Hey all… This should theoretically go into “Support” but I can’t seem to make a new post in that forum, so this is the next best place.
I’m trying to play back native DSD via my Cyan2, and it seems to only offer “Convert to PCM”, DoP, and dCS as choices. I’m going through USB, and according to the Cyan manual, it’s capable of native DSD via the USB connection.
Also, the Cyan 2 isn’t recognised by Roon correctly. Instead it wants it to be a HoloAudio Spring 3 DAC. They are similar, but different.
To clarify, I’m going from my Roon core (mac mini) USB to the Cyan2, then balanced out to the rest of the system.
There is no “native” DSD on MacOS, only DSD over PCM (DoP) is supported. DoP is still the same DSD, just using an encapsulation in a PCM audio stream.
If you still want “native” DSD, say goodbye to your direct connection to the Mac, use a network connection to a streamer instead and check with the manufacturer and/or the forum here if the streamer supports “native” DSD with your DAC (or use a Windows PC and matching drivers from the DAC manufacturer as “streamer” to your DAC).
To second BlackJack, whether or not you can do “native” dsd is as much about the OS running the playback software, aka Roon, as it is the actual device. Mac doesn’t do native DSD. If you install the ASIO drivers into a Windows box and plug the DAC into it, you will get native DSD. Linux is a grab bag, the device software has to be able to handle a Linux OS input AND the linux OS used has to be patched for the specific Device or USB driver the device uses.
Roon can’t handle DSD 1024 so using to run DoP 512 won’t work, I don’t think.
Ah! I didn’t realise the OS wouldn’t be able to send out ‘native’ DSD via the USB. I kinda figured ‘bits is bits’, and the software (Roon) would deliver the payload to the DAC to decode.
The manual makes this more clear. Basically the Cyan2 can accept either DoP or Native DSD at any rate up to 512. However, if you want DSD 1024 you must use Native DSD (no encapsulation).