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First multi-channel DSD playback solution with Mytek!


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Eloise, good question. I assume the magic is the ASIO driver coordinating channel mapping and the clock synch stuff. No other under $5k DSD-capable DAC mfg has stepped up to this idea though (Playback Designs has always touted stacked PDs but with a sort of proprietary link maybe?, at different $$ of course). Funny, the driver is the one they've had on the their site since almost 12 months ago (v1.33.10).

 

I'm not aware of any...so far. :) We are getting a little intermittent light clicks in the rear channel DAC on only certain occasions, esp in pause mode, but working through it. I don't even have all 3 on the same firmware yet.

 

The Playback Designs DSD DACs and Players sound excellent. But stacking 3 of them would be quite pricey. Probably not practical for most people.

 

The Mytek is priced very reasonably. A stack of three of their Stereo DSD DACs could work quite well. Although I wish they would look at an all-in-one unit like exaSound has done with the e28 - or perhaps like the Professional Mytek 8x192 DSD DAC.

 

Hopefully there will be more choices out there for Multichannel DSD file playback soon. I'm watching for that with interest !

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Ted-

 

Not even interested in 5.1 (don't have the room or the cash), but I love your enthusiasm and readiness to share.

 

That stack of 3 black Myteks looks totally cool.

 

BTW, Michal isn't willing to make you a 5.1 ch prototype DSD DAC as reward for all your help? :)

 

Hmm, that sounds very appropriate to me.

 

After Ted tests such a future unit, and reviews it, I'm sure some of the rest of us would be interested as well.... :)

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I am still unclear as to the setup of this multi-channel feature.

 

From ted's explanation a while ago, he cabled the DACs to the amp on an trial-and-error basis and guessed right based on what he saw on the ASIO panel. My question is how many copies of JRiver do you need? I can see 3 copies of JRiver, each driving a DAC. But is that the case?

 

As I understand it, Ted used 1 copy of JRiver and 3 linked Mytek Stereo-192 DSD DACs. Ted's review is on page 1 of this thread.

 

Kal Rubinson at Stereophile reviewed the same setup (3 linked Mytek stereo-192 DSD DACs) for 5.1 DSD playback by borrowing 2 Mytek Stereo DACs to go with the one in his system. See his "Music In The Round #61" column at Music in the Round #61 Page 2 | Stereophile.com for that review on the web.

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  • 10 months later...
Resurrecting this thread for Chord Hugo. Imported 2 of them from UK for £2,000 (Excl. VAT) so far and planning to get another one later for triple-stacking. Not really THAT much more than $3,649 exaSound e28 Femto Clock, and 3 brand new Mytek would cost $4,800 / £2,800 while 3 Hugo should be £3,000 (Excl. VAT) when we order them from Asia.

 

Is that no go for Hugo since its firmware / drivers won't support multiple devices to begin with?

 

 

Maybe I have to go for this Oppo 103 mod instead?

 

 

Vanity103HD DoP output in SACD mode

 

 

Audiopraise :: Specialist in digital electronics and signal processing

 

Those products look like they convert DSD to PCM with the Oppo. With the exaSound e28, you get native DSD output up to Quad DSD (DSD256). A better way to go.

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I recently purchased a Pioneer SC-LX87-K which was adverted to be capable of native DSD playback via HDMI, USB/MemoryStick, USB/ComputerAudioDriver and Network (DLNA server/UPNP). To cut a long thing short I found out the beast only supports 2.0 DSD natively over any of the above interfaces. Even the 5.1 DSD stream of a BD player connected over HDMI would be converted to multichannel PCM (@ 6x88 or 176kHz). WTF!

 

Apart from this drawback the Pioneer is a great sounding device with digital class D power amp stages - actually the first class D amp sounding better than my old Krell KSA-250s!

 

This leads me to the question wouldn't it be high time for an integrated digital amp capable of playing back 5.1 DSD from commonly used digital input sources? Such an integrated design would not need any format conversion nor decimation filters. There would only be needed the digital low pass filter in the class D stage. PCM sources would have to be converted to DSD instead - better than half-hearted oversampling and extra PCM processing of today's devices.

 

Well, I had a dream...

 

That would be an interesting product. For now, the only Integrated Amps with DSD output are 2 Channel only. Another example would be the Playback Designs IPS-3, an integrated amp with 2.0 DSD out.

 

Playback Designs » IPS-3 Integrated

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Could you use three inexpensive DSD DAC’s for multi-channel DSD playback?

 

 

Something like three Schiit Loki’s, or three iFi nano iDSD’s?

 

You'd need a driver written for the three inexpensive Stereo DACs that does channel mapping. Ted_B is the expert in this area - he's linked 3 low cost Mytek DSD DACs for Multichannel.

 

For best results with Multichannel DSD, get an exaSound e28 DAC.

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Interesting that 18 months later we don't seem to have made much progress on this. I'm actually trying to decide whether I add another iFi nano iDSD plus an iFi micro iDSD to my existing nano (for six channels but with the better micro on the front R&L speakers when I listen to just stereo) or just go with the exasound e-28 which still seems to be the only on-box solution for DSD.

 

Ted: I assume the Mytek ASIO driver won't do me any good with the iFi's?

 

Your best bet for 6 Channel sound is to have the same electronics for all channels. Having different DACs, some better and perhaps slightly different sounding than others, will mess up the balance of the recordings. So I would suggest using 3 iDSD Nanos, 3 iDSD Micros or 3 Mytek Stereo192-DSDs if that is the approach taken.

 

I applaud those music fans brave enough to link 3 Stereo DACs for Multichannel DSD playback. A little more adventurous than I would be. I bought an e28 from exaSound and haven't looked back. :)

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There's a post over on the Audio Circle that says you can stack 3 Hugos for Multichannel playback. I wonder if the Hugo folks will be posting instructions and a video on how to do this at home.

 

The stacking trend continues for non-exaSound e28 Multichannel fans!

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  • 8 months later...

The exaSound e28 is an an all-in-one solution for Multichannel music downloads. The Mytek can be made to work that way with 3 units and some driver magic. Most people will probably go for the all-in-one approach. (I did).

 

But we do have the Merging Technologies NADAC 8-Channel and 16-Channel DACs for the home market coming later in the year. So soon there will be another choice - although more expensive (starting at $7,500).

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  • 1 year later...
Kal,

Do you have any contacts or references for synching three 2 channel DACs?

I read the threads from several years ago concerning the Myteks.

 

You can also link/sync three 2 channel DACs from Playback Designs for Multichannel playback with their PL-LINK system.

 

That assumes that you are willing to use 3 Stereo DACs in a music system vs. a dedicated Multichannel DAC like the exasound e38 and the Merging Technologies MC-8 NADAC.

 

http://www.nativedsd.com/database

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You could also talk with Ted Smith at PS Audio. He has linked 3 PS Audio DirectStream DACs to the company's new DirectStream Memory Player to play Multichannel SACDs and discs. Interesting if your focus is on Multichannel Disc playback vs. file playback.

 

"With the DS Memory Player, PS Audio brings us a transport based on the Oppo Universal Disc player together with PS Audio designed audio circuitry. Also worth noting, the new player features 6 channels of coax and HDMI/I2S audio outputs that bring stereo and 6 channel audio from CD, SACD, DVD Video and DVD Audio discs into a PS Audio DirectStream DAC (without the need to rip the disc before playback) using a proprietary connection. Orders for the DS Memory Player start November 1st.

 

Audio Designer Ted Smith from PS Audio was at the product introduction and told me that he has one of the beta DS Memory Players in his home system connected to a trio of PS Audio DirectStream DACs, giving him Multichannel SACD playback via the DirectStream. "

 

Discoveries at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2016 - Positive Feedback

http://www.psaudio.com/products/directstream-memory-player/

http://www.psaudio.com/products/directstream-dac/

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  • 1 year later...
37 minutes ago, Chopin75 said:

Hi all,

 

I am new to M-ch  playback, joining u guys on this rare topic. And fascinated by multiple DAC method but I have some dumb questions. Some may have been answered but it is hard to figure all this in this long thread.

Ted, thanks for sharing your fascinating experiment. Do u mind explaining how the USB hub that I presume is split into 3 separate channels? And it needs a SOtm card to drive it ? 

And is there some clocking issue even with 3 identical DACs? So word clock for all is really needed?  PS audio can do M-ch using 3 DAC but they can use I2S

 

can audirvana for Mac only do the same ? I know it can use with MiniDSp Dio which splits USB To 8 ch AES/Spdif though I am not sure if the internal clock of the MAc or PC would be sufficient 

 

Another interesting choice for Multichannel playback is the exaSound e38 DAC.  It plays multichannel FLAC, DSD and DXD files.  Including multichannel DSD 256 files on the Mac with its special Mac drivers.  DSD 256 playback is not available with the Mac on most DACs - Stereo or Multichannel.  

 

 
 

https://www.exasound.com/e38/e38DACOverview.aspx

http://gear.nativedsd.com/product/exasound-e38-dac/ 

e38-perspective-800.png

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