Teaser here…testing out our upcoming DSD Native + ASIO support.
This is going to make some people very happy. Normally I use ASIO, but WASAPI USB to my Devialet has been working well.
I’m really looking forward to this!
Do you guys ever sleep!!
Roon is developing very quickly, currently testing DSD over DoP it works superbly well at both DSD64 and DSD128.
If I was to be really critical: I have noticed a quiet crackle can be heard very briefly between tracks on DSD128 albums.
I am looking forward to the upcoming DSD Native and ASIO support, as this takes the project to the next level: hopefully allowing the inclusion of JPlay within the signal path. Just need the iPad app!!
Roll on the next release, in the meantime I’ll get back to some serious listening sessions. 
ASIO + DSD-Native support was just released. Check out Build 21!
First, you should try out build 21 and see if that goes away. We made some improvements based on feedback in this thread that may improve your situation.
If it’s still happening, and you don’t get crackles when playing the same content in other software like Audirvana/JRiver/etc, please let me know so we can dig deeper (we’ve noticed some source material with crackles in the digital content, and it’s an easy test to just try it in another player).
This is possible now that ASIO support has been released for Roon.
I have an LH Labs Pulse on Windows 7 (ASIO) which should support DSD-Native, but that is not an option in the drop down for DSD strategy (only convert to PCM, DSD over DoP, and dCS are options).
Am I missing something? Where can we select DSD-Native?
Never mind - I just remembered I’m mixing up my iFi Micro iDSD with the LH Labs Pulse - it’s the iFi that should have Native-DSD support.
Will have to give it a try!
In order to select “Native”, you first need to be on Windows and choose an ASIO driver.
It seems like if you are connecting to your DAC via a remote computer and not the Roon server computer, you are not able to select Native DSD. Only DSD over DoP
I was able to select Native DSD on the same computer, but when I switched it from my main server to a remote, the Native option no longer appears. I do still have the ASIO option, but no Native.
Selection of “Native” mode on remotes using ASIO will be fixed in the next release.
DSD over DoP is native. It just uses a PCM wrapper but it doesn’t convert the DSD signal.
Your DAC supporting native DSD, will disregard the PCM wrapper altogether. The PCM wrapper comes with an 8bit overhead that is stripped before playback thus leaving the DSD stream completely native. Thus it’s as native as the ASIO implementation — just a different way of dealing with the transport.
@Tyge_Vonsbaek – you are 100% correct, however in the world of DSD support, manufacturers have used the word “Native” to mean no-encapsulation.
Some people think that “Native DSD” is better than “DoP”, but there is a lot of misunderstanding of the basics in the audiophile world.
@Danny — Yes I know and for god sake give us a break already 
But this one isn’t debateable. As you know the PCM overhead is used for ID purposes and does not interfere with the DSD signal.
@jhwalker — Your iFi Micro iDSD is completely natively playing back the the DSD stream over DoP. I think actually, that Thorsten Loesch of AMR/iFi already killed this one earlier Quite a respectable authority on the matter.
Am I to understand that ROON will not support native DSD output from a Linux box ?
Thanks
Roon supports Native DSD on Linux assuming the OS-level support is there. That means:
- The Linux Kernel installed on the system supports Native DSD output for your device.
- The ALSA library on the system is at least 1.0.29 or has the patches needed to support
SND_PCM_FORMAT_DSD_*
ALSA 1.0.29 was released over a year ago, so the current stable versions of the most popular distributions already have it. On others, or older systems, you may need to upgrade or patch.
Kernel support is less consistent since the kernel needs to be made aware of each device that supports it one by one. This is the github project where that work is taking place. Some devices (e.g. iFi DACs) are supported by recent un-patched kernels. Some others need patches. And others are not supported yet, but could be if you got in touch with the guys running that github project.
Ho un dac Teac UD-503 collegato con un Macbook air e Roon al seguito non riesco a riprodurre i file DSD 256 anche se il dac ne e’ capace. So che devo mettere a DOP e so anche che non posso andare oltre il 128 chiedo allora se c’e’ un modo per riprodurli e se eventualmente esistono dei drive tipo Asio dei PC Windows o ancora se avete in programma di aggiungere questa funzionalita’ via software.
Su mac non credo ci siano possibilitâ, al momento, di riprodurre dsd oltre 128.