I’m wondering exactly which is the difference during beak-in time between stand by mode and always on but without playing music.
In my case first couple hundred hours nice. Warm. Then blistering details. Tweak relief; tweak Relief tweak relief then only audiophile sources or punishing highs The recent 3M absorber seems to have let it settle at 600 plus hours. You have tweaked tubes. So my solid state experience may not be relevant.
But looking at internal photos comparing Ted’s unit to latest post the digital ribbon cables have been tied back recently with yellow Kapton tape to reduce RF and EMI noise from inducting into power transformer and DC cables by direct contact. I suspect my unit is a rework with haphazard assembly given it is so noisy. The 3M absorber application external is game changer. When I open it up it should be curious what configuration was delivered.
For the first few days I used a streaming playlist playing all day now I remembered. I think standby would not count. Otherwise I had over a thousand hours already! (My standby is turning off by remote).
Thanks! Are you assuming VMax that the famous needed “reworking” may have something to do with it? It means that do you think that the reworked units (among other things maybe) have the ribbon cable better separated/isolated? Mmm I’m afraid we need @tedsmith opinion one more time…
In a Mk 1 standby just switches off the screen and drops power usage from about 25 watts to 24 watts. I don’t know about a Mk 2. I guess in standby the fpga will be running with limited usage but the analogue side will be relatively quiet. I wonder whether it would be beneficial to have a pink noise generator running to keep more stuff active (provided the output is muted of course).
Most of the reworked boards were reworked before they went into a chassis. Having been reworked probably doesn’t have anything to do with where kapton tape is positioned. Some of the earlier units were assembled by engineering, some were assembled by production, etc. Having kapton tape doesn’t quiet a unit electrically. My unit was assembled by me in prototype chassis, it doesn’t have anything nice in it. It’s completely normal for dressing to change as production goes on.
Yes, having a unit in standby keeps everything warmed up ready to use, but in DSD a muted output is the most active signal compared to PCM where a muted output is the least active signal. But the FPGA has internal gating to keep from clocking some sections of the FPGA that don’t have changing inputs so the FPGA gets much less burnin with a muted input. And the parts of the analog that need burnin with changing audio signals (e.g. the output transformers) aren’t getting any exercise either.
It’s best to play something without the Mk II in standby to burn it in. You don’t need your preamp or amps on during DS burnin.
@jazznut
This is the first post. Sorry it wasn’t clear. I think I cleared it up a bit.
Oh thanks, so now I finally really understood. You really compared them.
Will report when I did, which will be a bit multilayered as a 1:1 comparison of my modded Mk I to the Mk II will first be possible when the latter got the other treatment mine (and another standard Mk I) has and which changes more than all other mods. But those mixed comparisons between the different status of those 3 DAC’s will be interesting.
Hello sir any DCS outcomes yet?
I think someone said it was a different league ?
You are a very experienced DSD user I would love to hear you views.
@kzk Could you reference this as I can’t find what you are talking about?
Basic question here.
Please rate the DSMk1 with typical mods (Edcor transformers, upgraded fuses,etc) to the stock DS MK2 on a scale of 1>10.
So if a typical modded DS Mk1 is a 7, then the DS Mk2 is a “XX”.
Am debating whether to take the plunge, but $4500 is a lot of cash (after trade in) if it is an incremental increase from a 7 to an 8.
I also realize in this hobby we pay a lot for the extra 5 or 10% in performance from consumer level, or our present level of audiophile gear.
Everyone will give you a different answer. This is also very dependent on your system. If your system isn’t revealing enough, it could very well be a 7 to 8 increase. Unfortunately no one can tell you unless they have a very similar system with the same preferences and the same way of weighing improvements as you.
If you’re happy with what you have, just stick with it and wait to see what others say about their mk2. If they provide you with enough of a reason to try the mk2 and you have the budget, then go for it. If $4500 can make a bigger difference somewhere in your chain, then do that instead.
In addition, I think PS Audio offers the 30-day refund on trade-ins. If I’m correct you could order it, run it non-stop for 15 days to do the bulk of “break-in” (amps and preamps don’t need to be on), and then compare it in your system, in your room, with your own ears. That way you can decide if it’s good value for you.
I had modified DS. The DS MKII has noticeably more resolution and detail and long burn in. It responds to same teaks as DS. If you have tubes in your system your less likely to think it MKII sounds bright and or if you have less detailed interconnects, digital cables and power cords. Solid State and resolving speakers and cables may be a challenge to adjust to what the DAC does.
If no tubes warming things up be prepared to use fuses, speaker repositioning, cables, rf and emf absorption to make the mk2 less bright and way better by three to 5 times a modded DS you had tweaked out.
Would I buy a Mk2 again for trade? In a heartbeat, but I trust Ted. Will it change again with new firmware? Definitely and I expect tweak adjustments of my system. But my system has never sounded better.
DS MK2 has a much lower noise floor than DS so there is no question it sounds better in every aspect in comparison. It is also more sensitive towards cable changes and tweaking. From the FW updates so far, the SQ changed quite a bit too.
For me it was a 7 for the fully modded MK1 and a 10 for the MK2 after playing continuously for a week. Of course YMMV.
If you mean the 100 lb reference, it was in the FR20 thread, I think. Someone was worried about moving something that was 100 lb. My post was in jest, as I made clear.
My setup is mid high end. I do have a VAC tube preamp and Odyssey Kismet solid state monoblocks with ACI Jaguar speakers and ACI Bass modules. An assortment of aftermarket power cables, IC’s, and digital cables. I use a Lumin U1 Mini network player with an external power supply. Using a Matrix and the I2S into the DS Mk 1.
System leans toward the neutral to warm side.
I think you will be happy pursuing the mk2. Don’t give up on it too early. It needs burning in and possibly a few tweaks but man does it respond once you get it too your liking. Everything then feels magnitudes better.