Jump from the DSD Jr to the DSD Sr

[cbnbmore]

Just grabbed a used DSD and hopefully it will outperform my current DSDJr. I hope I’m using the correct nomenclature for the two units:).
Any guidance from those who have made the jump from the Jr to the Sr would be much appreciated. I expect to feed it a i2s signal from a matrix unit then output to a Benchmark HPA4 preamp.
Thanks ahead of time to any replies.

[tedsmith]

As you probably already know the DS (Sr) takes a while to break in. If you feel like you went backwards, wait a few hundred hours and (perhaps except for the knob) you’ll be happy you upgraded. They both have the same character of sound, but the DS is more …

[cbnbmore]

Thanks Ted, I’m sure it is well broken in as it’s about 3 years old. I’ll be looking for differences between the DSSr and the DSJr but I’ll give it a few more hours to make sure it’s been housebroken:).

[cbnbmore]

I’d really like to get some feedback on any DSJr owners that have moved to the DSSr. What did you notice in particular compared to the DSSr? Did you feel it was worth it and if you had the option to stay with the JR would you take it?
Thanks

[mycrowave]

I switches from the Jr to the Sr. back in the spring of this year.

The first non-sound related thing that is better is that the upgrades to new firmware versions is so much better. The Jr was a PITA, while the Sr. just works every time, without a hitch.

For the sound related differences, I’m using RCA cables to connect the DSD to my pre-amp (Anthem AVM-60) and noticed that the sound-stage was better (wider, deeper, higher) than the Jr.

Here are some a couple of threads on the subject:

Directstream DAC vs Junior

Can someone point me to a good comparative review between the Directstream DAC and Jr. Thinking about possibly upgrading from the Junior.

Directstream Sr. vs. Jr

For those that have heard BOTH the Directstream Sr. AND Jr… What is the difference in soundstage and anything else you want to share? If the Sr. is better…By how much? Alot? 5%, 20% 80%. Mr. Smith I believe said, the only difference is a lower noise floor, but one here on the forum (I can’t remember who) said it was a night and day change, both using Snowmass. I am curious about your experiences. I have been using the Jr. for a year and is at the shop on warrantee. Thinking of Upgrading but,…

[cbnbmore]

Not what I was really hoping for I’ll take anyone’s opinions at this point…

[Baldy]

I originally bought a Jr (with bridge)/M700 combo just to see what high end audio was like without spending too much. Very impressive for sure when moving from a Denon AVR / Oppo 203 as a source. In that system I later added a BHK preamp mainly for the HP amp and also to see what adding a preamp would do. Another nice improvement. Also added a Matrix i2s converter (using a Roon Nucleus+ as a server). Another improvement.
I put a second system together in a different house and went straight to the Sr (no bridge)/Matrix / BHK preamp (using the same N+). This system does sound better with the Sr. Is it day and night difference? No. I would have been very happy to keep the Jr. and not go any farther. Funding and circumstances let me put a second system together and I wanted two i2s inputs (one for an Oppomod 203) so that made the Sr. a must have.
If you have the funds I would suggest buying the Sr. If not then the Jr. Either one could be the last DAC you think about buying for a long time.
Hope this helps

[aangen]

I bought a Jr. and I really liked it. So I bought a Sr. and I really like it too. I use both in two different systems. The one I like the best is the one I am listening to at the moment.
The thing that stood out the most is one costs a bunch more than the other.
(and has two i2S inputs)
As far as sound goes I love them both.
If I had to pick between the two I’d choose to have both. (Oh wait, I did)

I hope this helps.

[yoduh]

I also started with Jr and then later built a second system around the Sr. I too could be happy with either but am really thankful that I get to have both. Like Ted said, the Sr offers a little more of everything except for a volume knob. I don’t wish for any other DAC now that I have PS Audio Directstreams.

[Excelgam]

I think you will like the upgrade from Jr to Sr. I could be the minority here, but I was very unimpressed with the Jr. For a while I had the Jr side by side by with the Stellar Gain Cell Dac, and it just sounded closed-in and lifeless to me - it was like the air was being sucked out of the room, so much so that I eventually reverted back to using GCD, which I also disliked for being too bright and in your face. Now much of that could be contributed to the break-in and the characteristic of DSD, but I just couldn’t stand it. After upgrading to the Sr, I was super happy with it right out of the box. Even without any break-in, the air-being-sucked-out feel was replaced by the gentleness and non-fatiguing listening experience - I went on listening to it for 2-3 hours right after I hooked it up, and I understood the word “musicality” for the first time. So in short, if you have the means, I highly recommend going for the Sr.

[cbnbmore]

Thank you all for the replies. This is very helpful.