Damian, would it be much trouble for you to add a 132 kHz setting to Audirvana? It would need to be added to the Maximum PCM Rate and Upsample Target Frequencies. 96 kHz is the maximum that I can use now because the next rate, 192 kHz is more than my older MSB Goldlink dac can handle. If it is an easy task, then would you please implement it.
Thanks,
Rick
That’s internal upsampling rate (96 or 132 if you move the jumper). It’s not the input sample rate.
Very true, but if I upsample (either to 96 or 132 kHz) using Audirvana and then send the upsampled file to the dac, then it will be processed by the dac as a file in its now “native” upsampled rate. Currently, the file is upsampled to 96 kHz and sent to the dac which receives the upsampled file and converts it to analogue. When the jumper is moved to 132 kHz, then the dac will receive an upsampled file (132 kHz) and will now be able to receive it in this now “native” upsampled form and convert it to analogue.
And I have found that software upsampling sounds so much more relaxed and natural (as compared to hardware upsampling) and so upsampling in Audrivana before sending the file to the dac has been a sonic pleasure, especially when using a dac that was made in the early 2000’s.
Again, that’s the internal upsampler. Never heard of any app that can output at that sampling rate. It’s always a multiple of 44.1 or 48kHz.
That is why I have asked Damien if it would be easy for him to include 132 kHz sample rate in a future version of Audirvana. If it is not too much a bother for him to add it - and he does - then I will use it. (I already tried hardware upsampling to 132 kHz, but it did not sound as good as 96 kHz upsampled in Audrivana.)
As for why the MSB dac even has a 132 kHz option, the company explained that it was “3 times the CD rate of 44.1 kHz”.
Exactly, this is not input sample rate. It’s internal upsample rate specifically designed to upsample CDs at 16/44.1. If you feed the DAC with CD quality data it will upsample it automatically to 132KHz. The DAC can not input 132KHz signal, nor is there anything on the market that outputs at that sample rate.
That’s MSB weirdness from back in the day, they used to call it interleave sampling. Even they have abandoned it since.
I appreciate your information, bitracer, but could you help me understand the difference between internal upsample rate and external upsample rate. When I am not upsampling using the dac, then I can send upsampled files (software upsampled using Audirvana) to the dac and it will play the files at the software upsampled rate. In my usual case, I have Audirvana send all files to the dac at 96 mHz. Of course, this method upsamples some files and downsamples others. Now, if Audirvana had a setting for 132 kHz and I upsampled files (or downsampled) to 132 kHz, are you suggesting that the MSB Gold Link dac would not be able to play them at 132 kHz like it does with the 96 kHz files?
Yes, exactly that. The DAC can’t accept files at 132KHz. What it can do is accept CD resolution 16/44.1 and upsample it internally to 132KHz (3x44.1).
The DAC can accept 44.1, 48 and 96KHz sample rates.
How does CD resolution sound when upsampled to 132KHz? Just curios.
It sounds similar to the hardware upsampleded (96 kHz) file. However both sound so much worse than the software upsample (96mHz) from Audirvana that I really did not listen to it very much or carefully. I was hoping that the sound quality of the hardware upsampled (132 kHz) file would challenge the software (96 kHz) file, but it was not even close. More edge and brittle high end. Subtle difference for some, but after living with the system for years, the difference is subtly huge, if you know what I mean.
Since you seem to know about these ancient MSB products, can you compare the sound between the coax imput and the balanced input. The manual really champions the balanced input and I was thinking about adding a device to convert the s/pdif to balanced (Monarchy Audio DIP)…
Converting coax SPDIF to AES/EBU balanced won’t give you any benefit. If you have a device that can output AES/EBU, absolutely go for it.
You can try to find some professional interface that does USB to AES/EBU. Even better a streamer that does UPnP that has AES/EBU output. There are some but they come at a price. Not sure if it makes sense for such an old DAC, even though it comes from the masters at MSB. You’ll probably get a better result by upgrading the DAC.
You can try with this:
I have no experience with this device, so I can’t tell you anything about the quality. it would do the job done at reasonable price.
Thanks, bitracer. One correction from my end - I don’t use a CD player. I connect the MSB dac to a streamer (a Allo Digione Signature which is made from a Raspberry Pi). This outputs s/pdif coax to the dac. The system sounds great - especially with all my little tweaks. However, MSB’s literature touts their balanced connection for better sound and I thought an inexpensive tweak would be somehow add the balanced output from the streamer. Thanks for the product notice. I think that Allo has a balanced output option on one of their great products…
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