No native DSD playback

Please teach me how to resolve!

I use iMac 5K with OS high Sierra.
I use El Captain IOAudiofamily.kext instead of high sierra’s IOAudiofamily.kext.

Native DSD are running with Audirvana plus fine. but I can’t run it natively with Roon. I have multiple DAC, like Supremo, Hugo2 and Sony SRS-X99. DoP is not working under Roon. Only Hiss sound heard while playing DSD file in native mode. PCM conversion is OK.

Recently, I buy Mojo-Poly. Amazingly, they work excellently via WIFI networking. I can play the native DSD through the WiFi. It sounds perfectly.

The signal path has one more “volume leveling” than the mojo-poly combination. Hiss sound only…

In Device Setup menu for your endpoint, set DSD Plaback Strategy to Native.

If your also want to upsample, in DSP Engine menu for your endpoint, set Sample Rate Conversion to DSD and DSD Sample Rate to the res you want to upsample to.

Thanks a lot!
I try everything. Only PCM sounds. DSD has only Hiss sound, nothing else.

Maybe @support can help you better.

Hi @Mao-Hsien_Wang ---- Thank you for the report and sharing your feedback with us!

Moving forward, may I very kindly ask you to please provide a screenshot of your signal path leaving Roon when you are hearing the mentioned “hiss”.

-Eric

Hi Eric:

I just upgrade the OS to 10.13.2. Still no work.
I will replace the high sierra audio core to El Captain for direct mode.

Hi @Mao-Hsien_Wang ----- Thank you for following up with me and providing the requested feedback. Both are very appreciated!

Moving forward, when hearing a “hiss” sound during playing back of DSD content is the result of a device playing back a “DSD over PCM” stream as if it were PCM. Can you verify for me if in your “device setup” window you have “DSD Playback Strategy” set to “Native” (example below) and furthermore, it looks like you are making use of the DSP engine. Can you also confirm that under “sample rate conversion” that the conversion is set to “DSD” and “enable native DSD processing” is set to “yes” (example below)?

Example #1 - Device Setup
00 PM

Example #2 - DSP Engine:
07 PM

-Eric

Hi Eric:

DSD Playback strategy sets to DoP.


Native DSD processing sets to Yes.
Still no work.
Only sets to PCM works.
Many thanks.

-Mao-Hsien

Hey @Mao-Hsien_Wang – sorry for the trouble here. Two questions for you:

  • Are you running with volume at 100%?

  • Have you tried without this configuration in place:

Hi: Mike:

I try everything including setting the Max volume to 100%.
I also run the high Sierra kext version.
Still no go, only hiss sound.
I turn volume up, I can hear faintly sound of music with more hiss.
But, I can run the same setup in A+ with direct mode and native DSD.
Please help, many thanks.

Sorry for the late responsiveness.
Busy work here in Taipei.

Mao

Luckily, I can stream the DSD natively through Poly-Mojo setup by Roon.
The music sounds amazing.
Why not from my desktop?

Thanks for getting back to us @Mao-Hsien_Wang, very appreciated!

Moving froward, I did some research into both the Supremo and SRS-X99 DACs and neither of their manuals states anything about supporting DoP. As mentioned in my previous post if the devices in fact do not support DoP the hissing you are hearing is the exact symptom I’d expect.

Furthermore, in regard to to your use of Audirvana with these devices, can you verify for me that the application is not converting the stream in any way during playback?

-Eric

In Audirvava, Supremo’s setting is just like the setting of Roon.
DoP, integer mode and even direct mode can be set.
Playing with Roon, the panel showed 176K, while Audirvana showed 2.8.
In my thought, supremo can play DoP with Audirvana. DoP package is played by the supremo as 176K PCM without music in Roon. Supremo can’t play the DoP package that Roon transferred. I hear nothing but hiss sound.
I use Hugo2 instead. The same result happens. 'cause hugo2 can show different color to show the data format It received.
AK SP1000 uses USB-DAC connection. The same results!
Can you help me? Any recommended gears I can purchase?
Many thanks

Mao-Hsien

Thanks for the follow up @Mao-Hsien_Wang!

Moving forward, I have your playback settings being used in Roon from your previous post. May I very kindly ask you to also provide screenshots of the settings being used in Audirvana that allows things to work properly when playing back DSD content?

-Eric

Thanks for your reply and helps!

DoP works fine with audirvana in my 2 computers, one is MacBook Pro17 (mid 2010) and the other is iMac 5K (2017).
I use many DACs including Supremo, Sony SRS-X99, Hugo 1&2, Nextdrive Spectra and little Mojo. They all works fine in MoP mode. They just don’t want work in Roon. I like the interface and versatility of Roon. Especially, Roon can play stream wirelessly via Poly-Mojo combination. That’s amazing. I can hear DSD file freely in my room, just carry the little poly-mojo one. Don’t need to sit before my desk for listening the DSD file.

Many thanks

Mao-Hsien from Taipei

Hi @Mao-Hsien_Wang ----- Thank you for touching base with me and providing the requested feedback. My apologies for the slow response here.

Moving forward, I had a chance to touch base with the tech team and a few of our developers to discuss this issue you are experiencing when trying to use DoP with Roon. As per the conversation, the team would like us to focus on the HUGO 2 (only for the time being), as we have one of these units in our QA lab that we can very easily test with. With this in mind may I very kindly ask you for the following:

  1. Please confirm that you have updated to the most recent build (i.e Build 294).

  2. Please disable the “El Captain IOAudiofamily.kext” and enable “High sierra’s IOAudiofamily.kext.”

  3. Can you please provide us screenshots of “audio plugins” folder on the iMac (/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins).

  1. With only the Hugo 2 mounted to the iMac would you please provide screenshots of…

    • The signal path leaving Roon when you are trying to send DoP to the Hugo2 via Roon.

    • The playback settings being used with the Hugo 2 when you are trying to use DoP.

Note: Please leave the DSP engine disabled when gathering the above information.

-Eric

Hi Eric, Happy New Year!

Sorry for my late responsiveness.
I attach some screen captures for your suggestion.
Many thanks!

-Mao

Thank you for touching base with me and providing the requested feedback, @Mao-Hsien_Wang! Both are very appreciated!

Moving forward, I understand from your feedback that the Poly+Mojo isn’t having any issues handling DSD content over your network. Out of curiosity have you confirmed how the unit responds when mounted directly to the iMac via USB? I am wondering if you experience the same issue with the device attached to your Roon core.

-Eric

Hi Eric:

I think you are right! They have different output ways. Maybe you can teach me why ALSA is working!
For now, I am traveling in Japan. When I am back home, I will tell you the result of experiment.
Thanks for help.
Can you teach me which gear is working? That will be more easy for me, need not to struggle with my present gears.

Mao from Tokyo

Thanks for touching base with me @Mao-Hsien_Wang, wishing you safe travels during your time in Japan! I look forward to hearing the results of the proposed experiment with the Poly+Mojo :microscope:

Have you tested with these devices in a Linux environment as well? I know during our troubleshooting thus far we have been looking into this issue on OSX but I see in your most recent you mentioned ALSA.

-Eric