Playback Designs MPD-3

Signalyst HQ player plays native DSD files on the PC. JRiver is in the process of building in native DSD playback on the PC too. Both players can play native DSD (as well as PCM up to 24/384) over USB using the Playback Designs ASIO driver.

10-17-11: Ghasley
The playback designs upsamples everything to 6.1 MHz DSD so it sounds amazing, spacious, ALOT of air around the performers.

too bad there isn't an option for Native playback. I find upsampling to degrade the sound of redbook.

Rockitman, I was in your camp as well....a bona fide play it back in its native sample rate kind of guy.....until I heard the MPD-3. the playback designs upsampling all the way to DSD is something of a revelation. You should listen for yourself, you might change your opinion. One simply can't make a blanket assertion until you hear it for yourself.

Suteetat, I too use the Korg to archive vinyl in 5.6 mhz DSD. I then use the supplied Audiogate software and create the song files in 2.8 DSD, a Mac mini (snow leopard) and Pure music software. You drag and drop the files into Pure Music once and they create an itunes bookmark.....then play them back like any other itunes music.

10-19-11: Ghasley
Rockitman, I was in your camp as well....a bona fide play it back in its native sample rate kind of guy.....until I heard the MPD-3. the playback designs upsampling all the way to DSD is something of a revelation. You should listen for yourself, you might change your opinion. One simply can't make a blanket assertion until you hear it for yourself.

I have the PS Audio Perfect Wav system that allows me to compare playback natively or upsample to whatever sampling frequency, bit rate I want. Perhaps the MPD-3 is different...on the PS Audio I found native to be more true and pure to the sound...especially in the treble region. Perhaps I will look into the MPD-3 down the road, especially if I could get a trial and do a head to head comparo with my current system. I am mostly a vinyl guy now, but have a large collection of live digitally recorded music....In most cases with studio recordings, I will stick with my turntable/vinyl.

Rockitman, indeed the Playback Designs is entirely different. I may be splitting hairs here technically but upsampling on your PS Audio(which I have heard although not in my system) and the MPD-3 resampling from whatever the native sample rate directly to DSD is simply crazy good. The PSAudio (and most other DACs) will upsample in PCM to a higher rez PCM format....basically just moving the noise into a different frequency spectrum. Resampling from a native PCM sample rate directly to 1 bit DSD removes so much of what we dislike about digital rather than just moving it. My opinion only, but it is so different and analog like that I believe you would be pleasantly surprised.

best wishes and happy listening.