Can some one with technical background explain this to me please?

[iamimdoc]

My initial issue was trying to play SACD iso files. My CAPS 1 atom processor would bog down when trying to get Jriver to convert on the fly. I got buffering issues, hiccoughs, delays, etc. Not workable.

 

I bought an IFI NANO DAC. My _assumption_ was that the device would do some of the heavy lifting and make the music playable. This does work, ie no buffering, delays, etc. Great.

 

There were some initial install issues responded to by the manufacturers and the reseller Music Direct (both very helpful). One is as follows:

 

"Quick point of clarification here; the computer is entirely responsible for supplying the data to the DAC, whereas DACs, for the most part, are passive, meaning they only "receive" input and don't send anything back up the chain. So, if the computer isn't up to the job, you're going to have glitches."

 

So, if the prior quote is correct, how is that the there are no longer any buffering issues, delays, hesitations, etc?. Same computer as before. Same NAS. Same network.

 

Thanks

[Jabs1542]

What were you using as your DAC prior to the iFi Nano?

[Paul R]

I suspect that JRMC is no longer converting the files that it sends to the DAC, merely sending them along in their "native" format. A lot less work on the computer.

 

Would need to know more details about your setup, and as Jabs1542 mentioned, your previous DAC to tell you more.

 

Yours,

-Paul

[audiventory]

My initial issue was trying to play SACD iso files. My CAPS 1 atom processor would bog down when trying to get Jriver to convert on the fly. I got buffering issues, hiccoughs, delays, etc. Not workable.

 

May be need split iso to dff/dsf for remove additional load of on fly iso conversion?

 

Here free iso2dsf splitter by Bogi http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f11-software/how-do-you-store-dff-untagged-files-21780/index8.html#post359964

[Audio_ELF]

Is everyone ignoring the elephant in the room??

 

My initial issue was trying to play SACD iso files. My CAPS 1 atom processor would bog down when trying to get Jriver to convert on the fly. I got buffering issues, hiccoughs, delays, etc. Not workable.

You don't say what your previous DAC was - but it sounds (to my) that you have replaced a PCM only DAC with a DSD capable (iFi Nano iDSD) DAC.

 

In the earlier situation, to play the SACD ISO files J.River had to first strip the DSD data out of the ISO file (a simple processing task) and then convert it to PCM (a complicated processing task).

 

Now you have the iFi Nano iDSD, J.River only has to carry out the first (simple) processing.

 

Eloise

[YashN]

And you may find the extracted DSD file sounds better too...

 

 

May be need split iso to dff/dsf for remove additional load of on fly iso conversion?

 

Here free iso2dsf splitter by Bogi http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f11-software/how-do-you-store-dff-untagged-files-21780/index8.html#post359964

[mav52]

Is everyone ignoring the elephant in the room??

 

 

You don't say what your previous DAC was - but it sounds (to my) that you have replaced a PCM only DAC with a DSD capable (iFi Nano iDSD) DAC.

 

In the earlier situation, to play the SACD ISO files J.River had to first strip the DSD data out of the ISO file (a simple processing task) and then convert it to PCM (a complicated processing task).

 

Now you have the iFi Nano iDSD, J.River only has to carry out the first (simple) processing.

 

Eloise

 

Interesting 3 days since the lad asked for help and no response from the OP since, maybe he found his problem

[Jabs1542]

Is everyone ignoring the elephant in the room??

 

Funny, I thought the elephant was going to be the fact that he didn't have a DAC and was using the analog outs of the PC's sound card.

[Allan F]

Is everyone ignoring the elephant in the room??

 

You don't say what your previous DAC was - but it sounds (to my) that you have replaced a PCM only DAC with a DSD capable (iFi Nano iDSD) DAC.

 

In the earlier situation, to play the SACD ISO files J.River had to first strip the DSD data out of the ISO file (a simple processing task) and then convert it to PCM (a complicated processing task).

 

Now you have the iFi Nano iDSD, J.River only has to carry out the first (simple) processing.

 

Eloise

 

I believe that you probably have hit the nail on the head, Eloise. The Atom processor hasn't got anywhere near the power to do DSD to PCM (or PCM to DSD) conversion on the fly. OTOH, without knowing what the previous DAC was...

[iamimdoc]

I have been busy and no one answered for the first few days and thus I thought there would be no answers. Glad there are.

 

The prior DAC was a High Resolutions Technology device, PCM only. When playing SACD iso files, it would play for 30" or so and then get into buffering issues.

 

The pc is underpowered, scores low on the jriver processing power scale, etc. I am pretty sure it is most of the problem. My assumption was that the new device would offload much of the processing from the PC

 

Per Audio_Elf

"

In the earlier situation, to play the SACD ISO files J.River had to first strip the DSD data out of the ISO file (a simple processing task) and then convert it to PCM (a complicated processing task)."

 

I presume this means the new DAC is doing the latter processing task (which is why everything works)

 

But as I stated at the outset, the rep for the product states

 

"Quick point of clarification here; the computer is entirely responsible for supplying the data to the DAC, whereas DACs, for the most part, are passive, meaning they only "receive" input and don't send anything back up the chain. So, if the computer isn't up to the job, you're going to have glitches."

 

I interpreted that to mean no processing is done by the DAC.

 

I presume I was incorrect in my interpretation and the DAC is doing lots of processing; hence the mystery (to me at least) is solved.

[Audio_ELF]

Per Audio_Elf

"In the earlier situation, to play the SACD ISO files J.River had to first strip the DSD data out of the ISO file (a simple processing task) and then convert it to PCM (a complicated processing task)."

 

I presume this means the new DAC is doing the latter processing task (which is why everything works)

 

But as I stated at the outset, the rep for the product states

 

"Quick point of clarification here; the computer is entirely responsible for supplying the data to the DAC, whereas DACs, for the most part, are passive, meaning they only "receive" input and don't send anything back up the chain. So, if the computer isn't up to the job, you're going to have glitches."

 

I interpreted that to mean no processing is done by the DAC.

 

I presume I was incorrect in my interpretation and the DAC is doing lots of processing; hence the mystery (to me at least) is solved.

To use a perhaps inaccurate analogy but to get the idea...

 

When you are playing DSD files to your Nano iDSD DAC; is like asking someone (an English speaking) to read Shakespere's Sonnet 18 out loud. The Sonnet is displayed on screen for you to read and thats a simple task for the computer.

 

On the other hand, when playing the same DSD file to a PCM only DAC is like asking someone who only speaks French to read the same Sonnet. In this case you ask the computer to translate it to French first. This translation is then displayed on screen for the reader - as you can imagine this is a more complicated task for the computer.

 

In both cases the reader just reads what is on screen - in the same way as the DAC just converts the data the computer sends to an analogue sound waveform.

 

Eloise

[firedog]

You are correct - your ATOM processor can't handlle converting DSD to PCM on the fly. But it is more than capable of simple playback of DSD; so playback to the iFi device works fine, playback to PCM DAC doesn't, as it requires the file conversion your PC can't really do.

[iamimdoc]

Thanks

 

Pleasant Thanksgiving to those in/out of the US