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VINSHINE AUDIO

DAC Setup Guide · Windows OS

To optimize the sound quality of your external DAC connected to a Windows operating system via USB cable, it's crucial to configure the DAC correctly.

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This guide will walk you through the process of setting up your DAC, installing the driver, and adjusting its sound settings and sampling rate to match your audio source. Additionally, we'll explore how enabling exclusive mode control of the USB DAC can significantly enhance the audio output, delivering superior sound quality.

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Let's get started!

Getting the Best Sound from Your External DAC on Windows OS

The first step to setting up your DAC for superior sound quality is to install the latest driver provided by the DAC manufacturer. Unlike macOS/Linux, Windows OS requires the driver to be installed to gain access to the USB DAC and all its features. Typically, DAC manufacturers provide the driver, which should be available for download from their website.

 

  1. Download the latest driver from the DAC manufacturer's website.

  2. Install the driver on your Windows computer.

  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

  4. Restart your computer to finalize the setup.

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Latest Windows Driver for DENAFRIPS DAC: link here

Driver: Install the driver provided

Once the Windows computer is restarted, connect the USB DAC to the computer using a USB 2.0 Type A/B cable, commonly known as a Printer Cable.

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Please ensure to verify the USB connection standard of your computer and/or DAC before purchasing the USB cable, as they may come with different USB connection standards, such as USB 3.0 or Type C.

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  1. The computer will detect the connected USB DAC.

  2. On the taskbar, double-click on the installed USB DAC Driver

  3. The USB Audio Device information will be populated.

  4. For USB DACs that use genuine Thesycon drivers, we recommend enabling "Safe Mode" for glitch-free music streaming.

Detected: USB DAC

In the Windows Device Manager, you'll find the detected USB DAC information listed.

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  1. To access the sound settings:

  2. Launch the Windows Settings page.

  3. Locate the Sound Settings and click on "Sound Control Panel".

  4. Select the USB DAC and click the Properties button.

  5. In the Advanced tab, check the box "Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device".

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Enabling exclusive control of the USB DAC in Windows ensures that the audio stream is managed exclusively by the application, without interference from other system sounds or applications.

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This setting is crucial for achieving the best sound quality because it allows the audio application to have full control over the DAC, minimizing potential interruptions or quality degradation caused by other system sounds. It ensures a pure and uninterrupted audio signal path, resulting in superior sound quality.

Sound Setting: Allow Exclusive Control

Now that you've successfully connected an external USB DAC to your Windows computer, the next step is to choose your music playback software. If you primarily stream music via Tidal or another streaming service, the Tidal app is sufficient. However, if you're looking for more powerful software to manage your music library and enhance your listening experience, you may consider Roon, Audirvana, JRiver, and others.

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In this section, we'll showcase the possible setups using these software options and how you can optimize the settings for what we believe is the best sound quality.

High Fidelity Music Player Software

Now, let's get started with configuring the Tidal software application.

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  1. Launch Tidal on your Windows computer.

  2. Log in with your credentials.

  3. Click on the "Setting" symbol located on the Top left of the application.

  4. Setting page will appear.

  5. Select the desired USB DAC connected to the Windows computer.

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More Settings

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  1. Click on "Settings".

  2. On the prompted pop-up, you will see various settings. Enable "Use Exclusive Mode".

  3. Exclusive mode allows the music playback software to take full control of the USB DAC, bypassing the operating system's audio mixer. This ensures a direct and unaltered audio stream from the software to the DAC, resulting in superior sound quality.

  4. If you do not use the digital volume control via the Tidal app, please enable "Force Volume".

  5. Force Volume ensures that the volume control is handled exclusively by the DAC instead of the software. This bypasses the digital volume control in the app, providing a purer, unaltered audio signal. It's important to note that digital volume control can degrade the audio quality compared to using the analog volume control on your amplifier or DAC.

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Audio Quality

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  1. Select "HiFi/Master" resolution for the best sound quality.

  2. Selecting the maximum resolution ensures that you are streaming music in its highest possible quality, providing you with the best listening experience. This setting allows you to enjoy Tidal's HiFi and Master quality audio, which offers superior sound fidelity compared to lower resolution streams.

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For in-depth support on using the Tidal app, please visit: https://support.tidal.com/hc/en-us

TIDAL: Sound Output - USB DAC

Back on the main screen of the Tidal app, select your favorite music track and hit the play button. The audio quality indicator will show whether the track is of high quality or the maximum resolution that Tidal currently supports.

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On the USB DAC control panel, the sampling rate information will be displayed, indicating that the Tidal app is streaming at the exact sampling rate in exclusive mode.

TIDAL: High Res Exclusive Mode

Now, let's get started with configuring the Roon software application.

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  1. Launch Roon on your Mac Computer.

  2. Log in with your credentials.

  3. Click on the "Settings" symbol to configure Audio Device settings.

roon: Initial Audio Setup

On the "Audio" menu, you'll see a list of available audio devices on the screen.

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  1. Enable the USB DAC connected to the computer.

  2. Give it a meaningful name, like "myDAC".

  3. Please note that if it's your first time using Roon, it might be a bit confusing.

  4. If your computer is connected to a network via Wi-Fi or a network cable, you'll also see a list of available Network Audio Devices on the Audio setting page.

  5. Pay extra attention to enable the correct device.

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The recommended Device Setup for DENAFRIPS DAC is as shown above. Please ensure that the settings are configured correctly.

roon: Audio Device

  1. Select "myDAC" as the audio output device in the Roon app.

  2. Choose your favorite music and hit the play button.

  3. Click on the purple indicator, and a Signal Path pop-up will display the current signal path and whether it is lossless.

  4. On the USB DAC control panel, ASIO is active in PCM mode, and it displays the current sampling rate, latency, and other relevant information.

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Lossless audio quality ensures that the music you're streaming via Roon is an exact replica of the original recording, without any loss of data or quality. This means you'll hear every detail and nuance as the artist intended, providing a more immersive and enjoyable listening experience. With lossless audio, you get the full richness and clarity of the music, from the deepest bass to the highest treble, just as it was recorded in the studio. This is crucial for audiophiles who demand the highest possible sound quality from their music streaming service

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roon: Lossless Playback

To enable oversampling at higher sampling rates on PCM or even DSD, follow these steps:

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  1. Right-click on the myDAC icon.

  2. Select "MUSE" from the menu.

  3. The MUSE page will appear with a great deal of details.

  4. Choose the desired output sampling rate.

  5. Enable the Sample Rate Conversion to convert the original track to the desired sampling rate.

roon: MUSE / Oversampling

MUSE oversampling in Roon offers several benefits:

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  1. Improved Sound Quality: MUSE oversampling enhances the audio quality by upsampling PCM or DSD tracks to higher sampling rates, resulting in smoother, more detailed sound reproduction.

  2. Reduced Jitter: By converting audio signals to higher sampling rates, MUSE helps minimize jitter, resulting in clearer and more accurate sound reproduction.

  3. Customization: MUSE allows users to customize the output sampling rate according to their preferences, offering greater flexibility and control over the listening experience.

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Overall, MUSE oversampling can significantly enhance the listening experience, providing more detailed, lifelike sound reproduction.

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YMMV.

roon: MUSE / Oversampling / DSD

Now, let's configure Audirvana Studio.

 

  1. Launch Audirvana on your Windows computer and log in with your credentials.

  2. Audirvana will detect the USB DAC. If the USB DAC is Audirvana-Certified and being configured for the first time, an in-app pop-up will appear.

  3. Select the correct DAC model, and then click "Apply recommended settings".

Audirvana Studio: Audio Output Device

On the Audio settings page, you'll find plenty of parameters to configure your desired settings like Digital Processing, Upsampling, Volume Level/Control, etc. For beginners, please do not modify these configurations. Leave them as default for now.

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  1. Select the ASIO device.

  2. In the Output Devices column, click on the setting icon.

  3. A DAC pop-up will appear.

  4. Set the large ASIO buffer for glitch-free streaming.

Audirvana Studio: Audio Setting

  1. Back to the main screen of Audirvana

  2. Choose your favorite music track and hit the play button.

  3. You will notice a 'Lock' symbol turn purple, indicating that the USB DAC is now exclusively used by the Audirvana software.

  4. The sampling rate currently playing will also be indicated.

  5. On the USB DAC control panel, ASIO is active in PCM mode, and it displays the current sampling rate, latency, and other relevant information.

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Enabling "Exclusive Access" in Audirvana Studio ensures that the audio device has exclusive control over the audio output, preventing other applications from interfering with the audio stream. This helps in delivering the best possible sound quality, reduces latency, and ensures a smoother playback experience.

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Audirvana Studio: Streaming

Feeling fancy and want to upsample your music tracks? No problem!

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  1. Go to the Audio settings page, click on the setting icon of the Upsampling column.

  2. Select the desired 'Forced Upsampling Type' and start playing your music tracks with Audirvana Upsampling!

  3. On the USB DAC control panel, ASIO is active in DSD mode, indicating Audirvana software is streaming DSD.

Audirvana Studio: Upsampling DSD

JRIVER has been a widely used software in the past, and we believe it's still relevant to cover it.

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  1. Launch the JRIVER app on your Windows computer (license required).

  2. Click on the "Settings" symbol to configure the connected USB DAC as the audio device as well as some important parameters.

  3. A pop-up window will appear with options. Select your desired USB DAC as the Audio Output Device.

JRiver: Initial Setup

  1. Click on the Device Settings.

  2. A pop-up will appear.

  3. Select "Use Large Hardware Buffers" to ensure glitch-free streaming.

  4. If the DAC supports DSD bitstream over DoP, enable the relevant setting too.

JRiver: Audio Device

  1. We recommend loading the decoded file into memory (RAM). This setting allows for faster access to the audio data, reducing the likelihood of interruptions during playback and providing a smoother listening experience.

  2. If you require DSD playback, please enable DSD in Bitstreaming.

JRiver: Memory Playback & DSD

  1. Back to the main screen of JRIVER
    Choose your favorite music track and hit the play button.

  2. Music should stream to the selected Audio Device (USB DAC).

  3. Click on the setting icon, and a detailed Audio Path will be shown.

  4. On the USB DAC control panel, ASIO is active in PCM mode, displaying the current sampling rate, latency, and other relevant information.

JRiver: Streaming PCM

  1. if the music track is DSD, with Bitstream DSD selected, the USB DAC control panel will indicate DSD mode.

  2. On the USB DAC control panel, ASIO is active in DSD mode, displaying the current sampling rate, latency, and other relevant information.

JRiver: Streaming DSD

Technical Support

Quetions? We are happy to help!
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