I'd hoped that I could set the output format to DSD128, and then all PCM and DSD content would be processed and output as DSD128. Apparently, it's not that simple, since there's talk of setting up ZoneSwitches for different file formats, etc.
It is that simple. Zones and Zone Switch are used for
other purposes.
I'm not sure if using DoP vs ASIO has any impact on how real-time conversion works. Not every DAC can accept both DoP and ASIO and I believe that JRiver at the moment insists that you choose DoP for DSD64 upsampling and ASIO for DSD128 upsampling.
I don't think it matters. It's simply a matter of encoding but the process is lossless. DoP basically stores the 1-bit stream in 32-bit PCM packets.
Bitstreaming DSD with JRiver disables all DSP processing from MC including the excellent volume leveling, which IMHO is the last thing you'd want. Again, IMO, the advantage of DSD lies in how the DAC
processes DSD and not in the fact that your source is DSD (which are often different masterings or even
PCM upsamples), which I believe is the reason that you want to use PCM2DSD in the first place.
I understand that it isn't simple to make this complex process work for everybody with varying equipment and needs. But I'm wondering if the current Real-Time DSD output behavior is intended and I just need to understand it better, or if any updates to the functionality are being contemplated.
I'm not sure I understand what you mean by whether the current behavior is intended. It's really not that complex. It's basically a matter of installing the DAC's driver including ASIO and setting output format in MC to DoP or native DSD. That is really all there is to it. That's not to say that its all without problems but I think that has more to do with how manufacturers have implemented it than with MC lacking functionality.
If I had to buy a new DAC I would make sure that it comes with an ASIO driver which is proven to be stable. For example, my current DAC's ASIO driver can be run (on my HTPC at least
) on hardware minimum buffer size, use large buffers unticked, 2 seconds prebuffering and I can't make it skip or stutter, even when running processes on 100% CPU on all cores.
I would make sure it supports the widest range of formats, from PCM 32-bit including 384/352.8/176.4/88.2 & 48 kHz to at least 2xDSD native and DoP. Not all DAC's support all sample frequencies but I think its important they do because if you want to upsample in multiples of 2/4/8, you'll need them.
Last but not least, I'd search and ask around (here in the DAC section would be a good start) whether the DAC works with JRiver and find out if there are any issues with it, like skips, stutters, distortion, etc.
