Exactly… Who indeed would bet against Ted. The DS is incredible and one can only hazard a guess at the stratosphere the new DAC will orbit.
1 Like
I believe so! Even if I didn’t hear such other uber expensive DAC‘s myself…if folks like Jim Smith and others who have enough of such experience say, that the DS is more „different“ sounding in some aspects than worse compared to other DAC‘s of multiple times its price, why shouldn’t Ted achieve a much better one when working out of major fund limits. And I guess what means 100k for others can mean 20k for Ted and PS Audio.
Nobody is calling out anything or doubting ability…when it was rumored there was a cost no object uber DAC in the PS Skunkworks I had a warmy and fuzzy feeling it was going to be something special, but without being at MSB prices, which makes it even more special.
And we now have a name for it, that is new news. Of course, carrying on from the BHK Signature Edition moniker we now have the TS signature edition. I’m particularly looking forward to see the casework.
The SFP digital link is starting to appear in a few products now, the new Lumin has it, as does the MSB, and I think a few others.
With regard to the Vinyl/Digital subthread - I didn’t imagine I would be not that long ago, but I am now happy in both camps. I didn’t think I would have a DAC like the Jr., which is the first digital product I can recall that makes me forget it’s digital, and my current vinyl rig makes me forget it’s vinyl. Whenever you forget about what kind of Sausage is involved in the process, it is an indicator that Something Is Right. Some sort of Alchemy has turned it back into Music.
One thing about the new case work you might like, Brodric, no handles!
Unfortunately I have not been privy to any of the chassis mock-ups…but if it is in keeping with the PS family aesthetic it’s likely to be a winner. I do like the PerfectWave chassis. Hopefully it doesn’t have a touchscreen.
Yes, it is not format that matters. Or equipment.
Exactly, this was the point where the DS was „more than good enough“ for me. It makes forget the digital artifacts that were present previously and instead purely enjoy music. Unfortunately it takes much more money to forget most non pleasing vinyl characteristics. 
You are probably right, but I find vinyl does its thing even with an inexpensive, but quality, turntable of $500.
As long as you don’t take this too literally I can share this crude rendering with you. It’s the 5" chassis we’re fooling with. You can see the family look, but now cleaner and even simpler. Behind the black glass is a screen that we will selectively use as needed. This is a very different approach to what we’ve done in the past with touch screens. They used to be a pain in the ass, hardly working until mashed hard with the finger. Cool, but crude and a pain.
We’ve been learning in the past near-decade of release of the original PerfectWave and learned how to make these objects of desire and beauty. A proximity sensor (defeatable if you wish) will sense your approach and gently illuminate the minimalist display, then return to wherever you set the brightness when you’re done. You can go from jet black to always on, to only on when there’s new information available or needed.
Again, just an artist’s idea of what it might look like.
7 Likes
Nicely done.
I like clean and minimalist.
It’s kind of cool, right? We have a couple of SLA models (3d printing) and everyone that’s seen it swoons at the simple lines and elegant look.
Do I get bonus points since I’m pretty sure this screen was shown in a “Ask Paul” video?
I guess I’m fortunately easy with regard to vinyl. My rig costs around the price of a Junior. It’s not that I couldn’t appreciate a better one, but I think it’s sufficiently synergistic to make me unconcerned about a lot of other things I could/would/should be doing to take things to the next level. Happy to be happy.
Just as the addition of the Junior made all my digital palatable, switching to a Soundsmith cart (in my rig) made my vinyl work for me. I had some audiophile friends over recently (the TT was temporarily located in the next room) and we had listened to a lot different stuff. We were listening to a LP at one point, which I pointed out, and they were, “Wait, this is Vinyl?!”
I like it, it’s a good first idea, even if some spending 20k might expect more zzing. If the front display would be untilted with that silver line also on top, it would also look nice.
I guess that front display would be your major replacement part on stock (after customers cleaned with the wrong cloth)
I just wonder how such design changes the whole lineup…as it has a different style than today’s design.
For me, even though I agree to your observation that the current touch screens are more or less non usable, the current design with the size and positioning of the display is very fortunate and great design feeling, no way less worthy loooking than this new one.
Thanks. The front is actually not a tech screen per se. It’s high quality optical glass with a protective coating. Beneath that glass is the screen. What we’ve figured out how to do is turn that entire piece of glass into a touch sensitive element so anywhere you put your finger on the smooth black surface it will respond. Pretty cool technology known as PCAP (project capacitive Touch).
ELK and beef:
while I agree, depending of what (isolated characteristic) one expects from vinyl (some even see shortcomings as a feature that I see as weakness), a 500$ deck might still deliver it. But for me it would deliver way too little of what digital does. I expect and know I can get much more, but that’s too much offtopic now for here.
If you’re curious about the technology behind PCAP or PCT here’s a good link: http://www.sky-technology.eu/en/displays/touch-screens/projected-capacitive-touch-screens-how-they-work.html
ah great, if it’s glass, no problem with scratches. I might just prefer that silver line also on top.
I love such design drafts…would be interesting which suggestions you already selected from!
If that’s the new style direction for PS Audio products, I’m in. Elegant with function integrated into design, very nice!