marty

Thanks for the clarifications about the soundcard. if the DSD signal is 'packed' into a PCM container and 'decoded' as a PCM signal by the DAC, is there an audible difference between that and the output from a 'native' DSD DAC? ie; does the DoP process degrade/alter the signal? Isn't the benefit of digital audio (in theory) that it's a series of binary numbers that (should) remain unchanged until the conversion to analogue. i know that's a simplistic interpretation but it would be interesting to know why (if any) there is an audible difference between DSD and PCM?? am i correct to say that some manufacturers/vendors are 'promoting' DSD and others are sticking to PCM equipment- is this just about selling hardware/software or is there more to it?

mister sprinkles, thank-you for your reply, I haven't played with any settings in jRiver, so where is the conversion taking place - does that mean jRiver is converting the 'DSD' file to PCM before it sends data to the soundcard? if so, what are the PCM data properties (bit depth/rate?) and how does the software determine the 'PCM' bit-rate sent to the soundcard? Is it possible to 'monitor' the digital data that gets converted to analog? what hardware/software do you use to rip your sacd's? is there any audible difference ripping them to PCM Vs .dsf format?

I've downloaded the 'DSD' files (.dsf format) and playing them with 'JRiver'.

There are lots of articles out there (mags/websites etc) debating the virtues of dsd vs pcm 'High-Res' quality etc. I'm trying to understand how it is that my eight year old (Win XP) laptop can play DSD files when a 'DSD' compatible DAC is 'required' to decode/playback DSD files. The laptop doesn't have an 'audiophile' soundcard, and I'm not claiming the sound is better than an external DAC, but I can clearly hear the difference between various formats (.mp3 Vs FLAC vs DSD etc). Why are DSD DAC's required when any pc (or Mac with the right software) can already play these files?

Thanks Cebolla, What is your opinion on the general sound quality of 'DSD' (Vs 'High-Res' PCM)? i've read many differing views about DSD files and good DSD DACs are expensive - many of the articles i've read claim the extra expense is not justified? i've also read that ripping SACD's is possible but only with a PS3 - is this still the only option? if so, can someone post the link/s on how this is done? thanks again!

Thank-you for the all the helpful input and suggestions - i'm now looking at a range of affordable DAC's and will report back once I get the hardware up and running

Thank-you for all your replies and suggestions; the DACs listed are within my price range so I will have a closer look at them. A couple of other questions; Is there any reason why some DACs have a USB 'b' connection socket and others have the 'A' type - isn't USB non-directional? Is there a minimum wireless transfer speed acceptable for audio streaming? Is 'DLNA' suitable for high-res audio streaming? I’ve also been advised to get a ‘hi-fi’ sound card for my pc with RCA outputs - this would bypass the need for an external DAC (any opinions about this?)? A lot of DACs also have coaxial inputs and ‘SPIDIF’ inputs – i will look for some further info about these, but is there a general consensus about the pros/cons of the various connection types/interfaces ie; ethernet Vs USB Vs wireless etc?

I’m a newbie to digital audio, so I need some advice here about where to start with streaming dsd files. I have a pc with the software (Korg Audiogate, Roon etc), compatible with high-res files, but how do I stream them into my ‘analog’ system? my pc doesn't have a high-res audio card so obviously i need to transfer the 'dsd' file content and complete the conversion to analog - are there any 'single box' products that will do this? i've read a lot about dacs, media servers etc, and the range of products is out there is enormous but I’m on a limited budget so I want to get started with a minimal outlay for new hardware. Should I stream via Ethernet cable/USB cable or wireless? Is there a limit to USB cable distance (pc is 4-5 metres from audio equipment)? Does playback quality suffer with wireless streaming? I want to use the pc software as the 'front-end', so i can manage content/playlists etc.. any suggestions appreciated.