A DAC That Converts PCM To DSD 128

The amazing Lumin Music Streamer/Dac does exactly this and sounds amazing, We sold one to a customer who was using a DCS Puccini and the Lumin bested it in terms of sound quality, and of course a cd player vs an ipad controlled streamer no contest.

PS Audio's new DirectStream DAC

EMM Labs DAC2X, MA1, MA2. XDS1

Playback Designs MPD3, MPS3, MPD5, MPS5

Such DACs are definitely in the minority, but DSD based DACs like those from Playback Designs, EMM Labs, Meitner, and the new PS Audio DirectStream also convert PCM to DSD.

You can convert any audio file to DSD on your laptop with Jriver. Then all you need is a dac that does DSD
Alan

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Arh, the Sony player upconverts the file to DSD on the fly, and you can switch it back to play its native resolution if you don't want to listen to DSD. So, no matter the file type, the Sony will play it in its native state or upconvert it during playback...without changing the file type on the hard drive. I'd like to have a DAC that goes both ways like the Sony player. The Sony player will not operate as a stand-alone DAC.
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Yes and No

The Sony uses a sigma delta stream that uses a DSD-type signal during the conversion process anyway.

The only option it does is to convert the signal to DSD and feeding it to the sigma delta DAC or let it remain in PCM before sending to said DAC.

The only DAC that I know of that has two DAC chips inside is the AMR DP777 which has a traditional R2R chip for 16/44 PCM and a sigma delta chip for hires (tho the DAC does not support DSD signals today, the sigma delta chip it uses can in theory support that).

And the audible benefit of this conversion is, or purports to be . . . .?

Neal

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Neal, below is an excerpt of a review from What Hi-Fi?

Part of the Sony’s internal wizardry is its DSD Remastering engine, which converts all music files to DSD, supposedly improving sound quality in the process.

Thanks to the latest software update, you have the option of turning it on or off, so during testing we experimented to see if we could hear any differences.

Turned off, music seems to have a slightly edgier, more attacking character. Switched on, the Sony goes for a fuller, slightly smoother sound with greater body.

You lose a little in terms of attack, but we preferred the balance with it switched on.

Even compressed tracks and internet radio stations sound relatively luxurious through the HAP-Z1ES.

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I recently built a quiet PC and for kicks decided to run JRiver on it.

I enabled DSD2x up sampling of all media (a mix of CD lossless quality, HD material as well as DSD 1x) and was pretty amazed at how much better they sound than sending it natively to my own DAC (which also purports to convert all incoming signals to DSD2x)

The new Sony HAP-Z1ES HDD audio player can convert any signal to DSD 128. Are there any DACs on the market that can do this?

Both DSD-M and the DSD-S convert PCM to DSD.
While the latter converts to DSD64 and DSD128, the reference DSD-M can also convert to DSD256 at 13.5MHz. :-)

On the top of DSD64 or DSD128, the DSD-S also takes up to 384kHz/32bit from USB that is further converted to DSD64 or DSD128, user selectable.

Best wishes,
Alex Peychev
APL Hi-Fi

Doggie - what DAC do you have that converts all signals to 2xDSD?

Playback Designs MPS-5

EMM Labs XDS-1