Installation (FB2k)

Been a while since I last used Foobar. So I downloaded the latest modules from source forge:

1. ASIOProxyInstall-0.9.4.zip, and
2. foo_input_sacd-1.0.9.zip

Install foobar if you havn’t done so already.

ASIOProxy

Installing ASIOProxy is straight forward, download the file (See URL #1 above), unzip it to get the executable installer. Double click the installer to launch.

Once the installer launched, this is the screen you should see. Nothing to do here so just click the Next button (lower right).

Again I don’t recommend you change any settings. Just click the Install button to begin installation.

Wait for install to finish. You can click the Show Details if you are curious. The whole installation will only take a few seconds at most.  Click the Close button to finish. 

And you’re done installing ASIOProxy!

foo_input_sacd

Download the latest version (see URL #2 above). Extract the file.

Double click the two files that ends with -component. Foobar2k should start automatically and prompt you with a Component Installer Dialog. Make sure you click the Yes button.

Make sure you install the two components, and restart FB2k when prompted.

FB2K Configuration

Now that you have all the necessary software installed. You’d need to configure this DAC. Start FB2k, and press CTRL+P. Under Playback -> Output. Click on the Device drop down box and select ASIO: foo_dsd_asio. Like so:

Next, Under Playback -> Output -> ASIO. Double click foo_dsd_iso as shown here:

Select TUSBAudio ASIO Driver as your ASIO Device.

If you decide to convert PCM audio into DSD, use your mouse and click on the - (Do this for all the columns). You have to click ’em one by one to set it all up. This is an example where I convert redbook (44.1 kHz) to DSD128:

Now you are happy with your settings, click CLOSE to save. Now go to Tools -> SACD and verify the Output Mode is set to DSD, like so:

Click OK to save. The final step is to ensure you’re xDuoo DAC’s software mixer is at 100% (DSD will sound funky if it’s not). From your system tray, locate the TUSB icon, launch the configuration. Go to the Volume tab, and make sure both input and output gain is set to 0 dB. Like so:

Putting It All Together

Now if everything works as expected. When you play DSD files, it’d show up as DSD on the status panel. And when you play redbook files, it’d show up as 44.1 kHz.

If you prefer, you can choose to convert all PCM to DSD (as described above). The ASIO matrix above allows you to individually choose what to convert to DSD. Although I do think PCM -> DSD conversion somehow appear to improve the clarity department, I find the life from vocals to have an “artificial” tone to it. For work I have left everything as ‘-’. But at the end of the day, to each his/her own what you choose.

Foobar seems to work well with xDuoo and XMOS cards in general. This wasn’t the case in general 2 years ago. Don’t think I will start the SnakeoilOS project if I have found something I want back in the day. 

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