There are have two groups of issues. One is all the bugs that exist in XMOS reference code are still there unfixed in Topping and SMSL products. I know for example iFi and Pro-Ject spent great deal of effort to iron those out. There are things like bugs in switching correct clocks when going between 352.8/384/DSD256 and 705.6/768/DSD512 rates. So for example my SMSL M400 is only usable at higher rates when fed through I2S.
Another is incorrect chip configuration, Gustard figured out how to configure AK4191+AK4499EX to work correctly in DSD Direct mode. I asked SMSL to fix DL300 in this respect and got one test firmware from them, which didnāt fix it but made DSD unusable on the device. And then they gave up and didnāt want to spend more time trying to fix it.
DSD64, DSD512 and DSD1024 will go through PCM path conversion in this combo.
I donāt know which parameters they used for this, but it should certainly perform much better. The figures you occasionally get at DSD256 look more like how it should look in DSD Direct mode.
The noise floor will jump if there is data loss or corruption.
For DSD Direct, itās better to go for safe values.
I used to have an RME ADI 2 (AKM4493) that did it very well. Iāve sold it for a Holo Cyan 2 which Iām fully satisfied with.
Iām looking forward to the HQP Desktop update to version 5.11.0 in order to hear the new filters and modulator evolutions. .
@jussi_laako Iām pretty sure the answer is no, but āSound Colourā mode should not be affecting DSD Direct analogue output right? Sound Colour is performed by DSP on 4191, I believe? DSD Direct is supposed to bypass DSP of 4191
@GoldenSound says above that his plots are with DSD Direct
Just browsing again through the datasheets and I didnāt at least quickly find such thing that would match above. 4191 has four modulators to choose from, just numbered 1 - 4. And 4499 has two āsound controlā modes, called āmeasurement modeā and āsound quality modeā.
Why the ? For the Gustard and Audalytic I thought they had been tested and found to be good.
Are there question marks for those now?
I bought a iFi Zen DAC 2 Signature edition which I have been using for HQPlayer and Roon in my main system (along with LMS) which I have been happy with after seeing the recommendation in one of these threads.
I could certainly be tempted by one of those two or maybe even the Topping/Cyan mashup later this year.
I didnāt forget - we discussed above, my unit measurements for DSD Direct looked good and as expected - but non-Direct also looked like Direct. Maybe Jussiās unit different.
Any DAC that uses TI/BB chips and passes DSD to the chip. Or any DAC that uses the ROHM chip and passes DSD to the chipā¦ Since these DAC chips donāt have anything else than direct modeā¦
And the old Topping E30 with AK4493 seems to work correctly too. When it works properly in first place (I have two, of which the other one has SINAD of about 60 dB regardless of input format).
You can see the measurements I posted and make your own decision. I donāt think in a blind test looking at the graphs anyone could tell if DSDD was on or off. Both modes look like Direct should look. Anyway we discussed it all months (?years?) ago. And the measurements are there for everyone to make their own conclusion.
It is personally off my list.
AH90 is even better than D-6 in all measurements under 100kHz and you get a built-in ethernet NAA input, so less boxes and less power adapters.
Its nice to see they have DSD512 test files - probably the ones I sent them to get the SMSL D-6 fixed.
But that measurement doesnāt look like it is in DSD Direct mode ? Can you get them to double check?
Anyway the DSD512 measurement is not particularly interesting if the conversion operates at DSD128/DSD256 per SMSLās own user manual and AKM datasheet
I have WiiM Mini (for Tidal Connect, Amazon Music UHD Cast) TOSlink output feeding HQPlayer bit-perfectly (via RME ADI-2 used as a TOSlink to USB converter).
This all feeds ethernet NAA input of AH90 DAC (DSD Direct mode). HQPlayer resampling to DSD256x44.1kHz.
I wanted to see if having this TOSlink in the chain feeding HQPlayer and DAC has any effect on DAC output jitter.
I loaded up Audirvana with my test files. Audirvana can play to UPnP renderers, which WiiM Mini is also.
Nope, no signs of jitter, as you would expect. Audalytic/Gustard AH90 output is clean as a whistle.
Thatās a very clean result. As for the WiiM Mini, Iāve seen vastly different jitter test results taken directly from its digital outputs. Itās certainly attractive due to its excellent UI and small size. Given its price point however, I expect that its clock is as cheap as chips and substandard for a direct connection for anything but a casual system. I have a Wiim Mini as well, but power it with a 5V LPS and run the Toslink through Ian Canadaās DIGIRESCUE (Audiophonics). I donāt have a clear way to run it into my HQP (PC) or use it much except as a means of streaming something with a beat when Iām doing things around the house.
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