DSD / SACD Audio Playback

Anewmission · August 10, 2021 at 8:27 AM

ahhh i have spent days on this... could someone please give me a step by step guide on how to do this? with working links to any zip files i need

so far i have updated to the latest version of matrix and enabled sacd.iso audio decoder

i am still not able to play sacd.iso and when looking for them in the files section of music in libreelec the folders are empty

i dont quite understand the wavpack dsd/mpd. alot opf the links are working.

if anyone could take 5 minutes to guide me through it i would be so appreciative

**blueribb** · August 10, 2021 at 12:01 PM

I installed SACD ISO support (version 0.1.2.4) on both of my Intel NUC's and rebooted. All my SACD ISO files were now visible and played perfectly - even the multi-channel ones. I understand why my AVR displays PCM instead of ISO when playing these files but truthfully, when I play an SACD ISO with my old Sony Blu Ray Player and the AVR displays "SACD", I hear no difference at all. I am 70 years old now and maybe my ears can't distinguish the difference.

I have no idea what the wavpack dsd/mpd addon is for or what it would add to your listening experience, so I can't help you any further. I suggest you look for help within the forums for the addons instead of Libreelec.

Good Luck

Anewmission · August 11, 2021 at 3:03 AM

Quote from blueribb

I installed SACD ISO support (version 0.1.2.4) on both of my Intel NUC's and rebooted. All my SACD ISO files were now visible and played perfectly - even the multi-channel ones. I understand why my AVR displays PCM instead of ISO when playing these files but truthfully, when I play an SACD ISO with my old Sony Blu Ray Player and the AVR displays "SACD", I hear no difference at all. I am 70 years old now and maybe my ears can't distinguish the difference.
I have no idea what the wavpack dsd/mpd addon is for or what it would add to your listening experience, so I can't help you any further. I suggest you look for help within the forums for the addons instead of Libreelec.
Good Luck

which avr do you have? I can explain that side of things for you.

Computer hdmi will not output dsd (the higher bitrate layer of the sacd disc) hopefully there will be support in the future. So for the moment it is being converted from dsd to pcm before leaving the nuc.

Some blu-ray players, oppos, denons, Cambridge audios and some Sony blu-ray players will play sacd.iso over hdmi to certain avr's . That is what is going on.

I have a Denon 3808ci avr which is capable of sacd over hdmi. However not from a computer.

There is another thing that will give you sacd quality from your nuc and that is called a digital to audio converter (dac). You would need to output from the nuc into the dac via USB to get the highest quality. If you choose to buy a dac, you would need to make sure it's compatible of playing dsd. A pair of rca or xlr would be needed to feed the dac into your avr. This will be stereo channel not multi channel.

Here is an example of a dac

https://www.amazon.com.au/TOPPING-D90-Bl…r/dp/B082PVQDG1

I hope that clears up why you are not getting that sacd symbol show up on the amp when using the nuc.

This is where it gets even more confusing, very modern DACs now have a new input called i2s. This uses a HDMI cable. However it is not a HDMI signal, it just uses the cable. The only way to get the i2s signal to work from a HDMI port is with a switch in between.

Here is an example of those converter switches

https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/diy-interfa…al-p-13419.html

Note, I'm sure 99% of the avr in the world don't accept i2s. Only DACs for now and very modern home theatre preamp/processors.

Anewmission · August 11, 2021 at 3:10 AM

Quote from Da Flex

Not sure what you want. High quality DSD is working: Click!

Do you mind taking 5 minutes to explain this to me?

I have been trying for days and I am just going around in circles.

If possible could you post the correct zip file directory and a small step by step guide?

That would be much appreciated

**Da Flex** · August 11, 2021 at 3:54 AM Official Post

Quote from Anewmission

Do you mind taking 5 minutes to explain this to me?

I'm not using it, so I can't explain much. Have a look at the last two pictures of the linked thread, and you can see the goal:

The user has Spotify on his mobile phone (second pic), and he connects it to the MPD add-on of LE (first pic).

He has been selected a HiFiBerry Digi2 Pro for audio output, which is able to play DSD. I'm not sure which codec is used to transfer the DSD audio from RPi 4 to HiFiBerry. An USB soundcard maybe works, too - I don't know.

Anewmission · August 13, 2021 at 5:19 AM

Quote from Da Flex

I'm not using it, so I can't explain much. Have a look at the last two pictures of the linked thread, and you can see the goal:
The user has Spotify on his mobile phone (second pic), and he connects it to the MPD add-on of LE (first pic).
He has been selected a HiFiBerry Digi2 Pro for audio output, which is able to play DSD. I'm not sure which codec is used to transfer the DSD audio from RPi 4 to HiFiBerry. An USB soundcard maybe works, too - I don't know.

for the moment i am just wanting native dsd working.

i am using a topping d50 dac via usb.

sacd.iso are working but still coming through at 44.1

i have many dsd/dsf files.

they refuse to play

**Da Flex** · August 13, 2021 at 2:51 PM Official Post

Anewmission Thanks for reporting back! So your DAC is able to play high sampling rates, but maybe your x86 USB is too slow. If you have different USB standards on your x86 PC, connect the fastest to your DAC.

What's your x86 hardware?

Your question was about the MPD add-on. Do you really use this, or just the default audio playback of LE?

To help us finding the issue, do this:

Activate debug logging at GUI (HUD overlay appears).
Reboot.
Reproduce the DSD playback issue.
Login by SSH.
Run pastekodi.
Post the resulting link.

**Da Flex** · August 14, 2021 at 3:54 PM Official Post

PS: If you use LE 10 on x86, then the repo provides the updated MPD add-on, which can play high DSD bit rates.

Anewmission · August 19, 2021 at 3:33 AM

Quote from Da Flex

PS: If you use LE 10 on x86, then the repo provides the updated MPD add-on, which can play high DSD bit rates.

Ok so I installed the mpd addon on Le 10 and either Im not setting it up correctly or it's still not working.

Will it only work if I send files via upnp?

**Da Flex** · August 19, 2021 at 5:02 AM Official Post

Anewmission Play DSD from an USB stick, and provide a log (#25).

Anewmission · August 19, 2021 at 5:26 AM

Quote from Da Flex

Anewmission Play DSD from an USB stick, and provide a log (#25).

ok when i get home ill follow your instructions from above.

im just wondering if my dac could possibly not be supported?

with all files it shows as 48khz.

it is a topping d50, plugged in via usb

Anewmission · August 19, 2021 at 6:49 AM

Quote from Da Flex

Anewmission Thanks for reporting back! So your DAC is able to play high sampling rates, but maybe your x86 USB is too slow. If you have different USB standards on your x86 PC, connect the fastest to your DAC.
What's your x86 hardware?
Your question was about the MPD add-on. Do you really use this, or just the default audio playback of LE?
To help us finding the issue, do this:
Activate debug logging at GUI (HUD overlay appears).
Reboot.
Reproduce the DSD playback issue.
Login by SSH.
Run pastekodi.
Post the resulting link.

no idea how to login via ssh?

**Da Flex** · August 19, 2021 at 3:40 PM Official Post

Quote from Anewmission

no idea how to login via ssh?

This will become a long thread.

After switching on your LE box, login to your router menu (by another PC, not your LE box), and find the IP number of your LE box.

Open a terminal on your PC, and execute ssh root@<LE'S_IP_NUMBER>. Example: ssh root@192.168.0.2

After that, type the password, which is libreelec by default.

Then you're hopefully logged in, and you can run the pastekodi command.

PS: At the end, type exit to leave the SSH session.