Minimum server build for Roon core

[dabassgoesboomboom]

I would’n recommend any up-sampling outside of the DirectStream DAC.

The DS will up-sample everything that comes in to 20 x DSD rate, regardless what you do before. The FPGA won’t do less work and you can’t send 20 x DSD rate into the DAC to by-pass this internal up-sampling anyway.

I would recommend you let Ted Smith’s maths do all the up-sampling with the DS.

As per Brian here: “The DACs that are perhaps least suited to software-based upsampling are like the one we’re discussing in this thread. PS Audio has put considerable effort into developing an DSP scheme matched to their hardware. And more importantly, they engineered that scheme to go all the way from source material to analog.”

Up-sampling all formats to a DSD rate that's beyond the Dac's DSD capability

If you like experimenting with upsampling software, an NOS DAC gives you a really blank canvas to experiment on. Many straightforward chipdacs get pretty close to “NOS” when you drive them at the maximum supported rate, and these derive plenty of benefit from upsampling. This is particularly true of some of the popular high quality chips like the ESS family. A lot of people have worked hard to get the best results out of these. The DACs that are perhaps least suited to software-based upsampli…

But of course if up-sampling to the DS via Roon sounds better, then it doesn’t matter what anyone says or thinks - do what sounds best to your ears and enjoy the music.