1. Yes
2. Maximum DSD is 2x (128) DoP and 2x (128) Native. Maximum PCM is 192k 24-bits.
Note that the PCM limitation is due to the main DSP board in the SP3 (DAE6D) not USBX. The XMOS chip can decode up to 768k PCM and up to DSD 4x but this is currently disabled because of the above considerations. Maximum DSD limit of "2x" is determined by the DAC chip in the USBX board.
There is a separate 2 channel DAC chip in the USBX (XMOS) board that can candle DSD 1x and 2x, and PCM up to 192k/24 bits. The dac chip is similar (in terms of performance) to the one that the main DSP board in the SP3 (called DAE6D, by MDS) is using.
When the USB source outputs PCM, it is routed digitally using the so called I2S bus, from the USBX to the DAE6D board and processed there, same as with the old USB board.
When the USB source outputs DSD it is decoded by XMOS chip and sent to an on-board DAC chip (in the USBX board) and then sent as 2-channels analog signal to the main DSP board, using one of the extra cable, from the USBX to the DAE6D board and processed there as analog-to-analog to "surround" or "passthru".
Stan
Bryston
|