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Converting DSD files to other file formats or disc
Converting DSD files to other file formats or disc

If you need DSD files converted to Flac or Wav, or change a DSD file from .dff to .dsf format.

Ted Brady avatar
Written by Ted Brady
Updated over a week ago

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There are a few DSF to FLAC converters. It is a downconversion or lossy process (i.e. you lose fidelity). FLAC is a PCM container, so you want to know what your DAC's best PCM sample rate is. Then convert to that sample rate (like 24/96 or 24/192). Don't delete the DSF files, though. They are the better quality and you'll want to keep them until you have a DAC that is DSD-capable. JRIver has a DSD to FLAC converter, so does DBPoweramp. Just Google "DSD to FLAC".

Converting DSD to WAV or FLAC and other formats using a MAC

  • On a MAC there is a fairly affordable app called DSDMaster, and it converts DSD files to WAV, FLAC, Apple Lossless, AIFF.

  • On a Mac you can also try Samplerate Converter.

Converting on Windows Machines

Other ways of converting DSD Files

For a full list please see our database:

Converting On the Fly

Also keep in mind that several players like JRIver, Audirvana and others can convert "on-the-fly" meaning that they don't convert the file physically, they just do the conversion while the music is playing, so you don't have to waste the storage space converting to other formats.

Is it possible to burn DSD files to a disc and play them back?

This is possible though we recommend using a DSD-capable DAC instead. There are a few Disc players that will recognise a Disc with DSD data. 

Below are notes on doing this for a Sony XE-800 SACD player:

  • On your pc create a main folder called "DSD_DISC"

  • Then create a subfolder called Vivaldi*, and put all your DSF files in that Vivaldi* folder

  • Burn the whole folder setup ("DSD_DISC">"VIVALDI">".dsf files") to a DVD-R (or +) Disc using a program like Imgburn

  • Use the UDF format for data DVD creation.

(The most important aspect of this is calling the folder DSD_DISC and using ALL CAPS and underscore.  The subfolder is not necessary but nice if you are burning multiple albums onto a burnable DVD.)

*Vivaldi used as example.

Is there an option to easily convert .DFF to .DSF to add metadata?

DFF to DSF is best done right (by that we mean that some players say they can do it but it goes to PCM in the meantime...that is...wrong). 

Linked below is a simple little utility that the author/developer of HQplayer has put together. It changes the header info only (which is the only real difference between DFF and DSF) and thus is fairly quick. This utility was command line only but has been enhanced to be a right-click in Windows Explorer.

However, DFF files have no metadata, so the subsequent DSF files will start out with none either. Players like JRiver or utilities like MP3TAG or Tag&Rename can help you input tags and some of the process can be done with a set of files (album and artists name, track numbers, etc), but tags unique to each track like track names are currently a manual process. There is one other way, but this is only for albums which you already own in another format (redbook, etc). JRIver has a function called tag paste, and it is as simple as it sounds, assuming the files are both lined up in the same order.

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