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Mp3 to DSD Conversion


Mitch

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I wish to do off-line conversion of Mp3 files to DSD (or for that matter any PMC file to DSD).  Is there a freeware converter out there please.  I think it is possible using the Foobar dsd plug-in, but I think this only runs in J Rivers and may need an iFi DAC, neither of which I have.  There also may be a couple of professional audio software suites that could do the conversion but they are very expensive.  Ideally I would like to do it in Foobar.

 

Grateful for any advice.

 

thanks

Mitch

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Thanks guys  - I will try the search.  A very helpful member on Hydrogen Audio suggested that the new SoX on source forge does PMC - DSD so will try that too.  I am also told that the Foobar dsd plug in will do 'on the fly' conversion - but not sure how.  I had rather wanted to do it off-line and convert PMC files to DSD files.

 

It is interesting that no one on this forum, or Hydrogen Audio has actually said - 'yes, I have tried this and it does not work'.  What if (only a 'what it' you understand) that because of the way DSD is processed the conversion, although it dosn't produce a better sound, might produce a different sound (like some kind of filter) - a sound that some people might find more pleasing?  If that were so, would it not be worth trying to find out?  (Way out of my depth here, but for example, what if the way the noise floor is handled in DSD makes a small difference?).  The only people who seem to have actually tried it are the iFi team who have done blind listening tests and say that there is a difference:

 

https://ifi-audio.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/JRMC-MP3-to-DSD512.pdf

 

Mitch

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7 hours ago, gmgraves said:

I just have to ask. Why would you (or anybody for that matter) want to convert an MP3 file to DSD?

As I explained earlier, it was the iFi Technote that aroused my interest - generally I believe in the maxim that you cannot get something for nothing, and I certainly did not expect to be able to recover what was forever lost in the compression - but if, like a filter, the conversion made a difference of any sort, would the resultant sound be more pleasing to me - maybe enough to go back and listen to some of the mp3 files or 16/44.1 files I have and never open?  It would be very interesting if we could persuade the iFi guys to put their view - does anyone know them?

 

I have read the recent posts from marioed, yamamoto2002, pkane2001 and rando with great interest - thanks.  I am grateful to manser for his patience - I was not expecting Sox to have no user interface!  I am now embarking on a 'teach yourself' command line, as I have not used it before (that should keep me out of the way over Christmas).  The 41 pages of instructions that come with SoX are currently well beyond me!  Am I right in thinking though that manser's dsd .exe is like a plug-in for Sox or is it independent?

 

Mitch

 

 

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3 hours ago, MetalNuts said:

I am afraid that you are looking in the wrong place.  Most if not all members here prefer uncompressed files with at least 16/44.1 quality and most understand that it is not the format of the files matters most but the quality of the original recording.  A lossy format like MP3 cannot be made better by converting it to other loseless format. 

 

I'm with you.  I think I know as much about the quality of a recording as anyone - that is why for years I have been collecting, and spending a small fortune, on specific Decca, Columbia and EMI recordings, and latterly good quality SACDs.  That is why I rarely ever play 16/44.1 and never mp3.

 

However, whether I am in the 'wrong place': I think maybe not.  Where else would an analog dinosaur like me get the chance to pick the brains of some of the best informed computer audiophiles on the planet on a genuine computer audio question? Many of the posts on this thread have been very helpful and interesting.  I think CA is great.

 

But here's a question on performance and recording quality - would you sooner listen to a great performace/recording, even though it was subsequently compressed, as opposed to a mediocre HD recording?  This goes back to the old vinyl chestnut - are we listening to the sound or the music?

 

Mitch

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20 hours ago, marioed said:

Using HQPlayer I can definitely hear a difference when a PCM file is upsampled to DSD 128 or higher but I suspect the filters used are an important part of that difference.

 

I thought HDPlayer was for video - it obviously does audio as well, and supports upsampling?

 

Mitch

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