DSD -> PCM Observations

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Having a PCM only Yggdrasil and the fact I love volume levelling, I’ve been doing some analysis on the few DSD titles I have that I feel are better than PCM versions I have. Quite a few SACDs follow the Annex D specification and have peaks that would clip using +6dB volume boost. Leaving the DSD to PCM volume boost at 0dB throws the volume levelling out of wack, between PCM and DSD converted to PCM.

The new Annex D specification allows for short term peaks up to +3.1 dB SACD. Apparently this was put in place after the infamous Thriller SACD.

I started running the few preferred SACD version through Foobar’s DR plugin. I would say that 30% or more would clip at certain peaks with the +6dB setting in Roon.

+4dB is a much safer setting, and maybe 1% would still have a peak or 2 that would clip. I can live with that to improve the volume level between SACD and PCM.

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I assume that Roon is applying the volume boost dB on decimation of the DSD before any DSPing.

When volume levelling is engaged it would be nice if DSD decimation was done at 0dB and the volume boost we have specified for DSD conversion was factored in at volume levelling time. This would allow us to visually see the final volume adjustment and adjust our volume levelling LUFS if we choose.