Hello Paul,
Can you show us how is the progress now? Thanks
Morris
See, e.g., click
Summary: Bridge II is in beta, the testers are very pleased with the sound, additional refining work needs to be accomplished. I, who does not speak for PS Audio, expect it to be available sometime this year.
Bridge II has been playing fine for me, but some others have had hiccups in the playback so Dennis is trying to resolve them. Most of my albums are redbook, but they play gaplessly very well. Once Dennis gets the bugs worked out then Arnie Nudel will have to ‘voice’ the system to ensure it maximizes sonics with the Pikes Peak firmware in the DS. So it may be a while yet, but I hope it’s soon because once you get it you’ll really enjoy it.
–SSW
+1 to Elk and Streets. The issues that remain are tough to deal with because not everybody experiences the same ones, even when using the same software. They’re mostly in the category of minor inconveniences (e.g., my biggest issue is that when using JRMC and JRemote, songs sometimes get skipped when the song’s resolution is different from the one played before). Some other beta testers report the same issue and some have never experienced it. Dennis is not always able to replicate the problems, which makes it very hard to address them (I’m not even 100% certain the fault is with the Bridge 2 as opposed to some combination of software and network issues).
Agreed - I believe the hardware is good at this point, it’s all software work that needs to be completed.
It’s really not my place to say more, but it does sound good, and get’s you the network connection if you need it.
It would sure be nice if PS Audio would simply provide an Ethernet-based SW driver for the Mac, which could make streaming Tidal, or any other source, from the computer, as simple as selecting the DAC as Output Device from Systems Preferences.
Instead, I’m getting the feeling that we are going to (again) be snarled in horrid proprietary network SW and connections that only work with a very limited set of software (and if the answer is Roon Labs, as described in another thread on the topic, expensive, buggy software).
It’s really hard to understand why, in 2015, setting up a $7000 DAC on a network has to be any more difficult than setting up an Apple TV or a $35 Google Chromecast.
The current Bridge network implementation, requiring (totally obsolete) DLNA and (insecure) P’n’P is about as bad as it could possibly get. Unreliable, difficult to get working at all, and mindlessly complex. It’s a mediocre implementation of 20-year-old proprietary “standards” from Sony and Microsoft that never were worth a darn in the first place.
I’m just crossing my fingers that the company has someone competent at network software driving this implementation, because the current bridge is a huge disappointment for an excessive amount of money - it should be a $200 card with today’s technologies, and it should work much better than it does.
Early on when first getting mine I too felt it was unstable but since changing routers to an A Express I no longer have connection problems or disconnects, maybe your LAN is not robust enough. I can’t remember the last time I had to reset the bridge or reboot DS. On the other hand maintaining a connection to my Mini was so bad it was the main reason I moved full time to the bridge. Btw the latest build of Roon has improved stablity a lot for me, no disconnects for 36 hrs now, just wish it was in the bridge.
EldRick said It would sure be nice if PS Audio would simply provide an Ethernet-based SW driver for the Mac, which could make streaming Tidal, or any other source, from the computer, as simple as selecting the DAC as Output Device from Systems Preferences.Were it only so easy. It's tempting to look at something as small and innocuous as a Chromecast stick and figure 'if they can do this for $50, why can't PS do as well for 20 times the cost?" It's a good and valid question - and if we had the resources of programmers as Google does (surprise, we don't) and sold millions as opposed to thousands, we probably could pull it off.Instead, I’m getting the feeling that we are going to (again) be snarled in horrid proprietary network SW and connections that only work with a very limited set of software (and if the answer is Roon Labs, as described in another thread on the topic, expensive, buggy software).
It’s really hard to understand why, in 2015, setting up a $7000 DAC on a network has to be any more difficult than setting up an Apple TV or a $35 Google Chromecast.
It’s easy to forget the complexity of these devices and the thousands of hours of programming that make them possible. I just bought an Amazon Echo because I think it’s cool. It’s a simple looking box but the voice recognition inside is nothing short of a miracle. One we could never pull off.
Bridge II is based on the (horrors) UPnP and DLNA as most consumer products are still today. It works well, should ship in July and will cost more than Bridge I.
Echo is WAY cool! I pre-ordered mine 3-4 months before released. Never thought I’d use it as much as I do. Keeps all of my needs/wants up-to-date and allows me a level of amnesia and mental lapses I never dreamed possible! Simply wonderful! Now if it just kept car keys.
I enjoy watching the development of devices like the Echo. One never knows when a particular product/concept will take off.
It also intrigues me how we respond differently. Voice activation does nothing for me and I have barely used it in my car or other products. Others love it. I prefer a no nonsense, crisp, efficient physical interface.
Manoet said Echo is WAY cool! I pre-ordered mine 3-4 months before released. Never thought I'd use it as much as I do. Keeps all of my needs/wants up-to-date and allows me a level of amnesia and mental lapses I never dreamed possible! Simply wonderful! Now if it just kept car keys.Cool. I use it for weather, time, alarm and timer functions. The sound sucks, but once in a while I have it tune streaming stations for me, though I have better sounding options. What else do you use it for?
I do ask it to tell me jokes, but that’s just showing off the technology - which frankly is the only reason I got it in the first place.
As to Elk’s comment, I am with you liking a clean user interface that’s physical but one of the main reasons I got Echo is to get used to the idea of communicating with a machine as I would a person - it’s a learning process for me - and Alexa is a stunning piece of engineering, worth whatever they ask for it, which isn’t much.
I too ordered it months ago…
Bridge II is based on the (horrors) UPnP and DLNA as most consumer products are still today. It works well, should ship in July and will cost more than Bridge I.It is difficult to imagine any increases in function that would justify an even higher price, particularly with no improvements in software accessibility because it is stuck using 25-year-old interfaces and APIs.
Well, perhaps that’s where we differ. The improvements are significant and we will offer a sizeable upgrade path for Bridge 1 owners, which should help those that wish to enjoy the better sound, stability, features and integration with other services, such as Roon.
Bridge II represents a sizeable investment in time and money for the company and I am certain those that wish to upgrade or move up will enjoy and appreciate its value.
But it does sound like you’re rather angry or offended over the Bridge and if I have done or said something that caused this, you have my sincere apology. I do agree that the failings in Bridge I are not trivial, but given its early introduction in a field where none existed at the time, I remain proud of it.
Next gen. PS Audio DAC will have gesture control and voice activation 
In addition to the points that Paul has made about the Bridge, I would say that I really like running my music server (MinimServer) on a NAS, controlled from a tablet. This is more pleasant for me than having to run a Mac or Windows machine; both Minim and the Synology software are extremely reliable. Like rogerdn, I had a few network issues at first but after a little work things became very stable with B1. DLNA/UPnP may be “old” technology, but it works for me and I am not aware of any alternative that would not require me to use a larger computer.
Well said magister, my experience too, and simpler yet you don’t even need Minimserver if you don’t do tagging, the Synology server is nice and just as stable, I use both actually.
Paul McGowan said I do agree that the failings in Bridge I are not trivial, but given its early introduction in a field where none existed at the time, I remain proud of it.You forgot SlimDevices
magister said . . . DLNA/UPnP may be "old" technology . . .T. Rex kicked butt in his day and would kick even more butt now. There is a lot to be said for dinosaurs.
Alekz said You forgot SlimDevicesAnd continually beating a very dead horse; so beyond post mortem paleontologists are excusing themselves as disqualified.
I love the sound I’m getting with my Bridge(I) and DS…I haven’t had any real ‘glitches’ in a very long time. For the most part, my system is very stable, the sound quality is excellent. I can’t wait for the Bridge(II) and to be able to stream gapless and DSD. I only hope it sounds as good as the original…and if it sounds better, man that’s icing…
July is just around the corner…very exciting! Is there anywhere I can browse to get an idea on what the cost/trade up path will be?
乾杯 
_Ben
“But it does sound like you’re rather angry or offended over the Bridge…”
I’m somewhat annoyed by the bridge because I had expected much better software compatibility, but I don’t mean to sound hostile.
UPnP is not a great discovery technology and is very insecure, particularly on Windows. DLNA is not widely supported by software, and has not enjoyed much success over time.
There are only a few applications that can drive the Bridge from streaming sources, at least partially because of what I view as its choice of weak network technologies. I’d like to have seen your bridge development efforts put into better software support, rather than more costly hardware; specifically, device drivers that would make the DAC look like a local device to a PC or Mac, and thus support any application that can play through the speakers.