yes, getting some clarity on how to define these things would be helpful. So many people seem to be speaking a different language. We need clearly defined terms. for instance, one major hangup in understanding PCM vs DSD is exactly what we mean by bits. Bits can be defined in different ways...

not the ZEN DAC, but I had to also take advantage of the new product updates to remove the ZEN Phono from my heavily modified Rega RP3 setup and try out the iFi ZEN Phono V3... cannot wait....

That thread you linked gives me a headache. lol. It inspired me to start writing an easy, fairly concise summary of the 'pure DSD' Dacs, how they ALL work around Thermometer/unary coding/dynamic element matching on my blog at euphonicreview.com. This has just been an idea in my mind but looks...

Okay I get it. Holo audio has two 'ladders' for each format.. PCM has two and DSD two. Redundancy. They call the DSD converter a ladder DAC, but that's more just marketing, and yes, while DSD FIR filters can use an array of resistor elements, (or caps) it isn't the same and IMO leads to...

so in most important ways, its is not a 'ladder' as in PCM ladder. It is like the DSC2 I have sitting here with its resistor 'ladder' of equal weighting fed by shift register. An FIR filter to put it simply. Where I am trying to understand the Cyan is the 8 by 8 architecture. I am...

thank you I knew Jussi probably had commented on it somewhere. Obviously he is among the most reliable and knowledgeable sources. Not the only one, but I don't think anyone has the pulse of the 'DSD Industry' quite like Jussi. Much respect.

that would be what I am looking for yes. Does it have that separate menu item allowing the choice. my apologies, S.M.S.L calls it 'FIXED DSD BYPASS' in its software and includes it with the other choices mentioned. So yes, it can be selected here. Good deal! Thanks so much

anyone aware of the DSD conversion path here? I have seen a lot about Holo being one bit, and the use fancy buzzwords that don't mean much when actually telling us what it does or how it works. I am assuming that as a true 1 bit converter, it is a thermometer coded multi-resistor element...

Does this version on the AK4191 +AK4499EX have access to bypass mode? No if it doesn't specifically have a bypass mode for DSD as a menu choice, it doesn't have it. (The ones I have reviewed with the Bypass have it as a third output option. You get 'variable' 'fixed' and DSD Bypass fixed'...

Good to know. At the time of my review of the ZEN DAC V2 this was not yet the case although it was available on the original ZEN DAC ( option for GTO filter) The default filter in the reviewed models I had was a standard linear phase FIR with very good stopband rejection ( over 80db if I...

In the middle of my review of the new iFi ZEN DAC V3 (fed by NAA through the iFi ZEN STREAM via HQPLAYER on my just finished today purpose build PC just for Roon and Hqplayer, so I am totally maxing out the quality of the ZEN DAC) via my trusty H650s (on my third pair now) BUT.... it sounds...

You have what I consider to be the best synergy I have heard between products. Likewise I have a Zen Stream with Zen DAC V2 and now V3 under test. I don’t think anyone has better sound for the money. The synergy is that good. And as good as the V2 is, the V3 has a better headphone amp...

You might say that. The ZEN V3 doesn’t just stand out for features. Sound quality is competitive or better than products costing twice as much. And that includes iFi’s own products such as the original Neo DAC/AMP. The Neo with Firmware upgrade had more features such as choice of standard...

But didn’t you know topping is making DAC’s with SINAD approaching 125db and dynamic range greater than 130db, and near perfect linearity to -120db? They are measurement kings which we all know means they are obviously better than anything iFi or Holo could possibly make Lol of course I’m...

Okay... just some early returns here. I started listening with my Focal Clear MG Pro headphones. Yes, they sounded great and the V3 had no issues at all driving them. But something wasn't quite 'iFi' about the sound. Certainly it needs more run-in time, so I make NO definitive pronouncements...

yes that was my speculation. Cost saving. Thanks so much

yeah, that is how I have it setup. I just wonder why DACs would not support DSD at 48khz base rate. Less resource intensive and I would presume higher quality too.

What is your opinion on oversampling to DSD? Should everything be oversampled to the same rate? I.E, 44.1 and 48khz both to 2,822,400 hz? Or should 48khz be oversampled to (I believe my math is correct) 3,072,000 hz? I would think the even integer oversampling would be the best way to...

Something else to consider. I actually politely argued with the guys from Channel Classics (Native DSD) about some of their native DSD files having audible low level noise. Very very low in level, probably close to the limits of human hearing. But it was non-linear distortion. It was not my...

not that I have noticed. well not yet. Although that is one of the things with true DSD converters... they can be picky like that. The SMSL D400 PRO with AK4191 + AK4499EX that allowed access to the AKM bypass mode (the AK 4499 series is the first that uses trimmed resistors and not...

Arrived! Full review soon from EuphonicReview. How soon? Well, first step is to give the electronics a chance to 'settle in'. Not to start an argument whether burn-in is really a thing or not, but I don't take chances lol. Second is full listening sessions. No measurements yet to keep...

salve a nuestra reina y madre bendita de guadalupe! And yes, I love my SP400. I run it with a build of the Signalyst DCS2 Pure DSD DAC. At first I agreed it had too little gain. The DSC2 only has transformer fed XLR outs and they only output at best 2v. I don't know what happened, but...

The Pro iDSD is one of the exceptions where a lot of care went into the filters on their FPGA. Honestly I have NOT really used HQPlayer with it. Seems like an obvious thing to do with native DSD up to 1024fs. (Although the best performance may come at 512fs... the sweet spot. At the fastest...

indeed. that is my preferred genres, (jazz/classical) and the longer filters with their delay lines create a larger reverberation in the sound stage. While I indeed am not always a purist when it comes to audio (I like what I like haha), the purist indeed comes out in this case. I prefer...

yeah, it would be fine I think, but you don't have to change them... you set one for each. The software applies your choices appropriately. But if I were going to just set one filter for everything, I probably would go for poly-sinc-gauss for all before I would use the short filter on...