Audirvana Studio, Bubble UPNP and IFI Zen Stream to Aqua DAC (MacOs)

rawlit · December 21, 2021, 6:12am

Hello,

first post for me here, loving the audio quality of this little software!

After installing Bubble UPNP and multiple attempts I managed to get my Ifi Zen Stream recognized as renderer on Bubble UPNP, and finally got audio to my streamer and DAC

Only problem is that I can’t manage to get direct DSD stream to DAC, it seems AS only streams PCM to streamer and to DAC

Zen Stream shows only yellow light, Yellow PCM 176.4/192/352.8/384kHz

My DSD files range from 128 to 512, I’ve tried multiple settings, including limiting DSD to 128 as my DAC can only handle DSD128, and yes also 128DSD are still being converted to PCM

Any reccomendation on what to do to have DSD direct to DAC instead of PCM?

thank you

My chain:
2021 Macbook Pro (M1 MAX)
IFI Zen Stream (trhough WiFi)
Aqua La Voce S3 DAC

Software:
Macos Monterey 12.1
Audirvana Studio 1.8.7
Bubble UPNP 0.9-update42
IFI Zen Stream on latest firmware 2.30.2

Antoine · December 21, 2021, 8:11am

Hello,

macOS is not able to send raw DSD streams. That’s why the DSD over PCM standard has been developed: to send raw DSD in a fake PCM stream.
To identify it as such, there are 8 bit markers in it.
And the presence of these markers doubles the need of bandwidth, thus explaining why on a mac only half of the max DSD rate is available.

bitracer · December 21, 2021, 8:30am

You should be able to play DSD at least up to DSD256 by selecting DoP 1.1.

Can you dump the debug info here?

rawlit · December 21, 2021, 10:25am

Hi Bitracer, here is the debug info

Audirvana Studio 1.8.7 (10807)

macOS Version 12.1 (Build 21C52) with 64GB physical RAM

SIGNAL PROCESSING:

Polarity Inversion:
	Globally: OFF
	Per track: ON
Effects plugins NOT ACTIVE

UPSAMPLING:
r8brain not in use
r8brain filter parameters
Bandwidth = 99.5%
Stop band attenuation 218dB
Phase linear

AUDIO VOLUME:
Max allowed volume: 100
Replay Gain: None
SW volume control: OFF

LIBRARY SETTINGS:
Sync list: 1 folders
AUTO: /Users/ale/Documents
iTunes/Music library synchronization: last synchronized on Sat Dec 4 08:57:36 2021

Library database path: /Users/ale/Library/Application Support/Audirvana/AudirvanaDatabase.sqlite

ACTIVE STREAMING SERVICES
TIDAL: Connected as HIFI

=================== AUDIO DEVICE ========================

Preferred device: IFI AUDIO IFI Model UID:iFi audio IFi UID:uuid:188a2caf-c6b7-7fa8-5a9f-d49cdda0f78c

Currently playing to UPnP device at 32 bits 88.2kHz
Selected device:
UPnP device at http://192.168.50.242:49152/description.xml
ID 0x0 IFi
Manufacturer: iFi audio
Model Name:
Model UID: iFi audio IFi
UID: uuid:188a2caf-c6b7-7fa8-5a9f-d49cdda0f78c

10 available sample rates up to 768000Hz
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
352800
384000
705600
768000
Volume control: No
MQA capability
Auto-detect MQA devices: Yes
Not a MQA device, user set to not MQA
DSD capability: Raw DSD (MSB)
Device audio channels
Preferred stereo channels L:0 R:1
Channel bitmap: Ox3, layout:
Channel 0 mapped to 0
Channel 1 mapped to 1
Avoid RAW PCM streams: No
UPnP/DLNA supported protocols:
http-get::application/flac:
http-get::audio/flac:
http-get::audio/x-flac:
http-get::audio/aac:
http-get::audio/x-aiff:
http-get::audio/dff:
http-get::audio/x-dff:
http-get::audio/dsd:
http-get::audio/x-dsd:
http-get::audio/dsf:
http-get::audio/x-dsf:
http-get::audio/m4a:
http-get::audio/x-m4a:
http-get::audio/mp1:
http-get::audio/mp4:
http-get::audio/mpeg:
http-get::audio/x-mpeg:
http-get::audio/ogg:
http-get::audio/vorbis:
http-get::audio/wav:
http-get::audio/x-wav:
http-get::audio/wave:
http-get::audio/x-ms-wma:
http-get::audio/x-ogg:
http-get::audio/x-scpls:
http-get::audio/x-vorbis+ogg:
http-get::audio/x-vorbis:
http-get::video/mp4:
DLNA 1.5: No
Gapless playback: Yes
Missing events workaround: No
Can play native DSD: Yes
Volume Control: scalar
Number of channels: 2
Use as stereo device only: No

1 output streams:
Number of active channels: 2, in 1 stream(s)
Channel #0 :Stream 0 channel 0
Channel #1 :Stream 0 channel 1

Stream ID 0x0 0 channels starting at 0
32 virtual formats:
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 176.4kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 176.4kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 176.4kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 352.8kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 352.8kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 352.8kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 705.6kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 705.6kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 705.6kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 192kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 192kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 192kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 384kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 384kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 384kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 768kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 768kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 768kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 8 little endian Signed Integer 2822.4kHz finite length
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 8 little endian Signed Integer 5644.8kHz finite length

0 physical formats

Current device transportInfo:
CurrentTransportState: PAUSED_PLAYBACK
CurrentTransportStatus: OK
CurrentSpeed: 1
Current device MediaInfo:
NrTracks: 1
MediaDuration: 0:07:42
CurrentURI: http://192.168.50.116:49152/audirvana/audio_67.wav
CurrentURIMetadata:

UPnP devices found : 1
Device #0: ID 0x0 IFi UID: uuid:188a2caf-c6b7-7fa8-5a9f-d49cdda0f78c Location: http://192.168.50.242:49152/description.xml

CoreAudio audio path, buffer I/O frame size: 0

Max. memory for audio buffers: 62464MB
Exclusive access: Disabled
Integer mode: Enabled

Local devices found : 2
Device #0: ID 0x32 MacBook Pro Speakers Manufacturer: Apple Inc. Model UID: Speaker UID: BuiltInSpeakerDevice Model Name: Apple Inc. MacBook Pro Speakers
Device #1: ID 0x2d JustStream Audio Driver Manufacturer: Electronic Team, Inc. Model UID: JustStreamAudioDriver_ModelUID UID: us.electronic.juststream.audiodriver_v1_0 Model Name: Electronic Team, Inc. JustStream Audio Driver

bitracer · December 21, 2021, 10:31am

Set the DSD capability to DoP 1.1 and you should be good to go.

bitracer · December 21, 2021, 10:38am

Also reduce the pre-load cache. It’s way too much. Start with 4000MB and work from there if necessary.

rawlit · December 21, 2021, 10:42am

can’t find this in settings, using AS 1.8.7

rawlit · December 21, 2021, 10:43am

see below

bitracer · December 21, 2021, 10:47am

In the settings, output chain → Loading, Decoding, click on the cogged wheel and set the pre-load cache.

rawlit · December 21, 2021, 10:49am

hi, yes that I did find, I meant, couldn’t find setting for DoP 1.1 thanks

bitracer · December 21, 2021, 10:51am

Output devices, Native DSD streaming method.

rawlit · December 21, 2021, 10:53am

hi, if you see my previous screenshot, this option is not shown for me

any clue why?

rawlit · December 21, 2021, 10:56am

oddly enough, Audirvana sees ability to handle DSD128, see under output device

bitracer · December 21, 2021, 11:28am

Not sure, it could be that the JustStream is interfering somehow. Maybe @Antoine can help you further with this.

bitracer · December 21, 2021, 11:47am

What you can try is to select the built in audio device, change the DSD streaming setting and select back the iFi streamer.

rawlit · December 21, 2021, 1:37pm

Hi Bitracer,

I did uninstall JustStream and selected built-in audio → change to DoP 1.1 → switched back to IFI stream, still not working unfortunately, thank you for your time trying to help!

bitracer · December 21, 2021, 3:16pm

No worries. You may want to open a ticket with iFi while waiting for other ideas.

bitracer · December 21, 2021, 3:24pm

Also check the DSD setting on the iFi. Maybe something is wrong there.

rawlit · December 22, 2021, 12:40am

I just sent an email to support@audirvana.com; is this what you mean by raising a ticket?

I also checked iFi streamer settings and it’s set as “DSD Playback Mode: DSD over PCM (DoP)”

thanks again

AndyLubke · December 22, 2021, 10:27am

By sending a mail to support@audirvana.com you raised a ticket with Audirvana.

I think @bitracer meant to send an email to iFi customer support, because it could likely be a problem with the Zen streamer firmware or a driver provided by iFi. In that case they need to solve the problem (by providing a firmware update for instance).