There are only three versions of Snowmass for DS Sr. as far as I am aware: v3.0.0; v3.0.4; and the current version, v3.0.5.
I have never heard of or seen v3.0.1, v3.0.2, or 3.0.3.
You can tell which version you are running from the DS Sr.'s display. I would be very surprised if you have a version numbered v3.0.2.
As for which version people like best, that is for another thread.
Thanks Bootz . . . I was confused after reading someone’s post in a different thread: ("…Calling Snowmass v1, v2, etc. makes zero sense when v2 actually refers to 3.01, 3.02, 3.03, 3.04, and now 3.05.")
So, there really isn’t 5 versions of Snowmass afterall??
I think the easiest way to think about it is:
SMv1 = v3.0.0
SMv2 = v3.0.4
SMv3 = v3.0.5
In short, there are only three versions, and there is no v3.0.1, v3.0.2, or v3.0.3 (at least not in the wild).
I upgraded from 3.0.4 to 3.0.5, I don’t have a Bridge installed, and it does actually sound a little different. I think maybe it is possible that a change this small in the coding might amount to just a simple reset for the FPGA.
What I hear is a sound that is noticeably less wide, but a little more focused, less grain/noise, and slightly higher resolution in the highs. Some of the quirkiness that came with the DAC (It shipped to me at 3.0.4) is gone, and it sounds a little more in line with my other DACs. I think this is the jitter profile, as the sound is more clean, but less wide and three dimensional. In my experience with USB cables and filters, higher noise actually equals a bigger and more 3d sound at the expense of being fuzzy and imprecise.
I might try 3.0.0 at some point, but this is nice for now.
That’s interesting, IanB52. I would encourage you to try 3.0.0 as I’d like to hear your thoughts.
I just did a comparison. 3.0.0. and 3.0.4 sound more alike, and 3.0.5 is a little different (crazy, right?). 3.0.0 was wider, more three dimensional, and a bit warmer than the other two, but also looser and fuzzier than the newest one. 3.0.4 seems to be the noisiest/fuzziest, but not as pleasant as 3.0.0.
3.0.5 is cleaner, more articulate and balanced than either, and it doesn’t pop when tracks/sample rates change. I’m going to stick with that one for now, but it is nice to have options. If it had the width of V1, or even V2, it would be a clear winner all around, but it’s still a matter of preference.
Thanks for posting your comparison results. Just out of curiosity, what order did you test the three Snowmass versions? Many of us compared 3.0.0 and 3.0.4 before 3.0.5 was released and concluded that 3.0.0 sounds materially better than 3.0.4 (that was my conclusion, and I never tried 3.0.5). The reason I ask about your testing order is that there seems to be an extended warm-up period needed for the DS to reach its full potential after being powered down to swap firmwares. If, for example, someone tested 3.0.5 first at the conclusion of an extended power-up and then quickly power-cycled the DS to test the other two versions, it would not be surprising to me that 3.0.5 sounded the best.
I didn’t give a lot of thought to power-cycling, but this was the order:
Both times I installed 3.0.5 there is a narrower stereo image, but higher resolution, more balanced and clean sound.
Thanks so much for your comparison, IanB52. I listened to 3.0.5 for a short bit and I think my conclusions are the same, but for the moment I’m staying with 3.0.0 as I do like the more 3 dimensional presentation.
It really blows my mind that tiny changes like this, that aren’t even intended to affect the DAC performance, show up in audible ways. Even more shocking is the version with the least changes, none of which are supposed to be applicable to my own system, is the one that sounds the most different.
I admire all your fine ears and I‘d even nearly be in the mood to check it again…but I think in the past much bigger differences were so hard to judge without being able to just switch inputs…and this time even differences caused by different reboot processes could come into play.
I sometimes wonder how many hear those differences and how few those between flac/wav/aif which to me were more obvious 
If you are familiar with how your system sounds now, it shouldn’t be all that difficult to notice the subtle change.
hey folks! just got my new Direct Stream DAC with Snowmass 3.05 loaded into 'er.
still burning in…and sounding better by the day.
I am using Roon Core / Tidal from my MacBook.
Streaming to my Bryston Digital Player.
Connected via AES/EBU to the Direct Stream.
All works flawlessly without issues.
BUT…thinking the wireless may now be the weakest link into my system.
Been wondering about ROON CORE. And how to get it OFF my computer, and INTO a server of some kind - and connect directly into the DirectSteam.
been reading about Roon Nucleus and Innous streamer. But these connect via USB.
Any experience out there among all you audiophile crazies (like me) on resolving (pun intended) this delimma?
cheers!
Sully.
I run Roon on a NAS. It’s souped up with 2x M.2 drives 2x Server drives in a Raid and a conventional SSD where Roon resides. For the most part it’s flawless. Connected to DSD Sr and Bridge II via Ethernet.
wow. sounds trippy.
so…you have Roon Core on a SSD?
My Roon Core is on a small SSD that’s dedicated to Roon on the NAS.
Look up QNAP and Synology they are larger NAS manufacturers. Get most RAM and fastest CPU you can afford.
ok. but how do you ‘load’ Roon Core on a SSD? sorry is this is a dumb question!
NAS manufacturers have an Application centre with apps that are approved and you choose to have it installed. Roon core runs in the background. The Roon app on a NAS is different in content but not function.
got it…just found this