exaSound e18 - e20 - e28 - Info and Experiences Post All Here

[Miska]

Since the modulator is the heart of the DAC, I assume you mean that HQP is modeling the modulator's behavior and adjusting for it.

 

When you upsample to DSD, there's a software modulator in HQPlayer. In optimal case this means that DACs own oversampling filters and modulator are bypassed and the DAC actually does only digital-to-analog conversion without performing any DSP operations.

 

Sabre will always perform some amount of DSP, but with DSD input large block of processing is bypassed compared to PCM.

[Stereolab42]

When you upsample to DSD, there's a software modulator in HQPlayer. In optimal case this means that DACs own oversampling filters and modulator are bypassed and the DAC actually does only digital-to-analog conversion without performing any DSP operations.

 

Sabre will always perform some amount of DSP, but with DSD input large block of processing is bypassed compared to PCM.

 

What DSP is Sabre doing on DSD input precisely? I know it must convert to multibit, but does that count?

[Miska]

What DSP is Sabre doing on DSD input precisely? I know it must convert to multibit, but does that count?

 

Remodulation for volume control... I just count any digital manipulation as DSP.

[Stereolab42]

Remodulation for volume control... I just count any digital manipulation as DSP.

 

But if you have attenuation set to 0.0dB on the exaSounds, from what George says the unit is not telling the Sabre to do any volume manipulation. So in that case would you say the Sabre is playing DSD "bit-perfectly"?

[Bunpei]

But if you have attenuation set to 0.0dB on the exaSounds, from what George says the unit is not telling the Sabre to do any volume manipulation. So in that case would you say the Sabre is playing DSD "bit-perfectly"?

 

Regardless of any setting of volume control, Sabre32 does not play DSD when you set "FIR ( a part of DSP function) disabled".

The chip apparently converts 1 bit delta-sigma modulated signal to 65 level delta-sigma modulated signal of MCLK/64 sampling frequency. I'm afraid whether this conversion fits to your definition on "bit-perfect" or not.

[Miska]

The chip apparently converts 1 bit delta-sigma modulated signal to 65 level delta-sigma modulated signal of MCLK/64 sampling frequency. I'm afraid whether this conversion fits to your definition on "bit-perfect" or not.

 

That doesn't quite match with my measurements... Look at the required MCLK ratio for OSF, OSF-bypass and DSD modes. In Sabre DSD goes through 3rd order IIR, with those selectable normalized corner frequencies. However, I have to refine my theory on what happens then, because the information doesn't add up with what I thought would happen... I think I know, but have to do some simulation first to confirm.

 

That 64x ratio is mentioned there, because that is used later in the document to express the normalized IIR corner points.

[Hiro]

The chip apparently converts 1 bit delta-sigma modulated signal to 65 level delta-sigma modulated signal of MCLK/64 sampling frequency.

 

Do you know whether the ESS chip can be configured to accept a direct 6-bit delta sigma digital stream?

[Bunpei]

Do you know whether the ESS chip can be configured to accept a direct 6-bit delta sigma digital stream?

 

There are no input pins to accept 6-bit parallel input signal lines.

[Hiro]

There are no input pins to accept 6-bit parallel input signal lines.

 

Thanks for the info. It looks like Miska's DSC1 is the only DSD DAC that can be configured to accept such signal at the moment.

[Stereolab42]

So one downside of an exaSound is that the ASIO drivers don't expose a traditional audio device in Windows Sound, which means you can't redirect other computer sound through the DAC even if you want to (such as YouTube, etc.) After some Googling I discovered a free product called "ASIO Bridge" which exposes a virtual sound driver that can redirect audio to any ASIO device:

 

VB-Audio Virtual Apps

 

It works like a charm. All you need to do to switch between hires audio from, say, JRiver, and YouTube/Pandora/etc. is to stop JRiver playback, and click a button in the ASIO Bridge control panel.

 

(I would humbly suggest that exaSound add the capability to expose a traditional sound device to make the playing of non-hires audio sources easier. You can always run a TOSLINK cable from your existing sound card to the exaSound's digital input, but that requires a physical cable, of course, plus you need to change the exaSound's input selection.)

[Kal Rubinson]

So one downside of an exaSound is that the ASIO drivers don't expose a traditional audio device in Windows Sound, which means you can't redirect other computer sound through the DAC even if you want to (such as YouTube, etc.) After some Googling I discovered a free product called "ASIO Bridge" which exposes a virtual sound driver that can redirect audio to any ASIO device:

Interesting. I was thinking about getting that at the suggestion of George Klissarov but, turns out, I don't need it. I use Dirac which does expose itself and works as you describe for ASIO Bridge. It also does EQ.

 

BTW, how does ASIO Bridge do with DSD?

 

(I would humbly suggest that exaSound add the capability to expose a traditional sound device to make the playing of non-hires audio sources easier. You can always run a TOSLINK cable from your existing sound card to the exaSound's digital input, but that requires a physical cable, of course, plus you need to change the exaSound's input selection.)

Changing the input is trivial.

[Stereolab42]

Interesting. I was thinking about getting that at the suggestion of George Klissarov but, turns out, I don't need it. I use Dirac which does expose itself and works as you describe for ASIO Bridge. It also does EQ.

 

BTW, how does ASIO Bridge do with DSD?

 

It doesn't. Well, I suppose it could do DSD over DoP (for non-exaSound DACs that support DoP), but there is really no point, since any playback software capable of DSD playback supports ASIO. I would also imagine that if someday more mass-market apps like Pandora or Spotify add DSD streaming support, they would also simultaneously add ASIO support.

 

Changing the input is trivial.

 

Given the exaSound's Apple IR remote support, it is very easy. But it's even easier to just do everything from the PC with a mouse and not need to have a remote lying around. Another feature request: exaSound should add input selection as an option to their existing Windows control panel, which already lets you control volume.

[bmoura]

The exaSound blog mentions that the e28 has received Stereophile Recommended Component status in their Fall 2014 listings:

 

e28 DAC: A+ category, Digital Processors

 

e28 DAC: A category, Surround-Sound Components

 

See the blog post at http://www.exasound.com/Blog/tabid/74/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/160/e28-DAC-Stereophile-Recommended-A-Digital-Processor.aspx

 

Congrats to the exaSound team!

[ted_b]

Well deserved, George and team!!

[jtwrace]

Can someone explain the nomenclature to me? Which is the superior 2 ch dac in the lineup that does DSD?

[ted_b]

Jason,

Currently the exaSound DACs all do DSD up to DSD256, and are:

e20 (2 channel; RCA and XLR)

e22 (upgraded version of e20, with full size USB in, and higher quality XLR and RCA outs)

e28 (8 channel, rca or mini-XLR)

 

exaSound Audio Design > Start Here > Compare Specifications

 

George has a couple other things up his sleeve.

 

To specifically answer your question, the e22.

[jtwrace]

Jason,

Currently the exaSound DACs all do DSD up to DSD256, and are:

e20 (2 channel; RCA and XLR)

e22 (upgraded version of e20, with full size USB in, and higher quality XLR and RCA outs)

e28 (8 channel, rca or mini-XLR)

That helps! Thanks.

George has a couple other things up his sleeve.

Such as?

 

To specifically answer your question, the e22.

Thanks again.

[bmoura]

George has a couple other things up his sleeve.

 

George and the exaSound team have long sleeves!

 

As more DSD256 music downloads appear on line over at Native DSD - such as the 20 Yarlung Artists albums (Stereo DSD256) Ted mentioned recently and the new Iso Mike recordings (Stereo & Multichannel DSD 256) - having DSD256 playback in Stereo and Multichannel in a DAC will become much more important.

 

Not surprisingly, as other DAC makers are still offering single rate DSD (DSD64) and double rate DSD (DSD128), exaSound has already covered all of those bases with their e28 DAC.

 

Way to go exaSound.

[johndoe21ro]

It sure does feel better to know that we're covered, at least for a while... although I doubt DSD512 is practical, judging by the huge sizes of such DSD files. HDD's are cheaper than ever but I still like to use a SSD for critical applications such as computer audiophile software and music files.

[bmoura]

It sure does feel better to know that we're covered, at least for a while... although I doubt DSD512 is practical, judging by the huge sizes of such DSD files. HDD's are cheaper than ever but I still like to use a SSD for critical applications such as computer audiophile software and music files.

 

For now, DSD512 is limited to the world of upsampling DSD and PCM music files to that level of resolution. Next up would be using DSD512 as a production tool - although Pyramix and the others are limited to DSD256 and lower today. We will see what's ahead...

[ted_b]

Yes, one of the limitations of DSD256 and higher is the fact that any sweetening or EQ needed in Pyramix is still done at DXD 352.8k, which for DSD64 isn't bad (8x fold down) but for higher DSD versions becomes quite a penalty. DXD 705.6k and above is the next step in Pyramix EQ needs, so that these DSD formats can be edited with somewhat equivalent tools. Simple time slicing (or pre-mastering in analog) is not an issue, of course.

[Hiro]

Sabre will always perform some amount of DSP, but with DSD input large block of processing is bypassed compared to PCM.

 

And the DSP is reportedly done at DSD sampling rates, without PCM decimation and downsampling to low rate PCM.

[bmoura]

Lynn Olson of Positive Feedback Online says his Favorite Room at the recent Rocky Mountain Audio Festival was exaSound - playing selections from the Native DSD web store on their e20 and e28 DACs with a Bryston 9SST Multichannel Amp and 5 Magnepan 1.7 Loudspeakers. Congratulations to George at exaSound for putting together the system that won the kudos!

 

Lynn Olson RMAF 2014

[Fitzcaraldo215]

So one downside of an exaSound is that the ASIO drivers don't expose a traditional audio device in Windows Sound, which means you can't redirect other computer sound through the DAC even if you want to (such as YouTube, etc.) After some Googling I discovered a free product called "ASIO Bridge" which exposes a virtual sound driver that can redirect audio to any ASIO device:

 

VB-Audio Virtual Apps

 

It works like a charm. All you need to do to switch between hires audio from, say, JRiver, and YouTube/Pandora/etc. is to stop JRiver playback, and click a button in the ASIO Bridge control panel.

 

(I would humbly suggest that exaSound add the capability to expose a traditional sound device to make the playing of non-hires audio sources easier. You can always run a TOSLINK cable from your existing sound card to the exaSound's digital input, but that requires a physical cable, of course, plus you need to change the exaSound's input selection.)

 

 

That is also now a feature of JRiver 20.

 

NEW: WDM Driver (use MC for browser audio now)

 

So, all Windows sound can now be directed to JR, as a default virtual sound card, which should be able to then output to your ExaSound or, like me, to Dirac Live then my e28. I have not tried it and I am not sure if I need it, but I might in future. In my case, that means that bass management which I apply in JR DSP Studio will also be properly applied to any non-JR sources.

 

And, boy oh boy, am I loving my sound via the e28 and Dirac Live. George has quoted me, with my permission, of course:

 

exaSound Audio Design > Blog > Testimonials

[bmoura]

That is also now a feature of JRiver 20.

 

NEW: WDM Driver (use MC for browser audio now)

 

So, all Windows sound can now be directed to JR, as a default virtual sound card, which should be able to then output to your ExaSound or, like me, to Dirac Live then my e28. I have not tried it and I am not sure if I need it, but I might in future. In my case, that means that bass management which I apply in JR DSP Studio will also be properly applied to any non-JR sources.

 

And, boy oh boy, am I loving my sound via the e28 and Dirac Live. George has quoted me, with my permission, of course:

 

exaSound Audio Design > Blog > Testimonials

 

The great thing about the e28 is it plays every DSD and PCM download out there - Stereo or Multichannel, Single - Double and Quad Rate DSD, etc.

 

So whether you are on Native DSD, DSD File, Blue Coast, HD Tracks, etc. etc. the e28 plays them all. It's the swiss army knife of DACs!