Forced DSD to PCM conversion? What has changed?

[Alex_Reusch]

Core Machine

iMac, 4GHz Quad Core Intel i7, 64GB RAM

Network Details

1 Gbit Ethernet, NetGear Switch

Audio Devices

NuPrime HD/AVP DAC, Sonore opticalRendu, USB Connection

Library Size

small, 2,000 tracks

Description of Issue

I am running Roon in this configuration for several years. The Sonore opticalRendu uses the latest SW code and the DAC is set to Native DSD (not DoP). The NuPrime DAC is seen by the opticalRendu and data is sent in DSD format. But for some reason, Roon now does a DSD to PCM conversion. I don’t understand why, because I always had native DSD files playing on my system in this configuration. What has changed in Roon? Why does it suddenly do DSD to PCM conversions?

[Graeme_Finlayson (The Mad Scientist)]

Do you have volume levelling activated?

[Philipp_Schaefer]

That is the right first question to ask. It’s the same with the LUMIN: when volume levelling is activated, DSD will be converted to PCM by Roon, even when the level is at 100. Only disabling it by the LUMIN app allows for DSD playback.

[Alex_Reusch]

How do you control this? All the DSP settings are disabled. Where do you configure volume leveleing? To my understanding, volume leveling is off.

[Speed_Racer (Threatened Dinosaur)]

With volume leveling on you would see something like this even if the volume leveling was 0dB.

[Speed_Racer (Threatened Dinosaur)]

Show us screen shots of the “Device setup” information for the zone. For example, I want to see what “DSD playback strategy” is set to.

[Alex_Reusch]

Here is the Device setup. My DAC vendor is not listed, but this was never a problem in the past. It always worked with previous versions of roon.

[Alex_Reusch]

Here the settings for the DSP. Everything is disabled. I never used this before.

[Alex_Reusch]

As you can see in my screenshot above, there is no Volume leveling active in the signal path.

[kevin]

Can you scroll down on this screen, click ‘Show Advanced’, and then provide a screenshot of that? We’ll need to see that to make sure your DSD settings are good to go, and that there’s nothing else that might be causing the conversion to PCM – thanks!

Conversion To PCM

[Alex_Reusch]

Here are the advanced settings. DSD is gone. I cannot find it.

[Alex_Reusch]

I might have found an issue with the opticalRendu and my DAC. It is very strange, because it worked fine in this combination for many years. However, I have found a threat on the support forum for the opticalRendu, that there might be an issue with my NuPrime DAC that could be fixed by Sonore with a code upgrade. I will update here as well, as soon as I get more information there.

Sonicorbiter Support Forum (Sonore Rendu Software)

[wklie (Peter Lie)]

Power cycle everything.