[blueribb]

I created SACD ISO files from my SACD disc collection. When I play these files with Kodi's SACD ISO support addon, my AVR displays the audio as "PCM". But when playing the actual discs through my old Sony Blu-ray Player, the AVR displays the audio as "SACD". I have to admit, my old ears do not hear any difference, but I wonder why "PCM" is displayed instead of "SACD" when playing the ISO files.

My equipment:

Intel NUC running LE 11.0 (Kodi Nexus v 20.0)
Sony BDP-S370 Blu-ray Player (full SACD support)
Pioneer Elite VSX-23TXH AVR (full SACD support)

SACD ISO support addon version 20.3.0.3

[HeresJohnny]

All computer chips are of PCM domain, not DSD. If you want DSD passthrough you will need a dedicated DAC.

[blueribb]

Thanks for that information. I actually found another explanation on the following page (post #97). They said it's due to the GPU HDMI Audio driver. If that's the case, I wonder if a driver could be made to include DSD streaming or is it actually the chip itself which determines this?

You cannot passthrough DSD

[HeresJohnny]

Theoretically, yes... but not by Kodi programmers. For all intents and purposes you will still need a DAC connected by USB which can either be a separate device or an amp which supports that function.

Yours is a question that pops up regularly for all software that decodes DSD. No software supports DSD-over-HDMI, see this example.
There's a very old support ticket to have Google add it in Android here but it will never happen.

[blueribb]

I really can't hear the difference between DSD and PCM, but I always wanted to know why my SACD rips (ISOs) were detected as PCM. The only reason I bother with SACDs is for the multitrack music. While most of it is just delayed surround channels, every once in a while you find a true gem with "real" surround tracks. Once you hear that, you won't want to hear the stereo version.

thanks again

I found a device which may possibly allow DSD streaming, but I'm not 100% sure. Here's a link:

Mini XMOS XU208 USB to Coaxial /Optical /12S Converter Digital Interface DSD256

[HeresJohnny]

Long story cut short, the best way to enjoy mulitchannel DSD is to play the original disc via a stand-alone player. Playing multichannel DSD from ISO or file has to be decoded through software and as such is a compromise in quality which you might or migh not hear.

The DAC is the device which converts the Digital Signal into an analogue signal. No DAC I know of can do DSD multichannel, except the Topping DM7. Personally, I've got a Topping D50s. All of those devices provide decoded analogue output which in turn will have to be fed into your amp. They are at least on par with the DACs in modern AMPs. When the DSD LED in your amp lights up that means that DSD has been passed through unmodified to your amp and the final conversion is done by the DAC in your amp.

If the decoding done in software by foobar2000 or Kodi from digital to analogue sounds the same or worse than the decoding done by a DAC is on one hand very subjective and on the other hand depends largely on your speakers. I doubt that anyone would hear a difference on speakers which cost less than 3000 EUR / pair. You will probably hear a difference on good headphones, but then again, those are only stereo.

The Kodi SACD plugin is modeled after the foobar2000 SACD pluging. The latter is vastly more flexible. For an in-depth configuration guide see HERE.