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Trouble Playing DSD128 on Melco N1Z > USB > PS Audio DirectStream
26-12-2017, 19:24
Post: #11
RE: Trouble Playing DSD128 on Melco N1Z > USB > PS Audio DirectStream
Hi all and thanks very much for the posts and suggestions. Simon, if the DSD128 files are stored locally on the Melco HDD, is network bandwidth still a factor? Thanks.

Melco HA-N1ZH60 Mk1 (MinimServer 2) --> network --> AURALiC ARIES G2 --> Lightning Link (WWPS7 hdmi) --> AURALiC VEGA G2 with AURALiC LEO GX Master Clock --> XLR --> Mark Levinson No. 523 --> RCA --> JL Audio E-Sub e110 (active crossover @ 100 Hz) --> RCA --> Bryston 4B3 (Cubed) --> Magnepan .7
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26-12-2017, 21:19 (This post was last modified: 26-12-2017 21:37 by simoncn.)
Post: #12
RE: Trouble Playing DSD128 on Melco N1Z > USB > PS Audio DirectStream
(26-12-2017 19:24)GreenMtnGringo Wrote:  Hi all and thanks very much for the posts and suggestions. Simon, if the DSD128 files are stored locally on the Melco HDD, is network bandwidth still a factor? Thanks.

For some reason I thought you were playing via the Ethernet "player" output of the Melco. I have reviewed the thread and I see that you are playing via USB, so this shouldn't be an issue.
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27-12-2017, 00:28
Post: #13
RE: Trouble Playing DSD128 on Melco N1Z > USB > PS Audio DirectStream
Hi Simon. I tried NickD's suggestion of experimenting with the "preBuffer" setting. I tried 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 seconds and nothing helped. I did some additional Googling and happened upon this post of yours from about two years ago in response to a MinimServer user who was having a similar buffering issue with a DXD file:

http://forum1613.minimserver.com/showthr...5#pid19595

It occurred to me that my DSD128 DSF files might be suffering the same 'over-compression' fate. But unlike the DXD file under discussion in the above-linked thread, I did not have an option to reduce the compression level of the DSD128 DSF files while maintaining their DSD integrity. At that moment, I remembered the free Sonore utility called dsd2flac:

http://www.sonore.us/dsd2flac.html

This utility has an optional DoPFLAC output mode that is intended for "a player that supports FLAC and a DAC that supports DoP input."

I transcoded my DSD128 files to DoPFLAC with the sampling rate set to 352.8KHz and the bit depth set to 24. The resulting files had a ".flac" extension and they were virtually the same size as the original DSD128 DSF files.

Long story shorter, the Melco can feed these DoPFLAC files to my PS Audio DirectStream DAC successfully and the DAC's display shows that the files are playing as DSD128.

(Any ideas on why a Melco running MinimServer can serve the transcoded 24/352.8 DoPFLAC versions but not the original DSD128 DSF versions?)

Thanks very much and happy holidays.

Melco HA-N1ZH60 Mk1 (MinimServer 2) --> network --> AURALiC ARIES G2 --> Lightning Link (WWPS7 hdmi) --> AURALiC VEGA G2 with AURALiC LEO GX Master Clock --> XLR --> Mark Levinson No. 523 --> RCA --> JL Audio E-Sub e110 (active crossover @ 100 Hz) --> RCA --> Bryston 4B3 (Cubed) --> Magnepan .7
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27-12-2017, 07:50
Post: #14
RE: Trouble Playing DSD128 on Melco N1Z > USB > PS Audio DirectStream
The DoP/WAV format is uncompressed and the DoP/FLAC format is compressed. This means the data sent by the Melco over the USB port for DoP/WAV is about 50% larger than for DoP/FLAC. I presume it is this extra 50% that is causing the problem either on the Melco side or the PS Audio side.
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27-12-2017, 19:31
Post: #15
RE: Trouble Playing DSD128 on Melco N1Z > USB > PS Audio DirectStream
Just for the record, I have had no end of problems trying to play DSD, especially higher rate DSD from Melco via USB to DAC. In the end, after some consultation, the main source of the problems appeared to be the quality, or lack thereof, of the USB cable! I was informed that high quality audio grade USB cables from some manufacturers just did not perform well on DSD and a cheapo computer grade cable saved the day.

Melco N1ZH/2 (updated to EX) MinimServer2, Chord M Scaler, DAVE, SPM1200MKII, Wilson Benesch Vectors
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27-12-2017, 20:41
Post: #16
RE: Trouble Playing DSD128 on Melco N1Z > USB > PS Audio DirectStream
(27-12-2017 07:50)simoncn Wrote:  The DoP/WAV format is uncompressed and the DoP/FLAC format is compressed. This means the data sent by the Melco over the USB port for DoP/WAV is about 50% larger than for DoP/FLAC. I presume it is this extra 50% that is causing the problem either on the Melco side or the PS Audio side.

Hi Simon, thanks, very much. Interesting that the DXD file you tested in the thread to which I linked, above, required LESS compression to work while my DSF DSD128 files seem to benefit from MORE compression.

Melco HA-N1ZH60 Mk1 (MinimServer 2) --> network --> AURALiC ARIES G2 --> Lightning Link (WWPS7 hdmi) --> AURALiC VEGA G2 with AURALiC LEO GX Master Clock --> XLR --> Mark Levinson No. 523 --> RCA --> JL Audio E-Sub e110 (active crossover @ 100 Hz) --> RCA --> Bryston 4B3 (Cubed) --> Magnepan .7
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27-12-2017, 20:45
Post: #17
RE: Trouble Playing DSD128 on Melco N1Z > USB > PS Audio DirectStream
(27-12-2017 19:31)beckphotonik Wrote:  Just for the record, I have had no end of problems trying to play DSD, especially higher rate DSD from Melco via USB to DAC. In the end, after some consultation, the main source of the problems appeared to be the quality, or lack thereof, of the USB cable! I was informed that high quality audio grade USB cables from some manufacturers just did not perform well on DSD and a cheapo computer grade cable saved the day.

Hi, thanks beckphotonik, that is very interesting indeed. I am using an 'audio-grade' USB cable between the Melco and DAC (Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy Dual Conduit USB Digital Link). I have a Kimber Silver USB and some computer-grade USB cables, as well, and I will test them when I get a chance.

Melco HA-N1ZH60 Mk1 (MinimServer 2) --> network --> AURALiC ARIES G2 --> Lightning Link (WWPS7 hdmi) --> AURALiC VEGA G2 with AURALiC LEO GX Master Clock --> XLR --> Mark Levinson No. 523 --> RCA --> JL Audio E-Sub e110 (active crossover @ 100 Hz) --> RCA --> Bryston 4B3 (Cubed) --> Magnepan .7
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27-12-2017, 22:15
Post: #18
RE: Trouble Playing DSD128 on Melco N1Z > USB > PS Audio DirectStream
People I trust have also told me about issues with a few audiophile USB cables. In addition, don't forget the length limits with USB (15' max, IIRC, with shorter being better) -- if this is an issue in your setup.
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27-12-2017, 22:25
Post: #19
RE: Trouble Playing DSD128 on Melco N1Z > USB > PS Audio DirectStream
(27-12-2017 20:41)GreenMtnGringo Wrote:  Hi Simon, thanks, very much. Interesting that the DXD file you tested in the thread to which I linked, above, required LESS compression to work while my DSF DSD128 files seem to benefit from MORE compression.

The other thread was for a different issue (FLAC decompression causing excessive CPU consumption). In this case, it appears that the problem is related to network bandwidth.
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28-12-2017, 16:53
Post: #20
RE: Trouble Playing DSD128 on Melco N1Z > USB > PS Audio DirectStream
Hi, I tried an AudioQuest Forest USB cable in place of my Revelation Audio Labs USB cable and I still was not able to play the first two Stereo DSD128 files posted on the 2L site, which I had saved previously to my Melco HDD. If anyone has the time and the inclination, I would be grateful if you could download one or both of the topmost two Stereo DSD128 tracks in the fourth column to the right at this link:

http://www.2l.no/hires/index.html

After copying these files to your MinimServer-equipped Melco HDD, are you able to play them without buffering/stuttering/stalling?

I am trying to determine if there might be something wrong with my Melco HDD.

Thanks and happy holidays.

Melco HA-N1ZH60 Mk1 (MinimServer 2) --> network --> AURALiC ARIES G2 --> Lightning Link (WWPS7 hdmi) --> AURALiC VEGA G2 with AURALiC LEO GX Master Clock --> XLR --> Mark Levinson No. 523 --> RCA --> JL Audio E-Sub e110 (active crossover @ 100 Hz) --> RCA --> Bryston 4B3 (Cubed) --> Magnepan .7
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