DSD-Ready DACs

Following up on the Native DSD - Is It The Future? post, here's a list of DSD-ready DACs:

[Updated: 5.1.2013]

Auralic Vega digital audio processor ($3,500) [see review]

Benchmark DAC2 HGC ($1,995)

Cary Audio DMC-600 Digital Music Server ($4,995)

Chord Electronics Ltd. QuteHD ($1,795) [see review], QBD76 HDSD ($8,500 w/DSD option)

CH Precision C1 Reference Digital to Analog Controller ($32,975)

dCS Debussy DAC ($11,000), Paganini DAC ($17,999), Vivaldi DAC ($34,999)

EMM Labs DAC2X ($15,500), XDS1 V2 Integrated Player ($25,000)

Esoteric D-03 ($13,999)

exaSound Audio Design e20 DAC ($2,499)

Fostex HP-A8C ($1,995) [see review]

Korg DS-DAC-10 ($TBD)

Lector Audio Digitube DSD DAC ($TBD)

Light Harmonic DaVinci Dual DAC ($31,000)

Lumin LUMIN Audiophile Network Music Player ($3,980)

Luxman DA-06 USB-DSD DAC ($5,990)

Lynx Hilo Reference A/D D/A Converter System ($2,495)

Marantz NA-11S1 Reference Network Audio Player and DAC ($3,499)

Matrix Audio X-Sabre 32bit/384kHz DSD DXD Audio DAC ($1,099.95)

Meitner Audio MA-1 ($7,000), MA-2 ($11,000)

MSB Technology DAC IV (starting at $5,995), Analog DAC ($6,995) [see review]

Mytek Digital Stereo192-DSD DAC ($1,695) [see review]

Onkyo TX-NR5010 9.2-Ch THX Certified Network A/V Receiver ($2,999)

Pioneer Electronics VSX-1123 7.2 Channel Multi-Zone Networked AV Receiver ($599), Elite VSX-70 7.2 Channel CI Focused Home Theater Receiver ($750), SC-67 9.2-Channel Network Ready AV Receiver ($2,000)

Playback Designs MPD-3 DAC ($6,500) [see review], MPD-5 ($13,000)

Ratoc Audio Lab RAL-DSDHA1 ($?), RAL-DSDHA2 ($2,000)

Resonessence Labs Invicta ($3,995 CA) [see review]

Simple Design Sonore/exD DSD DAC ($1,195) [see review]

S.O.t.M sDP-1000 DAC/Preamp ($2,900)

Teac UD-501 ($849.99) [see review]

TechDAS D-7/192DSD (346,500円), D-7i/192DSD (383,250円)

Wadia Intuition 01 (projected $7,500 - $8,000)

Another option on the hardware side is the Korg MR-2000S ($1,799). The Korg has an 80GB internal drive so you can send a DSD file from your computer to your Korg MR-2000S via USB and then play it through your hi-fi (Korg > RCA/Balanced > hi-fi). While this isn't an ideal setup, it works and also explains why so many DSD fans are so excited about the $1,695 Mytek DAC.

DSD-Ready Media Players

Channel D Pure Music ($129 Mac only)

Audirvana Plus ($49 Mac only)

Signalyst HQPlayer ($142 PC only)

Foobar2000 (free PC only)

JPlay (99EUR PC only)

J River Media Center ($49.98 PC only)

DSD Downloads
And finally where do you get DSD that isn't a SACD disc to play on your computer audio-based hi-fi? Beyond ripping your SACDs (see sacd-ripper), here are a few more sources:
2L (DSD downloads are sourced from DXD masters)

Blue Coast Records

Channel Classics Records

Cybele Records

Downloads NOW!

DSDfile.com

e-onkyo music

HighResAudio

Ototoy

For more on DSD as it relates to computer audio, check out the DSD-Guide.com and The Well-Tempered Computer.
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Comments
Esprit's picture
Photo...

You are using wrong/old Mytek 192 DSD pictures...wink

Michael Lavorgna's picture
Fixed.

Thanks for pointing that out (and I even saw and photographed the actual Mytek DAC at RMAF)! 

Mike Gillespie's picture
Price of Playback Designs Music Playback System 3

Isn't the price of the Playback Designs Music Playback System 3 $6,500?  That's a figure Jonathan Tinn gave me just a couple weeks ago.  The 5 is about $13,000.

Dark's picture
DSD DAC's

The DAC's on the list are capable of DSD playback over USB.

What about the EmmLabs/Meitner gear ? I know that they are not capable of DSD over USB, but they accept DSD over coax (BNC) or optical (ST) .

Michael Lavorgna's picture
Playback Designs...

I had included the Music Playback System 3 (MPS-3) which is $8,500 but it makes more sense to list the MPD-3 DAC here. Thanks!

I'll check into the Meitner/EMM labs gear.

Vincent Kars's picture
Looks like Meitner support
Michael Lavorgna's picture
Added

Thanks Vincent.

Anonymous's picture
Foobar's DSD

There is a much better DSD plugin than DSDIFF for Foobar:

sourceforge.net/projects/sacddecoder/files/

labjr's picture
I guess you can add the new

I guess you can add the new Benchmark DAC2-hgc.

http://www.benchmarkmedia.com/dac/dac2-hgc

choraudio's picture
Auralic Vega
tbrads's picture
I posted in the forum about Auralic and Korg

Auralic Vega $3500 (femto clock, 24/384 and DSD64/DSD128)

Korg DSD-DAC10 $695 !!

wind-follower's picture
Why Esoteric D-03 is on the

Why Esoteric D-03 is on the list? 

Walkamo's picture
Additional DSD AV Receivers

Hi Michael,

Just wanted to let you know that the new Pioneer VSX-1123 ($599) and the Elite VSX-70 also decode DSD files (2.8mhz) from the USB or network inputs.

Chris Walker

Pioneer Electronics

Michael Lavorgna's picture
Added.

Thanks for the heads up Chris.