FormatDrop
Audio Format

DSF

DSD Stream File

DSF is Sony's container for DSD (Direct Stream Digital) audio — the same 1-bit, high-sample-rate format used on Super Audio CDs (SACD). At 2.8 MHz (DSD64) or 5.6 MHz (DSD128) sample rates, it captures more high-frequency content than any PCM format. DSF is the audiophile format of choice for native DSD playback.

What is DSF?

DSF stores DSD audio as a stream of 1-bit samples at 2,822,400 Hz (DSD64) or multiples thereof. Unlike PCM which encodes amplitude as multi-bit samples, DSD uses sigma-delta modulation — density of 1s encodes louder audio. The DSF container (created by Sony) adds ID3v2 tags and chunk headers; its companion format DSDIFF (.dff) is preferred by Philips/Pyramix.

DSF pros and cons

Advantages

  • Highest perceived audio quality available — audiophile gold standard
  • Preserves SACD masters without transcoding
  • Native DSD playback on compatible DACs with zero PCM conversion
  • Supports ID3v2 metadata tags
  • Lossless — identical to the original DSD master

Limitations

  • Enormous file sizes — DSD64 stereo is ~300 MB per hour
  • Almost no software plays DSF natively without plugins
  • Editing DSF is practically impossible — DAWs convert to PCM internally
  • No streaming platform supports DSD
  • DAC hardware must support DSD for true native playback

When should you convert DSF files?

Convert DSF to FLAC when you want lossless audio that every player can handle (involves PCM conversion — DSD to 24-bit/88.2 kHz or higher PCM). Convert DSF to WAV for compatibility with audio editors. Keep DSF native only if you have a DSD-capable DAC and a player like foobar2000 with SACD plugin or Audirvana.

Convert DSF files

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DSF FAQ

Is converting DSF to FLAC lossless?
Not strictly — DSF uses 1-bit DSD encoding, which cannot be represented in FLAC's PCM format without converting to multi-bit PCM first (typically 24-bit/88.2 kHz or 176.4 kHz). This PCM conversion is performed by a DSD decimation filter and is mathematically accurate, but it's not a container-swap. Most listeners cannot distinguish the result from the original.
What's the difference between DSF and DSDIFF (.dff)?
Both store DSD audio. DSF is Sony's format and supports ID3v2 tags; DSDIFF is the Philips/Merging Technologies standard and uses different chunk headers. Playback quality is identical for the same DSD stream. Some software prefers one over the other — foobar2000 handles both equally.
How do I convert DSF to FLAC?
Use foobar2000 with the foo_input_sacd plugin on Windows, or dsd2pcm + FFmpeg on the command line. The conversion must decimate DSD to PCM first: `dsd2pcm input.dsf | ffmpeg -f s32le -ar 352800 -ac 2 -i - -c:a flac output.flac`.

More formats

HEICWebPAVIFEPUBWebMOpusMP3WAVM4AFLACAACMP4AVIMKVMOVJPGPNGGIFSVGTIFFICOBMPEPSARWOGGWMVPPTXPagesPDFDOCXRAWHEVCH.264AIFFM4VWMA3GPDNGRTFPSDOGVTSFLVAIXLSXCSVZIPAPNGMIDIJPEG XLMPG/MPEGVOBM2TSAC3ALACDTSJP2HEIFAPECBZ3G2SRTDOCPPTXLSODTODSM3URAR7ZM4BAMRTXTMOBITARGZJSONXMLYAMLKEYMTSCR2NEFMXFTGACAFASSVTTRMF4VWVASFRMVBORFRW2EAC-3TTA