Step-by-step guide
Native DSD playback
Frequently Asked Questions
Step-by-step guide
Native DSD playback
Frequently Asked Questions
Audio Basis - articles about audio
Foobar2000 is an audio player freeware. It can be used for listening to DSD audio files for Windows. Read the step-by-step guide on how to play downloaded DSD files (.dsf, .dff, sacd iso) via foobar2000 player software with plugins.
Super Audio CD (optical disc) can not be played back on a computer disk drive. However, SACD may be ripped to SACD ISO file.
Keep reading.
To play SACD ISO or DSF (DSD files) in foobar2000 audio player software:
Read how to rip Super Audio CD...
To playback DFF files in foobar 2000 program should be configured:
Foobar2000 DSD native playback is playing in the bit-perfect mode. Audio file's content is delivered to digital-to-analog converter (DAC) without changes.
Remark: In this mode, DSD audio is transmitted to the DAC as DoP.
Read how to play at DSD DAC >
In this part, we discuss general audio playback issues without referring to certain software.
As an initial point, we have digital-to-analog converter (DAC)'s supported audio format:
Some DACs support both audio formats.
DAC may be implemented as:
Playing DSF, DFF SACD ISO (DSD files) on PCM DAC may be performed 2 ways:
If DSD files are played back at DSD DAC, offline or real-time resampling (at some playback software) may be applied.
When we use way #1, we no need to do something with files.
Way #2 may be preferable, if an offline conversion sound quality is better than a real-time one.
A backup of original audio files is recommended for offline conversion. Because:
Sample rate and bit depth of played back file may be a matter for a player software (except bit-perfect mode) and equipment (including DAC). Read details >
Sound quality may be compared via measurements or via hearing.
See the comparison of these ways (infographics) >
Some SACD ISO files contain 2.0 and 5.1 channel variants of an album. If your audio system is stereo, you have options:
Downmixing is a transformation of multichannel audio to stereo.
In general case, there is no mathematically precise option. Downmixing is a subject of art, primarily.
Dolby Atmos allows adapting music to channel number. But, it's another case.
The first option is preferable because we can suppose, that "human-mixed" stereo variant is better than an "auto-mixed" one.
But there is no guarantee, that it is so for any case.
Also, the quality of an automatic downmix depends on implementation.
Downmix may be done inline, during playback.
Check now:
Need to install foo_input_sacd plugin and restart the software.
In version 1.3.16 with the DSD input plugin v. 1.0.10 DSD512 is supported to playback at PCM DAC.
Yes. Foobar can play DSD. Read how to play DSD with Foobar...
Foobar2000 can't play physical SACD. However, it can playback SACD ISO file.
SACD ISO is ripped image of SACD.
You can play DSD with Foobar2000 according to the guide...
DSD may be played on Foobar 2000 according to this manual...
You can read the guide on how to play DFF on Foobar...
To set up DSD in Foobar2000 you can use these guides:
To open .dsf files you can use programs:
Read how to edit DSF files...
DSD may be played with Foobar natively, without conversion to PCM. Read more...
Yes. Phones can play DSD with compatible audio player software. DSD playback may be applied in several ways...
As far as the author knows, VLC software still doesn't play DSF audio files. See discussion...
You can open SACD ISO file via foobar2000 or another compatible DSD player...
Also, SACD ISO file may be extracted to DSD or PCM files...
SACD optical disk can be opened via SACD player device.
There is no common-available SACD optical drives for computers.
Except for some SONY's laptops.
How to rip SACD optical disk read here...
To play DSF files you need DSD players software...
You can play DSD files with music players software...
Yes. Foobar2000 plays DSD files. Read guide...
Read how to play DSF via foobar2000...
Foobar software can play DSF files. Read guide...
Foobar2000 is capable to play .dsf and other DSD files. Read guide...
Read how to play DSD on Foobar natively here...
Yes, Foobar2000 supports DSF audio files. Read guide...
DSD music files are audio files that contain Direct Stream Digital content.
Read more...
DSF file is one of DSD file types. Read details...
DFF file one of DSD file types. Read details...
DSDIFF is DFF audio file. Read details...
SACD ISO is one of DSD file types. It is an image of SACD optical disk.
Read how to rip SACD to SACD ISO...
As the author knows, VLC doesn't play DSF. Read about details and the current state...
Yes. Foobar can play DSD sound format (DSF, DFF, SACD ISO). Read the quick start guide...
Foobar audio player is capable to play SACD ISO files.
Read the guide...
Yes. Foobar2000 can play DSD files (DSF, DFF, SACD ISO). Read the manual...
You can't play SACD optical disk on foobar2000. But, you can rip the SACD to a SACD ISO file.
Read the playback guide...
Read the guide on how to play DFF files with foobar2000...
Read how to play DFF:
You can play .dff audio files with compatible player software. Check out the music player list...
Read:
SACD may not be played on ordinary optical disk drive. As the author knows, some SONY VAIO computers can do it with a special program. Only SACD ISO image file may be played on Foobar2000.
Read:
You can play DSF on a DSD player or convert it to PCM format and play at any player.
To play DSF files back on Mac, you can:
Read:
To play DSD files on your PC, you can use the player programs...
Read the manual on how DSF to FLAC files converted...
Read how to convert DFF files...
You can convert SACD ISO to FLAC according to the guide...
Read the guide on how to convert SACD ISO to FLAC files...
Read how to rip SACD optical disk to DSD files...
Read how to extract SACD file to:
Read the definitive guide...
FLAC or SACD (DSD) gives no guaranteed final result by sound quality. If we compare DSD and PCM units or such modes for single device we can get a difference. The winner may vary from unit model to unit model.
Read more...
Read about sacd_extract utility...
Foobar2000 is capable to play CD audio.
Foobar2000 is used for playback audio files and their conversion.
Read more...