Audio Basis - articles about audio
Read answers to frequently asked questions about SACD ISO to DSF and PCM audio file conversion.
SACD ISO is a DSD audio file that is copy of SACD optical disk. Read more here >
Read details here >
When you convert SACD ISO to DSF you can get:
Last two matters is issues of extraction under Windows rather.
Though on MacOS file name is limited [1]. And too long track name can cause file creating error. Because file name may be assigned as track name.
Some kinds of clicks can be eliminated via processing in automatical mode during conversion or manually via DSD editing >
Read more about clicks below.
If conversion is provided without processing, sound quality is the same for any ISO to DSF converter software.
There may be difference in functional abilities.
When processing is applied, various converters can cause different noise / distortion levels into output stuff.
Also sigma delta modulators, that used as final stage of DSD processing, may have diverse overload tolerance.
The overload can cause break of the modulator stability. To return modulator back to normal operational mode, force reset is necessary.
Overload tolerance does not impact to audio quality. But it allow to increase confidence in correct conversion result with less scrupulous control of level.
Different processing implementations might have different distortion / noise level.
Read more infomation about DSD modulator and demodulator >
DSF provide metadata support standard way.
DFF provide lossless DST compression.
Read more about DSD vs. DSF vs. DFF >
There are many click reasons. There is no universal approach to fix all click reasons.
If ISO is correctly created, extracted, played back, there should not be clicks during file playback.
If click can't be fixed automated way, need analize file's spectrogram and oscillogram at the click location.
Most likely clicks are located in begin and end of album tracks.
As rule, clicks have level about -60 ... -70 dB.
Read more about ISO click issues and how to fix it >
When software extract SACD ISO in bit-perfect mode, sound quality is same for any software and operation system.
Of course, software should works without bugs and ISO file be valid.
No. Sound quality defined by a ISO to DSF converter software.
Higher processing quality define sound quality. Higher processing quality demands more calculation resources.
Sometimes small improvement may require significantly longer processing time.
But processing can be optimized and consume lesser resources in certain implementation. So processing time is not primary criterion of quality.
Conversion quality is defined by noise / distortion level, generated by converter software.
SACD contains music in DSD audio format. DVD-audio contains PCM audio format.
Final listening quality defined by record/mixing/post-production quality and implementation of recording/mixing/playback equipment (including software).
Theoretically, DSD DAC may have easier implementation for same quality comparing PCM one.
Read more about DSD vs PCM >
Yes. ISO contains digital audio data identical to the original optical disk.
Yes. This processing called as "downmix".
It is lossy processing.
It is lossy processing.
No. Downmix to 2.0 have many implementations.
No. Upmix to multichannel track have many implementations.
DSD editing distortions is comparable with resampling's ones: noise/aliases and ringing.
Pro-audio resamplers provide noise/distortion level significantly below electical noise of DAC.
Ringing look so scary at test square signals. But real music signals is sloper than square. And author don't know about researches that tested ringing impact to music perception.
Portable digital audio player (DAP) have free disk space limitation.
ISO can contains two versions of one album: stereo and multichannel. As rule, portable DAP is stereo device.
Therefore, disk space may be saved through loading of album's stereo version only to the DAP's hard disk drive.
Stereo version of the album in DSF can be obtained via:
Case #1 is more preferable, theoretically. Because stereo mix is made by musical producer specially for 2.0 systems.
Case #2 may be recommended, when ISO contains multichannel tracks only.
Read more about downmixing 5.1 to 2.0 quality issues >
*.cue file contains index of track positions. SACD ISO contains the indexes inside. In AuI ConverteR, if CUE and ISO files are placed in single folder, use "Open files" button to add *.iso file only, to input file list for conversion.
Read more about CUE-file >
To create SACD optical disk, you're need licensed software (like "Philips Superauthor") and hardware. You can burn SACD ISO to DVD-R optical disk with ImgBurn to get SACD-R. But, it can cause compatibility issues witt SACD audio players. Because SACD-R is not the same SACD. Read discussion...
Read how to convert SACD ISO to mp3 >
SACD optical disk may be ripped to DSD files. SACD ISO may be converted to DSD files.
Read how to convert SACD ISO to FLAC file >
Read how to convert DSF file to FLAC >
If a Blue-Ray player is capable to play SACD optical disk, it can do it.
References
![Extract SACD ISO [Frequently Asked Question]](/sites/default/files/u1/sacd-iso-faq.png)
December 21, 2022 updated | since October 16, 2017
