Audirvana’s great! I take it you’re not using any of its up-sampling/format conversion features as you prefer to do this offline?
I modulate (up-sample) all PCMxxx files, to DSD128 (5.6MHz) via r8Brain in Audirvana after applying AU plug-in HRTF DSP…
PCMxxx → Playback pre-load buffer → AU plug-in HRTF DSP → r8Brain modulation to DSD128 (5.6MHz) → DoP 1.1 → USB 3.0/2.0 → DAC
I decimate all stereo DSDxxx files to DXD (24/352.8kHz PCM) using DSDMaster, so I can utilize the AU plug-in architecture of Audirvana to apply the HRTF DSP to the DXD files…
DXD (24/352kHz PCM) → Playback pre-load buffer → AU plug-in HRTF DSP → r8Brain modulation to DSD128 (5.6MHz) → DoP 1.1 → USB 3.0/2.0 → DAC
All binaural DSD files are played natively…
Binaural DSDxxx → Playback pre-load buffer → DoP 1.1 → USB 3.0/2.0 → DAC
Hello,
i just drop an Bill Evans SACD (.dsf tracks) to XLD on Mac,
to convert the .dsf in FLAC.
Easily done, by default, it made 24/352 flac files… for free.
Weight more than double now, but seems to play like the .dsf
Have you tested XLD ?
No… I don’t use freeware… A good offline sample-rate converter should provide bit-perfect results with less resolution-samples in the PCM format… The DXD → DSD128 modulation is not equal to the DSD ‘mother’ comparatively, In my experience, on my headphone-centric playback system, however the sound-quality of the DSD128 iteration playback is very good … I keep all of my native DSD files for playback on speaker-centric systems… Sure, having two iterations of a recording takes a lot of storage space, however, storage media is inexpensive these days.
Thanks and apologies; I mis-understood. Thought you were doing modulation, offline.
So, if I’ve understood correctly this time all Stereo DSD files are double converted. First decimated to DXD using DSD Master offline, then sending through the plug-in Architecture, before modulating back to DSD again via r8Brain.
… and you don’t feel this double conversion hurts the sound?
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XLD is excellent. I use as much freeware as possible……
To try to get a little back on piste, @Antoine, I’m still very confused by your earlier comment…
When, in fact, plug-ins appear to be working via UPnP with Realtime control enabled.
Could you please clarify this ???
Thank you.
“Hurt” is the wrong word… Decimating 1-bit PDM (DSD) to DXD (24/352.8kHz PCM) is common practice for post-production Mixing, EQ’ing, other DSP, of DSD recordings… When you see the “Pure DSD” descriptor regarding a recording, you can presume that it has never left the PDM domain in production…
Another production method of mixing, eq’ing, etc, is done by routing a DSD playback (D/A) through an analog mix-desk and other analog gear and re-recorded as PDM A/D… This may be construed as a “Pure DSD” recording.
Without getting into how PDM is handled in a given DAC… if your DAC provides an unfettered DSD path to output, your best results will be heard when the DAC output circuitry is presented with a PDM signal, as it is very close to an analog signal.
From my response to RunHomeSlow above…
(Note)
Digital volume control applied to DSD signals requires the decimation to PCM (DSD-Wide) to make the level adjustments before converting back to the 1-bit PDM sample-rate…
A newer digital processing technique uses a format commonly referred to as “DSD-wide”, which retains the high sample rate of standard DSD, but uses 8-bit samples with noise shaping. DSD-wide is sometimes disparagingly referred to as “PCM-narrow”. It has the benefit of making DSP operations practical while retaining the 2.8224 MHz sampling frequency. The processed DSD-wide signal is converted to the final 1-bit DSD product at the same sample rate.
Direct Stream Digital - Wikipedia
+1
Which plugin are you able to use with Real time enabled to a UPNP device?
The one under duscussion; uBACCH
The one under discussion; uBACCH
My trial of their plugin ran out, I contacted them to get access to it and then try again to reproduce your behavior.
I’ve been in contact with Cole there and he was very helpful. I’ll ask him if he’ll be willing to extend your trial to resolve the issue.
… but can you tell me if plug-ins in general work over UPnP with RealTime enabled?
I’m not speaking about configuring them. I know you can’t do that when the output is UPnP.
I’m talking just about their effect on the sound.
Once again, please clarify this point.
Thank you.
The plug-ins effect should be applied over UPnP if Real time is disabled. I tested some on my end, including Fabfilter Pro Q3 and SonEQ, and their effect was applied over UPNP when the Real time option was disabled.
So, finally can you confirm that no plug-ins can effect the sound over UPnP when Real Time is enabled?
… and if that is the case, why don’t you make it clear with a note on the interface, as you do for DSD?
Thank you.
I think I can answer my own question regarding whether Plug-ins can effect the sound over UPnP when RealTime is enabled. They can’t!
Last weekend I listened to some mainly Binaural recordings with RealTime enabled and via UPnP. I was convinced that the uBACCH plug-in was in play, as the effect seemed very spatial. Even when I listened to regular stereo recordings they seemed quite spatial to me.
Just as @Agoldnear said earlier, I was fooled by expectations. I’m embarrassed to admit that because I was focusing on spatial aspects, my wishful thinking fooled me into believing I was hearing the effect of the uBACCH filter over UPnP. I wasn’t!
Now I’m back at listening on the same system, directly connected to the DAC listening to Edgar Froese’s Aqua; a binaural recording.
What does it sound like directly playing to the DAC with the uBACCH filter and RealTime enabled?
It is completely immersive surround sound! As good or better than I’ve heard from the same system with 5.1 channels and a 5.1 recording. Amazing!
I also hate to contradict @Ddude003; but I’m afraid, plug-ins cannot work with Audirvana via UPnP when RealTime is enabled. That’s clear to me now and agrees with what @Antoine has been saying.
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Here’s another that sounds amazing played directly to the DAC via uBACCH with RealTime enabled…
Be sure to select the Binaural edition, if you have Qobuz.
… and @reddog1 had a really good point too; it is a really wierd effect on these two recordings; but then it’s meant to be 
, in a good way, of course.
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