[ted_b]

Finally...REAL SACD ripping exists!

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/SACD-ripping-using-your-PS3-Linux-yes

I've got one of the earlier PS3s packed up somewhere.  Need to drop linux on it and give this a shot with an SACD or two.

Now, I need to convince Rob at Pure Vinyl to incorporate .DFF playback.

-Jim

Let us know how it goes (prolly a new thread really).  I don't know Linux but from what MR Wicked has posted it seems it's not quite a full solution yet, right?  Would be cool to get DFF files and even convert them to 24/384 (for playback on M2tech Young DAC, etc).  If you get a few send me a PM and I'll give you my dropbox info so we can test a couple files (I have the 24/384-capable M2Tech young DAC here for now, and a converter to move DSD to very hirez PCM). 

[djmckaytx]

Ted - Waiting on my W4S DAC before I give my Atlona 577 the final test.

Just a quick question though...when you're using your Atlona 570, how is it stationed or mounted in your system?  Is it mounted into a rack mount or is it placed on a shelf?  If the latter, do you think one would need to be concerned with vibration control? 

I know a DAC has no moving parts per se...just curious what you think.

[ted_b]

My Atlona is hanging by a thread.  Not a good situation.  It sits behind my Macbook (music server) on a shelf but is precariously close to the edge cuz the damn HDMI cables (I hate HDMI cable connections) are too stiff and lift the box up (was worse with one of them being huge Nordost one; i now use the nice DH labs swivel cables but it's still a PITA).  I guess in my case I don't worry about vibration cuz the thing hangs in space. 

[djmckaytx]

Thanks for the quick response.   Once I get it running properly, I was thinking about getting a 1-2" thick cutting board, painting it black (no Stones pun intended) and screwing the Atlona down onto it.  Wouldn't consider doing it of course until I'm sure I've got everything wired and settled.

Again, I don't think vibration would affect the Atlona...but I guess I'm old-fashioned about things like this.

[djmckaytx]

Welcome to AC and the HiRez Circle.   Sorry I didn't see your post until now; somehow my Moderator status (or even a contributor on this thread) did not kick out an email notification??

Anyway:
1) The Transporter will only do up to 24/96 via it's digital inputs (or streaming for that matter)
2)  yes, the Sony 770 (as well as the 370 and 570) all do 24/176k assuming you set the SACD as PCM and not DSD (set up menu).  The only thing the Oppo will do for you is multichannel DVD-Audio (since you've ripped, like me, all your good 2 channel DVD-Audio).

Ted - Having a bit of a problem.  I have the Atlona 577 and the Sony 770 hooked up now.  The Atlona was hooked up to an HDMI monitor and received a video signal from the Sony just fine so I'm guessing a handshake has been achieved since there's a 176.4 indication on the DAC-2.  I have made all the changes on the Sony I can see to change: output PCM over HDMI,  choosing SACD layer (not CD layer of hybrid), SACD 2-Channel (not multichannel), everything I can see to change in the setup menu (no changes made to DD or DTS settings).  When I play a redbook CD on the Sony through the Atlona I get sound just fine (at 44.1 of course) so it's not an interconnect issue.

No matter how I change the settings, when I try to playback the SACD layer on the Sony I get a 176.4 throughput display on my DAC but no sound.  And here's where I'm thinking the problem lies - no matter how I change the setups (including re-boot and disc re-insertion) the video output of the Sony shows it playing back a 2 channel DSD.  Maybe I'm missing something here (or perhaps the Sony firmware been changed to prevent the PCM output over the HDMI connection?).

Any ideas anyone here could offer would be appreciated.  Thanks.

P. S. I do have an unopened Oppo BDP-83SE I can try out, but I'd rather use the Sony if possible.

[ted_b]

I'm not an expert in the 770, but some have found toslink to be a problem over 96k.  Is your connection toslink or coax?  If the DAC is showing 176.4k then I can't imagine the player is sending DSD.....the 176.4k is from the player's bitstream info.  Can you try a DVD-V wtih 24/96PCm or something that has 96k and see if anything over 44k will play?   I'm still suspicious of the digital cable. 

[djmckaytx]

I'll try a DVD-V tomorrow.  The cable is a Grover Huffman coax digital cable.  Thanks.

[Phil A]

I'm not an expert in the 770, but some have found toslink to be a problem over 96k.  Is your connection toslink or coax?  If the DAC is showing 176.4k then I can't imagine the player is sending DSD.....the 176.4k is from the player's bitstream info.  Can you try a DVD-V wtih 24/96PCm or something that has 96k and see if anything over 44k will play?   I'm still suspicious of the digital cable.

Ted, I had the same problem with the Sony BDP-BX37 (same as the 370) as I reported a bit earlier with the Monoprice/Port-ta box via coax.  I got the DAC to read 176.4kHz and show it is is locked on and it got no sound.  When I switched the HDMI cable to the Oppo BDP-83 it immediately registered 88.2kHz and sound came out.  I know the Monoprice/Port-ta box was able to pass 192kHz from a DVD-A and I got sound.  I confirmed the settings for my Sony BDP-BX37 with another member here earlier in the thread.  So I don't know what the issue is.  I only tried a few SACDs and all had the same issue.  So I just moved the BDP-BX37 to the office system where I can do DSD direct to a Pioneer 1120.

[old_bassist]

And here's where I'm thinking the problem lies - no matter how I change the setups (including re-boot and disc re-insertion) the video output of the Sony shows it playing back a 2 channel DSD.

I'm one of the people Ted mentions who had trouble with TOSlink over 96 kHz. I switched to a coax connection from de-embedder (MonoPrice in my case) to DAC and now have 176.4 glory from my SACDs, which are played on a Sony BDP-S370. The player shows 2 channel DSD just like yours, and it works. Spotlessly.

Hope this helps,

Ross

EDIT: Oops--I see you are already using a coaxial cable 

[Phil A]

Ross - just curious and perhaps anyone who has a Sony can chime in - what firmware are you running and how do you check the firmware version?

[Phil A]

Also, at some point, when I can get to it (perhaps a few weeks - too many new audio things lately and it's already holding up a new computer I want to get to digitize audio files), I'll try the Sony with the Emotiva XDA-1 in the basement system.  I picked up the XDA-1 from Fedex last night and just hooked it up literally 5 minutes ago.  I hooked it up to an old Oppo DV-980H along with the Monoprice HDMI audio de-embedder.  I don't see a read-out of the resolution on the Emotiva or a manner in which to display it (have not read anything yet) but it sounds really good so far and I am impressed for $299.  I don't have anything super audiophile in the basement system - an Onkyo 1000 and an old pair of B&W P6 mains.

Obviously some have reported getting 176.4kHz from the Sony Blu-Ray players and others, myself included, have been able to see a DAC registering 176.4kHz but got no sound.  I use a Bryston DAC in the main system and it shows the frequency being locked in but I get no sound.  Also, I have the Port-ta/Monoprice De-embedder but others are reporting the same problem of no sound from the Atlona De-embedder.

[djmckaytx]

Obviously some have reported getting 176.4kHz from the Sony Blu-Ray players and others, myself included, have been able to see a DAC registering 176.4kHz but got no sound.  I use a Bryston DAC in the main system and it shows the frequency being locked in but I get no sound.  Also, I have the Port-ta/Monoprice De-embedder but others are reporting the same problem of no sound from the Atlona De-embedder.

Phil - When you were trying out the Sony and it was playing back/registering 176.4, do you recall if the Sony display (not your settings, the display) was indicating you were playing back a 2-channel DSD file?  Thanks.

[Phil A]

Phil - When you were trying out the Sony and it was playing back/registering 176.4, do you recall if the Sony display (not your settings, the display) was indicating you were playing back a 2-channel DSD file?  Thanks.

No - but I can't imagine it wouldn't say that as the set-up menu has always been set to DSD 2-channel.  I don't hate multi-channel but probably around 90% of the time I prefer 2-channel SACD vs. multi-channel and all my players are always set that way.  It is easier to listen to what I prefer that way

[djmckaytx]

I'm not an expert in the 770, but some have found toslink to be a problem over 96k.  Is your connection toslink or coax?  If the DAC is showing 176.4k then I can't imagine the player is sending DSD.....the 176.4k is from the player's bitstream info.  Can you try a DVD-V wtih 24/96PCm or something that has 96k and see if anything over 44k will play?   I'm still suspicious of the digital cable.

No - but I can't imagine it wouldn't say that as the set-up menu has always been set to DSD 2-channel.  I don't hate multi-channel but probably around 90% of the time I prefer 2-channel SACD vs. multi-channel and all my players are always set that way.  It is easier to listen to what I prefer that way

I couldn't sleep for all the thinking this through.  Not the King's English, but it fits tonight.

Ted - I ran a few tracks of my DVD-V of Elton John's 2000 Ephesus concert through the Sony.  The DAC-2 shows it's receiving a 48k bitstream when playing this back.  No hiccups, no issues with it.  (As an aside, it sounds better through the DAC-2 than I can ever remember hearing it before, even in 2-channel.)  Can you suggest a DVD-V that should playback 24/96?  I'm not sure if I own any.

Phil - Thanks...that's what's happening to me.  I'm showing 2-channel DSD all the time, even with all the settings set to PCM.

[Phil A]

I couldn't sleep for all the thinking this through.  Not the King's English, but it fits tonight.

Ted - I ran a few tracks of my DVD-V of Elton John's 2000 Ephesus concert through the Sony.  The DAC-2 shows it's receiving a 48k bitstream when playing this back.  No hiccups, no issues with it.  (As an aside, it sounds better through the DAC-2 than I can ever remember hearing it before, even in 2-channel.)  Can you suggest a DVD-V that should playback 24/96?  I'm not sure if I own any.

Phil - Thanks...that's what's happening to me.  I'm showing 2-channel DSD all the time, even with all the settings set to PCM.

Neil Young's Greatest Hits is a 24/96 DVD for one.  I have a bunch of Classic Records 24/96 DVDs too and a couple from Chesky Records.

I think the DSD 2-channel (could be wrong as I have not played much with my player) is just to show you selected the 2-channel mix of the SACD.  There is a separate setting for the player to output DSD or PCM from SACD.

[old_bassist]

Ross - just curious and perhaps anyone who has a Sony can chime in - what firmware are you running and how do you check the firmware version?

Hi Phil,

The 370 is at M03.R.695

HOME > Setup > System Settings > System Information

I wonder if Sony could kill our fun with a firmware update?

Cheers,

Ross

[Phil A]

Ross - thanks.  I'll check when I'm home and have a chance.  I'm just searching/grasping for straws as to why some have the problem with a DAC showing it is getting 176.4kHz and having no sound with different audio de-embedders and someone else getting it.  What DAC are you using?

I picked up my Sony Blu-Ray/SACD at Costco with a coupon probably just over 2 monts ago.  I set the player up as I thought it should be (sitting basically right near my modded Oppo BDP-83 so I could easily swap the HDMI cables into the audio de-embedder) and got the 176.4kHz lock indicated on the DAC and then just switched the HDMI cable and where I got no sound out of the Sony, I immediately got sound from the Oppo and the DAC indicated 88.2kHz.  I drove myself crazy for about a week and changed all the setting to almost every other combination possible with no results.  I then confirmed my setting with someone here (probably several pages back) and again got the 176.4kHz lock indicated on the DAC but no sound. 

[old_bassist]

What DAC are you using?

I'm using a http://simaudio.com/moon100D.htm. Liking it more and more every day.

Cheers,

Ross

[ted_b]

Another variable in all this is the backend HDMI.  In the case of the 577 it doesn't need one or care (once correct EDID is set up and stored).

Other DVD-V's with 24/96 are Neil's Live At Massey Hall (not the bluray), Sugar Mountain, etc....and as Phil said, HDAD or DAD's from Classic like Muddy Waters Folk Singer, Cannonball Adderley's Somethin Else, etc.    Oh, and BluRay's should show up 24/192 like the ones from 2L.

[djmckaytx]

...The 370 is at M03.R.695

HOME > Setup > System Settings > System Information

I wonder if Sony could kill our fun with a firmware update?

Cheers,

Ross

Ross - That's my contention I guess.  The other possibility (though unlikely since I'm not the only one having this issue) is that my coax isn't up to snuff.  The only way to know that is to try out one of the 24/96 DVD-V discs everyone has suggested.  I'll probably try to grab one soon.  In the meantime, I'll probably break out the Oppo BDP-83SE soon and see if I can connect at 24/88.2 with a 2-channel SACD. 

Phil/Ted - Would it mean anything if in theory if I am able to connect (and get sound) at 24/88.2 with a 2-channel SACD and 24/192 with a 2-channel DVD-A with my (currently unopened) Oppo?  Wouldn't that say that the problem is NOT my coax?  Just curious...

Thanks to everyone for their help and suggestions.