d-play, DSD player by AudioFEEL

French manufacturer Audio Touch has launched a new project of an innovative DSD audio player, and created for that the AudioFEEL company.

AudioFEEL wishes to revive the DSD format and thus offer an alternate high quality solution to CD and MP3 formats (and more broadly to the PCM audio format).

The DSD (Direct Streaming Digital) technology is already known by SA-CD users. This audio digital format was created by Sony and Philips in the 90s for storing purposes and, according to AudioFEEL, this high frequency digital stream (made of 0 and 1) is very close to the original analog signal. Plus, this format is not limited like PCM.

d-play, the standalone player designed by AudioFEEL, associates this DSD technology to SD card storing, for SD cards are more resistant than optical supports and can also include a Copyright protection system (CRPM for Content Protection for Recordable Media).

This standalone system also avoids all the issues caused by digital converting, and specifically USB audio interfaces that require a computer but can also have connection, stability and sync issues.

This DSD format is almost unused (except for a few SA-CDs, we hope this will change very soon), and AudioFEEL says that, in the meantime, conversion between PCM 24-bit / 192kHz and above and DSD formats will offer very acceptable results in terms of audio quality. They add that this DSD format requires less space than PCM, so storing to SD cards is also a very good solution.

The AudioFEEL d-play will support DSD64 (2.8MHz) and DSD128 (5.6MHz) formats. The unit will be equipped with RCA line outputs, a 1/4” headphone output with dedicated amp, level and mute controls and will ship with a remote control.

The project has been launched on Indiegogo for crowdfunding, with a price of 410€, the final pricing expected is between 550€ and 650€. If the project is funded (100 000€ are required), the d-play will start shipping in October, 2014. You can follow the evolution of the project at www.audiofeel.fr and the AudioFEEL Facebook page.

One last thing, when will d-play be portable?