[Gil80]

Hi.

I use iFi Zen DAC V2 on my Win11 PC.
I have DSD (64, 128, 256) and I use EqualizerAPO.

Each time I play a DSD file, the iFi device "disappears" from Windows/Foobar and the E-APO doesn't affect it anymore.

I tried used VST EQ plugins and I observed the same thing where the EQ doesn't affect DSD, but also the DAC will change the blue (MQA studio) LED of MQA files to yellow color (PCM).

Is there a way to get E-APO working when using Foobar2k?

In the screenshot I'm playing DSD file and the Zen DAC is not listed anymore, until I stop using DSD files.

 

[Raketen]

Not a DSD user or tech expert, so I might be out of date or mistaken- IIRC there are very few applications that can process effects for DSD audio without intermediate PCM conversion, and most computer audio DSP is done in PCM.

If you're not hung-up on DSD, maybe there's a way of configuring foobar2k to convert it to PCM for sending to eqAPO?

Not an MQA user either, but i'd guess similarly- that passing the decoded MQA through an external program like eqAPO probably breaks the DRM "authentication" chain between player and DAC. Maybe some MQA players have built-in EQ you could use?

 

[Roseval]

DSD is PWM (Pulse Width Modulation)
It is not editable. Hence EQ or any other type of DSP won't work.
If you want to use EQ, you must convert to PCM first.

 

[Gil80]

DSD is PWM (Pulse Width Modulation)
It is not editable. Hence EQ or any other type of DSP won't work.
If you want to use EQ, you must convert to PCM first.

Is there a loss of quality by converting to PCM?

 

[Roseval]

Is there a loss of quality by converting to PCM?

Don't think so, at least I don't hear any difference.
However, if you use EQ to tailor your headphone you might gain more than you (hypothetically) loose.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I'm pretty sure you can set Foobar to convert DSD to PCM while the song plays.