I’m using:
SoTM SMS200 ULTRA NEO Network Bridge
CHORD QUTEST DAC
I have the following settings:
Roon DSP Sample Rate Conversion: Custom: DSD upsampling to DSD256
Device Setup Max DSD: Up to DSD256
When I play a DSD64 album, the audio path shows upsampling 2.822MHz to 11.290MHz and then Delta-Sigma Modulator DSD256 (conversion to PCM ?).
Why does Roon convert to PCM if my DAC supports DSD ?
Post a screenshot of the signal path, easier to interpret.
Disable volume leveling.
It’s not converting to pcm you would see DOP there if it was. It’s upsampling then the delta sigma is converting it back to 1 bit.
Ged, do you mean that for upsampling Roon converts the DSD64 to PCM and then back to DSD ?
Because in that case maybe I’ll better upsample it to PCM 768KHz and save the SDM but then it shows degradation of signal quality in the audio path.
BTW, I could not find in the knowledgebase anything about the difference bet the DSM options (5th or 7th order, CLANS or not), Any tips ?
DSP, like volume, can’t be performed on DSD, so Roon has to convert DSD to PCM in order to do DSP (in your case volume), and then back to DSD because that’s what you specified.
Sorry but even when I turn OFF volume leveling, the SDM still takes place…
Only when I turn OFF the upsampling from DSD64 to DSD256, the SDM disappears
Looks like you’ve asked Roon to upsample everything to 768KHZ and DSD256. Per others input, I don’t think that can be done in native DSD so the conversion to PCM then back to DSD is going to happen.
I have a Chord Qutest too. I’m curious why you’re using upsampling other than what the Qutest is providing. Seems that a major point with that device is the number of taps it’s using. Looks like you’re asking Roon to do a lot of math work that the Qutest is going to do again in its ASIC.
Hello Douglas
I’m aware of the QUTEST FPGA (not ASIC) capabilities, however, in my listening tests Roon upsampling sounds better than without it
And also I’m not sure whether QUTEST manipulates streams that are already upsampled to its max 768KHz or DSD256, or it simply simply converts them to analog
Lastly, I’m not sure that Roon upsampling can’t be done in DSD like you said. In the audio quality path I attached it shows upsampling directly from 2.822MHz to 11.290MHz.
