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[xtraktz]

Hi Team,

If I enable DSD in DoP format in Output Format, all file types from my library are converted to DSD format during playback.
Check mark for Output Format in DSP option always enable.
Is it possible to use DSD playback for DSD files only and disable all DSP setting for playback other file types automatically?
Or how I can set up DSD playback without convertation to DSD for othe file types?

I use Lynx Hilo Thunderbolt DAC (native support only for DSD64) with Mac Mini MD387 OSX 10.9.5

Enabling "bitstreaming DSD" does not play DSD128 or higher with realtime convertation to PCM.

[glynor]

If I enable DSD in DoP format in Output Format, all file types from my library are converted to DSD format during playback.

Correct. That's what that function does. If you want to re-encode all output to AC3, for example, you enable that setting in there. The Output Format setting is used for DAC compatibility. If your DAC can decode PCM, then you should never enable this function. That's why it says this in the Wiki:

If selected, all audio output will be re-encoded to this format before being sent to the audio device. This is rarely needed, and is only recommended if your audio device can only play a particular format successfully (such as playing multichannel audio over SPDIF or when using a DAC that only works with DSD formats).

It was primarily useful for sending multichannel audio over SPDIF to an AVR, in the days before HDMI. But, if you really, really, really want it to re-encode everything to DSD, then that's where you turn it on.

Is it possible to use DSD playback for DSD files only and disable all DSP setting for playback other file types automatically?

Yes. That's called bitstreaming. Bitstreaming bypasses the DSP and MCs entire audio engine. The files are sent directly to the DAC without being decoded. When bitstreaming, MC has no impact on format compatibility and cannot alter the audio in any way (including altering the volume).

It also doesn't matter what the DSP is set to because the entire DSP can only operate on PCM data passing through MC's audio engine. When bitstreaming, MC never decodes the file, and never routes it through the audio engine, it just copies the data file directly to the audio device driver's output buffers.

So, you can have different settings for native-DSD files and "everything else", by configuring the DSPs (particularly Output Format).

Enabling "bitstreaming DSD" does not play DSD128 or higher with realtime convertation to PCM.

I don't know what you're talking about here, because you mix up two different things. Bitstreaming cannot include realtime conversion to PCM.

If MC has bitstreaming set to DSD, then it does not decode the DSD-native files, and sends them through to the DAC unaltered (and undecoded). This, however, would only apply to native DSD files. Any other files (PCM files, FLAC, WAV, MP3, etc) don't get bitstreamed, and are processed through MC's audio engine normally (including any activated DSPs). I think you're having trouble because you have the Output Format DSP all messed up.

Follow the Audio Setup Guide, and do what it says:
http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Audio_Setup

Then, if you want to pass DSD files through to your DAC, enable only the bitstreaming setting. Note that with some DSD DACs you must have the system volume locked at 100% for it to work right, so you should disable the system volume control in the OS if possible (some drivers do this for you, or automatically maximize the system volume when DSD playback starts, but others do not).

[glynor]

It is also worth noting that the Output Format DSP should pretty much always be turned on and set properly.

If configured properly, it never hurts and only helps (when it must). By default, the Output Format DSP always "tries" to send the audio through without alteration (unless you tell it to otherwise). But, if it needs to, it can resample audio that would otherwise fail to play, and show you this error:


It can also up and downmix channels as needed. For example, you can:
* Downmix 7.1 (or 10.1 or whatever) multichannel audio so that it plays on a 5.1 system, or a stereo-only system.
* Handle proper lowpassing for a sub (in a .1 or .2 setup).
* Expand stereo sources to multichannel if you want.
* Handle multichannel audio properly while still passing stereo sources through in stereo (with or without a 2.1 sub lowpass).
* Handle embedded "pseudo-surround" like Dolby Pro Logic or DTS-NEO.
* Set it to not upmix or downmix anything.

That's what it does. It is all about how MC outputs the audio coming out of its engine, and you can reformat it, resample it, or upmix or downmix it. At the very least, setting the resampler properly is just plain a good idea, or else you can't play any file not in a sample rate natively supported by your DAC.

[blgentry]

Enabling "bitstreaming DSD" does not play DSD128 or higher with realtime convertation to PCM.

Everything Glynor said is pretty accurate and should help you out.  But on this one point, I *think* I know what you mean.  I'm guessing that your DAC handles PCM and DSD64.  But it won't play DSD128, DSD256, etc.  Instead you want MC to convert DSD128 and up to PCM.  But you also want MC to bitstream DSD64.

So how do you do that?  It's not obvious at ALL, but MC can do it.  What you do is, set up a DSD128up zone.  In this new zone, you configure bitstreaming to OFF and set your PCM conversion options appropriately.  Then you set up a zoneswitch rule.  This rule looks at the sample rate of the file to determine what files it should send to the DSD128up zone.  If the sample rate is DSD128 or higher, then it gets send to that zone.  If it's lower, it goes to your regular zone, which does bitstreaming for DSD, and whatever you want for PCM.

This should allow you to playback all DSD types the way you want.  The only side effect is that a mixed playlist of DSD64 and DSD128 won't play correctly.  Individual albums or playlists of a single kind of DSD will play properly, in the proper zone.

Brian

[glynor]

But on this one point, I *think* I know what you mean.  I'm guessing that your DAC handles PCM and DSD64.  But it won't play DSD128, DSD256, etc.  Instead you want MC to convert DSD128 and up to PCM.  But you also want MC to bitstream DSD64.

Oh, that makes sense perhaps. It was explained very strangely.

I know I often write way too much in my posts and people don't read them (it takes me longer to edit down than to write more), but it always amazes me how frugal with words people are when explaining an issue. Overexplaining > Underexplaining if you want help.

[xtraktz]

Everything Glynor said is pretty accurate and should help you out.  But on this one point, I *think* I know what you mean.  I'm guessing that your DAC handles PCM and DSD64.  But it won't play DSD128, DSD256, etc.  Instead you want MC to convert DSD128 and up to PCM.  But you also want MC to bitstream DSD64.

So how do you do that?  It's not obvious at ALL, but MC can do it.  What you do is, set up a DSD128up zone.  In this new zone, you configure bitstreaming to OFF and set your PCM conversion options appropriately.  Then you set up a zoneswitch rule.  This rule looks at the sample rate of the file to determine what files it should send to the DSD128up zone.  If the sample rate is DSD128 or higher, then it gets send to that zone.  If it's lower, it goes to your regular zone, which does bitstreaming for DSD, and whatever you want for PCM.

This should allow you to playback all DSD types the way you want.  The only side effect is that a mixed playlist of DSD64 and DSD128 won't play correctly.  Individual albums or playlists of a single kind of DSD will play properly, in the proper zone.

Brian

Maybe it is a way out. Now I have a similar zone switch configuration for play Video files. Thank you!

Oh, that makes sense perhaps. It was explained very strangely.

I know I often write way too much in my posts and people don't read them (it takes me longer to edit down than to write more), but it always amazes me how frugal with words people are when explaining an issue. Overexplaining > Underexplaining if you want help.

it's not my native language, maybe this is the issue))