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Let Roon upsample vs let Lumin T2 do the work

I've reluctantly invested in Roon for my Lumin T2.  I read somewhere to turn off all the processing in the Lumin app and let Roon do all the upsampling.  What's the benefit of that?  I figure my Lumin is built specifically for making the best signal possible. 

Secondly, my Roon core is an Asus ROG desktop computer, is it doing any work?  It's certainly not audiophile grade.
dtximages

Showing 4 responses by erik_squires

erik_squires
15,803 posts
 
Sorry. To the DAC, native DSD and upsampled DSD look the same, in that they follow the same format, and the DAC doesn’t know or care where it came from.
What I meant about "real DSD" was a recording released as DSD to begin with, or "native." Of course, from the data in the USB, fake (i.e. upsampled) DSD and native DSD look the same. I’m sure the Lumin handles them well.


But if you are upsampling, lets say from redbook (44.1kHz/16 bits) to 192/24 or DSD, you don’t get closer to the recording, you are fiddling with the DAC and output filters, and what is an audiophile except a knob fiddler? :)


But because of this "fiddling" there’s really no right answer about whether to upsample or not, and how. It’s very much in the range of personal taste.


I’ve tried DSD upsampling and with my setup (Roon / Mytek Bridge) the top end sounded harsh and unnatural, but 2x PCM sounds VERY nice indeed. Take a look at Figure 7 of this page, to get some idea of what’s’ changing:


https://www.stereophile.com/content/mytek-hifi-brooklyn-da-processor%C2%96headphone-amplifier-measur...


Of course, 44.1 kHz data cannot support a signal higher than 22 kHz, but in the 10kHz to 20kHz range you see some differences in how the data rate affects the filtering.
erik_squires
15,803 posts
 
Then how does one get real DSD?



https://www.bluecoastrecords.com/
erik_squires
15,803 posts
 
Also, why would one not like the DSD512

Remember that upsampling is not real DSD. I mean, you can make more data, but it's fake.  It's not actually carrying any more information, but it will tinker with the DAC's mechanics, and change the noise profile.


erik_squires
15,803 posts
 
Roon is a little unusual in that all the DSP is done by the core.  So, upsampling and EQ and room correction happen there. If you are using a few EQ bands, with PCM to PCM upsampling the CPU is very little. On the other hand, upsampling to DSD can be ferocious in terms of CPU usage.  I use about 6 EQ bands and double the incoming PCM rate and my 7 year old AMD A10 CPU barely hits 5% usage.

Which to use?  I don't know, but not all upsampling is equivalent. The algorithms can result in different results.
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