How to Connect DAC's USB Port to Ethernet Cable

vinylshadow

Most recordings were done in 16/44 and sound best that way.

That's mistaken - 16/44.1 is a consumer format. Pros were using 16/48 even in the early days of digital, and resolution has been increasing ever since.

“Music is currently streamed using Audirvana on my android phone from a network switch using the DACs ethernet port with an ethernet cable”
@bigby

Since Audirvana has folder capabilities, add your folder containing DSD files to Audirvana on your laptop. As per Audirvana, folder view in app allows users to play local files on your server to play remotely. According to M21 manual, your DAC should play DSD64 natively and DSD128 as DoP over Ethernet. 

@vinylshadow  - The files I'm going to try are from NativeDSD Music. They are "True DSD" recorded in 256 (unless from analogue tape) so no up sampling.

@mahler123 -  I looked at some.  I just don't want another box in my music room or the process of returns.   If I can't get the cables to work, then I may be forced to go  the separate box route.

@lalitk - I already stream DSD128 over ethernet to the M21. DSD256 files have to be over USB.

@rbstehno - The USB port on the M21 is galvanically isolated.  The isolation should keep out nasty signals that contaminate DACs.

@cleeds There aren't many but which records were mastered in 24/96?

@bigby DSD is good. You need a good DAC for it though. Playback Designs MPD-8 can do it. And it uses the glass cable P-Link between its streamer and DAC. Those special glass cables are the best. I think EMM Lab might use them too.

vinylshadow

There aren't many but which records were mastered in 24/96?

24/96 is pretty much the minimum resolution used by digital recording pros today. I don't know where you got the idea that pros use 16./44.1, which is a consumer format.