How to play DSD | 12 FREE DSD Player Software Items [2019] Check now

DSD player is software that designed to playback Direct Stream Digital audio files (.dsf, .dff, sacd iso, DoP). Look at free and commercial DSD player software (Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS for iPhone, iPad) comparison list at this page.

Sound quality

Bit-perfect mode

DSD files may be played back in bit-perfect modes:

• DSD file (DSF, DFF, SACD ISO);
• DoP (DSD over PCM) file (FLAC, WAV, AIFF, other lossless PCM files).

Bit-perfect mean transmitting of audio file content to DAC without altering.

Gapless playback

When uninterrupted albums (operas, concerts) are listened, non-gapless playback can cause clicks at track borders.

Gapless playback mean playback album as solid stream without re-initialization of DAC.

If album converted from one audio format to other with resampling, it can cause artefacts at track borders. To avoid the artefacts, True Gapless conversion may be used.

Offline conversion mode

With bit-perfect mode you can playback offline pre-converted audio files (including PCM to DSD). This mode don't consume additional computing resources for altering of audio file. Also it save electrical energy that is spent to the processing.

Many of digital audio players (DAP) capable to playback at stereo headphones. But some your records may be multichannel.

When DAP play multichannel record it downmix it to 2.0. Downmixing is lossy operation and it sound quality depend on implementation.

Also extra channels consume free space on hard disk of the DAP. Offline pre-downmixed to stereo files allow to put more songs at hard disk.

If file played back on mobile device in bit-perfect mode or with minimal processings, it allow:

1. to save battery charge;
2. to get longer time of autonomous work;
3. to get more computing resources for other (not audio player) applications.

Inline conversion mode

DSD and PCM files may be played back with inline (real-time, "on-fly") altering of audio content:

• with DSD resampling;
• with room correction;
• with conversion DSD to PCM on PCM DAC.

This mode allow to save time for pre-converting of various audio files to the best sounding mode of DAC. But each playback can consume big computing resources to resolution conversion and other processings.

Real-time playback conversion DSD to PCM on a mobile devices consume additional battery charge and part of the device CPU performance. It can cause lesser time of autonomous work and reduce response of other (non-player) applications.

Inline (real-time) vs offline conversion
of audio files on mobile devices

Offline conversion of audio files give longer battery life time because a mobile device perform lesser calculation number.

Also pre-downmix, pre-conversion DSD to PCM, pre-downsampling save free space at hard disk of the mobile device.

DAC interfaces

To DSD playback (including bit-perfect) under Windows, DAC may be connected to audio player via ASIO driver or DoP protocol.

Also WASAPI (with DoP) interface may be used to playback (including bit-perfect).

DoP is special open protocol to coding DSD into PCM audio stream. The stream can not be played back as PCM.

To DSD playback under Mac, DAC may be connected to audio player via DoP protocol.

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What is the best DSD player

In audiophile application the players are compared by sound quality.

If the player have bit perfect mode and used DAC support played file resolution, sound quality is the same for such players.

But, if audio resolution is altered or EQ is used, then applied processing quality is matter.

In general, the best DSD player with processing should cause minimal distortions.

Also kind of distortions may be matter.

DSD player list

WARNING: This table can contains errors. It is not offer or advertizing. We are not affiliated with listed products. We guarantee nothing. If you found wrong information, contact us, please. To get exact information, contact with the software developers and/or vendors.

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