DSF (DSD audio) file signature
Magic number at the start of the file · DSD
A DSD Stream File opens with the four ASCII bytes DSD followed by a space, the header of Sony's container for 1-bit Direct Stream Digital audio. The fmt and data chunks with the high-resolution stream follow.
What this magic number means
A magic number is a short, fixed run of bytes at a known position that tells a program what a file really is, no matter what the filename says. If a file starts with the bytes 44 53 44 20 (the text DSD ), it is a DSF (DSD audio) file.
What each byte of 44 53 44 20 means
Here is the signature byte by byte, the way a hex editor shows it: the position in the file, the value in hex and in decimal, and the character that value stands for in ASCII. Bytes with no printable character show a dot.
| Byte offset | Hex | Decimal | ASCII |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 44 | 68 | D |
| 1 | 53 | 83 | S |
| 2 | 44 | 68 | D |
| 3 | 20 | 32 |
Formats that use the 44 53 44 20 signature
These file types in our database carry this signature:
How to check a file's signature
You can read the bytes of any file yourself. They are shown in hex, the same way this page lists them.
Linux & macOS
- xxd -l 16 example.dsf
- hexdump -C -n 16 example.dsf
- file example.dsf
Windows (PowerShell)
- Format-Hex -Path example.dsf -Count 16
Python
- open("example.dsf","rb").read(4).hex()
In your browser
- Drop the file into the WhatFileType identifier, which reads the signature without uploading it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the DSF (DSD audio) file signature?
DSF (DSD audio) files start with the hex bytes 44 53 44 20 (DSD in ASCII). This magic number identifies the format regardless of the file's name or extension.
How do I check a file's magic number?
Open the file in a hex editor, or run a command such as xxd -l 16 example.dsf on Linux or macOS, or Format-Hex -Path example.dsf -Count 16 in Windows PowerShell, and read the first bytes.
Can a file fake the DSF (DSD audio) signature?
Renaming a file does not change its bytes, so the extension can lie but the signature usually cannot. A genuine DSF (DSD audio) file has these exact bytes; a file with the wrong bytes is not really DSF (DSD audio), whatever its name says.
Related signatures
Sources
- GCK file signature table (Gary Kessler, hosted by SEARCH)
- DSF File Format Specification (Sony Corporation, PDF rehosted by dsd-guide.com)
Reuse this signature
This entry is part of the WhatFileType file signature reference, published under a CC BY 4.0 licence with the full provenance for every entry, a copy-paste embed and a JSON export. Credit WhatFileType and the data is yours to republish.