Mac OS X software options for playing DSD64 & DSD128 .dff files

Hi,

I have an OPPO BDP-105D sitting here, along with a handful of DSD128 tracks I downloaded from the 2L site.

What are my options for playing these back on my Mac, to the OPPO as a USB DAC? I understand that the Pure Music and Amarra Music Player software will support, but they are both $100+. I don't mind paying, but would prefer something much less expensive, and available via Mac App Store.

 

It appears JRiver for Mac is free? I don't mind paying, but I hate it when some betas stop working after the paid version eventually comes out.

EDIT: looks like $50. They could use some help on their FAQ website I see there is a 15 day trial available as a full download.

JRiver is totally overkill for my purposes, although the prices is certainly more palatable.

 

I've been using Pure Music, it works fine but you need the follow the instructions carefully. DSD files need to be stored in a separate iTunes folder, also be sure to find out the DSD Flag that Oppo expects, Pure Music recommends AAAA however my Benchmark DAC requires 05FA.

 

Good info, thank you. Still hoping to find a less expensive option. I do not necessary need to use iTunes (unless it is a requirement of the software), as my iTunes is just my lossy music. I could keep the DSD files in a separate library.

 

There's also Audirvana at $80. For some reason, I thought the JRiver Media Center trial was 30 days.

Media Center is more like an iTunes experience, while Audirvana has more "under the hood" and less playlist functionality.

Pure Music tries to be both, with upsampling to 384kHz if you're into that sort of thing.

FYI: OS X.9 "Mavericks" restores "integer mode" removed from Lion and Mountain Lion. This doesn't necessarily help with DSD files, but it will enable helper apps like BitPerfect ($10) to deliver bit accurate streams to your USB DAC straight out of iTunes.

I don't think we've heard much from people here using a BDP-105D as a USB DAC. Please do let us know what you think!

 

Thanks, I had heard about, and was looking for Audirvana, but I kept spelling it incorrectly Seems like JRiver is the better value and has more support from a user-community and software updates?

I definitely need to check out BitPerfect. I read the FAQ, but could not be certain that it works with SqueezePlay/Logitech Media Server? This is what I use to play back FLACs on the Mac.

Will do!

 

All of these Mac programs that stream to USB DACs (whether they support resampling DSD or PCM and/or streaming DSD directly to DSD-capable DACs) literally get in between the files in the library and the DAC. Using both BitPerfect and Audirvana as examples, each of these need to be configured to locate the file library. So when using iTunes, the helper app "intercepts" play requests, finds the file(s), then decodes & streams to the DAC (changing sample rate and bit depth as required). iTunes will not change sample rates / bit depths to match the files, and that creates the market for these third-party apps.

Based on how these programs work, I'm thinking the answer is no.

 

Thank you for that explanation. I'm still rather green at streaming from a Mac to a USB DAC, so all of this info was very helpful.

Bummer!

So, it would appear JRiver is still my best/cheapest option?

 

I have an OPPO 105. I thought the USB DAC input was PCM only. Has this changed?

 

Changed with the 105D.

 

Bummer

 

Yes. I find configuring Media Center is sometimes counter-intuitive. It has evolved over time, cementing some of the now rather arcane (IMHO) ways to set up hardware and DSP options. But it works well and there's lots of people out there who use it and are quite happy with it.

 

Sam, we did a big DSD event at the local club today. Audirvana+ was the easiest program to get up and running but it was not easy at all but it sounds terrific.

I just wrote these thoughts up on the whole experience and am copying them here for you (based on Mac installation)...

In case anyone wants some observations on what I saw at the DSD revolution...I present The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

The Good.
**DSD audio files sound spectacular. Really lifelike sound quality that I don't often get from even hirez PCM.
**The Benchmark DAC2 is an amazing DAC. So natural and lifelike in playback that I would suggest maybe that spending more than $2K may not make economic sense given the rapid rate of change in digital technology.
**Pure DSD and Analog to DSD files such as those from Blue Coast sound astonishingly good. We played the David Elias "Rodeo" song today and the entire room was amazed.

The Bad.
**Setup to play these files remains a gigantic PITA. There is no "plug and play". Every program requires a dozen or more steps to work.
**Those dozen plus steps are not often explained on the music player sites or even setup guides and documents.
**Typically the DAC manufacturer will offer NO detail on how to get DSD files to play in the owner's manual.
**PCM is very easy to do. DSD proponents have some catching up to do in overall customer experience and user interface.

The Ugly.
**Too many DSD formats. Every DAC should play DSD64, DSD128, and DSD256. And there really needs to be one standard. This is unnecessarily confusing. Some music players don't play all the formats and some DACs don't play all the formats.
**J River Media Center for Mac is too over-reaching and has a 90s interface quality. Really not finished.
**Audirvana's web site is horrible. They need to finish the site, add content, and make an easy to use Setup Guide.

So it is a big learning experience to get it all working but you know what? I still love DSD and it sounds awesome. I hate to say it but it was actually worth it to go through this three day ordeal to get it up and running.

I also remain impressed with the Benchmark DAC2's sound quality. I have now heard the DAC2 HGC and DAC2 D. Both are superb.

 

I just listened to that David Elias track and I am amazed...that someone would choose to listen to it.

 

Lee,

I basically agree with everything you said but would add that playing hirez PCM is almost exactly as difficult from a software perspective. The hardware is moving way, way faster than the software at this point.

Just wait until anyone can buy a 384kHz PCM / DSD256 USB DAC for $200!

 

Great point about the hardware moving much faster than the software. So true.

I find hirez PCM very easy actually. The whole DoP path for DSD files is a bit difficult on OSX Mavericks in my experience.

 

Perhaps my relatively painless DoP experiences have been beginner's luck.

Never tried it with Media Center. I've read that can be daunting.

 

I had success streaming DSD 5.6448 Mhz to the 105D and another DSD USB DAC here at the house. The sound from the 2L sampler tracks I tried/downloaded was indeed incredible. But I haven't had time to do any A/B'ing to see if I would be just as satisfied from 24/192 or even 24/96 LPCM version of the same recording.

As mentioned by LeeS above, this was all a rather PITA, but I did tweak my Audio MIDI Setup and JRiver to make it work consistently.

Personally, I'm rather underwhelmed by what's available to download in the DSD128/256 format. It all has to start as DXD at the mixing stage, right? Seems cool and all, but I have to be rather skeptical (or even pessimistic) that something like this could ever take off for popular recordings.

I'm still not sure I'm ready to plunk down $50 for JRiver, as the only thing I'd use it for is DSD output from my Mac, and I think the 105D will go to another room, eventually. If there was a $10 equivalent, I'd be on it!

 

Although I'm not 100% certain, I believe JRiver Media Center is causing some kernel panics/crashes on my Mac.

So...I'm still interested in any other options that are less expensive, yet have the DSD64/128 DoP capability.

 

I have done my fair share of experimentation with both downloaded DSD (dsf/dff) files and those extracted (dff) from SACD ISO files using SACD_EXTRACT. Audirvana is your best bet all the way around. It is the most stable and more reliable software for playback. Most important are the settings, one in particular is NATIVE DSD Capability - in some cases Automatic Detection will not work for some DACs in which case DSD compatibility can be forced by selecting either: Initiial dCs method or DSD over PCM Standard 1.0. There will no doubt be advances in software development and features in applications.

Whole new world.

 

Anyone but me attempting this in multichannel?

 

Korg Audiogate. Free.

BTW, you can just plug in a hard drive with DSD files and it will play them naively on the oppo, no?

If you want to buy software, Audirvana is the best for mac imo.

 

Can Audiogate be used with any DAC?

Vox is free and VERY simple to use. No difficult set up. Only thing is that is doesn't have DoP yet, but will play DSD files, it converts to 24/88.2 on the fly. DoP will come at some point though.

Also, people can play native DSD and 32/384 DXD now for $200 with the ifi iDSD Nano. That's what I use.

 

AudioGate 3 is fully functional when being used with specified Korg DACs. Otherwise it can be used in "Light" mode which will down sample to 44.1 or 48 PCM for playback - See more at: http://www.korg.com/us/products/audio/audiogate3/#sthash.wH5ILcwS.dpuf

 

HQPlayer

Most use this with DSD-capable DACs and let the software upsample PCM to DSD128 and beyond. My one beef with this software is that there's no ALAC support, so you have to feed to FLAC.