@tony22 What Ted’s trying to tell you is that all DirectStream’s get the same testing at the board level. The only difference between a kit and a finished unit is the kit does not go through FST (Final Systems Test). But FST is mostly designed to make sure everything works well together, something that doesn’t work until you get it into your unit. And even then, there’s little chance it won’t.
The bigger issue you’re referring to is SQ. So imagine a situation where we have 100 board sets, all passed the testing we do. 50 go into units, the other 50 get packaged as kits. The 50 that went into units go through FST to make sure the touch screen communicates and no one screwed anything up assembling this “kit” into a unit. Then they are listened to for SQ. All 50 pass (as they will if the code is in them). The chances of one of the second 50 being different are very slim.
Anything is possible and certainly a kit, vs. a completed unit, is somewhat riskier because you’re doing the work yourself. That’s the nature of kits.
Thanks Paul.
It’s here! Any shipping going on!!! I check my email like every hour!
Oops! I guess the third week starts NEXT week! Doh! I’m so eager!!!
Men I feel like a child waiting for Santa… 
I want my DS kit…
Where the ship is my DirectStream??
Hey, you guys are lucky… I can’t afford to order ANYTHING right now, no matter how much I want one! 
J.P.
Ah. So next week is the magical third week…
I wonder if the kits can go out earlier than the finished units since they don’t require an audition? In terms of waiting, I have some Sennheiser HD800’s coming this week, but the custom balanced cables will take another 2 weeks. Can’t wait to hear the DS through these headphones.
More likely the other way around. They may want to listen to a number of assembled units first so they have confidence the kits will work as intended.
May I ask what amp for the hd800. Or are you going direct out of the DAC.
Al
Yes, Paul has indicated all the units will be reviewed and shipped before kits are shipped. I ordered a kit to be installed; PS Audio emailed me that this is “backordered til June.”
@lonson, was this some sort of update email after you placed the initial order, or was this in the initial order acknowledgement email?
This is way off topic, but, AL, I’m going to try using the HD800’s going XLR direct out of my tube preamp, an Atma-sphere MP1. I will also see what it sounds like direct from the DS’s output. I ordered a Cardas clear headphone cable to dual female XLR’s. This isn’t a standard configuration, but it seems more and more headphone preamps are offering male XLR jack outputs that can be used for headphones or as a preamp. The Auditor and new Oppo units have those connects, so I’ll have plenty of choices in case the DS or MP1 don’t end up having a good synergy with the phones. Funny thing is I don’t generally even like headphones, but the HD800’s present more like a speaker, so I thought I’d give them a try,
When do you guys expect to post a video or printed instructions on how to do the install?
@lonson, was this some sort of update email after you placed the initial order, or was this in the initial order acknowledgement email?
First and only email . . . so an order acknoweledgement email.
I got the call My unit should ship today or tommorow
After Paul has his wee listen of cource
@magicknow nice! looking forward to see your impressions here 
the expectations are very high
When do you guys expect to post a video or printed instructions on how to do the install?
I haven't seen anything to review yet. They may have pushed off kits for a bit until they get the first shipsets of compete units out.
--SSW
I got the call My unit should ship today or tommorow
After Paul has his wee listen of cource
Good to hear. I wonder what this means for when the DIY kits will go out.