iFi iDAC2 and DietPi

Hi is anyone using an iFi iDAC2 (not the iDSD) and DietPi?

USB connection from the Pi3 to the iDAC2 of course.

Is DSD256 possible via DoP with Roon, or only DSD128 via DoP?

Cheers

Yep, thatā€™s exactly what I have. I have DSD256 native. Works fine.

Nice :slight_smile:

From what I read, DSD256 via DoP only works if 768kHz is supported.

I thought DietPi is only limited to 384kHz and hence I thought only DSD128 via DoP would work.

Wait you said native?

From the Pi3 running DietPi via USB to the iDAC2 at native DSD256?

I thought only native DSD256 is supported in Windows only for the iDAC2?

Yeah, just double checked. I also upsample to DSD256. I also have an iDSD which could do DSD512, but the i5 Mini chokes on that.

Donā€™t understand what youā€™re saying here. Did you mis-speak?

The official iFi stuff Iā€™ve read says only Windows supports native DSD256 to the iDAC2 (not Linux, eg DietPi). The iDSD is different - native DSD is supported in Linux.

But youā€™re able to send native DSD256 to your Pi3 running DietPi, with a USB cable from your Pi3 to your iDAC2? Native or DoP?

My chain of command ā€“
i5 Mini -> RPi 2 (DietPi) -> iPurifier -> iUSB2 -> iDAC2.

For DSD256 album (Signal Path Lossless) -
(Source) DSD256 2ch -> RAAT -> (Output) ALSA

For 44k album upsampled to DSD256 (Signal Path Enhanced) -
(Source) FLAC 44.1kHz 16 bit 2ch -> (Bit Depth Conversion) 16 bit to 64 bit Float -> (Sample Rate Conversion) 44.1 kHz to 11.290 MHz -> (Sigma-Delta Modulator) DSD256 -> RAAT -> (Output) ALSA

Thanks. But in Roon settings do you choose DoP (DSD over PCM)?

Or it definitely says ā€œNative DSDā€?

Can you send a screenshot of your signal path with DSD256 playing to your iDAC2?

Bit Perfect Format Support - green up to DSD256 (705.6&768 kHz red)
Max Sample Rate (PCM) - Disabled
Max Bits Per Sample (PCM) - Disabled
DSD Play back Strategy - Native
Max DSD Sample Rate - Disabled

Cheese 'n crackers, youā€™re skeptic.

Tell me how to do screen shot.

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Ha no itā€™s ok, I can see from your reply above ā€œDSD Play back Strategy - Nativeā€, so you are not using DoP.

Interesting. I expect Native DSD256 for the iDSD (and native DSD512 with the iDSD) but not Native DSD256 support for the iDAC2 (except when using Windows).

This is good news for me though but surprising.

Btw to screenshot on Mac : https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201361

If you could then I will at least be able to sleep tonight LOL

Maybe @Tech_Whisky_Lab has something to offer. I know he has a lot of iFi stuff.

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Couple other things under Sample Rate Convesion -

Parallelize Sigma-Delta Modulator
Enable Native DSD Processing

BTW - iFi web info can be obsolete in places. Best to ask support. It will take a day, but they always get back to you with something helpful.

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I never doubted you Slim but I was questioning what I reading online (even iFiā€™s site) but this now explains to me, why it is working for you in Native DSD mode even though my mind was saying something was wrong lol:

Some people canā€™t take yes for an answer. :sunglasses:

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Hehe sometimes (not always) itā€™s nice to know ā€˜the whyā€™ part though! :slight_smile:

So I wasted no time and went and got one for my old man (my dad).

Heā€™s been loving his DAC+ PRO with his Sansui integrated (and Roon of course) and while up-sampling to 384khz really does sound great with the DAC+ Pro, heā€™s been feeling a little left out that he canā€™t play with DSD up-sampling, and I have a DirectStream DAC.

So Iā€™ve got the iDAC2 for him and will set it up in his system when I visit him over the weekend. I will play with it myself tonight.

I had the iDSD BL a while ago and had tried it with his Sansui integrated and it sounded great. But the iDAC2 is apparently a better DAC (not portable or headphone amp but just DAC performance) than the iDSD - this comes from iFi themselves.

For anyone interested the comment from iFi is here:

And here:

The full explanation is here:
https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/29757-ifi-audio-micro-idsd-black-label-released-on-the-30th-of-november-2016/?do=findComment&comment=614267

I have both the iDAC2 and the iDSD and I was going to warn you about the same thing. The problem is the battery in the iDSD, itā€™s a real PITA.

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Yep Iā€™d read those posts from iFi long ago, when I had the iDSD BL - for portable use at that time though, so the battery came in handy.

But thought Iā€™d share for others that may not have seen those posts.

Iā€™ve been playing with the iDAC2 and DietPi this evening and hear some occasional light pops and crackles, with Native DSD256.

Is your playback 100% pop and crackle free, with DSD256?