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DACS that don't do DSD - obsolete?

I can get a deal on the Cary Audio 100T DAC (with tube analog stage). It's supposed to sound fantastic but it doesn't do DSD without converting to PCM first.

I don't spend that much time listening to SACD's but I know there's more DSD material coming out these days. This begs the question - are non DSD DACs becoming obsolete? Or put another way - are DACS that do DSD more future proof?
larrybou
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,276 posts
 
I have a D/A that does DSD and I could care less about the feature. I've never downloaded DSD recordings and I don't foresee me doing so anytime soon. As such the DSD feature is meaningless to me. Does having DSD future proof the machine? After the deluge will it really be important?
larrybou OP
130 posts
 
I'm probably way off base since I'm just now looking into this stuff. But it seems that impressive results are being had up-rezzing PCM to DSD like with the Sony HAPZ1, J-river - what Mitch4t is describing.

If this is true, a DAC without DSD capability could be a liability.

doggiehowser
672 posts
 
Not everyone likes the DSD sound so best to audition if you can.

I know there are very strong proponents of older R2R PCM DACs (these DACs don't convert PCM to sigma delta before converting to analog) like the TDA1541 or the PCM1704s. There are certain characteristics of those DACs that I like - I own an Ayon CD5S.

But I do like how SACDs and native DSD DACs sound which I feel are closer to my analog rig.
bigshoosy
3 posts
 
There is hardly any high rez music out there and I dont care for dsd until there is a wealth of recordings. That being said the consumer will expect very good deals on non dsd dac's in the future.
larrybou OP
130 posts
 
Personally I've always preferred SACD / DSD sound. It's always sounded to me like 90% of the way to Vinyl SQ with none of the downsides. But that's besides the point.

Even if I never play a DSD disc for the rest of my life, it seems like with the new PSAUDIO DirectStream, the Chord, The Sony HAPZ1 etc - the new performance frontier is moving to DSD up conversion from PCM etc and the use of gate array's instead of off the (quickly obsoleting) shelf chipsets.

If you have a DSD capable DAC even in a humble version its inevitable that some kind of stand alone device that could do the up-coverting ahead of it and pass through to the DAC would be available in the near future.

Your choice of original media or file type would be irrelevant.
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