Not trying to let the cat out of the bag but i have heard there is a new PS Audio high end Dac with an outboard power supply in the works. Ted Smith may be getting his wish of a no compromise design that will be something to hear.
I would love to see what could top the DS Dac and what the cost would be. Im hearing the upper teens retail.
Something to look forward to.
Randy
Maybe two chassis design with analog in one and digital in another? That’d be my guess. 
Nooooo…I don’t need another expensive object to lust after in my life!!
Totally agree. These PSA guys need to relax or take a sabbatical.
For not trying to let the cat out of the bag, a certain feline has been launched.
Hope no one has to put that cat back in the bag. A bagged cat is really hard to re-bag!
Upper teens retail ??? I’ll have to pass on that one…
Yeah, me too.
Being retired now and watching my budget,that much coin for a dac just would not be something I would need or even want at this point in my life. My wife and myself would rather spend any extra money on the grandkids and travel. Much more enjoyable!!!
I was told two box unit $15-$20k by year end.
With a bit of careful marketing you may be able to get $20,000 for a grandkid . . .
Well, having no children or grandchildren and having traveled too much earlier in my life, I’d love to have such a device, knowing how wonderful it would sound with the rest of my system. I just don’t anticipate being able to afford any device at that price point. Which is okay. . . I never could and never expected to.
This price and target market seems to be somewhat contrary to PS Audio value/benefit ratio in my opinion, reaching into the stratosphere of diminishing returns.
I’m sure it will sound fantastic setup with all the other requisite pieces for those willing and able to go down that road.
I’d rather keep that money invested and growing…
Huh, that doesn’t sound like a PSA price point for a DAC, whatever good it should be. 12k max I’d say 
Doesn’t fit at all to the rest of the spectrum otherwise.
Then a digital combo of DAC and Drive or Streamer would be 18k.
I think I already know in which direction it will sound and where the improvements will be, I could write a review already
I’m evil now…guess what…it will sound more similar to a good vinyl rig (in the positive characteristics), not less And better in the usual aspects.
Elk…That wouldn’t nearly cover money already spent…Yikes!!!
I wouldn’t spend that even if I could afford it. Until June, my ears are 67 years old.
But there are 4, even 5 figure power cables because there is a market.
I think it was Henry Ford who said “For every ass, there is a seat”.
I was just thinking before I saw this thread that PS Audio could have come out with a DirectStream “Mark II” DAC a long time ago and stopped issuing software updates for the original DS. Thankfully, PS Audio did not go that route and instead opted to issue a series of free software updates that greatly improved the DS’s performance (for which we are eternally grateful!). I certainly would not begrudge PS Audio a new DAC that is more expensive and better performing than the DS. I just hope that the arrival of such a DAC does not spell the end for DS software updates.
In principle software updates can’t keep increasing sound quality forever, but so far I can’t see where the end is. Even if there is new hardware (either a new top end dac or a DS Mk II), any algorithmic changes that will fit in the DS and DS Jr will be added. In Huron I updated most of the FPGA code to be more compatible with the new tools needed for any new FPGA, and all of the changes needed to finish being compatible with the new tools will be back portable to the old tools.
Hi Ted, great news, thanks! Redcloud is so good that it is hard to imagine how much better the DS can sound. Since I installed Redcloud and, shortly thereafter, switched my primary listening from the Bridge II input to the I2S input (by way of a Matrix X-SPDIF 2 D-to-D converter), I have concluded that any DAC hardware changes I might make would, at best, be a lateral move and more likely a step backward. (The potential new PS Audio SOTA DAC that is the subject of this thread sounds intriguing, but it will probably be outside of my audio budget.)
I can afford a $20,000 DAC but the sensibilities that got me to be able to afford it would prevent me from buying it.