Korg vs Nano IDSD and audigate software

[Mike Mcsweeney]

I am doing some audio comparison between the nano IDSD and the Korg DS100.

I can tell little if any difference...but the testing is just beginning, and i don't have a quick switch method, so not really easy to tell even if there was slight differences.

 

One thing that is a lot more different though, is that any music played through audiogate software sounds better than foobar or jriver, but it may just be settings, but default settings sound a LOT better through audiogate.

 

One thing, and the main thing i am writing about is that in the audiogate software i am selecting ASIO, and when i select the KORG device, it gives me options up to 5.6mhz, whereas the nano only allows me to select options up to 192KHZ??? Nano website says it supports up to 5.6 mhz so not sure why i cant pick that sampling rate even though i am selecting the nano device driver.

 

I can't decide between the 2 which i want to keep. I know the nano seems to have better reviews although i am leaning toward the korg, if for no other reason than the software, as i can't "yet" hear any improvement of one over the other.

[Mike Mcsweeney]

Paul, anyone?

 

especially...

One thing, and the main thing i am writing about is that in the audiogate software i am selecting ASIO, and when i select the KORG device, it gives me options up to 5.6mhz, whereas the nano only allows me to select options up to 192KHZ??

[Bikutoru]

Audiogate will not be able to play DSD through any other DAC but KORG. I'm not sure but somewhere in this forum you can find something about macs not able to play native dsd without a true native driver. They do it in some compatibility mode, unless there is a driver to dac 'connection' (Decibel 1.3 - The First Audiophile Player with Mac OS X ASIO Support > exaSound Audio Design)

 

I briefly had iDSD micro and it sounded very pristine, but had a hiss in bit-perfect mode, so I had to return it and got KORG instead. Love it, it has the CS4398 chip used in many high/mid grade dacs, without the price tag. Through Audiogate it can do real-time upconversion to 5.6Mhz DSD, which works for some music and critical listening, but without Audiogate still can output everything to 192Khz

 

Most of current DACs sound great and it just up to you to make the decision which one you like, more convenient, has more features.

 

Another limitation of Korg that without a driver it will not even show on USB bus, when Nano does. Unless you use a Unix(no unix driver) flavor it does not matter.

[Mike Mcsweeney]

Audiogate will not be able to play DSD through any other DAC but KORG.

 

Why is that, and are you sure? I am sure PAUL R has stated he plays DSD through an IDSD nano (hope he chimes in?). In audiogate you can select the IFI IDSD driver in the drop down if you select ASIO, so i would think you should be able to play 5.6mhz through it?

 

PAUL??

 

Another question. If I am playing a flac file (using the korg), and i pick the 5.6mhz sample rate, is that what people are suggesting is converting to DSD? e.g. if it says playing at 5.6mhz, then it is outputting DSD through the analog ports? And if i select 192 then it is PCM? Even if the file i am playing is a dff file?

[Paul R]

Why is that, and are you sure? I am sure PAUL R has stated he plays DSD through an IDSD nano (hope he chimes in?). In audiogate you can select the IFI IDSD driver in the drop down if you select ASIO, so i would think you should be able to play 5.6mhz through it?

 

PAUL??

 

Another question. If I am playing a flac file (using the korg), and i pick the 5.6mhz sample rate, is that what people are suggesting is converting to DSD? e.g. if it says playing at 5.6mhz, then it is outputting DSD through the analog ports? And if i select 192 then it is PCM? Even if the file i am playing is a dff file?

 

Since you are using Windows with an ASIO driver, the driver might be specific to the Korg. Install the iFi ASIO driver, and all the output options should be available for you. The iFi certainly does accept DSZd natively and the Micro goes up to quad DSD.

 

On the Mac, you do not need a special driver, DSD will be available fot the iFi. It will inly go to DSD256 at this time, as the DSD is sent as DOP - which is nkt a compatibilly mode, just a different transmission format over the USB line. Still DSD though.

 

I do not have any hiss or other noise from the iDSDs either under Windows or MacOS.

 

Yours,

Paul

[Bikutoru]

Why is that, and are you sure? I am sure PAUL R has stated he plays DSD through an IDSD nano (hope he chimes in?). In audiogate you can select the IFI IDSD driver in the drop down if you select ASIO, so i would think you should be able to play 5.6mhz through it?

If you can select it and play it, that's great. I'm on a mac, I know I cannot simply play dsd to Korg from any other software, it just downsamples it and I can see it on Korg's LED lights, only Audiogate goes all the way. I also read somewhere that Korg does not use DOP, but its driver does native DSD to Korg.

 

When you select the IFI IDSD driver and play a DSD file, do you see any of the most right LEDS on KORG lit?