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Does anybody know if PS3 converts DSD to PCM even if using 2-channel analog output? I was excited to get a PS3 that plays SACD, but then I remembered there are a lot of devices out there that convert DSD to PCM instead of DSD -> analog.
Okay, so now the question is which connection type BESIDES HDMI will give the best sound quality? From the PS3 SACD site:
"With system software v 2.00, if you’ve got an AV Receiver without HDMI PS3 can convert multichannel SA-CD to multichannel DTS for you and feed it to the optical digital output. If you disable DTS out it will output PCM stereo, also during multichannel SA-CD playback. The output frequency is 48kHz.
In version 2.01 however, DSD-to-DTS conversion is disabled again. Optical output from SA-CD remains supported but in 16-bit 44.1 kHz stereo PCM only."
The first question is when using analog out is it DSD -> 24/176.4 PCM -> Analog or is it also "dumbed down" to 48Khz or 16/44.1 PCM as is the case with TosLink?
I do not have a receiver with HDMI input, but do have a good outboard DAC (no DTS/DD decoding though). Would I be better off using TosLink to feed the DAC a 16/44.1 PCM stream (well gee, at that point it's no better than RBCD) or going with analog straight into the amp?
I guess if the only way to get even 24/176.4 PCM is through HDMI, then SACD on PS3 is a bust for me.
Go with analog, by all means. The optical output on PS3 is fairly useless for SACD playback.
PS: why ask the question here instead of there?
The PS3s which play SACDs convert DSD to 176.4kHz PCM when you are using the analog output. Via HDMI,you can tell it to convert to different PCM sampling rates, as not all HDMI receivers can handle 176.4kHz.
Damn, well that sucks. How did you find this out? Is the SQ anywhere near DSD -> analog, or at least better than redbook? Thanks for the reply.
Yes, sound quality is virtually the same as DSD and *way* better than Red Book -- provided your receiver is capable enough. If so, you'll get 5.1-channel 24-bit 176.4 kHz PCM, with a resolution comparable to DSD. This as opposed to 2-channel 16-bit 44.1 kHz PCM...
Try here:
Doesn't say anything about whether or not analog out is first converted to PCM from DSD, only that it can't output a pure DSD digital stream.
Now that I read it again, been a long time, I see it doesn't exactly. But if you read between all the lines...
I would not worry about the conversion before the PS3 analog outputs too much. This is the worst way to listen to any audio on this player (though CD over HDMI rates down there). So whether the DSD is converted to PCM before analog or not, that is hardly the worst effect in the analog output path (i.e. the analog audio output cicuitry).
So if PS3 did what I wanted it to do, do you think DSD-> PCM-> Outboard DAC-> Amp would be better than DSD-> Analog-> Amp?
Probably, hard to say. IIRC the digital (non-HDMI) SACD output is only 16/44.1 but you may be able to do something with it with an external DAC to make it sound better... The best way for SACD with the PS3 seems to be over HDMI. SACD was an afterthought, like a throw-in, and its handling by the PS3 has gone through some screwing around. If SACD playback is important to you, IMO this is not the player. I do not find it very competent with CD/SACD playback, yet it is fairly decent with the audio on DVD/BD over HDMI...strange. Sony is secretive about what exactly's going on in the guts, but the PS3 is definitely much better as a video disc player (even if it's an "audio" video disc). Many other DVDPs that play SACD also convert DSD to PCM over HDMI, and I think the few BDPs that play them do also, so it's not just a Sony thing.
Edits: 04/16/09
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