DSD (Direct Stream Digital)
DSD (Direct Stream Digital) is a 1-bit high-sample-rate digital audio format used on SACD discs. DSD64 samples at 2.8 MHz; DSD256 at 11.3 MHz. Audiophile-favored format but converts to PCM for playback on most DACs.
DSD is a 1-bit digital audio format developed by Sony/Philips for SACD. Instead of the multi-bit samples used in PCM, DSD uses a single bit at extremely high sample rates.
DSD rates
- DSD64 – 2.822 MHz, native SACD rate
- DSD128 – 5.6 MHz
- DSD256 – 11.3 MHz (max supported by most modern DACs)
Playback reality
Most DACs convert DSD to PCM internally before analog conversion (called “DSD-to-PCM conversion”). Only a small number of “native DSD” DACs process it in the 1-bit domain. Whether native DSD sounds different from converted DSD is debated.
Where to get it
Nativemedia, Blue Coast Records, Acoustic Sounds, Qobuz (limited). SACD rips (own the disc). Most streaming services don’t carry DSD.
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