Alekz said
Another observation. The DS makes differences between recordings more obvious. For example, I have a 16/44 CD and a 24/192 vinyl rip of the same album. We could choose what to listen on the PWD (both versions had their pluses and minuses). The DS left no choice - the red-book CD sounds plain flat and boring.
Oh yes, and Tom Waits (“Blue Valentine”) was brilliant today Right between the speakers, spitting words out and around
Exactly Alekz! I had audition in Melbourne at the dealer’s yesterday with my own music files (all different rez of FLAC and WAV), I have to say it totally changed my impression of various recording quality with DS from MKII previously. Of course the equipment/setting/environment was totally different from home. Most of the music files I do enjoyed alot on MKII now sounds different with DS, some are just unacceptable (e.g…Lang Lang Rachmaninoff, the 1st track we played, not sure if its the setting issue as there were hiccups streaming via Bridge at the beginning).
With most studio solo vocal with minimum instruments, the vocals are always bigger than MKII, which sounds artificial, and bit annoying to me, or put another word MKII makes it color coating listenable, the DS shows the difference of each individual recording. I love the the DS with live recording of symphony and opera, esp 50’ 60’s, fantastic, even low budget CD rips, I love the balance DS represents.
Mutter’s Carmen Fantasy redbook is less HiFi than MKII to make Mutter less rocknroll, its more inviting engaging and more…human. Linda Eder’s Jekyll and Hyde redbook sounds similar to MKII but with much inky background, more accurate vocal, most important is the subtlety of balanced recording quality. DS let me enjoy and appreciate real music recording (mostly live) with min recording/engineering/remixing technology tricks.
Just my 2cents, not sure if others have the same impression to share? And I’m still debating if to go ahead with DS…
Alekz said
Another observation. The DS makes differences between recordings more obvious. For example, I have a 16/44 CD and a 24/192 vinyl rip of the same album. We could choose what to listen on the PWD (both versions had their pluses and minuses). The DS left no choice - the red-book CD sounds plain flat and boring.
Oh yes, and Tom Waits (“Blue Valentine”) was brilliant today Right between the speakers, spitting words out and around
Exactly Alekz! I had audition in Melbourne at the dealer’s yesterday with my own music files (all different rez of FLAC and WAV), I have to say it totally changed my impression of various recording quality with DS from MKII previously. Of course the equipment/setting/environment was totally different from home. Most of the music files I do enjoyed alot on MKII now sounds different with DS, some are just unacceptable (e.g…Lang Lang Rachmaninoff, the 1st track we played, not sure if its the setting issue as there were hiccups streaming via Bridge at the beginning).
With most studio solo vocal with minimum instruments, the vocals are always bigger than MKII, which sounds artificial, and bit annoying to me, or put another word MKII makes it color coating listenable, the DS shows the difference of each individual recording. I love the the DS with live recording of symphony and opera, esp 50’ 60’s, fantastic, even low budget CD rips, I love the balance DS represents.
Mutter’s Carmen Fantasy redbook is less HiFi than MKII to make Mutter less rocknroll, its more inviting engaging and more…human. Linda Eder’s Jekyll and Hyde redbook sounds similar to MKII but with much inky background, more accurate vocal, most important is the subtlety of balanced recording quality. DS let me enjoy and appreciate real music recording (mostly live) with min recording/engineering/remixing technology tricks.
Just my 2cents, not sure if others have the same impression to share? And I’m still debating if to go ahead with DS…
Don’t debate. Just buy it. You have not heard it fully broken in yet. I assure you.
Alekz said
Another observation. The DS makes differences between recordings more obvious. For example, I have a 16/44 CD and a 24/192 vinyl rip of the same album. We could choose what to listen on the PWD (both versions had their pluses and minuses). The DS left no choice - the red-book CD sounds plain flat and boring.
Oh yes, and Tom Waits (“Blue Valentine”) was brilliant today Right between the speakers, spitting words out and around
Exactly Alekz! I had audition in Melbourne at the dealer’s yesterday with my own music files (all different rez of FLAC and WAV), I have to say it totally changed my impression of various recording quality with DS from MKII previously. Of course the equipment/setting/environment was totally different from home. Most of the music files I do enjoyed alot on MKII now sounds different with DS, some are just unacceptable (e.g…Lang Lang Rachmaninoff, the 1st track we played, not sure if its the setting issue as there were hiccups streaming via Bridge at the beginning).
With most studio solo vocal with minimum instruments, the vocals are always bigger than MKII, which sounds artificial, and bit annoying to me, or put another word MKII makes it color coating listenable, the DS shows the difference of each individual recording. I love the the DS with live recording of symphony and opera, esp 50’ 60’s, fantastic, even low budget CD rips, I love the balance DS represents.
Mutter’s Carmen Fantasy redbook is less HiFi than MKII to make Mutter less rocknroll, its more inviting engaging and more…human. Linda Eder’s Jekyll and Hyde redbook sounds similar to MKII but with much inky background, more accurate vocal, most important is the subtlety of balanced recording quality. DS let me enjoy and appreciate real music recording (mostly live) with min recording/engineering/remixing technology tricks.
Just my 2cents, not sure if others have the same impression to share? And I’m still debating if to go ahead with DS…
If I were you I’d ring Mike at Magenta Audio and tell him you want one. You wont be disappointed.
. . . sounds different with DS, some are just unacceptable (e.g…Lang Lang Rachmaninoff, the 1st track we played, not sure if its the setting issue as there were hiccups streaming via Bridge at the beginning).
Which Lang Lang Rachmaninov recording?
And I'm still debating if to go ahead with DS...
As always, it is a matter of diminishing returns and there are many fine competitors. The DS is superior to the PWD MKII, but the PWD could easily provide a lifetime of delightful listening.
The DS allows one to hear further into recordings and easily discern delicate details. You cite a number of classical recordings where microdynamics and subtle timbrel shifts reveal the performer’s intent. The DS effortlessly presents such detail.
Naturally, the DS also reveals recording flaws in similar detail.
As most always I see things from a skew. But the only diminishing return I see is my life time going away day by day. And I am very happy with the money spent on the DS and spend that time with it. As there is no best but a almost certainty in finding much worse in DAC comparisons. Happy forth to all of us Americans today .
As always, it is a matter of diminishing returns and there are many fine competitors. The DS is superior to the PWD MKII, but the PWD could easily provide a lifetime of delightful listening.
The DS allows one to hear further into recordings and easily discern delicate details. You cite a number of classical recordings where microdynamics and subtle timbrel shifts reveal the performer’s intent. The DS effortlessly presents such detail.
Naturally, the DS also reveals recording flaws in similar detail.
Well put Elk. This is the true essence of what I have heard since upgrading. I would also add that the DS treads that line between detail and musicality very astutely, not leaning too far either way, and offering more of both than the PWD2.
My present wife does not ask me and I do not ask her. The fedx and ups guys loves us both. In two states .
it seems to work well. Although she did say something about. Me spending 5 k on something , I learned not to answer questions like this either. At 57 and a second marriage I have learned something. Now if I can only get her to live down hear and me up north where my irs v are going I think I will have reached perfection.
Even the Fiance begrudgingly hears the improvements (but is still pissed at my spending)
JRiver pisses me off - it works, but…not quite. I’m still learning it though
One big complaint about the DS - this friggen Fisher Price toy of a remote, with the clickity-clickity buttons. Seriously? After all the heavy aluminum and painted and polished, you give me this clickity thing? (sigh)
It’s a good thing this is the modern age of remote controlling hardware with tablets. I just need to sort out the software side better.
Sound wise, I’m very happy! This get’s me where I want to be with my digital collection. The DS Doesn’t quite have the density of sound that my 1/4" two-rack reel to reel provides, but the detail and dynamics keep up with the tapes, with the plus of better S/N.
My DS is arriving on Monday, so I am looking forward to joining you and others who rave about the SQ.
If you’re fed up with JRiver, check out MinimServer/MinimStreamer. You will need to use a separate program like mp3tag to adjust your tagging, in contrast to JRiver’s Swiss army knife approach. But MinimServer gives you a lot of flexibility in browsing and display, and the learning curve isn’t too bad (excellent manual). And it’s donationware, so you can try it for free.
Lonely Raven said
OK, a couple days into my DirectStream DAC -
It’s sounding better already.
Even the Fiance begrudgingly hears the improvements (but is still pissed at my spending)
JRiver pisses me off - it works, but…not quite. I’m still learning it though
One big complaint about the DS - this friggen Fisher Price toy of a remote, with the clickity-clickity buttons. Seriously? After all the heavy aluminum and painted and polished, you give me this clickity thing? (sigh)
It’s a good thing this is the modern age of remote controlling hardware with tablets. I just need to sort out the software side better.
Sound wise, I’m very happy! This get’s me where I want to be with my digital collection. The DS Doesn’t quite have the density of sound that my 1/4" two-rack reel to reel provides, but the detail and dynamics keep up with the tapes, with the plus of better S/N.
Ted has a post on here to help set it up. It’s really fine and strait forward. If you wish you can call me and I can help you. Once it done all,is fine for all formats.
Ted has a post on here to help set it up. It’s really fine and strait forward. If you wish you can call me and I can help you. Once it done all,is fine for all formats.
I appreciate that, I’m almost positive is a JRiver issue though. I had it up and running (I have a thread in the JRiver section where Ted passed some ideas), and then when I rebooted the PC, JRiver was suddenly no longer working correctly. It’s frustrating to have it all up and working, then suddenly stop for some inexplicable reason.
Np. I can add this there is some kinda weird thing reg the usb. You could try unplug The usb and rebooting the DS completely with the aw on the back. Then do the same with the cpu . When done then plug the usb back in. Anytime I reboot the cpu it gets wired on me.
One big complaint about the DS - this friggen Fisher Price toy of a remote, with the clickity-clickity buttons. Seriously? After all the heavy aluminum and painted and polished, you give me this clickity thing? (sigh)
It is dreadful. And not all the buttons do something and at least one is mis-labled (“filter” does not control any type of filter on the DS).
A good remote is a wonderful rare and wonderful thing. Most are cheesy at best.
, so I am looking forward to joining you and others who rave about the SQ.