Anyone able to compare the DS Sr. to the Dynafrips Terminator Plus, or other comparable DAC in the $6k-$7k range, preferable with i2s input?
My DAC is not nearly that expensive, but does a great job and is accurate, and durable. I2s over HDMI capable.
You really have to listen to them in your system to make any valid judgement in my experience. The differences at this level are quite subtle and system energy is ānearlyā everything.
That said, Iām quite pleased with the performance of the Holo May compared to the DS.
1 Like
The problem is if you are considering less mainstream brands, returning them may be nigh impossible if their sound isnāt to your liking. So, Iām looking anywhere I can think of for guidance. If 9 out of 10 prefer Dynafrips over PSA, there is a good chance I would agree.
I empathize completely. Itās a tough spot with no good solution.
Buying on the used market and reselling is an option with less % loss, usually.
Not sure how I can help here as this is subjective however I have compared (not with Sunlight) to a Metrum Pavane and a Lampi Amber 3. The Metrum was awesome at detail so if more resolve is a feature you find appealing, there ya go. Maybe a feature set of a āladderā type technology? The Lampi was a great DAC but similar in sound to PSA. When I was low level and say piano music, I ran my current DAC for max detail. For high volume rock type music the Lampi was great as it smoothed out any sharp edgesā¦ I think many agree the Directstream is musical in that way as well. My 2c anyway and good luck. I would like to experiment a bit more and may try a Bartokā¦
Having both a DSD and Metrum Iād say the Metrum is a real treat, and yes does well at low level detail without sounding etched in anyway. It is fine for Redbook Playback, which is the majority of my digital collection. Itās nice to have options, DSD or Metrum.
I have the DSD Sr. in my system and it is a great dac. Havenāt heard the Denafrips but thought that Darko maybe had compared the 2. The DSD Sr can be bought used for around $3500 or so.
I checked. Darko did do a review of the Denafrips Terminator where he compared it to the DSD Sr.
Yeah, but that was the Terminator, not the Terminator Plus, and he doesnāt mention what FW version the PSA has. BTW, Darko, to me anyway, is one of the most boring reviewers there is.
Where do you send the Denafrips if you have problems with it?
How often has the Terminator been upgraded via a free download?
DSD resides in my system for those reasons. And it sounds damn good.
3 Likes
Iāve only heard good reviews about Denfrips (Chinese product sold out of Singapore). A friend of mine really likes the Terminator ($4400). You have to spend an extra 2k for the Terminator Plus. I noticed it has an I2S input as well. Steve Gutenberg reviewed it some time back and describes its qualities pretty well.
Is it a choice between Denafrips and PS Audio? Tough choice my friend. If it were me, given where the DSD Sr. is in its current lifecycle, Iād look to the used market for a DSD Sr. or wait until later in the year for the MKII version. I would concur with most of the folks out there that the latest/final firmware upgrade is amazing. Donāt think Iāll be shopping for a new DAC anytime soon, but that can change n a moments notice (especially if I keep hanging around on this forum) - LOL
1 Like
Repairs are sent to Anacortes, WA (As I am US based). I donāt know how often there has been a FW update, but it seems to be considerably more complicated to update than the DS Sr. And, they are free. I appreciate your questions, as they force me to research the answers, and will help guide me to the best unit for me.
I mentioned else yesterday a review of a ladder DAC with the Chord Dave. Both more expensive than the PSA DSD Snr. At that price point they are both excellent, just different. A matter of taste. Not one better than the other.
Whether a DAC is driven by proprietary software that needs regular updating is as much as a design choice as anything else. Just because it doesnāt need updating doesnāt make it a bad DAC. Mine has had only two software updates since September 2016, but one of them made it Roon Ready.
Polar opposite of the common view of the updates.
4 Likes
I would only buy a product for what it can do today, not what it might do tomorrow.
Every software driven product Iāve used has been upgradeable, sometimes by push upgrades that you donāt even notice.
Iām quite concerned with what my dac can do tomorrow. Thatās why I would prefer to get the DS MKII, if it doesnāt take forever to get released (yesterday I saw a thread on it that first appeared three years ago, May 2018!). Although what a dac does today is EXTREMELY important, three years from today, it might have fallen noticeably behind the leaders if not updatable. And, whatever I get, I want it to always provide the best sound available. But thatās me.
1 Like
I agree - if you buy the DS Mk2 in 2022, you are buying it for what it can do then. It might get upgraded, but PS Audio might go bust or Ted Smith might join a Hari Krishna commune (unlikely given his dress sense) and there would be no one to upgrade it. Nothing in the future is certain or predicable. We all had Nokia phones a few years ago.
Iām just about to buy a new audio product released today after years of development, there are plans for further features, already in development, but I am only buying it based on what it can do now.
Turntables, speakers and amplifiers are not upgradeable (generally). Most software is upgradeable, my main interest is that software upgrades can delay redundancy. Added features are a bonus. My server is about to get free streamer software. Would anyone not buy the DSD Snr today because there are not going to be any updates, even though it may be a superb DAC?
Ahh, Hari Krishners. Takes me back to my years at the University of North Carolina. Wait, I remember seeing one that looked like a very young Ted Smith! Hmmmm. as far as not buying the DS Sr., many have said glowing things about it, yet advised me to wait for the MKII. Iām just going to spend a few weeks researching everything I can, getting every opinion and bit of advice I can, watching for new product announcements, etc., and hopefully get whatever will be the best for me. Maybe Iāll end up with the DS Sr. MKII, which I know I can return if not satisfied, or the Mytek Manhattan Bridge Roon powered, scheduled for July release. And, maybe Iāll be a beta tester for the MKII. Que Sera Sera, whatever will be, will be!
At UVA, they would not have lasted long. -Too many enticements to the āWorldly Waysā 
If you wait for the next best thing you will wait forever. The problem with most audiophiles is that they are never satisfied. It almost defines them (us?). For the most part Iām a happy camper, so Iām probably a very poor audiophile. I just make decisions based on whatās in front of me, after all a meteorite could wipe us out next week.
1 Like