Roon Signal Path says DSD over PCM v1.0 (DoP) but Chord Hugo TT 2 receiving DSD

Support Nucleus Support
1

Roon Server Machine

Roon Nucleus (2020) with SSD running Roon Server version 2.0 (build 1359)

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Networking Gear & Setup Details

Connected Audio Devices

Chord Hugo TT 2 via USB

Number of Tracks in Library

less than 1000

Description of Issue

I don't have the option under DSD Playback Strategy for "DSD Native" so chose "DSD over PCM v1.0 (DoP)*. I understand "DSD over PCM v1.0 (DoP)" results in Roon sending PCM but my DAC is receiving DSD as reported via Chord's display and corresponding colour codes for sample rate. I also don't see the "Exclusive Mode" under Device setup which I understand may be required for DSD playback. Volume control is "Fixed volume" and Private zones is "no".

Where have I gone wrong?

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DSD over PCM v1.0 (DoP) sends DSD in a PCM envelope. This is to sneak DSD past DACs that cannot identify DSD natively but that contain chipsets that can decode it or transcode to PCM and play it. For some reason I seem to remember Chord DACs as being PCM so yours would correspond to the latter.

None of the above matters though. No matter how the process works, your DAC has identified the encapsulated DSD file correctly and you are getting sound. It is all doing what it should be.

1 Like
4

According to the manual of your DAC it clearly states that DSD native 64-512 is only available with Windows. nucleus is Linux based.
But as said before, DoP is identical to native DSD regarding digital DSD data sent and processed. It’s just wrapped and unwrapped.

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Thanks guys.

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Don’t worry about it. Chord DACs don’t process DSD native*. While you could set it up as others have suggested to get a native incoming DSD stream, the first thing Chord DACs do is convert it all to PCM anyway and then process. They don’t playback DSD natively, they can intake a DSD stream, but, as I said, convert it to PCM and then do the digital to analog conversion in the PCM realm.

*exception for the DAVE DAC

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I thought my DAC was working as it should (i.e. display read DSD2 when playing DSD128) and now understand why. Thanks Rugby.

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Yes, but it’s worth to test, if resampling DSD to PCM in Roon (or HQPlayer) results in a better SQ than let this do the DAC.
One of my Roon endpoints is a Naim Atom HE, which also accepts DSD, but works internally with PCM and here I much prefer PCM as input.
With other DACs (like the my Holo Audio May) it’s completely different…