I've recently performed a major technology upgrade in my system in order to move away from a desktop PC music serving solution. After much research (helped in no small part by the good folks on this forum I might add) purchased a DS415play (with 4X4TB HDDs) and opted to run Minimserver on it. Simon Nash and his team (if he has one) have done a great job.
Of course, more importantly, I've upgraded my PWD II/Bridge (I) combination with the DirectStream upgrade kit running with Yale and a Bridge II.
Finished it all yesterday. Had a few head-scratching moments when the holes in the digital and analogue boards didn't quite line up with the mounting posts. Didn't panic, remembered the good advice from the video about not forcing anything and eventually, by holding my mouth in a different way and gently lifting the boards about 1/16th of an inch was able to locate the screws into the holes without stripping any threads. Phew!
And after connecting it all up? Wow! Was like a kid in a candy store! Had to tear myself away from the listening chair to go to bed!
To the PS Audio team and especially Ted Smith as the 'father', you've done a great job!
Cheers,
MikeK
PS The UPnP Control Point replacement is still a work in progress. I'm getting by at the moment using the 'control point' functionality in Windows Media Player running on Windows 10. Hope to replace that 'soon'. Argh! More research!
PPS Have to thank Paul and his recent post about community participation for prompting me to share my experience with you folks.
Sorry, been offline for a few days. Expand on the differences? Thought you’d never ask
I have to first take you back to early last year when I had a similar epiphany after acting on some room setup advice from one of Paul’s posts. For that change I moved the 800Ds well away from the walls and corners, more into the room (about 1/3 the room width funnily enough) positioned about 3m (10’) apart. I also moved the DB1s between the 800Ds, each of them about 300mm (1’) from each 800D and slightly behind the line between them. I then fitted the spiked feet to the speakers and subs which allowed me to slightly tilt forward the 800Ds at least. Lastly, after some experimentation, I set the speakers with a slight ‘toe-in’ such that they were still aimed away from the listening apex (about 3m from each speaker).
With this setup I heard a widening and deepening of the sound stage. Tilting the 800Ds forward also made it sound as though the instruments were playing at about ear level (from a seated position) rather than from above. When closing your eyes you could locate individual instruments in the sound space. So I guess you could say that the sound stage had become more ‘intimate’.
OK. Back to 2016 and the DirectStream/Bridge II (with Yale) upgrade. What was immediately apparent was a palpable sharpening of the focus on individual instruments. The effect was so startling I found myself being distracted by individual instruments - I’d focus on one and find I had to ‘force’ myself to listen to another.
The other distinctly noticeable improvement was what I’d call a persistence of notes in the bottom end. It wasn’t an increase as such but more a naturally sustained sound, attenuating over a longer time frame. Not sure if I described the image well enough but I hope you at least get the idea.
just upgraded from my pwd mkii Bridge i to DS bridge ii. What happens is simply incredible…all I can say is WOOOWWWWW. Before the upgade I wasnt sure, if it makes sense. Btw Bridge is my only source. Sound is so much more natural, precise, open, big, analog…you name it. Really, you should hear it. 10000% happy. Dont care about DS Junior, dont care about “after Yale”.
