It is good to know that you have received great and timely responses from PSA staff when needed. No doubt others have as well. Now for PSA senior management to evaluate how to get that consistency up and maintain it. For some emails, Hep Desk, and phone calls don’t always hit the mark. Regarding the latter a bit of it is due to no one available to answer the phone, either initially or at a Tech Support Help/Service Desk. I get the impression there is no system in place to monitor incoming requests regardless of method.
Agreed, if the unit is not up to snuff send it back. If you feel they can resolve it down the road, ask them to provide one when the bugs are worked out.
I have had wonderful experiences working with PS Audio.
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that is a strong word I feel in this case. A fixable small bug that will be fixed in the first quarter a product is released is not botched. The other things are minor and I could live w/o even if PSA decides not do anything about them. But I know most will be addressed. The frosting on top would be an app that does settings. But I fear they do not have the horses to make that happen. Sound is king…if you want something with a bit more polish, you may have to spend quite a bit more to get this sound quality.
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Paul, vetting the product with a more thorough and effective Beta process would have prevented this in the first place, which is precisely the point. I’d like to think everyone would have accepted the wait having a unit that doesn’t present ticks and pops either between tracks or when changing formats PCM>DS or DSD>PCM. You have a certain segment of customers that expect better. I’m sure it will be resolved going into Axpona 2023.
This is great news! Hopefully the updated FW does not introduce any new problems. Many here look forward to April 10th.
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certain sources
That’s interesting. My DS MK2 received on 3/5 (FW 2.3.6) has no pop/click at all.
DS MK1 had pop/click when switching from PCM to DSD. But with MK2, none.
Also auto input select works flawlessly. I’m using I2S, Optical, and Coax but switching one to the other is smooth, no pop/click, no hesitation.
And of course, MK2 sounds great.
In this case, is it still recommended to update the FW when released?
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I think you as others before are pointing out the inconsistency of the product. Some have issues, where prior they did not. Some have no issues where prior they did.
I had no issues, and then did. Where does that leave those of us with issues? Wait, sure. But what’s reasonable?
I’ve lost track, how long has the MK2 been available for general sale to the public?
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I suspect the difference is among users’ systems, sorces, files, etc. rather than among units.
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Precisely! Who would have expected that simply replacing a DAC might require replacing a streamer/endpoint? Or a long wait for a software fix?
To your point, the Beta called issues out, yet the product was released to the general public, and in some cases, possibly unwitting public.
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The new software will implement some features that you might like. But ignoring that, you are free to use the current software or the new release like people did in the past.
Some of the features expected (you never know for sure until the work is done and tested):
- Bug fix for most of the ticks and pops that people have run into. The beta testers have reported no more ticks and/or pop or at least much more quiet ticks and pops when they occur.
- Screen update, probably user selectable default screens and bigger fonts for some functions.
- Bug fix for left channel muting, etc. when deemphasis was selected (my fault.) Also better UI control of deemphasys.
- Ability to control whether the power for USB, I2S1 and I2S2 are enabled. I believe both an explicit disable and/or based on the currently selected input.
- Ability to configure I2S polarity to both PS Audio standard format and the other common format with the data line and the L/R channel indicator in the opposite polarity.
- Ability to swap the DSD channels of Native DSD thru the I2S1 or I2S2 inputs.
- Implementing the Dual AES input function with configuration.
- Implementing the bit perfect test. Tho the old bit perfect test file will still work for bit perfect testing:
- Using the new bit perfect test files to auto configure the I2S polarity and the Dual AES configuration.
I can say that the new code to watch for clocks disappearing is much better than the code in the earlier Mk II releases and shouldn’t cause any ticks and pops that haven’t been in the DS for quite a while. In addition, the short ramp in Sunlight has been fixed so most of the ticks and pops that were in Sunlight, but not earlier releases are fixed as well.
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Which time? First time was start of December, kinda.
Not to Beta users, but available on the website.
@vkennedy61 Yes, start of December. But the site was not working. So telephone calls were needed.
@tedsmith Thanks so much Ted!
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I can probably announce that later today the next release of the FPGA code should be downloadable. It is currently shipping in new units.
The code should fix most of the ticks and pops reported to me and I’ve had the help of more than a few forum members to check that it addresses the problems they had.
This isn’t the end of the work on transitions, but as we encounter more devices that do other “interesting” things during track or format transitions we’ll address them if we can. The afore mentioned UI release will have some more of this work as well.
[Edit: I’ll give specific download instructions when it appears on the web site.]
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Stac 2.36 is the UI firmware. The important one in regards to the ticks and pops is what is the FPGA software? Is it Antero 179 or is it Antero with a number higher than 179? It is the FPGA software.
Wait! Ted don’t answer! We the uniformed should get to bet on the FPGA number! I probably do not count as uninformed though… I like 201. Short for 2001!
Only one of the beta testers knows the new number 
The beta software was all marked “Internal”, I have to recompile and assign a new number even if I just want to change the release name to, say, “Antero”.
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My suspicion has been the issue was the “interesting” things done by other pieces of kit.
I imagine this makes your work interesting as well.
Would unit I had delivered today be totally current ? and since your on now Ted, how long before I plug it in from the Michigan cold Fedex truck ? …