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[Desertpilot]

Hi all,

MC 27 user.  Now that I am retired, I have WAY more time to listen to music and fuss over it.  I would appreciate some advice on settings.  I have an extensive catalog of classical multichannel DSD albums on a QNAP NAS, some are DSD 64 and a bunch are DSD 256.  NAS is connected to LAN via CAT 6a ethernet.  PC is connected to LAN via CAT 6a ethernet.  JRiver on my PC sees the NAS and plays music files with no problem.  But, am I doing it correctly?  I send music via HDMI from the Nvidia video card in my PC to my Marantz AV8805 pre/pro.

-- Up until now, in MC I select MARANTZ (WASPI) as my audio device.  I think this is correct.  But, I keep reading about ASIO.  Would this be better?
-- I typically select HDMI Bitstreaming so I can play movies with ATMOS.  This works even with DSD files.
-- I use DSP studio to select "set all to 192,000 Hz" and 5.1 channels.  But, I just read advice in the forum to deselect DSP studio.  Why would I do that?

Anyway, I am just looking for the best way to send my DSD files via HDMI to my Marantz pre/pro.  Any help is appreciated.

Marcus
Las Vegas, NV

[dtc]

Your current setup is most likely converting DSD to PCM before sending that over HDMI. The ideal setup would have the Marantz get the DSD data in DSD format, rather than converted to PCM, although you may or may not be able to tell the difference.

Here are the details.

HDMI on PCs does not support transmission of DSD files at native DSD sample rates (2.822 MHz and multiples of that).  If you want to send the DSD files to the Marantz directly you probably need to do that through a usb connection or via the network.

Also, WASAPI does not support native DSD sample rates. When you use WASAPI with biststreaming it converts DSD to a format called DoP (DSD over PCM).  You can theoretically send DoP over HDMI, but typically receivers do not understand DoP over HDMI.

ASIO is a driver supplied by your manufacturer (Marantz in this case) and is used to send native DSD sample rates over usb.

Basically, if you want your Marantz to receive native DSD sample rates directly, you need to use ASIO over usb.

You can also send DSD data over a network connection using over DLNA to a receiver. That requires either an Ethernet or Wireless connection betweeen the PC and the Marantz.

So, to go further, it is necessary to know if your Marantz has a usb input that accepts DSD from a PC and whether it accepts DSD over DLNA.  You have to be careful with usb, since many receivers accept DSD from usb, but only from a disk drive, not from a PC.  If you do not have that information, what model is your Marantz?

[wer]

The way you are configured is pretty good. It could be tweaked to be improved, but not in a major way that impacts your main point about multichannel DSD.

DTC is providing good information, in a general sense, but unfortunately it is not really applicable to your Marantz.

The Marantz does not accept USB input, from a PC or anything else. The USB port is only for the connection of USB storage devices, which allows the Marantz to browse and play the files stored on them, like the audio systems found in cars.  The PC cannot play live to it over the USB interface. As I recall it doesn't do DoP either. DLNA is an option, but I don't recommend it, and I don't think the Marantz will do multichannel DSD that way either.

If you demand to play multichannel DSD files without resampling, you may have to invest in a different DAC.

But you should carefully consider DTC's point about audibility.  Your Marantz will definitely accept multichannel PCM, so MC could convert and output all your files that way.

You will have to decide for yourself if you can hear a difference, and if that difference is worth spending money on, for a DAC like the Okto DAC8, which is an 8-channel DAC.

Good luck.

[Desertpilot]

Thanks so much for the quick replies!  I will stick with bitstreaming over HDMI (the Marantz AV8805 will only do 2 channel dsd if direct).

My other question is about DSP Studio.  Do I need it?  Should I use it?  By the way, I checked SOX resampling.

Thanks...Marcus

[wer]

DSP Studio lets you manipulate the sound, either for the purposes of room/speaker correction, device compatibility, or personal preference.

No one can tell you if you should use it or not, unless it is to correct a problem. You haven't mentioned a problem.  So it's up to you.  I find it very helpful to use the Volume Leveling module.

The only thing I would mention is that you said you are resampling all sample rates to 192kHz.  That is not an optimal thing to do.  Whenever possible, it is preferable to upsample to an integer multiple of the sampling rate.  So in other words, 44.1kHz should be upsampled to 176.4kHz, not to 192kHz, etc.  So I suggest you adjust your output rates accordingly.

Have fun.

[dtc]

Some Marantz receivers do DSD over DLNA, but I think it may be limited to 2 channel.

DSD converts to PCM at 1/8th of the sample rate. So, 2.822 MHz (1x DSD) coverts to 352 Khz, 2x DSD goes to 705 KHz, etc. So, in DSP Studio you need to downsample those to the desired sample rate. As Wer says, you should do that at an integer value, as long as your HDMI and Marantz support that. So, try downsampling 352 and 705 to 176, for example.  It will use significantly less CPU to do that conversion.

You can use Audio Path (small gear in upper right) to see the conversions that are being done as the track plays.

[Desertpilot]

Thank you SO MUCH for giving me helpful advice.  I can't afford a new outboard DAC (to get DSD via USB to the pre/pro).  Instead, I will continue to send music via HDMI (bitstreaming and SOX resampling).  The Marantz AV8805 is no slouch.  Apparently it has a very well thought of DAC and it also has those proprietary HDAM circuits.  But, I will try disabling DSP Studio and see if JRiver will convert the signal from DSD to PCM appropriately.  This, apparently, is the best I can do with the source files.

[wer]

Yes, as I said, the Marantz does do DSD over DLNA, but I don't recommend it.

So I looked it up. The manual (pg 300) indicates it can do up to 5.1 channel DSD, but the manual (pg 305) also indicates that when playing a DSD file (dsf/dff), whether via DLNA or attached storage, it is limited to 2 channel.

This leads me to believe the only way to actually get multichannel DSD playback through the Marantz would be through a bona fide SACD player.

The maximum PCM sampling rate for the Marantz is 192kHz with 24bit/7.1 channels. That I did not have to look up.

Update: I see Desertpilot replied while I was typing.  You can leave DSP Studio enabled to do your sample rate conversion, and volume leveling (which is good).  You can use Zones to handle DSD differently from the rest of your music.

Glad we were able to help.

[JimH]

... and see if J River will convert ...

Please use JRiver, not J River.  We changed it a few years ago so that it works better with searches.  Thanks.

[Desertpilot]

I went ahead and modified my posts to JRiver.

Thanks...Marcus

[JimH]

Thank you.