Can't play DSD Files on Mac

Support
1

Roon Core on MacBook Air.
Roon Ready device - Auralic Aries Femto
Dac - Lampizator Golden Gate.

I can play native DSD256 files using LightningDS app - directly from streamer.
But while trying to play using Roon, Roon converts the files to PCM. No DSD.

Please help

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2

Hey @Vadim_Fainshtein, we’ll be able to help you play DSD to your streamer – can you clarify if you have any of the following enabled?

  • Any DSP
  • Volume leveling
  • Crossfade
  • Downmixing

Those are all features that most frequently cause DSD to PCM conversion. If you’re not using any of them, let’s have you provide screenshots of Settings > Audio > Device Setup and we’ll take it from there. Thanks!

3

I have the same issue, with different equipment, but also with a Mac. I thought the problem here is with Mac OS X not being able to output DSD?

My setup:
• Roon Core on Mac Pro
• Roon on Macbook Pro
• DAC: Nagra Tube DAC

MacBook Pro is connected to the Nagra DAC via USB.

Anything above DSD64 gets converted to PCM and the DAC sees DSD but 1 level of quality less (e.g., DSD256 is seen as DSD128 by the DAC).
I thought the reason for this is in OS X’s limitations on what it can output over USB? Is that wrong and can it be made to output bit perfect?

4

I was curious, still trying to get my head around which OS supports what and why. So here is what I found elsewhere.

There is mention of needing PCM 768 capability in that thread, I believe your Nagra does not support it.

5

Thanks. Yes, the Nagra Tube DAC supports both, but I am not interested in DSD over PCM. My question is can a Mac device output DSD256 without converting to PCM?

6

My apologies, I do not know.

7

No, not for your DAC from Mac. You may use Windows. Recent Linux may also probably work.

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8

A post was split to a new topic: DSD Not Playing on Mac Air