Did all that. I guess I’ll be phoning PS Audio tomorrow for guidance. I can’t imagine what I’m doing wrong — I’ve downloaded a number of things successfully in the past — but there’s clearly something.
I want to thank the people who wrote with suggestions. I’d tried almost all of them already, and so far nothing has worked, but I do appreciate the community’s willingness to take the time to try to help. With luck the technical desk at PS Audio, open for business tomorrow, will be able to solve the problem. I hate waiting!
I am certain they will be able to help.
Please let us know how your issue is resolved. It is frustrating when something which should be simple decides not to work.
I have the same problem. I also saw,the problem in December, but stopped trying to update the firmware until today. Same issue stuck on Initializing.
I think I read elsewhere that a design point intention for PS products was to make the software update process more reliable for all customers. The way it is now the process is broken for some. It shouldn’t be “hit and miss” like that. I’m not going to attempt to update mine until 3.x is available, and I’ll wait a few days after the release date to read of other owners experience of the process before I attempt it myself. In the meantime my DMP continues to live in its box under the bed, right next to my DSJ which is also having a rest.
Matt: Thank you for releasing the 2.08 FW for DMP. It does sound better than 2.06. However, there is an issue that 2.08 did not address. I have a problem playing DVD-A on DMP: the TOC cannot be read correctly. Song list on the DMP’s front display panel only shows 4 or fewer songs at the most. The rest of the titles on the DVD-A disc cannot be selected by the “next-track” function. This happens with all my DVD-A discs. I would be greatly appreciated if you can address this issue with your final FW update for the DMP.
It is odd you have such problems, with multiple pieces, when the majority happily update and move on.
Just updated mine to 2.08. Two minutes from start to finish. So far so good.
Try FAT16 formatting the card- my DMP would not recognize a FAT32, worked immediately with the FAT16- go figure.
Yes. And it is odd that my DMP arrived DOA, and my DSJ arrived with 2 screws floating around inside the chassis. And 8 power plant failures. I guess I’m unlucky. But I still love being part of the PS family.
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You must have done something evil in a previous life.
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Yes…please don’t leave our PS family or someone else will have to bare the torch of the unfortunate. I hope that you are in the USA to expedite shipping time. That would be fortunate.
Perhaps unfortunately I am not in the US, and yes, shipping stuff back and forth to/from the US is expensive. And I like to think that Paul will keep me in the PS family, despite there not being any current or known future products that are tempting to me at the moment. Although if I could trade-in my noisey P3 on a new P20, that would be very tempting.
Believe me you are not alone.
First products I bought were the DS and the PWT, the PWT arrived faulty ! It would take me too long to describe in full detail all the problems I encountered during the hellish time with the PWT: But suffice to say that even after changing mechanisms etc, etc, etc. it got so bad one night ---- I was at the point with my head exploding ---- at the verge of defenestrating the transport …!
BHK-300s: after only two months ownership, one mono-block developed a noise which I tied down to a faulty tube; after contacting PSA they sent me a new pair - ‘not a quad set’ - so I had to buy a quad set because obviously I wanted both amps with new valves.!
My BHK preamp display stopped working so I contacted PSA and they sent me a new display… But when I stripped out the display I discovered the microprocessor had burnt out components . The large ribbon wire was “clamped solid between the chassis and the transformer” hence the ribbon wire shorted out… I checked the wires for continuity and there was a dead short. PSA sent me a new microprocessor - ‘which arrived faulty’ - the hardwired, small display ribbon cable torn asunder: - The new parts arrived with insufficient protective packing “just inside antistatic bag but within an empty box” … Dave P got on the case and a second microprocessor and another ribbon cable arrived, properly packed and secured… Rebuilt and all was well.
Bought a BHK250: it arrived minus the ancillaries: – no handbook, mains cables, white gloves, etc. just a sheet of paper informing me that they had all been checked and packed…??
Bought the DMP and you know the full script regarding operating quirks, etc.
Bought my second BHK250 during the black Friday sale…after 3 months it arrived… during unpacking it - and within less than a nanosecond - I noticed “BHK Signature 300 Amplifier” I looked at the rear of the amplifier and it was indeed a BHK250 sporting a BHK300 front panel…AND: if that wasn’t bad enough said panel was badly marked and scuffed… I contacted the dealer and they organised a replacement front panel. I live in Scotland so there is no quick fix as it takes time for the parts to arrive… The excellent dealer that I use is over 500 miles away in England but that also adds to the time.
What really pissed me off this time was when I looked at two “Quality Checklist” sheets of paper - both with different signatures: as if doubled checked - belt and braces: all the appropriate boxes ticked and double checked: but not one of the team noticed the wrong silkscreen on the front panel and, even worse than that, the scuffing to said panel. How was that possible ?? Wholly unacceptable !!!
New panel arrived which meant “I had to dismantle my brand new amplifier”…! I had to buy a set of Allen keys from eBay because the U.S. use (9/64) imperial cap screws… Another issue: there are hidden screws underneath the front feet which meant I had to unpick the glued on rubber inserts to get access to the screws that attach the large feet, whereby one of the rubber inserts split: I re-glued the best I could… Imagine having to do this to a brand-new, state of the art piece of equipment !!!
The only saving grace is the music making abilities of PSA equipment: because, if it wasn’t for that, I would have kept both my DS dacs, sold all the rest and moved on to another manufacturer… But credit where credit is due, the musical performance of PSA is beyond reproach - but it’s a shame I can’t say the same about the other side, attention to detail, etc, etc…
In the UK the price of PSA is very high and there is no trade in deals…!
You read all the posts - Paul - so what is your take on my tales of woe: - specifically the latest one with the front panel disaster ?? How did it - PASS - fit for shipping. ?? Answers ??
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Reminds me of working in <I’d better not mention the country>. When my pilot medical was due I’d swing by the doctors surgery on my way home and collect from the receptionist my duly completed medical certificate signed by the doctor. No need to actually see the doctor and do a physical, the signature on the paperwork meant everything was probably OK. At least I bothered to go to the surgery, some of the other pilots would just send the driver to collect their medical certificate. Or so I heard.
I also wonder how my DMP and DSJ passed QC at the factory, and a few other things as well.
This is a really disappointing list of problems that make me hang my head. I certainly apologize for what you’ve been through and thank you for your perseverance and dedication to the brand and our products. I can tell you that is anything but the norm. Like life’s ups and downs that come in waves, that too happens with products and customers and I do not know why. With some customers, we can do no wrong and everything’s perfect. With others they get one, maybe two bad things in a row. I wish I had a better sense of why this pattern exists or how it manifests but I cannot.
I can relay our overall track record which is pretty danged good. Corporate wide we’re able to maintain just over 1% failure rate which isn’t perfect, but then there isn’t a company on the planet that is.
You’re very generous in your praise of the products and I really appreciate that. I will share this note with the production managers and know they will take it in the spirit it is given and we will get better. Thanks.
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Paul…sounds as if you need to crack the whip in the QC Department!!! Dirk and Brodric have way more patience than I could ever muster. And to be honest with you…I have heard of problems with PSA kit in times past and made it a point to stay clear of it. I now own a DS/DMP combo and love them, but with all of the negative feedback I have read about from other owners in concern of product reliability… it really did/does keep me from exploring other PSA product. Please take this as a helpful reply.I am not bashing you or your company, but it is my perspective from the outside looking in.
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Thanks but 99% of our products don’t have QC problems which is another way to look at it. We take quality very seriously and as a management team go over QC issues twice a week as a group.
The problem with the forums is you see a very myopic view. No one writes in the forum to tell us they received a working product. That’s expected. We see only the complaints of the few - which are certainly legit - but only just a few. And when those few stack up it may seem to the world that things are bad, but like headlines in the paper, it’s a verhy narrow view.
Paul, I thank for replying to my post.
… “99% of our products don’t have QC problems which is another way to look at it”.
Well, I own all of the BHK range: Preamp, 300’s and two 250s and I’ve had issues with all of them - this equates to a “100% failure” … £37,000 Pounds Sterling spent over a 2.5 year period … That is a big investment in PSA - BHK products… Also factor in PWT, DMP and two DS boxes - roughly another £20,000 Pounds Sterling… £57,000 spent over 3 years… That’s a lot of money !!
BHK250-INT-B 8A O466.
Production Quality Checklist(s). “Two sheets: double checked:” #3. Inspect for cosmetics, silk screen, missing screws. #7. Check one more time for cosmetics. #10. Clean unit, install plastic top protector.
Warehouse Check . #13. Check for cosmetics, loose screws, missing screws. #14. Make sure unit is clean. #15. Unit has all appropriate accessories.
“We take quality very seriously and as a management team go over QC issues twice a week as a group” REALLY…
Then how did my BHK250 “PASS” QC ready for shipping ?
With the wrong front panel fitted, so obviously damaged, then how did 4 operatives miss what I discovered in an instant. Photos were sent to P S Audio: this I do know because the distributor forwarded on the ones I sent to my dealer when I took delivery of the 250 …
This myopic view you talk about doesn’t help me and / or my circumstance … I have always been full of praise for PSA products and often passed on personal experiences regarding their sonic excellence, etc… I have no desire to come on the forum and cause trouble for PSA: And like I said previously, I rate highly all the PSA products performance but, I’ve just had enough of the tardiness that is part & parcel of ‘’‘MY’‘’ PSA experience from day one…
There is simply no excuse that can be offered to me regarding my new BHK250 arriving in the condition it arrived in !!
The wrong front panel was unfortunate and unacceptable – the damage to the wrong front panel – was/is wholly unacceptable… If this had been my company I would make sure it never happened again even if it meant a sacking… I know you are a sincere person and I accept your apologies but you need to make sure that my experience doesn’t happen again to anyone else… What is the point of all the QC sheets? - ticked off as passed when it’s actually a failure ? Begs the question, how accurate is the amplifier Sequence Report …
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In order to present an alternative view on quality here is my story.
In the 90’s I owned a P300 for many years. It gave me years of trouble free operation. Fast forward to today. In 2016 I bought a DirectStream DAC Jr. It worked flawlessly. I was able to trade it back to PSA and got a full DirectStream DAC and love it. I have always been able to do the updates both over the air and via the SD card with no issues. I bought a DMP in 2017 and it has worked without issue since I received it and I was able to do the 2.08 update without issue. I bought a P5 which worked great and traded it back to PSA for a P10 which I love. I may go to the P20 but probably not. I have an AC12 and an AC5 power cable and this weekend I ordered a new AC5. For me at least the quality has been top notch and my products have performed without issue. Any time I have had a question I have picked up the phone and received a prompt answer to my questions. Incidentally the reason I bought that P3000 many years ago was because I emailed in a question and Paul called me at home on a Saturday morning to offer up answers and just chat about audio. I was hooked.
I get the from time to time someone gets the lemon. I also cannot understand why the guy that gets the lemon continues to get the lemon over and over. I have seen this in my own career in business that when we do something wrong at a customer site we seem to keep doing stuff wrong at that same customer over and over while doing it right for everyone else. I always attribute it to Murphy’s Law.
Keep up the good work Paul and team.