Cambridge Audio CXN V2 DSD

I’m using it via WIFI and everything works fine.

So here are some screenshots.

Okay, As I mentioned previously, your DAC cannot process DSD internally. It will decimate it to PCM for processing. Roon is sending the untouched DSD file to the CXN, and the CXN is turning it into PCM.

Roon is showing you that is what is happening. Let me dissect the Signal Path for you.

sss

Here you see Roon is sending DSD64 2 channel via Roon Advanced Audio Transport. So the first circle is the file untouched by Roon leaving Roon and the 2nd Circle is showing you the CXN is receiving the untouched signal from Roon.

ffff

From here, Roon is showing you what the CXN is doing internally as it reports it back to Roon. So, the first bubble is the CXN getting the DSD file from Roon. The second bubble is showing you the CXN decimating the DSD into PCM for processing. The last bubble is the CXN sending the analog signal out.

2 Likes

Wi fi varies dramatically, the WiFi dongle for the CXN v1 , was upgraded a few years after launch, I got a prototype of the new one to test until a lightning strike wrote off the CXN and dongle

The insurance replacement was the old one :disappointed_relieved:

By then I had started adding Ethernet which is why the lightning did the damage it hit the phone line and hence the ADSL , mains was disconnected but not the Network ugh

My house is all brick , concrete and plaster walls , really good for absorbing WiFi also seems a lot of neighbors interference, I lose at about 18:00 when folks come home

If it works great stuff

Thank you very much for your answer. If I got right my CXN can’t play DSD from Roon. But if I put the DSD file on an USB-stick, plug it in my CXN and play it display of CXN shows a DSD file playing. Is it right that the CXN can play DSD64 but if it gets the file by RAAT there is always a conversion to PCM?
All in all that won’t be a severe problem because I don’t have many DSD-files and the CXN does very good work and produces a very good sound by upsampling any audio file to 384 kHz :slight_smile:

To be clear, it does not matter whether you play DSD from a USB stick or send it via RAAT from Roon. The CXN converts any DSD input to PCM, even from the USB stick. The CXN cannot, as in never, no matter the input source, play native DSD. It will always convert the incoming DSD to PCM first.

This is because the DAC chip used in the device cannot play a DSD signal. It can only do PCM.

1 Like

From the internet Steve hofman forums

3 Likes

Hello @Rudiger_Pfaender,

@Rugby and @ged_hickman1 are correct (thanks!), the Cambridge Audio CXNv2 does not process DSD natively regardless of the input source. Wether it is Roon Ready streaming or from a USB stick, the device will convert to high-resolution PCM before it reaches the DAC.

The “Roon Ready DSD Mode” option determines where the DSD to PCM conversion happens – on the device or on the Roon Core. When the device is configured for “PCM for Digital Output” the Roon Core will do the conversion in order to allow non-DoP capable DACs to output audio for DSD content.

-John

1 Like

I wonder if anyone here finds the CXN a bit thin on the bass? I bought a lumin d1 off of someone and they miss the bass in its presentation with the cxn v2. I think he is using Spotify and some nas local library, but was the same for the d1 when he had it. Any thoughts?

He is maybe going to try roon with a little help from me soon to see if that helps but can’t do much with Spotify there, maybe Qobuz or tidal might suffice?

Thanks I noticed the same issue with my CXN v2 and DSD albums and now I understand more clearly! I have a question though: will the same album sound better in 24 bit FLAC format than the converted DSD Version? Thanks

That is a per user preference. But the source master is going to matter more than the format, imho

I have the cxn. And agree that the cxn cannot decode dsd.
That we all agree.

I know that is I stream dsd to the cxn, it will not play. Periods.
Now if I stream using Dope, dsd over Ethernet works fine.

We all know how dop works.

Now
Question.
Is I stream dsd using dope protocol, can I output using coax dsd untouched.??
I ask because I can stream dsd using dope and output to my adi 2 dac fs.
The adi shows dsd 176 bits 24.
Is the cxn converting dsd over internet DOPE, to 176?
Or is the cxn outputing dsd within pcm.

I ask because spdifs should bypass any conversion.

Any one know?

The simple answer is no. It may well limit any pass through to 192khz too.

Henry.
I have been coax out from cxn to my adi 2 dac fs.
I did a test, I played a Dsf aka dsd. File on the cxn outputting to the adi. Now the adi 2 can play dsd over coax.
The adi will not allow dop using headphones, on adi

If I try to play dsd from computer… to adi using headphones it switches off direct dsd, and converts to pcm All fine there.

Now if I play a dsd file on cxn then out using coax to adi. The adi reports Cannot play direct dsd converting to pcm.

So the cxn must be sending dsd out of the coax?
The adi is detecting dsd over pcm.
Therefore the cxn isn’t converting to pcm. What’s your opinion?

I imagine it’s passing through as DoP and bypassing the internal DAC so no need to convert it to PCM as it would using its own DAC. . But it will be limited DoP as that’s the only way to get it via coax. DoP is still DSD encoded it’s just wrapped in a PCM wrapper for transport. The RME supports DoP and will see it as DSD and convert to pure PCM. Nothing seems odd here. Roon won’t know it’s being connected to an external DAC via coax though so might throw Roon a curve ball as it knows the CXN DAC can’t handle it.

2 Likes

Hi Terry, the original DSD specification for spinning disks prohibited the passing of DSD over SPDiF/coax. It looks like that is relaxed when playing files. If that is the case then it does look as if the DAC is being bypassed or it is respecting the PCM envelope and leaving the DSD unchanged if DOP.

Yes. That’s what I think.
You see the adi 2 dac will except dsd 64 - 256 coax input dop format.

I always thought that cxn wouldn’t output dop on coax out.

But the adi 2 dac tells me dsd 176khz so it looks like cxn isn’t processing.

Thanks for your answer cheers.

That is sort of what I’d expect. It is telling you it is DSD(64) but that it is in a 176k PCM envelope. But normally a DAC doesn’t go into that detail. It has me wanting to play with a CXN v2 just to see for myself!

Henri.
I was told the cxn can. Only output 192 max coax.

It definitely passes the dsd as dop untouched.

I definitely think that it’s dop untouched.

For instance… the adi 2 dac turns dop off and converts dsd to pcm ONLY when using Headphones.

Xlr and rca are dop.

Now if I play dsd from cxn coax… and I turn on direct dsd on adi, adi dac say…cannot play dsd direct using headphone, Then switches to pcm.
So yep cxn passes dsd untouched coax out.
Brill.

henry…
iam a little late on updates but i have noticed dsd out on coax may not be dsd DOP.
I noticed on adi 2 dac read out that along with dsd also shows 24 bit…

DOP Shouldnt show 24bit.

seems to me that the cxn is converting dsd though coax out , and retaining DOP header, hence adi shows DSD . All very strange.