I enjoy being a part of the Beta testing program. I am always ready to see what potential improvements to the sonic performance are waiting out there. Yes there are still things that need to be addressed in the UI to bring the mk 2 up to its full potential as far as offering all of the options that were designed into the unit. As far as sound goes the mk 2 is a revelation far beyond the original Directstream DAC. I know that they will get everything working as intended and am willing to wait for that while I enjoy the music. If you do not feel the same than of course you do not need to purchase the mk 2. I have been through the growth of other products too.
7 Likes
But it is easier to criticize and complain!
7 Likes
spend tens of thousands and up, stop complaining when advertising and results contradict
1 Like
I would consider doing that but word upstream here is that is maybe six months away. Iām not willing to wait that long for something Iāve already shelled out the money for.
3 Likes
You have to wonder whatās going on with buyers who arenāt aware of the issues, bought a unit, and then call PSA for help. What are they being told? āThanks for your $8K, please wait silently for an undetermined period of time for fixes?ā.
Whatās the alternative to criticizing and complaining? Endlessly waiting in silence? Especially for people who sent in their MK1? What would you do if you bought a car and your defroster didnāt work? Youād complain. If the dealer told you to wait, with no indication of when the fix was coming out, what would you do? Wait silently all winter peering through foggy windows?
6 Likes
AND, itās not the only good sounding DAC out there, especially for the asking price.
3 Likes
We are in a golden age of audio. The choices almost seem endless.
I had absolutely no issues about my MK2, but Iām sure that most of the people who have no issues are not reporting it. The only problem was when I first got the Beta unit, it will not play DSD256 on USB, but that was corrected right away in the beginning. In fact the MK2 had even less annoying ticks and pops than my old MK1, and the MK2 is totally silent at the speakers with the volume turned up, and thatās a first. And no noise that I can hear from the unit unless I put my ears directly on the unit itself and then I hear a very faint buzz, which is not the way I listen to music anyway. Maybe also Iām just simply using a streamer and PST for my source that is why Iām not seeing any problems, I donāt knowā¦ But Iām totally in love with this MK2 because the performance is out of this world! And it just gets better and better the more you upgrade your other equipment. And tweak, oh my, does it respond to tweaks. There is just no limits to how good this unit can sound.
3 Likes
I respectfully agree with Vince: beta testers accepted a āriskā, lots of members here know very well the situation, while others might be surprised and disappointed. We all love PS brand and its reputation on the market, Iām pretty sure the general aim here is keeping this value as high as possible, even for people outside the forum.
3 Likes
I suppose thereās some worry with your experience vs. others. Inconsistency.
1 Like
My biggest complaint is the USB input on MK2 has improved too much. What am I going to do with my AQ Firebird HDMI now? I will never use it again. Should I trade it in with a fuse?
1 Like
Iād already have it posted for sale. No reason to let it age and have it pushed down the food chain as AQ comes out with newer models.
1 Like
If constructive criticism helps lead PSA to improved components and practices all for the better. In general no one benefits from a defensive posture. Placing an order and submitting full price advance payment for a buggy unit just seems counterintuitive to me. Iād like to see PSA succeed with each new product release and to succeed overall. I can accept the fact that PSA loyalists are willing to accept a device as early adopters at a discount believing that future upgrades will be available to address some shortcomings. The question comes down to is the general retail market as accepting and understanding?
A second aspect in my experience is when requests for customer service and technical support repeatedly go unanswered, the response is some requests fall through the crack. I regard such a response as dismissive. Smooth sailing and all is good, when problems arise the need to address them in a timely manner is discounted. These behaviors are relatively easy to resolve when an organization recognizes the problem and prioritizes the need to resolve them. Pointing them out in a constructive manner to a learning organization can yield benefits for the manufacturer and consumer.
7 Likes
You can always buy back a MK I in order to use the HDMI cable, selling the Omega USB to me!
2 Likes
Sometimes you have some very smart idea 
2 Likes
I 100% agree. Tickets must be managed. They must be reviewed daily. Aging tickets need to be tended to, feedback to the user must be clear and genuine. Tickets must be analyzed to look for trends and provide feedback to engineering and the help desk. For user configuration issues, KB articles must be written so thereās a consistent message to consumers, they also shortens call time. In some cases tickets are related to end user config issues. Genuine bugs are identified and that info must be relayed to engineering. Some tickets create warranty issues and they have their own workflow. None of this is magic, everything and more that Iāve outlined are well established industry standards.
Ticket silence is disrespectful.
2 Likes
Well, that was quick. Fantastic!
https://forum.psaudio.com/t/audioquest-firebird48-hdmi-0-75m-cable/32782
1 Like
āWhat am I going to do with my AQ Firebird HDMI now?ā
Make me an offer?
Do you happen to know how it compares to the fair-haired RAL?
Phones and emails must be answered/responded to as well in order to generate tech support tickets as well as to minimize customer dissatisfaction.
1 Like
It is a lot better than my previous favorite AQ Coffee hdmi.
I have never heard RAL so I donāt know.
1 Like