Using Plexamp on an iBasso DX180, which supports DSD and high res playback. High res flac files play just fine, at the proper sample rate (unaffected by Android’s 48kHz resampling). The same files play fine with other media player apps (USB Audio Player Pro), confirming that DSD is supported on the device. However, while the DSD album appears in Plexamp, it does not play. No error, just doesn’t play.
It is also interesting that the files are DSD64 (SACD), but in the Plexamp library it is reported as DSD5645… which doesn’t make sense.
Interesting, it seems to be failing because you’ve enabled sample rate matching and it can’t switch to that sample rate:
Nov 03, 2024 12:47:58.581 [0xd9bbbcb0] ERROR - BASS: Error initializing device 1 with sample rate 352800 and flags 00004000 (6).
We decode and don’t passthrough the DSD, because this is somewhat related? Unfortunately we don’t currently have visibility into the max sample rate of the DAC.
That rate should be supported by the DAC and it does work with another app (PCM transcode). Any possibility of adding the ability to pass dsd without transcoding?
Well, I’ve set up my DAC/amp and am listening to dsd512 audio and comparing it to CD quality audio, and there is definitely a difference.
Moreover, yesterday I took time to compare 192/24 audio running through plexamp vs musicbee, and I was very surprised to discover, it’s not just a miniscule difference or no difference that I was expecting - plex seems to wrap a slight veil around the music - it’s not as clear and “alive” as bit perfect audio - and, and I’m not the only one with this opinion if you search for people asking for bit perfect.
You’d need at least semi-decent equipment to hear this, of course.
I understand that whether we can hear a difference or whether this is placebo has been debated before, however I can here the slight “dullness” that plex plasters on top by mixing down hires audio.
Users have been requesting this for 5 + years, musicbee, foobar, plex main app offer it.
I guess we have to go elsewhere if we want to see close to the full capabilities of more than average consumer grade equipment, whether we are told the difference is in our heads or in our ears.
Guess I’ll be using plexamp when away from my dac, and audiophile acceptable players otherwise. What a state of affairs and a shame as plexamp has the best interface - it’s lovely.
I don’t believe there is scientific evidence for any perceptible difference. Like you imply, the mind is a powerful thing, which is why ABX testing is generally the go to for such comparisons.
The studies on this topic have likely been testing higher nitrates Vs cd quality with the same pipelines or bit perfect
I doubt there are studies testing Plex"s pipeline Vs bit perfect
Since my findings were later independently corroborated almost word for word by others that I found has posted on this topics this lends credence to this being true.
It’s a shame that the Plex devs won’t entertain the possibility of improving Plex in this way, as others have been requesting for 5+ years, and leaving it handicapped.
That’s your opinion; it’s a super niche request which has consequences in terms of the other functionality we offer (e.g. Sweet Fades) and we don’t think it’s worth the trouble.
If you will not provide this functionality, perhaps you can respond to the feature requests asking for hi res audio, so people know this limitations of plexamp instead of keeping their hopes raised.
Also, it may be a limitation to some people, and essential to others. Better if people made their own choice which they can do when they know of this limitation.
Are you saying that on windows 11 plexamp plays 192/24 audio? Because when I play it through my DAC it says it’s CD quality, and when I play it through plex or musicbee or hqplayer or jriver the readout states it is full quality.
And not on android (though, this, case through no choice of yours apparently, since android doesn’t allow greater than CD quality, I’ve heard).
So, windows plexamp will never play audio higher than cd quality, and neither will android.
What threw me was enabling “show codec badges”, may show 192/24, and so the naive, unwary plexamp user (such as myself) may assume that they are listening to their music at that quality, and little do they know that that will always be impossible if they use plexamp on windows.
Good to be clear, and tell people, otherwise people will assume it’s up there as an audiophile player, as I did.
Not true, actually. If you set the default sample rate of that interface to something higher, Plexamp will create its playback signal chain with this sample rate.
I’m using this for years now.
Have it upsample everything is a decent workaround to keep volume leveling and sweet fades going, IMHO.
And your ears won’t be able to tell the difference with DSD, let’s be honest.