What is a .dsf file?
DSD Stream File · Audio · Sony
A .dsf file holds DSD audio, the 1-bit high-resolution format of Super Audio CD, in Sony's stream-file container. Audiophiles buy and archive hi-res albums as DSF downloads.
What is a .dsf file used for?
DSD (Direct Stream Digital) encodes sound as a 1-bit stream at 2.8 MHz or more, a completely different approach from the PCM used by WAV and FLAC. DSF wraps that stream with ID3 tags, which is why it beat the rival DFF format for music libraries.
Playing it properly needs a DSD-capable DAC (natively or via DoP); otherwise players convert to PCM on the fly. Files are large: a stereo DSD64 album runs to gigabytes.
How to open a .dsf file
The .dsf format opens in the following apps, grouped by operating system. If one app does not work, try another from the same list. For a step-by-step walkthrough, see how to open a .dsf file.
Windows
- foobar2000
- Audirvana
- JRiver Media Center
macOS
- Audirvana
- Colibri
- VLC (PCM conversion)
Linux
- MPD (DSD support)
- DeaDBeeF
- VLC
How to convert a .dsf file
You can convert a .dsf file to flac, wav, aiff using a conversion tool or the export menu of an app that opens it.
.dsf file signature (magic bytes)
Programs recognise a .dsf file by the bytes at the start of the file, not by its name. These are the signatures for DSF. For a full breakdown, see the DSF file signature page.
| Hex signature | Offset | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 44 53 44 20 | 0 | ASCII 'DSD ' |
See the full magic-numbers reference for every format.
Frequently asked questions
What is a .dsf file?
A .dsf file holds DSD audio, the 1-bit high-resolution format of Super Audio CD, in Sony's stream-file container. Audiophiles buy and archive hi-res albums as DSF downloads.
How do I play a .dsf file?
Use a player with DSD support such as foobar2000 or Audirvana. With a DSD-capable DAC you get native playback; without one the player converts to PCM, which still sounds fine.
What is the difference between .dsf and .dff?
Both carry DSD audio. DSF (Sony) supports ID3 metadata tags, which music libraries need; DFF (Philips) is more common in studio interchange and lacks standard tagging.
Is DSD better than FLAC?
It is different, not automatically better: DSD is a 1-bit 2.8+ MHz stream, FLAC is lossless PCM. Audible differences are debated; FLAC is far more practical for most listening.
Related formats
Sources
Details on this page were checked against authoritative references: