Bricasti M1 DAC vs PS Audio Direct Stream DAC

If you don't like upsampling then you should try a NOS DAC instead.

Fsmithjack,

Let’s not mix up-sampling with oversampling. Oversampling is always performed in synchronous mode and keeps original signal intact, at least every 8th sample (8x oversampling) will be original.

Up-sampling is in most cases implemented in asynchronous mode where resulting signal doesn’t contain any of original samples but only mathematically interpolated samples.

Oversampling only adds values with approximation, the originals are unchanged.

Regarding DSD comparison, you can’t send DSD signal from either OPPO or Esoteric through SPDIF connection. OPPO can do that through HDMI but DAC with HDMI input is needed. My comparison refers to sound coming out of balanced XLR analog outputs of Esoteric and OPPO when SACD played comparing to DSD file ripped from the same SACD and played from JRiver over Dop to M1 usb input. And while I certainly agree that Esoteric has far superior transport than OPPO that shouldn’t be the reason SACD is sounding better. For example I always preferred regular CDs and DVD-A ripped to wav files and played from PC through USB/M1 comparing to sound coming from Esoteric transport over the SPDIF. So, I’m quite sure it’s about decoding of DSD signal itself because experience with PCM material is opposite and same transport is used.

For DSP in JRiver I don’t use anything except stereo mix-down to 2ch for movies which shouldn’t affect regular stereo signals. I’ll try suggestions you mentioned but this means that DSD will be converted to PCM in JRiver internally and sent to M1 as PCM correct? So looks like we’re comparing who does better job converting DSD to PCM, M1 or JRiver?

Shsohis, I’m using DSD1 filter for DSD and Minimum0 for PCM. I played with filters for a week or so and settled down on these. Some of my friends prefer Linear6 in my system/room which is pretty much neutral. Filters are great feature on M1 and will be very useful to compensate for the overall sound of your system, so it really depends of system you have and your preferences for sound in general. Also you can smooth out not so great recordings if you will.

Coli, I didn’t have a chance to hear any of modern NOS designs although I remember well sound of the first CD players from 80s that were NOS by nature. They were bright and narrow sounding but it was something about speed and immediacy in the way they sounded.

Neno: I'm running DSD on Filter 0 with bigger soundstage and air.
Filter 1 seems to smoothen out the highs but makes the vocals more rounded and focused.

Filter 0 is no filter at all according to Bricasti...I prefer it also but is it safe, since all hi-frequency noise which can be louder that signal itself on DSD is passed downstream to pre/amp/speakers. This could potentially damage the tweeters or even our ears especially if listening loud. This kind makes me uneasy to use filter 0 so i settled for best compromise which is filter 1.