… and who might those people be?
The odd thing about this thread is that it was started by someone wanting to get a streamer, a product that PS Audio currently do not make.
If you’re looking for a streamer try a Lumin U1 Mini ($2k USD) or Innuos Zen MK3 ($2.6K USD) if they fit your budget. I’m using the cheaper Zen Mini Mk3 and I love it!
I did not suppose that there might be doubts about understanding my statement.
“… by people who do not have this equipment and did not have it”
= people who did not listen to these devices. What grounds do they have for their opinion?
Well I don’t know who you’re talking about.
I’ve owned PS Audio equipment and their top PCM DAC, but I’ve never owned a PS Audio DSD DAC. I’ve never even heard one. So I can’t and never have commented on its sound. I’ve tried a high-end FPGA DAC from Chord, I own a portable FPGA DAC, but my main system does not have a FPGA DAC, so like @Rudolf_Appel I don’t think FPGA automatically makes a DAC better. Far from it, the DSD DAC and the PWD Mk2 (which I did own) measure poorly and the Chord DACs generally measure superbly well. Good measurements are a pre-requisite for me and the poor measurements of the PWD Mk2 were not a big issue as I bought it in 2012 or 2013 and was only streaming 16/44 files at most.
I’ve also owned a regenerator and found it very system dependent. When considering an upgrade I asked Paul why the new range are better than the old range and just got the answer that they’re better. That’s a non-answer. As my old unit was buzzing, I had to junk it and bought a replacement product more appropriate to my system.
People who own certain units, especially expensive ones, invariably say they are brilliant until they sell them. That extreme bias, and there is a lot of it here, is often worse that people who objectively consider something, even if they ultimately don’t buy it.
Or you could just have a fanboy forum, PS Audio good, everything else bad.
1 Like
I appreciate any critical constructive advice, trust me, but I did my research, and with the Bridge II card, this “Streamer” works just fine as a streamer… moreover, as a DAC it’s down right amazing. If you just took a few minutes to watch the various YouTube lectures on how it works (The Ted Smith design, and DSD upsample model for ALL PCM), you would see what sets it apart from other DACs, and even prior PS Audio DACs… Today is the 2nd day I am listing to it now, and while I believe that some have observed it needs a LONG burn in (some are saying 200+ hours)… 24 hours burn in into it, I can unequivocally say it sounds better than the DA-2’s ES 9018 based DAC in playing back all PCM media, including my 44.1 CD’s…
I can see this difference mostly when playing music that is on the softer side… the classical, light jazz and R&B … when playing hard rock, or heavy metal, less so… it seems the space between the notes, the tightness of the bass, and the black spaces are all more pronounced.
Being able to directly contrast the two DAC’s is an interesting experiment in audio… as both actually sound good, but both sound quite different. The one thing I have not been able to check yet is pure DSD… I have SACD disks that I can only play thru the McIntosh DAC, but I have no pure DSD music to play back via the PS Audio (yet).
The take away is not so much FPGA, but their unique desire to convert EVERYTHING PCM into DSD (20 times up sample), and then output this seemingly analogue (1 bit digital) signal directly thru a very minimal analogue phase into my McIntosh Pre-amp (I am using Balance out). If you are a fan of DSD, there is no other DAC that comes close in this price range.
But so far, 24 hours into it, my impression of the PS Audio DAC is that it’s 5-stars… I heard the NaIm ND555 at my dealers shop and can’t see a major difference in quality of tone, but then the speakers used there were the McIntosh XR100’s in a larger room, and I have the XR50’s in a significantly smaller room which has to color the experience.
As to my original question… I found what I need, I am using Roon, with Qobuz and Tidal as sources, and have figured out that the only DSD I can play is either going to need to be on my hard drive, or I can burn it to a CD and “Hope” the SACD player sends it to my PS Audio rather than to the DA-2 via the DIN cable (to be determined) - so consider my topic answered.
3 Likes
I agee, FPGA doesn’t necessarily make it better, BUT @tedsmith usually gets it right. There’s nothing wrong with making something as good as you possibly can at that time and then continue to work on it to find ways to make it even better. Personally, this is something I greatly appreciate about the DSS.
5 Likes
If you have a bit of time @cookie has made some DSD and PCM tracks available to download free to do this compare, if you’d like. I found it interesting to sample both.
1 Like
I’d be cautious of sweeping, definitive statements. All of this is very subjective, there is no absolute truth when it comes to what someone prefers in audio. For instance, I owned the DSJ for several years, and while there were many things I liked about it, I ultimately sold it because I found it’s approach to sound too limiting and the updates to not always improve SQ.
The DS approach (like Benchmark) of upsampling the heck out of everything is one flavor that appeals to people who like that flavor, it is in no way inherently superior.
Also, there is a huge contingent on this forum who mercilessly deride the Bridge II (of which I’m one), and there are many who like the B2. It’s all subjective.
The most important thing is that you find our for yourself, in your room, with your system and to your tastes. That you experiment through direct experience and see what you think. That’s far more important than reviews, YouTube ramblings, or our divergent forum opinions.
Content deleted.
I don’t doubt Ted Smith gets it right.
But knowing a team, rather than a single person, is behind it gives me more confidence when investing in a product in this price category.
When debugging software and digging into other programmers source code that is not well commented and documented is truly a nightmare and you don’t know whether you cover up a symptom or actually solve the problem.
I trust that Ted works close with the rest of the software guys in PS Audio‘s development team and that he documents/comments his source code and design principles well. The way it is presented however, creates the impression that PS Audio’s Coca Cola recipe remains in the ingenious mind of an external consultant only.
Bruno Putzes has worked out his Pulse Density and conversion algorithms for the class D amplifiers and DAC’s in development till had the frame work. Then he worked with the teams in the companies he worked/works for to allow them to maintain and improve the products them self such that he can move on to new endeavors. He mentions the names of all persons he works with in all his publications and/or on the company WEB-sites.
One of the reasons I like the Mola Mola products.
I haven’t been following this thread very close but was wondering how long you have had the Mola Mola DAC?
1 Like
Sure… clearly the DSD upsample sound this thing generates isn’t for everyone, or it would universally be hailed as the best DAC on the market, full stop. There are many other, far more expensive DAC’s out there that some like better, and some far less expensive ones as well… I am aware. I like the smooth sound of this DAC… for me it’s nirvana.
Contemplating to buy it, like the stories of Paul I find the stories of Bruno Putzeys intriguing and interesting. Regardless the DAC SQ, Mola Mola offers the Trambaqui DAC as internal option to the Makua Pre Amp with Phono stage, all balanced (differential) connections. You know I look for compact and low box count, due to space limitations, so I have gathered a lot of information about that impressive device. So, Streamer, DAC, Phono Stage and Pre Amp in a single box.
I don’t really mind the subtle differences in SQ or rather preference of voicing of the DAC, they are both way above of what I have till date.
That the Phono Stage is in the same enclosure doesn’t bother me a bit as each section is energized / de energized based on the input selection.
Thanks for the FYI. How does the Bluesound equipment rate in terms of quality of sound. For example, if it were not for the Amazon issue, I’d be giving serious consideration to the Inuous Mini with the upgraded power supply…As good as Inuous/better/worse?
Sorry, I have not heard the innuos so can’t say.
Is this it?
So I wanted to (as promised) update this thread for those who wanted my take on the PS Audio DAC after my trial…
First off, I want to say PS Audio are a classy group of guys, as they gave me no hassle when I decided not to keep my DAC… as such, they very likely earned my future business for when I finally get my Power Regeneration system.
I liked the sound of the DirectStream DAC… Over all, it was easy to use, and the UI was intuitive and on par with other stuff I played with, especially when you consider it’s 5 or 6 years old in design.
The sound of the DAC vs my McIntosh DA-2 (ESS Saber based) DAC was definitely superior to my ears… especially when I was playing Redbook and streaming 44.1 / 16bit… Less so when I played DSD files however, but that might be just my limited selection of DSD music… I only got to try out a couple of recordings as my DSD, where the McIntosh sounded better to my ear, but again this is subjective as I like tight bass, and a overall more precise reproduction … so for example, I generally don’t like the sound of a Tube amp over a Solid State… so again take my own taste into account here with this feedback.
So I took my DAC down to my local dealer and tried it side by side with a dCS Bartók and Rossini DAC… and well, let’s just say I was ruined, forever unable to unhear these beautiful DACs… As good as the PS Audio is, and I liked it better than the Linn and SimAudio they sold at my dealer for sure, it was nothing in comparison with the dCS … I don’t know if it’s just how “transparent” the dCS stuff is (as my dealer tried to describe it) or what, but after this side by side comparison I had to order one without any doubt. I struggled with whether to get a Bartók or Rossini so I ordered both and will make the decision when they come in (as the dealer will keep the other to sell)…
PS… a huge upset for me was the Mosaic software that dCS provides with their streaming units which is every bit as good as Roon for my needs, and works flawlessly and intuitively.
So there… the journey is well under way, I’ve managed to find a great DAC and now know where to get all of my digital hi-resolution music … thanks again all for the input.
2 Likes
Thanks for the review!
I have not seen Mosaic software in operation. I have heard good things.
Be so kind to let us know the outcome please!
@wijber well, after over an hour listening to the two DAC’s mated to a McIntosh MA452 and C52 (I’m going to have the MA462 and C53, but it’s close)… I went with the Rossini… two reasons. I have no desire nor need to listen to headphones and the McIntosh C53 has an amazing headphone out… and b)the lower end was better defined… I listened to a benchmark tune to insure my ears were hearing it right, and they were… George Benson & Earl Kluge Collaboration - Mimosa … Markus Millers bass tone just sounds like he’s sitting in front of you playing thru his amp… It was literally $10K more, but I felt worth it… oddly the Vivaldi wasn’t quite as different from the Rossini as the Rossini was from the Bartok.
1 Like