So, I'm obviously a Decware fan.  And I've said before I'm a Schiit fan.
There's a thread I follow about how the Schiit company was formed (very good read on its own), and there are a few interesting discussions about DSD and PCM I want to share.


Pro DSD.
They say digital music goes from:
Analog >> [ADC]DSD >> PCM >> format (CD, File, etc.) >> [DAC]PCM >> DSD >> Analog.
They say DSD music is purer because it leaves out the middle man (to and from PCM) conversions that always add some level of degradation.
Post 896
http://www.head-fi.org/t/701900/schiit-happened-the-story-of-the-worlds-most-imp...

Anti DSD.
They say all music is (that is mastered in the digital domain) must be converted to PCM to do so, so there's a "purity" myth around DSD files.
Says PCM and DSD sound different, not better.  Unpopular opinion shared by Arye, Benchmark, and Linn.
Post 902
http://www.head-fi.org/t/701900/schiit-happened-the-story-of-the-worlds-most-imp...

Wisdom regardless of Format.
Some wise folks say it doesn't matter the format, bit depth, sample rate, conversion processes, etc.  It's a good artist, good recording, good engineering/mastering that make by far the most impact on sound quality.


And finally, since digital filters in the dac are what makes or breaks them, the future Yggdrasil will have some super/duper/wiz bang filter, that I'm waiting for.
Post 903
http://www.head-fi.org/t/701900/schiit-happened-the-story-of-the-worlds-most-imp...

(the whole thread is good)

So there's more DSD/PCM considerations and insight into what's going on inside dacs.

Steve Wilson is a member of the Steve Hoffman music boards, an infrequent poster. He could be Private Messaged from there, hard to know if he responds.

My take is that there is something different about SACDs which are DSD based, smoother and more analog-like than most PCM converted material. The PWD Mk II is the first DAC I've had that really seemed to approach this signature from PCM. . . .

There's a simplicity/elegance in the way DSD is recorded which seems to me that it is "less stepped on" in comaprison to PCM.  Also there is a simplicity to the way that PS Audio Direct Stream into their DAC as well as others who seem to be on this bandwagon such as Emm Labs/Meitner, Chord and Playback Designs to name a few.





Some of these guys are using FPGA's in their DAC designs rather than off the shelf chips and I see this as way to the future over implementing standard chips such as Burr Brown and Sabre.

Lonely Raven wrote on 05/05/14 at 22:50:39:

He's there Eric. They make it hard to find members, it used to be easier, but I found it by searching for "audio" by him as a poster. Here's his profile page:

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/members/steven-wilson.29721/

It shows he hasn't posted since '12 but I think he has and has removed posts.

I don't have any special access, I'm just a registered member. Registered members can PM other registered members.