Another vote for a 10k ceiling…
Another idea - create a beautiful looking box that avoids any of the touch screen madness that has shown problematic over the years. How many people sit and listen to their music at arms length from the DAC to do anything up there or stare at it longingly? The chassis would have only the basic functionality buttons. Then put money into a remote with a large touch screen or app to do the eye candy options/tweaks.
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Hi again, @tedsmith, and thanks very much for the reply regarding fuse accessibility, great news!
Will the TSS DAC have an Ethernet input, or a bay to install a Bridge II or III? Thanks.
There’s some truth in it. Nobody will touch even this beauty on the long run except to switch it on/off. There will be a time when we all look back smiling to touch displays of far away from operator equipment. But it’s not now.
Amen and hallelujah, brother.
With the 2 chassis, if you turn one on does it automatically cause the other to wake up?
I hope not. The finger exercise of switching on another component would do all of us good.
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Im really curious about of what kind the changes of such a state of the art DAC will be. Some who already heard DAC‘s of that price range might know.
Currently I doubt it will be a step like from previous ones up to double the price range to the DS. Removing all those digital artifacts or false interpretations of analog sound.
Will it be more than some more soundstage, detail, black background, dynamics?
What would be more for you?
I’ll get the names wrong so don’t quote me: the TSS will best mate with the new music server, there are some other choices being considered.
There’s certainly some truth to that, but I know that I’ll have the digital box right next to my listening chair with the analog box next to the preamp (or at least between the front amps) (I have a wire chase in the floor for cables from the sweet spot to the front of the room.) Tho it’s certainly not finalized yet, there will be more screen real-estate for the volume control etc. so I’ll be able to drive the volume, etc. more easily without grabbing the remote… (I really liked the knob on the Jr for that.)
Also, we have some eye candy that at least a few will want on most of the time.
The analog box won’t have any switches/controls except the power switch on the back. The digital box will be able to put it to sleep/wake it up, etc. over the optical link (there will be a lower bandwidth control channel as well as the audio channels.)
In my experience as DACs (heck systems as a whole) get better the sound stage doesn’t necessarily change shape, etc. It’s more that each item in the sound stage gets better defined/more real. After listening to a great system a lesser system may seem quite similar but everything is more ghostly.
Every time I’ve lowered the noise floor people have noticed, the TSS will be at least as much quieter than the DS than the DS is quieter than the DS Jr. A blacker background always helps with dynamics and can help add an ease/effortlessness that’s missing otherwise.
There will be some other qualities of the DAC which aren’t directly sound quality related tho they will make a difference. E.g. Many of the power cord, fuse, interconnect, etc. improvements that people make externally will already be included (tho I’m sure that people will still enjoy tweaking.)
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The work of plowing through the many power cord, fuse, interconnect, possibilities alone is mind-boggling.
When we see what it costs to build it. We can only guess at this point. Ted’s working hard on the boards and getting the BOMs together and priced out from our purchasing department. Once we know what the chassis costs, the parts, the labor, the fact we’re limiting production (which doesn’t give us the cost benefits of volume purchasing) we’ll know what we have to charge.
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Oh, first off, there will certainly be an all black version.
Secondly, there’s not a chance in hell TSS will be $10K. It’ll easily be double that and maybe more though, again, we won’t know till we add up all the parts, labor, etc.
Sorry, but I didn’t want to get any false hopes about hitting $10K. Just can’t happen.
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Thanks so much! This is very helpful.
Exactly this is one of the expectations I’d have. As I don’t have a comparison with extremely high priced DAC’s I can only tell from what I hear from vinyl (of uncompressed recordings/masterings) while meanwhile using an extremely dynamic and channel separating cartridge with an insane MSRP of 16k, (which might be a really unfair comparison now).
I’d also expect more intensive separation of 3D sound objects from the surrounding instruments, just of a kind as a sharp motive within a picture made with wide open aperture. A more vibrant, lively ambiance…other effects doing this I experience is i.e. HF noise control of room/equipment. I’d also expect some more airy top end, some more improvement in a lively but at the same time relaxed/with more ease pace and higher dynamic impact especially of all sounds and impulses also below insane timpani hits. So something like another triple Red Cloud change.
I will definitely have to listen to this DAC when it’s out as far as I have a chance…to hear what’s possible. I’m sure you will make a landmark product!
I was to understand the $10K comment earlier was in relation to price for a DS2 built with trickle down tech from TSS. My reading of this, the TSS pricing expectation has always been $20K-ish.
(and that price in the MSB world only buys you one power base for the DAC, and in the Esoteric world doesn’t even buy you the clock…if PS Audio can squeeze similar performance out of $20K and gain some acceptance in hi-end audio circles is cause for excitement).
I also understood like that but I hope it doesn’t get true. Would be like the effect with cars. A new level is introduced, DS sr. goes up to 10k, next DS jr. up to 8k making way for a new small range of 4-6k. Not my preferred development.
Would be interesting to know if PSA is plannng a whole new upper range of i.e. amps fitting to the TSS price range …at least the BHK pre doesn’t seem like such a cost no object design…
The difference from todays DS to 20k of the TSS seems high, but if that’s the cost needed for significant sound upgrades it just speaks for the DS and feels like in other equipment categories, too. No one would expect significant upgrades in i.e. amps with just 20-30% price difference.
Ok, sorry. My bad. Thanks for letting me know.
Yes, thanks, I"m quite aware how things are priced. What will be the yearly available unit count produced?
Will there be a world wide trade in program for the DS vs Signature?