Pioneer's New Elite Receivers Offer DSD Playback

By Michael Lavorgna • Posted: May 2, 2012

The Pioneer Elite SC-67, DSD-Ready

Hot off the Press Release, Pioneer Electronics is offering two new Elite 9.2-channel receivers, the SC-67 and SC-68, that offer network connectivity (wired and wireless), 24-bit/192kHz playback, AirPlay, Bluetooth connectivity, vTuner® Internet radio, PANDORA® internet radio and access to SiriusXM® Radio, Asynchronous USB input (the SC-68 bumps the USB input up to 32-bit/192kHz), and the big news is they both support DSD (DFF) playback via USB.

DSD seems to be moving from the fringes to the mainstream rather quickly. Let's hope this news is followed up with greater availability of DSD downloads.

Comments

Cool

Submitted by labjr on May 3, 2012 - 3:10pm.

Just not sure what we're gonna do with all these formats. Maybe need separate DACs for PCM and DSD since probably no audiophile company will make a DAC which offers the best of both. I can picture it now. We'll all have a stack of DACs for different formats, sampling rate groups, tube and transistor, DSD, PCM and on and on.

I would like to hear DSD with 5.6mhz sample rate though. Compared to 24/192 PCM, everything I've heard from SACD sounds funny. I'm assuming what I don't like about it is a by-product of the DSD process. But not sure.

I think its safe to say

Submitted by Michael Lavorgna on May 3, 2012 - 3:41pm.

That one DAC will do for everyone except those people who believe they need more.

DSD stereo, I assume. No

Submitted by Kal Rubinson on June 25, 2012 - 1:43pm.

DSD stereo, I assume. No mention of multichannel, was there?

Kal

Welcome Kal!

Submitted by Michael Lavorgna on June 25, 2012 - 4:02pm.

According to the manual you are (unfortunately) correct - DSD appears to be limited to 2 ch.

I figured so. Still, this is

Submitted by Kal Rubinson on June 27, 2012 - 1:36pm.

I figured so. Still, this is a multichannel digital receiver with all the hardware needed, and the decoding algorithms have been developed. All we need is for Pioneer (or someone) to bother putting it in.