Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

About DpdoEngine

Which input formats does DpdoEngine support?

DpdoEngine supports common PCM formats including WAV, FLAC, AIFF, ALAC and more. For other formats, convert to WAV or FLAC with FFmpeg first.

What's the difference between DSF and DFF output?

DSF (DSD Stream File) is the most common DSD container format, with metadata support, accepted by most DSD players and DACs. DFF (DSD Interchange File Format) is the broadcast-industry standard. There is no substantive difference in the audio data. DSF is recommended by default.

What is DST and when should I use it?

DST is a lossless compression technology for DSD — like FLAC in the PCM world. It reduces DSF file size by 30–50% with perfectly lossless restoration. Recommended for archiving or bandwidth-constrained scenarios. During real-time playback, some players cannot decode DST directly; decompress to DSF first.

Should I choose IIR or FIR noise shaping?

• IIR: computationally efficient, better in-band noise shaping at the same order. Good for high oversampling.
• FIR: linear phase, constant group delay, no phase distortion. Good for mastering scenarios with strict phase-response requirements.

Recommendation: use IIR order 9 or higher for general use; choose FIR when linear phase matters.

What hardware does 11th-order IIR require?

11th-order IIR is computationally demanding. At least a 4-core CPU and 8 GB RAM are recommended. -opencl GPU acceleration significantly reduces processing time.

What is "oversampling 64"? Is it related to DSD64?

The oversampling ratio (OSR) determines the DSD spec the PCM input is upsampled to. OSR 64 corresponds to DSD64 (2.8224 MHz), OSR 128 to DSD128 (5.6448 MHz), and so on. Actual output sample rate = 44.1 kHz × OSR (or 48 kHz × OSR, depending on the input rate).

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About DpdoPackSACD

Which devices can play the authored SACD ISO?

Standard SACD ISO plays on SACD-capable players (e.g. Oppo, Playback Designs, Esoteric), software players (JRiver, Foobar2000 with the SACD plugin) and virtual drives.

What is the Dpdo DSD Disc format?

Dpdo DSD Disc is a DSD audio disc format based on DVD-R/RW media, created with the -dvd option of DpdoPackSACD. It supports higher DSD specs than standard SACD — a single DVD-R holds a large amount of DSD audio.

Are there size requirements for cover art?

Use JPEG or PNG images of at least 600×600 pixels, 1:1 ratio. Smaller images display poorly on SACD players.

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About DpdoPlayer

My DAC doesn't support native DSD — how do I play?

Use -dop force to force DoP mode. DoP embeds DSD data in 24-bit/176.4 kHz PCM frames, and almost any DAC supporting 176.4 kHz PCM can play DSD via DoP.

Can DpdoPlayer play PCM files?

DpdoPlayer is focused on DSD playback. Convert PCM files to DSD with DpdoEngine before playing.

What should I do about pops/noise during playback?

1. Try switching DoP mode: -dop auto → -dop force
2. Confirm the USB connection is stable
3. Try a lower-spec DSD file
4. Check that the device is working in a supported mode

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General Questions

Are Dpdo products open source or commercial?

The Dpdo suite is closed-source commercial software. Source code is not publicly available; prebuilt binary distributions are provided.

How do I get technical support?

Visit the official website dpdo.cn for contact information and community support, or refer to the product documentation pages.

Is there a difference in sound quality between converted DSD and the original PCM?

It depends on the conversion parameters. With reasonable settings (OSR ≥ 128, IIR ≥ 7), DSD-converted audio is often perceived as more "analog" and natural than the original PCM. Technically, high-resolution DSD has unique advantages in time-domain precision and noise modulation. We recommend A/B auditioning.

Does it run on macOS or Linux?

Dpdo products support Windows, Linux and macOS. Prebuilt binaries are provided for all three platforms.

How do I handle very large audio files (over 4 GB)?

DSD files easily exceed the 4 GB limit of 32-bit software. DpdoEngine uses 64-bit file I/O internally, so there is no such limit. Make sure the filesystem (NTFS, exFAT, ext4, etc.) supports large files — avoid FAT32.