results
The consistent theme when comparing PCM and DSD is contradictory
beliefs and opinions, and this goes for scientific studies as well as
personal tests.
One double-blind study in Germany found that hardly anybody could distinguish the difference between PCM and DSD audio.
However, in a 2014 study in Tokyo, the results concluded that listeners could distinguish 192 kHz, 24-bit PCM with DSD at 2.8 MHz and 5.6 MHz, but not between 2.8MHz and 5.6Mhz DSD.
Consumer Market
DSD never achieved any level of success in the consumer market
because post-production (which includes editing, mixing engineering, and
mastering engineering) is extremely difficult due to the lack of
necessary software.
DSD is still used, however, as a format for studio equipment in an archival manner as a possible replacement for analog tapes.
Conclusion
The quality of production, mixing, and mastering in most cases is 99%
in the music itself, with that last 1 percent arguably being reliant
upon the encoding format (in this case, DSD vs PCM).
Producing music in DSD format is extremely tiresome and near impossible. So unless you have a point to prove, stick to PCM.
If you’re only interested in listening to music, then DSD is worth investigating if you’re really fussy about audio formats.
If we had to pick a clear winner between the two, it would be PCM, largely thanks to its wide compatibility.
FAQ’s
What is SACD Versus DSD?
SACD (Super Audio CD) uses DSD encoding, except it is compatible with CD as well to make it more commercially viable.
It was intended to replace the Compact Disc (CD) in 1999 when it was introduced, with its multiple audio channel functionality.
The SACD layer uses a 1-bit DSD with a
4.7 GB disc capacity while the optional CD layer uses a 16-bit PCM with
a 700 MB disc capacity (just like a regular CD).
What Is DST?
DST (Digital Stream Transfer) is a lossless data compression method used to reduce space and bandwidth within DSD.
DST compression reduces the file size by twice or three times and carries eighty minutes of sound.
What is ADC and DAC?
ADC is an analog to digital converter while DAC is a digital to analog converter. They are basically what the name implies.
DACs and ADCs are commonly used with music players but are also seen in televisions and phones.
What is Nyquist Theorem?
The Nyquist Theorem
states that a digital sampling system must have a sample rate at least
twice as high as the highest frequency of the audio that is being
sampled.
Simply put, this is because you need at least two samples to generate an oscillation.
So with a 48 kHz sample rate, repeating two samples of opposite values would create a 24 kHz tone.
This is why for high-quality audio we use at least a 44.1 kHz sample rate.
Because the highest frequency we can hear is 20 kHz, this gives us just
enough room to fit the entire audible spectrum of sound.
Direct Stream Digital (DSD) has become a big thing in high-end digital
audio. Simplified encoding and decoding, along with ultra-high sampling
frequencies, promise unparalleled performance. Is this what we’ve all
been waiting for or just mass-marketing hype? This blog separates the
hype from the technical facts. I’ll explain in what ways DSD has the
advantage and in what ways pulse-code modulation (PCM) is better.
If you're not sure if you should believe the statements in this blog
which contradict much of the marketing hype, myth, and legend in the
audiophile industry, feel free to check the references at the end of
this blog.
In 1857, Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville invented the phonautograph,
which could graphically record sound waves. In early 1877, Charles Cros
devised a way to reverse that process on a photoengraving to form a
groove which could be traced by a stylus, causing vibrations that could
be passed on to a diaphragm, recreating sound waves.
In late 1877, Thomas Edison used Cros’ theories to invent the cylinder
phonograph, allowing music lovers to experience recorded music in their
homes for the first time. Can you imagine a modern cylinder phonograph?
Tangential tracking…no arc error…no skating error. The concept was
flawless.
In 1887, Emile Berliner invented the technically inferior disk
phonograph. Disks warp and there was arch error and skating errors
introduced. Certainly no comparison to the tangential tracking Edison
cylinder player.
But since disks are much cheaper to produce than cylinders, and since
disk fit nicely in display bins at stores and can include larger cover
art and notes, they became the standard. And so began the long history
of the recorded music industry being more about consumer convenience and
optimal profits than about optimal fidelity.
The digital revolution was no different. Philips and Sony collaborated
on the new standard for a consumer digital format in 1979. Philips
wanted a 20 cm disk, but Sony insisted on a 12 cm disk which could be
played in a smaller portable device. In 1980 they published the Red Book
CD-DA standard, and mass-market digital music was born. Many in the
recording industry in the early days of digital joked that CD stood for
“compromised disk.”
In the early 1980s, when digital recording became readily available,
studios converted from analog to digital to save money. For studios,
this cost less for the equipment, required less space for both recording
and archiving, and made it easier to mix and edit tracks in
post-production. For consumers, there weren't many advantages. Most of
the early digital recordings were produced with relatively low
resolution and sounded so fatiguing they would make you want to tear
your ears off.
The switch from PCM to DSD was no different. In the early 1990s Sony
wanted a future-proof, less expensive medium to archive their analog
masters. In 1995 they concluded that storing a 1-bit signal directly
from analog-to-digital would allow them to output to any conceivable
consumer digital format (LOL...later I'll explain how Sony screwed the
pooch on this decision). This new 1-bit technology was achieved by
outputting from the monitoring pin on Crystal’s new 1-bit 2.8Mhz Bit
Stream DAC chip.
Later, Sony’s consumer division caught wind of DSD and collaborated with
Philips to create the SACD format. Of course, from the time the SACD
was conceived until the time it came to market, DAC chip manufacturers
had advanced from 64fs to a higher 128fs sampling rate (aka Double-Rate
DSD) and from 1-bit to a higher-resolution 5-bit wide-DSD format. If the
SACD format was DSD128 instead of DSD64 and 5-bits instead of 1-bit it
would have made a huge difference in performance. Oops.
Long before the DVD, SACD, or DSD formats were developed, the Bit Stream
DAC chip was introduced to the consumer market as a lower-cost
alternative to the significantly more expensive R-2R multi-bit DAC chip.
Bit Stream DAC chips have built-in algorithms to convert PCM input to
DSD, which is then converted to analog. Once again, the result was a
huge cost saving at the expense of fidelity.
It was in part Bit Stream DAC technology which allowed the development
of our modern 7.1 channel audio that’s embedded into video formats. This
also allowed electronics manufacturers to market DVD players in small
chassis with cheap power supplies which could retail for under $70. Once
again, the audio purist never stood a chance.
In contrast, not only do multi-bit R-2R DAC chips cost significantly
more to manufacture than single-bit DAC chips, but they also require
much larger and more sophisticated power supplies. If you were to make a
7.1 channel R-2R multi-disk player, it would cost several times the
price of Bit Stream technology and it would be several times the size.
Certainly not what the average consumer is looking for.
To sum things up, the recorded music industry has made decision after
decision to maximize profits and mass consumer appeal at the expense of
the audio purist. History lesson over.
DSD vs. PCM Technology:
PCM recordings are commercially available in 16-bit or 24-bit and in
several sampling rates from 44.1KHz up to 192KHz. The most common format
is the Red Book CD with 16-bits sampled at 44.1KHz. DSD recordings are
commercially available in 1-bit with a sample rate of 2.8224MHz. This
format is used for SACD and is also known as DSD64 or single-rate DSD.
There are more modern, higher-resolution 1-bit DSD formats, such as
DSD128, DSD256, and DSD512 as well as wide-DSD formats with 5-bit to
8-bit Delta-Sigma decoding which I will explain later. These formats
were created for recording studios and comprise only a very small
portion of the recordings which are commercially available.
Though you can’t make a direct comparison between the resolution of DSD
and PCM, various experts have tried. One estimate is that a 1-bit
2.8224MHz DSD64 SACD has similar resolution to a 20-bit 96KHz PCM.
Another estimate is that a 1-bit 2.8224MHz DSD64 SACD is equal to 20-bit
141.12KHz PCM or 24-bit 117.6KHz PCM.
In other words a DSD64 SACD has much higher resolution than a 16-bit
44.1KHz Red Book CD, roughly the same resolution as 24-bit 88.2KHz PCM
recording, and not as much resolution as a 24-bit 176.4KHz PCM
recording.
Both DSD and PCM are “quantized,” meaning numeric values are set to
approximate the analog signal. Both DSD and PCM have quantization
errors. Both DSD and PCM have linearity errors. And both DSD and PCM
have quantization noise that requires filtering at the output stage. In
other words, neither one is perfect.
PCM encodes the amplitude of the analog signal sampled at uniform
intervals (sort of like graph paper), and each sample is quantized to
the nearest value within a range of digital steps. The range of steps is
based on the bit depth of the recording. A 16-bit recording has 65,536
steps, a 20-bit recording has 1,048,576 steps, and a 24-bit recording
has 16,777,216 steps.
The more bits and/or the higher the sampling rate used in quantization,
the higher the theoretical resolution. So a 16-bit 44.1KHz Red Book CD
has 28,901,376 sampling points each second (44,100 x 65,536). And a
24-bit 192KHz recording has 32,212,254,000,000 sampling points each
second (192,000 x 16,777,216). This means 24-bit 192KHz recordings have
over 111,455 times the theoretical resolution of a 16-bit 44.1KHz
recording. No small difference.
So why is it that HD recordings sound only slightly better than a 16-bit
44.1KHz recordings made from identical masters? Later in this blog I’ll
explain the difference between theoretical and actual resolution.
DSD encodes music using pulse-density modulation, a sequence of
single-bit values at a sampling rate of 2.8224MHz. This translates to 64
times the Red Book CD sampling rate of 44.1KHz, but at only one
32,768th of its 16-bit resolution.
In the above graphical representation of PCM as a dual axis
quantization, and DSD as a single axis quantization, you can see why the
accuracy of DSD reproduction is so much more dependent on the accuracy
of the clock than PCM. Of course, the accuracy of the voltage of each
bit is just as important in DSD as PCM, so the regulation of the
reference voltage is equally important in both types of converters.
Of course the accuracy of the clocking during the recording process
which is done at several times the resolution of commercial DSD64 SACD
and 16-bit 44.1KHz PCM recordings is significantly more important than
the accuracy of the clocking of either DSD or PCM during playback.
There are other DSD formats which use higher sampling rates, such as
DSD128 (aka Double-Rate DSD), with a sampling rate of 5.6448MHz; DSD256
(aka Quad-Rate DSD), with a sampling rate of 11.2896MHz; and DSD512 (aka
Octuple-Rate DSD), with a sampling rate of 22.5792MHz. And most modern A
to D and D to A Delta-Sigma converters do multibit wide-DSD with 5-bits
to 8-bits decoding in parallel. All of these higher-resolution DSD
formats were intended for studio use as opposed to consumer use, though
there are some obscure companies selling recordings in these formats.
Note that Double, Quad, and Octuple DSD have both the potential for a
44.1KHz multiple and a 48KHz multiple sample rate for 100% equal
division down to DSD64 SACD and 44.1KHz Red Book (both 44.1KHz
multiples) or 96KHz and 192KHz High-Definition PCM formats (both 48KHz
multiples).
Of course when studios convert a 48KHz multiple format to a 44.1KHz
multiple format or visa versa they introduce quantization errors. Sadly
this is often the case with older recordings when they are released in a
remastered 24-bit 192KHz HD version derived from DSD64 masters, such as
the ones Sony and other companies used to archive their analog masters
in the mid-90's. Note that the optimal HD PCM format which can be
created from a DSD64 master would be 24-bit 88.2KHz. Any sampling rate
over 88.2KHz or that is equally divisible by 48KHz would have to be
interpolated (not good). But consumers demand 24-bit 192KHz versions of
all their old favorites, so companies provide them, despite the known
consequences.
The Problems:
There are three major areas where both PCM and DSD fall short of
perfection: quantization errors, quantization noise, and non-linearity.
Quantization errors can occur in several ways. One way which was most
common in the early days of digital recording had to do with the
resolution being too low. Think of the intersection points on a piece of
graph paper. You can’t quantize to a fraction of a bit, and you can’t
quantize to a fraction of a sampling rate. You can only quantize to a
value which falls on the intersection points of bit-depth and sampling
rate. When the value of the analog signal falls between two quantization
values, the digital recording ends up recreating the sound lower or
higher in volume and/or slower or faster in frequency, distorting the
time, tune, and amplitude of the original music. Often this creates
unnatural, odd harmonics which result in the hard, fatiguing sound
associated with early digital recordings. Note on the graphic below that
the solid blue line represents the actual music wave and the black dots
represent the closest quantization values.
Though modern sampling rates are high enough to fool the human ear,
quantization errors still occur when translating from one format to
another. For example, when Sony decided to archive their analog master
libraries to DSD64 back in 1995, they were wrong to believe that these
masters would be future-proof and able to reproduce any consumer format.
The fact is, these masters could only properly reproduce a format that
was divisible by 44.1KHz. So any modern 96KHz or 192KHz recording
created from DSD64 master files have quantization errors.
This leads me to one of the many things that enrage me about the
recorded entertainment industry. If 44.1KHz was the standard which was
engineered to put aliasing errors in less critical audio frequencies,
then why did they start using multiples of 48KHz?!?!?!? All they had to
do was go with 88.2KHz and 176.4KHz as the modern HD consumer formats,
and all of this mess could have been avoided. They made DXD, a 24-bit
352.8KHz studio format, equally divisible by 44.1KHz. What blithering
idiot decided to put a wrench in the works with 96KHz and 192KHz HD
audio?!?!?!?
The actual reason for the 48KHz multiple has to do with optimal
synchronizing to video. So it makes sense to have sound tracks from
movies recorded in a 48KHz multiple, such as the 24-bit 96KHz format
embedded into 7.1 channel audio on DVDs and Blu-Rays. But since over 90%
of all music recordings are sold in a 44.1KHz for Red Book CD or DSD64
SACD it is rather ridiculous to offer any HD music in 96KHz or 192KHz as
opposed to the optimal 88.2KHz and 176.4KHz HD formats. But because
naive consumers wrongly believe that the higher the sampling rate the
higher the fidelity they demand 192Khz falsely believing it is better
than 176.4KHz, so that is what record companies market.
Quantization noise is unavoidable. No matter what format you digitize
in, ultrasonic artifacts are created. The more bits you have, the lower
the noise floor. Noise floor is lowered by roughly 6db for each bit. So
as you can imagine, 1-bit DSD has significantly more ultrasonic noise
than even 16-bit PCM. This is part of why wide-DSD formats with 5-bit to
8-bit parallel Delta-Sigma decoding were created. With PCM, you have to
deal with significant noise at the sampling frequency. This is why Sony
and Philips engineered the Red Book CD to sample at 44.1KHz, which is
over twice the human high-frequency hearing limit of 20KHz.
Since quantization noise is present around the sampling frequency of a
PCM recording, a 44.1KHz recording has quantization noise one octave
above the human hearing limit of 20KHz. This quantization noise needs to
be filtered out, so all DACs have a low-pass filter at the output.
Because the quantization noise is only one octave above audibility the
filters used have a very steep slope so as to not filter out desirable
high frequencies. These steeply sloped low-pass digital filters are
commonly known as "brick wall" filters. This is why there can be an
advantage in playing 44.1KHz PCM upsampled to 88.2KHz or 176.4KHz.
Though you hear a lot about "brick wall" filters causing an audible
distortion in the top end of early Red Book CD players , the fact is
that was only a small part of the reason early Red Book CDs and players
had an unnatural sounding top end. Most of the hard, harsh, unnatural
sounding high frequencies in early digital had more to do with flaws in
the power supplies and flaws in the recording process, not "brick wall"
filters.
Sorry to be the one to burst your bubble, but despite what many
audiophiles may believe, less than one person in a thousand can hear
anything above 20KHz as a child and there is almost no one over the age
of 40 who can hear much above 15KHz.
Of course DSD64 is another story: above 25KHz the quantization noise
rises sharply, requiring far more sophisticated filters and/or
noise-shaping algorithms. See graphic below. When you filter the output
of DSD64 with a simple low-pass filter, the result is distorted
phase/time and some rather nasty artifacts in the audible range. The
solution is noise-shaping algorithms which move the noise to less
audible frequencies and/or higher sampling rates. This is why
Double-Rate DSD and Quad-Rate DSD formats came into being. This is also
why advanced player software, such as JRiver,
offers Double-Rate DSD output. Using player software that upsamples
DSD64 to DSD128 or DSD256 significantly improves performance by putting
the digital artifacts octaves above audibility allowing more advanced
noise-shaping algorithms and less severe digital filters. Note these
extremely high sampling frequencies are why ultra accurate clocking is
more important in the playback of DSD than PCM recordings.
Jitter is defined as inconsistencies in playback frequency caused by
inaccurate clocking. The result is observable as distortion of the time
and tune of the music. Often the pattern of the inconsistency of
frequency can result in an analog wave form that has an unnatural odd
harmonic frequency. This results in the fatiguing character commonly
known as “digititis.” Note in the two graphs below: jitter is an
inconsistency in the horizontal time axis and non-linearity is an
inconsistency in the vertical amplitude axis.
Jitter occurs when the converter’s clock rate is inconsistent and
non-linearity can occur when the converter's reference voltage is
inconsistent. This is why we are hearing so much about “super clocks”
and “femto clocks.” The more accurate the clock, the more accurate the
analog output. This is also why ultrahigh-performance R-2R DACs, such as
Mojo Audio’s Mystique, have a way to adjust the voltage of the most-significant-bit (MSB) at the zero crossing to optimize linearity.
The Myth of Pure DSD:
Despite the marketing hype, there are almost no pure DSD recordings
available to consumers. This is partially because up until quite
recently there was no way to edit, mix, and master DSD files. So most
pure DSD recordings which are commercially available are those recorded
direct to DSD without any post-production. There are some new studio
software packages which can edit, mix, and master in DSD, but these are
quite rare in the industry, and mostly used by small boutique recording
companies. Most DSD recordings are in fact, edited, mixed, and mastered
in PCM and then converted back to DSD. The marketing hype DSD flow chart
you see below rarely exists anywhere but in theory. Yikes…the secret is
out.
There are several generations and levels of quality in purely digital
DSD recordings. The least pure are DSD recordings made from old PCM
masters. Many of these PCM masters had low resolution as well as
significantly higher quantization errors and lower linearity than modern
PCM recordings. Since you can never get better than the original
masters, these DSD recordings sound as bad as or worse than the original
low-resolution PCM masters. The purest common DSD recordings come from
modern DSD masters which are recorded in 5-bit to 8-bit Wide-DSD, which
is in fact a 5-bit to 8-bit parallel Delta-Sigma encoding.
As you can see from the above flow chart, most commercially available
DSD recordings have to be converted back and forth to a PCM format in
order to do post-production editing, mixing, and mastering. In each of
these conversions, more quantization noise and/or quantization errors
are added to the recording. For that reason they created these inaudible
resolution 24-bit and Wide-DSD formats with insanely high sampling
rates. The higher the resolution during editing, mixing, and mastering,
the lower the digital noise in the audible spectrum when these
recordings are downsampled to commercially available formats.
It is quite unlikely that any or many of recording studios that are
currently using Wide-DSD for editing, mixing, and mastering will ever
upgrade to software that can edit, mix, and master in true DSD, since
DSD is in fact an obsolete format. Even Sony no longer supports DSD and
SACD. The modern format which recording studios will likely be upgrading
to would be MQA, which compresses much better than DSD or PCM for
streaming and decodes to PCM formats, such as 24-bit 88.2KHz. That is
why HD music streaming services such as Qobuz and Tidal
are switching over to MQA for their ultra-HD selections. So with the
invention of MQA compression, PCM is quickly becoming the preferred HD
music format.
Another common marketing myth about DSD vs. PCM is that when blind
listening tests were done comparing DSD to PCM, there was a consensus
that PCM had a fatiguing quality and DSD had a more analog-like quality.
This was proved to be total marketing BS. One way that marketing lie
was perpetuated was with hybrid SACDs which have DSD64 and 16-bit
44.1KHz PCM on the same disk. The DSD64 tracks have over 30 times the
resolution of the 16-bit 44.1KHz tracks so that they could make DSD
sound better than PCM in comparisons. The truth is that in recent blind
studies they've proved that high-resolution PCM and DSD are
statistically indistinguishable from one another. Considering that
nearly all DSD recordings were edited, mixed, and mastered in PCM, it is
no wonder.
Then there are the differences in the ways DAC chips work. Most modern
DAC chips are Delta-Sigma which decode native DSD. R-2R DAC chips decode
native PCM. In order for you to play PCM files on a Delta-Sigma DAC or
DSD files on an R-2R DAC the files have to be converted in real time.
Most modern Delta-Sigma DAC chips can decode multiple file formats,
including PCM, DSD, and Wide-DSD. When they are decoding PCM, a
Delta-Sigma DAC chip has to first convert it into DSD, the chip's native
format. Another reason for the common misconception that DSD performs
better than PCM has to do with the poor quality of the real-time PCM to
DSD converters built into native DSD Delta-Sigma DACs. Since R-2R ladder
DAC chips can only decode PCM formats some DAC manufacturers use chips
or FPGAs at the input stages of their DACs which convert DSD to PCM.
But no R-2R DAC chip can decode DSD on its own.
In almost all cases I would recommend playing music files in the native
format which your DAC chip decodes. That would be PCM for an R-2R DAC
chip and DSD for a Delta-Sigma DAC chip. There are several brands of
player software on the market which have real-time PCM to Double-Rate
DSD converters. HQ Player is one of the most sophisticated player software packages on the market today. HQ Player
can be configured for real-time PCM to DSD conversion as well as
real-time DSD upsampling to Double, Quad, Octuple, and even higher rate
DSD formats. Using player software that is capable of converting PCM to
DSD and upsampling it to at least Quad-Rate DSD is highly recommended.
Summary:
Well, all that’s a real ear opener, isn’t it?
When people claim to hear significant differences between PCM and DSD it
is not the difference between the formats that they are hearing, but
most often the difference in the quality of the digital remastering or
the native format their specific DAC decodes. Delta-Sigma DACs decode
native DSD and R-2R DACs decode native PCM.
Keep in mind that most recordings are engineered to sound best on a car
stereo or portable device as opposed to on a high-end audiophile system.
It’s a well-known fact that artists and producers will often listen to
tracks on an MP3 player or car stereo before approving the final mix.
The quality of the recording plays a far more significant role than the
format or resolution it is distributed in. But to increase profits, many
modern recording studio executives insist that errors be edited out in
post-production, significantly compromising the quality of the original
master tapes. So no matter what format these recordings are released in,
the music will always sound mediocre, since you can never have higher
performance than what is on the original masters.
In contrast, some of my favorite digital recordings were digitally
mastered from 1950s analog recordings. Many of these recordings were
done as a group of musicians playing in a room with one take per track
and no post-production editing. Though these recordings have much higher
background noise being limited by old-school pre-Dolby 60dB dynamic
range master tape, they retain an organic character and in-the-room
harmonic cues that can't be duplicated any other way.
Hear It for Yourself:
Are you curious about the potential of digital-to-analog conversion?
No noise-shaping, upsampling, or oversampling algorithms.
MSB zero-crossing voltage adjustment circuitry to optimize linearity.
Perfectly bit-aligned left and right channel hardware-based demultiplexing.
Direct-coupled with no output capacitors or transformers to distort phase and time or narrow bandwidth.
LC choke-input power supplies, which unlike capacitive power supplies, store both current and voltage.
The Mystique
is in a class by itself. Explosive micro-dynamics combined with
harmonically coherent micro-details reveal the true time, tune, tone,
and timbre of the original musical performance.
With Mojo Audio’s 45-day no-risk audition you can hear the Mystique DAC
for yourself, in your own system, with no-risk and no restocking fees.
Experience all the harmonic coherency and emotional content digital
music is capable of delivering.
If you like what you've read in this blog and are interested in getting more free tips and tricks, check out the rest of my blogs on our website. Also, sign up for our e-newsletter to get more useful info as well as discount coupons, special offers, and first looks at new products.
