Funky dmp

Audio Components Transports
1

I know you are working on this, I post only in case it helps you figure out the why. No complaining. I can work around it.

last night, playing selected tracks on CD via dmp 1.94. Select cut 5, for example, before or as it cues, I hear maybe a half second of the track before it parks. So the “read” is audible.

Or, I’m at track 2, direct access track 7. Display shows 7 then goes back to 2, before landing on 7.

i haven’t rebooted from the rear in quite a while, and it didn’t used to do this, or as often… don’t remember. It sounds great. Wonder (another topic) if anyone has tried goosing 60hz to 65 or so on P10s into BHK 300s and what they hear. Thanks!

2

Burger - beef here. DMP navigation still dismal! Nearly any time I have to navigate vs. simply letting it play, it’s not fun. Even when I put something in, often it will take two presses of Play to get it to do so. : (

3

Same here, and I am on my second DMP. Dennis Kerrisk told me 2 months ago when I received the replacement that I could expect a firmware update “in the near future that should resolve your issues”. Well, to help troubleshoot a completely different issue the support folks recently provided a new firmware version (2.06) that has not officially debuted. I discovered soon afterward (during an extensive audition of new gear for my system) that navigational inputs from the touchscreen of the DMP remain nearly as problematic as they were on the first unit during the beta test. And similarly the display cannot always be relied upon to accurately depict what the DMP is doing at a given time. This has included (once or twice) showing a disc as paused while it was actually playing. And that behavior you describe, woodburger, of the display’s back-and-forth indecisiveness for a couple of seconds with freshly-inputted track numbers (or playing a completely different track from the one that the screen first displays) is something that I also experienced during the beta test and, lo and behold, attends the new unit, as well.

4

Sorry guys and Dennis is right. New firmware to solve this is in the works. We have added an extra programmer hired just to do this work - refactoring the code. It just got too complicated and needs a makeover after all that work. I hope to have something perhaps at the end of next month.

Thanks for your patience. I know it’s been a long time, but we’re investing heavily in getting this slicked up so we’re all happy. Including me.pulling-hair_gif

5

Paul, thank you for this update. I logged this morning specifically to ask about the DMP firmware situation then I saw your post. I think it was January when we were promised an upgrade. I’ve gotten more and more annoyed recently with the display and navigational issues; I mean, I own a multi-thousand-dollar, reference-grade transport that frequently cannot display the correct number of the track playing. I suspect that Roon / Tidal / MQA have been taking up all the programmers’ time, so it’s great to hear you now have more help. I’ll be quiet for a few weeks now.105_gif

Edit: If you want people to test the upgraded firmware before a general release, I’d be happy to do so.

6

I know it’s frustrating - for both of us - but the code just got spaghettified as we worked around problems, added features, tried to make everyone happy. We’ve contracted with a top gun programmer and he will be aided by a new permanent member to the PS engineering team, Matt Corn - himself a programming whiz. We spirited Matt away from Seagate where he led the firmware team, So we have some serious talent on board to give Dennis a hand.

They’ve decided it needs refactoring instead of patches, and that takes a bit longer.

7

Thank you for the update Paul!

My DMP functionality observations are as follows. After installing a CD or SACD the Oppo universal drive takes time to read the disc which is normal among universal drives. Once read either pressing play or a track number starts playing a disc. While a disc is playing selecting another track via the forward or back arrows or a track number works as designed. Once you play an entire disc or press stop, the functionality changes. The only way I have found to play a disc for a second time is to press play. Once the disc starts, then and only then, can a different track be chosen from the direct track numbers buttons.

8

I know PSA likes to offer all of the bells and whistles, but I would rather have a simple screen. I took advantage of the refurbished trade ins and got a PWT.

When I got it, I hooked up an Ethernet cable, but after sending it back for an intermittent issue where the drive would lock up. (Service was first rate, James was a pleasure to work with.) I didn’t even bother to hook up the Ethernet cable. I prefer just having the simple display with the large track numbers. I couldn’t read the full display with the cover and titles from the listening spot anyway.

There is a topic on the forum discussing the need to find tune the data on the Playlist. I don’t get it. If it was a player like an Aurender, I could understand wanting access to all the meta data from downloads or CDs that were ripped and stored away, but with a disc player, you have all the info on the box. I don’t need that on a little screen, that I can’t read from across the room.

I hope with the new hard drive player, they keep the display simple and make all the info available on the tablet or phone controller.

I would guess that almost everyone who bought a DMP, bought it for it’s sound quality and it’s ability to output DSD to the Directsteams, not for the display.

I’d like to see a simplified DMP, available for a lower cost. I wonder how much of that $6000 price is based on the investment and time to design, then implement the display.

As some of you know, I am now using Tidal (3 month trial). Their meta data goes from mediocre to nonexistent. So on my tablet, I created a folder in my bookmarks, with links to All Music’s Discography of bands/artists. I can get everything I need there.

If my input was asked for, I would tell the designers of the new player, to design the front display to be very similar to all the others and make the tablet interface spectacular. Maybe include a stripped down tablet, but not spend a lot of time or money on the front display. I have my shelves on the left side, about 6 ft from where I sit. An angle that I can’t read from and if I had my gear on the front wall, I’d need binoculars to read anything beyond that nice big track number.

As a final note, I don’t understand that when the PWT was in beta testing that no one, or a lot of the testers didn’t request total time of a disc. I sometimes use my Oppo to get that info, or in my case if the disc is HDCD, as I can then see if the Lindemann is in the mood to actually play a disc. And being a CD player only, you would think it could read a newly inserted disc in seconds, nope it takes it sweet good natured time. That is why I use the Oppo, it is so much faster.

So, what am I missing about the attraction for the Playlist, and the fancy display? I don’t get it. SQ is the main priority, ease of operation would be second.

9

I’ve thought a lot about this since I have a love/hate relationship with the DMP screen.

Yes, I bought my DMP for the SQ and DSD output, not the screen. Yes, SQ and reliability of operation are much more important than fancy visuals. No, I can’t see the screen from my chair except for the large track number (which is much appreciated). So I certainly could live with a much simpler screen.

There may be two factors involved in the decision to display album info and art.

  1. Many luxury products include ‘unnecessary’ functions that provide some marginal utility or are just cool to play with. This is one thing that differentiates them from lower-level products.
  2. Humans are a highly visual species. My eyesight isn’t great and I don’t play any sports that require good visual acuity or anything like that. But even I can easily zoom in on the album I want when looking at screen with small, poor-quality album covers. That says something about human nature.

So at some point the PSA folks decided to support album info and art, whether as a marketing strategy to differentiate their products from other high-end brands, or because of the cool factor, or both. Then they had to figure out how to support albums that were not found in the online databases or had incomplete/incorrect info; hence the Playlist.

Generally I’m pretty good at resisting marketing ploys and not paying for features I don’t need – in other words aware of what I need and don’t. But for some reason, from the time I got my DMP, I thought it was great fun to put in a disc and see the album info and art pop up – even as I knew that this wasn’t necessary to enjoy the sound. I really wanted this feature to work. I’m still not sure just why I like this so much.

Unfortunately, the majority of my listening is outside the pop/rock mainstream. So I spend a lot time editing my Playlist. And, I’m sure, the display has contributed to the difficulties PSA encountered in fixing the firmware issues, which have gotten to be a real annoyance for me. So there’s my love/hate relationship with the screen.

One option I’d like is to turn off album art but keep the large text, maybe even make the track title larger than it is now; this would make the screen more readable from a distance. There actually is quite a lot of room if art is not shown. And I certainly agree that the upcoming server should have a simple display; put the resources into the app.

10
jeffstarr said

If my input was asked for, I would tell the designers of the new player, to design the front display to be very similar to all the others and make the tablet interface spectacular. Maybe include a stripped down tablet, but not spend a lot of time or money on the front display.

Why not a player whose only display function is situated on the remote device (or tablet) that controls it? With a display that is part of what directs any and all control, then issues of legibility from across a room would never figure. And if the device is a tablet, then there shouldn't be any limitation to the lengths of track titles and touch control could easily be implemented and up to the flawless standards that so many of us are used to with smart devices.

Jeff, as for your final statement there that ease of operation is secondary to SQ in your book, I use my disc transport differently from you. First of all, it sits right next to me when I listen. And since it is common for me to study musical passages and repeat them over-and-over again for comparison, I need to be able to navigate to them easily and accurately. To date, the DMP comes up short in that regard, and I wouldn’t call it a secondary frustration.

11
Rob said Why not a player whose only display function is situated on the remote device (or tablet) that controls it?
I think there needs to be a minimal display, at least, to help in troubleshooting various issues. If you've got network trouble, for instance, you may need to check the IP address of the server if the tablet can't connect.
12
magister said

I think there needs to be a minimal display, at least, to help in troubleshooting various issues. If you’ve got network trouble, for instance, you may need to check the IP address of the server if the tablet can’t connect.


Then, as Jeff suggested, leaving just the barest of details for display on the new player and letting the remote device show the full monty?

13

Yes. Depending on how PSA decides to organize things, the display might be very bare-bones or a little bit more functional – but certainly nothing as elaborate as the display on the DMP.

14

hi Guys, thanks for posting about the issues with the DMP. i wondered if it was just me and mine that was having problems. my biggest issue has been that sometimes the unit will not respond to either the remote or the screen. one day it was playing even though it showed nothing happening, and it would not stop or eject. so i had to shut it down via the back button. That does seem to fix temporary issues. to me the DMP is like a beautiful woman with a great personality and we love her to death. but she has a couple of bad habits like burping in public for example or talks to much. Even with her quirks i would not trade her for anything else. good to know that a fix is in work. PS is a great company and they truly stand behind their products and care about their customers.

15

As the others, have also continued to have DMP hiccups - or burps, as clothes pen would have it. Freeze ups requiring a hard reboot hurt the most, as it isn’t great for the unit.

Would love to have those new programmers fix the DVDA and Blurays problems to make this the top universal transport period, but I will take a smooth functioning and dependable SACD/CD transport first.

16

I am going to chime in here about an issue I have had from the beginning, but first I want to say how I am totally impressed with sound of the DMP and the DS Jr I bought in Jan/Feb. I have never owned a cd player or digital playback system over $1200 so stepping up to these was a big leap and was based on the fact that I liked the BHK Pre so much (bought 12/16) and what I have read on this form and other places. The level of redbook cd playback is tremendous everything sounds better and close to SACD. It is so good that I was not listening to the 6K of records I have and have since decided to upgrade my analog system (PS Audio turntable anyone).

As far as the display I am not to worried about seeing the album art either and as long as I can see the track number I am good. Also the fact that I am computer illeterate and the fact that my Comcast router keeps losing the connection with the DMP. I wont even get into trying to connect the Jr to ethernet and getting Tidal to play back through it, I gave up and have decided that until I can put a computer in my room or someone comes over and holds my hand to get it working I am going just keep playing the media I have on hand.

Now onto the main issue I have had a ticking/popping/skipping issue on all cd’s from the beginning. I changed the hdmi to a wireworld model and that helped but it still does it. It was suggested that I try some Kontak but I felt that at this level of equipment this should not be required IMHO. It has been happening less as time goes on but it still does it. Newer cd’s seem less susceptible.

All along I have been in touch with some of the best customer service I have experienced as a consumer and I have been doing this stuff for 35 years and worked in the business for 11 years. Thank You Jeremy Bretey for the continued contact and concern. I am shipping it back to PSA tomorrow and I am sure it will be worked out. Also my new turntable arrives tomorrow I hope to fill the void.

I also want to say how everyone on this forum is so honest and respectful of each other that it is a joy to follow.