This is one area where dCS is lagging the market. All of its major competitors: MSB, Playback Designs, Esoteric, Chord, etc., offer 4-8x DSD at this time.
Hopefully we will see it soon…
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As do a variety of Chinese DACs due to the inclusion of up to DSD1024 in off-the-shelf chipsets.
To be clear, I doubt we are missing anything sonically, but eventually customers will be hesitant to audition dCS because of the specs.
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I can‘t hear the difference between 128/ 256. I would rather love to see a modern Mosaic GUI 
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At this time there are very few, ~100 recordings or less, recorded natively in DSD1024. However, DSD256 is a different story. I think I would be satisfied w just that for now : ) Right now I am down sampling everything to 128
: (
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Can DSD256 be recorded now?
I believe last time I checked all DSD256 content was converted from DSD128 or high rate PCM.
A few DSD256 recordings off the top of my head
High Definition Tape Transfers (highdeftapetransfers.ca)
TRPTK Archives - NativeDSD Music
Having said that, I don’t believe dCS’ HW platform can easily handle DSD256. With FW 2.0 the bandwidth of the mapper was doubled from 2.822 / 3.07MHz to 5.644 / 6.14MHz. Bartók 2.0 : A Substantial Performance Upgrade | dCS | Only The Music (dcsaudio.com).
In order to increase the maximum DSD sample rate to DSD256, the mapper would need to run at 11.288 / 12.280MHz, which is probably not possible on the current HW. Else I would have expected dCS to introduce this capability with APEX.
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Yup, there are an increasing number of recordings being made in DSD256.
FYI, I have 66 DSD256 recordings in my library (I always buy albums in the original recording format)…
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PS To qualify that, a lot of of my DSDS 256 downloads are from HDTT, who obviously transfer from tape…
Nonetheless, I also buy DSD256 albums from sites, such as NativeDSD, assuming it’s been recorded in that format…
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The notes on NativeDSD will always say the original recording resolution. That’s one great positive of that site relative to others. I subscribe to NativeDSD Plus, which gives you free access to all lower resolutions of the tracks you purchase.
For example, if the original recording is 256, and 512 is available, I usually buy the 512, then download the 128, since the Rossini can’t play the 256… (Yet?!?) ; )
When I finally have native 256 playback I’ll go back and download the 256.
I know this is a little wasteful of $, because the 512 is more expensive than the 128, but it future proofs your downloads.
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This will never happen. The dCS platform cannot handle it. And people should not get so hung up on stuff like this in my opinion.
Hi Miguel.
Just trying to understand your comment.
Is it your belief that dCS will never offer DSD256?
Yes. It will not happen with the current hardware.
Curious what the limitation is with the current hardware
The current hardware runs at DSD128 speed. You cannot run it faster, I don’t think.
But I will be more clear than this about my opinion on this: people need to stop chasing weird stuff like this. Spend your time finding better amps, speakers, cables, speaker positioning etc etc. I have a few DACs that do very high rates. It does not matter. This I say from listening myself.
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It is important to remember that apart from tape transfers and a handful of boutique labels, virtually all DSD recorded material is converted to DXD for editing. So the reality is the catalogue of pure DSD recordings is very very limited.
As noted above, the NativeDSD site is a valuable resource. According to them, most of their recordings, approx 70% are sourced from DXD masters from which they create DSD derivatives.
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Got it.
That’s what I have come to understand also, from Rudi (@jacobacci).
I think many of us hope for it in the next platform.
Especially now that there is no further point in supporting MQA! Zing!
Jk : )
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Understood. I’m still not sure why they value making the round trip back to DSD. You would think, if the DSD capture platform is superior (and I’m not sure that it is), one would capture in DSD, convert to DXD for editing, and then release in DXD…
If someone could clarify this for me I would be grateful. Just marketing?
Agree. Maybe there’s a smoothing effect. Just slightly different.
My experience is the least transcoding the better.
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In fact, I am also into vinyl. I have found that by and large those releases originally recorded in analog sound better in analog and those recorded in digital sound better in digital. This of course assumes pristine recordings to start with.
For example, I have MA Recordings both in digital (the original format, Todd Garfinkle records to digital) and many of their incredibly pristine analog transfers to vinyl. Digital has more ease and openness.
And I have many of the reverse cases - Nina Simone’s “Little Girl Blue” comes to mind, done by Ryan Smith for Analogue Productions. Same tape and chain to cut the lacquer and encode the DSD. Vinyl beats DSD in this case.
And yet one more wrinkle: Miles Davis’ “In A Silent Way” from MoFi: the vinyl cut is fantastic, but I think the DSD is better. And I now understand why: the DSD was an intermediate step in both the vinyl and DSD versions.
Should clarify that neither Nina’s nor Miles’ are available as DSD downloads, I ripped the SACDs.
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