The demodulator is a low-frequency filter.
Such FLAC may be played back without MQA-decoding.Īs rule, PCM DAC is intended for FLAC playback, is based on a sigma-delta modulator and demodulator. The FLAC is used because it contains a metadata standard way.įLAC file-container also can contain MQA-compressed audio stuff. To avoid unpacking, uncompressed FLAC is used. But there is the opinion (without objective evidence, known for the author), that computing for FLAC uncompressing causes additional electromagnetic interference of a computer (or a playback device), that degrades the sound. DSF has no size compression ability.įLAC format is intended for size compression primarily.
It is implemented in DFF and SACD ISO files. The aforementioned figures depend on implementation.ĭST (Direct Stream Transfer) is a size compression method for DSD audio stuff. Higher DSD sampling rate allows expanding this low-level noise band. Above this band noise level grows with frequency. As rule, DSD64, has minimum noise levels in the band below 20. The range reserve causes useful DSD audio band reduction, comparing /2 band of PCM.ĭSD is intended for audible range transmission. The range reserve may be added by a higher sample rate. To improve the ratio, noise energy is pushed out of the audible frequency range.īit depth reducing demands frequency range reserve for noise energy pushing. But it causes huge quantization error noise and a low signal-noise ratio. Further, we consider the difference in the modulations.īit depth of DSD is reduced to 1 bit. Or kind of analog signal coding to digital form. The main difference between FLAC and DSD is a kind of musical signal modulation. And there are many details, that are invisible at first sight. As a result, they can discuss "what is better" indefinitely.Īnd it is only one of several control goals, when the listening test is performed. But other person has louder DSD output and prefer DSD. In instance, one person has louder PCM output and likes FLAC more. Otherwise, we risk getting "better quality" for louder DAC or DAC mode.
It allows avoiding an imaginary sound difference due to various levels. So, before tests, it is necessary to compensate the level variance between DSD and PCM outputs to 0.1.
But we can get some impression of sound or audio quality difference. The variance may be considered as almost unlistenable as level difference.
2 dB variance between DSD and PCM circuits or software processing, in instance. other PCM and DSD album variants at home, it is easy to get sound difference due to 0.5. When we try to compare FLAC / WAV / AIFF. Because each case should be studied apart.
Thus, it is impossible to say for every case: what sounds better DSD or FLAC. FLAC is certain application of PCM.Īll these variables are defined by an implementation. To be technically correct, we compare implementations of both formats. What is PCM vs DSD? It's almost the same FLAC vs DSD. How 1-bit is allowable in Hi-Res audio read below.ĭSD may be stored as DoP (DSD over PCM) into a lossless PCM container (FLAC, WAV, AIFF, etc.).ĭSD has implementations: DSF, DFF, SACD optical disk, SACD ISO file (image of SACD optical disk), DoP. 1 bit is too low even for 2.8 MHz and higher frequencies.
And bit depth is reduced from FLAC's 16/24/ 32 bit to minimal 1 bit for Direct Stream Digital format. DSD sample rate is significantly higher than FLAC and other PCM (WAV, AIFF, etc.). What is a DSD in audio?ĭSD ( Direct Stream Digital) is an audio recording or stream format by Sony, Philips. WAV and FLAC also may be used container file, that contains compressed and uncompressed PCM and DSD in DoP.ĭSD (SACD, DSF, DFF).
What is FLAC format?įLAC ( Free Lossless Audio Codec) is an audio file-container format and compression method of recording or stream.įLAC, WAV, AIFF are lossless implementations of PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) format.