stanh

Sorry Ted. Didn't realize the PS3 route was so recent. So is there someone willing to provide the already ripped files if I can prove ownership?

Thanks. I suspected there was some compromise with the PCM conversion. I would rather go the PS3 route but they are so darn hard to find.

Well, I figured someone must have looked at this before. But reading your original review you appear to have liked the output from the Atlona device best for SACD but you also didn't compare the .dff file with the pcm rip. So how different are they really?

Guys, I have just started "ripping" the SACD layer using a Kanexpro DeEmbedder (about $70 dollars at Fry's or Amazon) and an Oppo SACD player. It's all in the digital domain. It works by stripping the audio layer (either 2 or multichannel) from the HDMI output and outputting the digital audio signal via SPDIF toslink or coax. The only catch is setting the Oppo to stream DSD over HDMI in PCM mode; it also has to be done in real time just as f you were recording the analog output from your player. So you are getting a PCM transcode at 88.2k/24bit from the Oppo. It may not be direct DSD but there is no analog step and it remains debatable whether the DSD layer sounds any better than the PCM conversion. I have not had access to the raw DSD files via the PS3 method yet but would like to compare these pcm versions with the raw DSD ones. Anyone up for that?

Here is something that may help. Get a KanexPro DeEmbedder (about $70 at Frys or $66 at Amazon) and an Oppo SACD player that does DSD over HDMI (I have an Oppo 980-H). Run the HDMI out from your Oppo player into the HDMI in of the KanexPro; run either an optical or coax out from the KanexPro into your DAC or DAW digital in and...voila...you have 88.2k/24 bit direct digital transcode of your raw DSD. It is not raw DSD and it has been transcoded into PCM by the Oppo but it hasn't been through any analog stages. Knowing what I know about DSD it probably sounds equal to if not better than the DSD. One more thing - this only works with certain players of which my Oppo is one. Also if you use my Oppo model be sure to set DSD to the PCM over HDMI setting rather than DSD over HDMI. I credit Mark Waltrip over at realhd ( Getting Real HD-Audio Out | Real HD-Audio ) for the tip.

Chris,<br /> <br /> If you are comparing: <br /> <br /> [A] MAC --> DACPRE via USB (digital) --> analog out from DACPRE (analog) --> analog in to DACHDR (analog) --> analog out from DACHDR<br /> <br /> to<br /> <br /> MAC --> DACHDR via USB (digital) --> analog out from DACHDR<br /> <br /> I am not surprised you hear some degradation of the analogue input compared to USB because you have added additional analog stages and even the best analog degrades a little bit.

Chris,<br /> <br /> On the MBP in AudioMidi setup will the 192k option appear when I plug-in, say, the Weiss FireWire device? Right now, with nothing external plugged in, the only options that pop-up are 24-bit/96k and below.<br /> <br /> There may be another, cheaper, option. Play the discs through the HDMI output of my Oppo 980H to my surround sound receiver which is my only 192k D/A (I also have the Benchmark DAC1 [96k]). I know the RR site tech notes say that you can't play their disc (DVD-R) on DVD audio players but the Oppo will read DVD-R discs and can output 192k over HDMI. RR may have been thinking only of the SPDIF output which may not handle anything beyond 96k, but HDMI can. You think that might work?

Chris,<br /> <br /> I honestly didn't know that Core Audio could do 192k! Not that I have much at that resolution but still I have my eye on a few of those new RR Hrx recordings. I do have an outboard DAC that is capable but what interface? Another USB or Firewire audio card that will pass through 192K; got any recommendations?

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No, I was just referring the AudioMidi settings where you can specifically select 88.2. I don't know of any other settings. <br /> <br /> Can you expound a little more on the SRC algorithms in Core Audio and iTunes? As far as I know, iTunes uses whatever sample rate/bit depth you set in Core Audio and there aren't that may choices - 16, 20 and 24 bit at 44.1, 48 and 96k, right, in addition to digital gain settings. What else can Core Audio do? (Tell me it can really do 192k - that would be sweet! Ha!).

Yes, the M-Audio has its own drivers and apparently avoids the problem for that reason. However, I did have a concern whether the M-Audio USB device was bit transparent after reading this tech note on the Benchmark site (http://www.benchmarkmedia.com/wiki/index.php/USB_audio_interfaces). But I tested the Transit using an HDCD file (Alan Broadbent's "Round Midnight" - gorgeous BTW) and it played perfectly through the HDCD decoder so I take that as a sign that it is bit transparent (at least to 16 bits). You were using the Benchmark USB DAC, right, and since it doesn't require a USB driver I presume it relies on the native MAC one, right? So, yes, you are probably correct about the MAC USB driver. Funny, that Benchmark doesn't have anything on their site about it. <br />

Depends on who you talk to at Apple. An Apple engineer I would trust but first line support staff - not so much. <br /> <br /> Didn't mean to insult you with the Audio Midi setup note but sometimes even knowledgeable people forget to check obvious things (myself included). Actually I find that I have to check that setting each time I plug in the USB audio device as it is often back at the system default of 44.1k. I also have to check the settings of the M-Audio Transit to make sure it is set to outputs 1&2 otherwise I wouldn't get 24-bit output as it is not a full duplex device. And just so there is no misunderstanding, I also locked the core audio setting to 88.2 so there was no upsampling to 96k and still no problem. <br /> <br />

I have no problem outputting 24 bit/88.2 kHz files from either the MacBookPro's digital out or via a USB soundcard. I am running an early '08 MBP OS X 10.5.5; the USB card is an M-Audio transit and the 88.2 recording I used is Debussy Preludes (on Surrounded by), Joan Rowland on piano.<br /> I am afraid your problem is not the OS X operating system.<br /> <br /> Stan H<br /> <br /> PS: You do know that you have to go into "Audio Midi Setup" and set the output to 24 bit/96k?