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Topic: Need Foobar DSD Settings Help (Read 14867 times) previous topic - next topic
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Need Foobar DSD Settings Help

Hey all,

I'm trying to set up playback of hi-res files using Foobar2000, but I'm having a really hard time figuring out what all the settings mean, and what options to choose.

I have a Sony CAS-1 DAC/amp, which is powering a pair of LS50's. It supports DSD, FLAC, and PCM up to 32-bit/192khz.  Right now the best files I have are DSD 64/128 and WAV 24-bit/192khz. I have a couple 32-bit WAV files too, but they're 48khz. Unfortunately the CAS-1 doesn't support DSD playback beyond 2.8Mhz, so my DSD 128 files can't be played.

Here's a list of issues I've tried to research on my own but can't find answers to:

In Windows, I have the USB audio output of my Surface Pro set to 32-bit/192khz. Is that the right setting to be in? When I run foobar, will it automatically change the output based on the track, or is everything going to get converted to 32/192?

In Foobar, the default maximum sample rate is 88.2khz. Will I affect anything by changing it to 192khz?

I downloaded and installed a few Foobar components to support DSD playback. I have ASIO support, DSD Processor, DSDIFF Decoder, and Super Audio CD Decoder installed into Foobar. Are any of those redundant/unnecessary? I've tried playing around but can't figure it out.

Under preferences>playback>output, I have my output device set to "DSD: ASIO : Sony Audio Driver". I also have the choices of "ASIO: DSD Transcoder (DoP/Native)", "ASIO: Sony Audio Driver", "DS: Primary Audio Driver", and "DS: CAS-1 (Sony Audio)". What do all those settings mean, and do I have it in the right one? I don't want to click through them all and test because last time I tried to, it screwed with playback and I started getting error messages, no matter output I chose after.

Under preferences>playback>output, I have to choose between 8, 16, 24, and 32-bit for output data format. I have it set to 32-bit. Will that make Foobar automatically upconvert anything that's not already 32-bit, and if so does that affect sound quality? Also, does this affect DSD files?

Under preferences>tools, there's a section called "DSD processor" with a box labeled "Use DSD Processor" that I can select. When I select it, nothing changes. What does it do?

Under preferences>tools>SACD, there's an option labeled "output mode". The choices are "PCM", "DSD", and "PCM+DSD". What do each of these do, and what's the best one? Online I found instructions saying to choose "DSD", but does that convert everything to DSD? Does PCM+DSD allow for both codecs to be transmitted without any kind of conversion between the two?

Last question: under that same SACD section, there's another option labeled "DSD processor" with the options "DSD processor". and "none". What does this do?

This is especially frustrating because I have a background working in both tech and audio. If I don't know the answer to something, I know how to find it online. But this has got me beat. I just want my music getting to the DAC as untouched as possible. Thanks everyone.

Re: Need Foobar DSD Settings Help

Reply #1
UPDATE: This page resolved some of my questions but not all.

https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/digital/pc-software/foobar-2000-for-dummies-part-3-new-experimental-sacd-plugin-v-0-9-x/

From what I can understand, by putting output in DSD + PCM, Foobar will send my DAC a pure DSD stream when playing DSD files, but convert a PCM version to use internally for visualizations. But then I have the option of selecting a samplerate which doesn't align with with 192 without downconversion. I have 44.1, 88.2, 176.4, and 352.8.

Re: Need Foobar DSD Settings Help

Reply #2
When in foo_input_sacd's Output Mode of "DSD+PCM" you can set the "PCM Samplerate" to any of the options just fine.  They will all work essentially identically for most systems.  They don't affect the bits going to the DAC so don't worry about it.  (They matter more when you convert DSD to PCM for your DAC...)  Similarly the DSD2PCM can be any filter you like when you are using "DSD+PCM".

 

Re: Need Foobar DSD Settings Help

Reply #3
Hey all,

I'm trying to set up playback of hi-res files using Foobar2000, but I'm having a really hard time figuring out what all the settings mean, and what options to choose.

I have a Sony CAS-1 DAC/amp, which is powering a pair of LS50's. It supports DSD, FLAC, and PCM up to 32-bit/192khz.  Right now the best files I have are DSD 64/128 and WAV 24-bit/192khz. I have a couple 32-bit WAV files too, but they're 48khz. Unfortunately the CAS-1 doesn't support DSD playback beyond 2.8Mhz, so my DSD 128 files can't be played.

Here's a list of issues I've tried to research on my own but can't find answers to:

In Windows, I have the USB audio output of my Surface Pro set to 32-bit/192khz. Is that the right setting to be in? When I run foobar, will it automatically change the output based on the track, or is everything going to get converted to 32/192?
-> Windows settings does not affect your music as long as you use bit perfect streaming method like Asio and Wasapi

In Foobar, the default maximum sample rate is 88.2khz. Will I affect anything by changing it to 192khz?
-> I don't know exactly where in foobar did you see that setting. But I think you'd better use the maximum setting your DAC can handle

I downloaded and installed a few Foobar components to support DSD playback. I have ASIO support, DSD Processor, DSDIFF Decoder, and Super Audio CD Decoder installed into Foobar. Are any of those redundant/unnecessary? I've tried playing around but can't figure it out.
-> I think dsdiff is redundant as sacd decoder can play dff files as well. But you can keep it anyway. It doesn't take too much storage space.

Under preferences>playback>output, I have my output device set to "DSD: ASIO : Sony Audio Driver". I also have the choices of "ASIO: DSD Transcoder (DoP/Native)", "ASIO: Sony Audio Driver", "DS: Primary Audio Driver", and "DS: CAS-1 (Sony Audio)". What do all those settings mean, and do I have it in the right one? I don't want to click through them all and test because last time I tried to, it screwed with playback and I started getting error messages, no matter output I chose after.
-> I think you have chosen the right device, unless you are planning to use dsd transcoder to unwrap the DoP output by the sacd decoder and send native dsd to your dac.
For my case I wasn't able to make the dsd transcoder work so I'm using an older version (0.8.4) of the sacd decoder with its asio proxy. For my case the output device should be foo_dsd_asio and in the File/Preferences/Output/Asio menu, your dac's asio driver should be selected as the output device and "Asio Native" should be selected in the drop-down list as the DSD Playback Method.
Don't use DS (Direct sound) they are managed by the operating system of your computer.

Under preferences>playback>output, I have to choose between 8, 16, 24, and 32-bit for output data format. I have it set to 32-bit. Will that make Foobar automatically upconvert anything that's not already 32-bit, and if so does that affect sound quality? Also, does this affect DSD files?
-> Choose 32 bit, the maximum allowed by your DAC. If you are using asio output devices, that setting will be disabled.

Under preferences>tools, there's a section called "DSD processor" with a box labeled "Use DSD Processor" that I can select. When I select it, nothing changes. What does it do?
-> dsd processor as his name suggests perform some operations on dsd streams. You can use it to downsample dsd file at a sample rate higher than your DAC can handle. First select dsd processor in the sacd decoder setting then go to Tools/dsd processor and tick the checkbox Use dsd processor. Don't forget to set it properly. Just click in the table cells and select the appropriate values. You'll be able to playback Dsd256 and more

Under preferences>tools>SACD, there's an option labeled "output mode". The choices are "PCM", "DSD", and "PCM+DSD". What do each of these do, and what's the best one? Online I found instructions saying to choose "DSD", but does that convert everything to DSD? Does PCM+DSD allow for both codecs to be transmitted without any kind of conversion between the two?
-> You have already seen the answer to this question dsd outputs DoP data, pcm output pcm streams to your dac (conversion), dsd+pcm outputs DoP for your DAC and pcm for the peak meter and visualization

Last question: under that same SACD section, there's another option labeled "DSD processor" with the options "DSD processor". and "none". What does this do?
-> to downsample or upsample dsd so that you can play any kind of dsd files

This is especially frustrating because I have a background working in both tech and audio. If I don't know the answer to something, I know how to find it online. But this has got me beat. I just want my music getting to the DAC as untouched as possible. Thanks everyone.