DoP is just a way to encapsulate DSD into a PCM stream. There is no conversion.
Have you connected a DSD/DoP-capable DAC to a WiiM Pro, Pro Plus, or Ultra streamer? I have. The Pro converts DSD to PCM (24-bit, 192 kHz, IIRC).
My neighbor has a couple of Ultras, so I’ll bring a DSD/DoP capable DAC over and test the Ultra. I’m 99% certain it will do the same thing.
Also, please see the reference doc I added to my previous post.
Thanks for the clarification. I thought the argument was specifically against DoP. The internal DSD-to-PCM conversion doesn’t depend on whether the stream is native DSD or DoP, right?
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Correct. Although, I have found a hack using dBpoweramp (may exist in other applications also) that enables manual encapsulation of DSD to DoP into FLAC files. Once DSD files are encapsulated as DoP and saved as FLAC files, they can be played out to a DoP capable DAC. In this case, neither Roon nor the WiiM have any idea that the file contents are DoP-encapsulated DSD. Here’s the relevant options section in dBpoweramp:
With this option set (and the DSD codec installed, if necessary), DSD files converted to FLAC are DoP, not PCM. As such, they are fairly huge:
As you can see, basically the same size as the original file. When played back via Roon, all DSP options, including volume leveling, must be disabled. Otherwise, Roon’s DSP engine will treat the data as PCM, corrupting the encapsulated DSD bitstream.
This process works for playing DSD files through a WiiM product to an external DAC even though the WiiM does not natively output DoP. It works because the WiiM has no idea that the file contents are DSD. Therefore, it does not engage conversion to PCM.
However, if the WiiM performs any signal processing on the stream, you’ll just get “white noise” from your DAC since, just like Roon, WiiM treats the data as PCM rather than DSD.
This is a bit off-topic, but I’m sharing it anyway to help folks understand the difference between DSD to PCM conversion (what WiiM products do) and DSD encapsulation to DoP.
That is correct but has no serious negative consequences. All reasonably modern DACs I’ve tried that support DSD also understand DoP. So, the DAC is still getting DSD data, unlike what happens with WiiM products.
One thing to be aware of is that the volume control internal to the SR11 does not function during DSD playback. This makes sense when you think about it, but it can be a surprise for folks who expect to use it without downstream variable attenuation.
Generally, it means that on Windows you will get native DSD. On Mac you will not get any native DSD at all, and on Linux you might get it (if this particular DAC is baked in) or not.
Hard to say. There is no information out there that I could find regarding DoP support on the J3. But I’ve yet to encounter a DAC made in the last ten years that supports native DSD but not DoP.
In the highly unlikely event that the J3 does not support DoP, my FiiO SR11 recommendation was off the mark, and I apologize. But I remain highly confident that this story will have a happy ending.
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If you receive pcm you do not convert to dsd it is dsd until conversion to analog
Although in some cases receiving pcm there is a conversion to dsd and after dsd to pcm before converting to analogue
But the matter is that it is better when receiving dsd keep dsd in the process and from dsd convert to analogue
But in many cases instead of doing it , there is conversion from dsd to pcm and from pcm to analog.Itvis a poorer procedure
The WiiM products always convert DSD to PCM. I suspect this is necessary to support many of WiiM’s functions, including digital volume control, balance, parametric EQ, grouping zones, etc. This was the context for that discussion.