Since there is a Airlens “like” built into the latest PMG Dac , one would assume this latest built-in streamer is improved over the several years old Airlens.
The assumption is that there will be a future stand alone Airlens II.
Many folks will likely want to keep their existing Dacs and just upgrade their streamer.
Do we have a delivery date on any potential Airlens II units ? And what kind of enhancements would be desirable
Has anyone contemplated “Mods” for the Airlens I which might enhance it?
Paul has only said there is a streamer built-in the PMG DAC, no details that I am aware of. The description on the web page only says, “a built-in high-performance streamer”. Some folks have suggested it is based on the AirLens, but that’s a logical guess. There is nothing to indicate it is any better than the AirLens. If it is better or they are working on a better AirLens, I wouldn’t expect it any time soon, but maybe PS will surprise us …
Paul just responded, on a post I put up, that the internal streamer is quite different in design than the AirLens and is a “bit” but “noticeably” better…
Just to be clear, the streamer inside the PMG DAC is a brand new beast, designed from the ground up after a lot of research and work. I wanted nothing but the best in my signature DAC and we engaged with a new engineering addition to PS, Peter. Peter’s an amazing programmer and engineer—young, energetic and he, along with mentor Doug Goldberg (former head of engineering at Northrup Gruman) have been instrumental in a number of recent innovations at the company. The streamer is really cool. Much more advanced than what’s in the AirLens and sounds better too…but not by gobs. Noticeably better but I wouldn’t say game changer.
The thing with streamers is one isn’t necessarily better than another. At the end of the day, a streamer is connecting your DAC up to a distant server and acting as the conduit for the data. How it collects it and organizes it is a bit like FLAC or ALAC where the method used doesn’t really affect sound quality. It is bit perfect regardless of how you unpack it. That said, the interface, the Nosie levels, the lack or amount of jitter, the isolation, delivery method inside or outside the unit—these are the main factors that determine sound quality. etc. S I would suspect the sonic improvements, though small, are due to the fact the PMG streamer is internal and without connecting cables. And so on.
Time may prove different but that’s my best right now. The AirLens remains one of the best streamers out there and a bargain at twice the price.
Thanks for that Paul! There wasn’t much information on the streamer so it wasn’t a stretch to think it was a variant of the AirLens. Does it still use a Convers Digital module? If not, how is it controlled? I sure like the idea of a new DAC with an integrated streamer, but I am quite content with DS Mk II and AirLens. I’m holding out on a decision until I see the trade-in offer.
So, does this mean the Airlens concept was maxed out and could not be integrated into the PMG line? The galvanic isolation aspect of the Airlens sounded pretty promising.
I think the “separates are better crowd” is large enough to support AirLens production for some time, but there are so many options out there; and time will tell.
An aside…I did not mean to suggest I believed that the streamer technology in the PMG DAC would necessarily stand still. However, I do wonder how practical it will be to upgrade the internal streamer if advances are made.
Well I just received my Airlens today and set it on top of the Eversolo(fits great) and connected it to my MKll with the cheapest hdmi cord you’ve ever seen and it really sounds nice. Clearer with more air around each instrument and cleaner. I ordered a AQ hdmi cable the same time I ordered the AL and AG just shipped it today. Terrible service. Can’t wait to get the better cord. Oh yea…using Qobuz Connect. Well worth the upgrade.
