PS Audio AirLens

Does this include the Lens as well? Can you give us an idea when that’s going to be available-ish?

…if you need a Lens beta tester, I know this handsome fellow in Oregon who would love to participate…

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Hi @Paul and @Jamesh, darn shame about the timings for the Directstream MkII DAC moving out, from February to potentially mid year.

A thought for the development of both, but it might come for late in the piece; remotes! Will it be possible to turn on & control both the MkII DAC, AirLens and BHK pre via the same remote? The less remotes the better!

Also, I know you haven’t been able to say what outputs the AirLens will have, other than there’s a certainty of it having I2S. If timings are going to push out, would it be possible to look into the AirLens having outputs that match up with the Directstream MkII DAC’s inputs?

Your thoughts on both would be very much appreciated!

@vkennedy61 Progress on the AirLens is being made and last I heard, its release is going to be quite close to the MKII.

@Interested I’m almost certain the MKII is going to use the same silver remote that the BHK pre does now. The AirLens will be controlled by a phone or tablet so it won’t have much need for a remote.

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James 2022 appears to be shaping up into a rather spectacular year for PS Audio as many products are touted as coming to market relatively soon. We have the following product releases to look forward to, in no particular order: BHK 600, DSD MkII, AirLens, FR30, and potentially a series of trickle down speakers based on the FR30.

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Maybe also the Perfect Wave series phonostage, Octave server, Bascom‘s ultimate tube phono stage, a bigger BHK preamp, subs, or the last missing piece of equipment in the PSA portfolio completion strategy…a turntable as the ugly child of the company?. :wink:

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I’ve not read anything close to an announcement regarding the items you mentioned. Possibly I missed them, or they are beyond 2022. I am not suggesting they make any announcements regarding those, as they need to have a high level of confidence in meeting projected dates.

May I ask, WHAT is the AirLens ??

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Hi @Jamesh, thanks for getting back to me. It’s very good to hear about being able to use the same remote.

Sounds like the outputs for the AirLens remain under consideration! Just for simplicity (and so I don’t have to buy new cables!) I’m very much hoping the AirLens will have a coaxial output.

It certainly will be a big 2022 for new PS Audio products. Happy New Year everyone!!

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Hi, just adding to this and updating with some of the newer information that has come through on the AirLens…

Knowns

  • What it will do:
    • provide a standalone streamer in the Perfectwave range
    • complement the DS MkII DAC.
  • What it will not do: MQA
  • When: It will be released quite close to the DS MkII DAC in 2022.
  • Roon: Yes, an endpoint, just like Bridge II
  • Power: It will have AC in so it will not benefit from a DC converter
  • Inputs: USB, ethernet & wifi connectivity
  • Size: Half size chassis
  • Sound quality: will be the same as the PST because we’re using the same galvanically isolated output circuit. So, be prepared to hear streaming as never before
  • What it won’t be: a cd ripper, or have inbuilt storage. Rather, this will be in a higher spec Octave unit released after the AirLens

Unknowns

  • What formats it will support: Eg double rate DSD v single rate
  • Outputs: other than I2S, unclear.
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whoa whoa whoa whoa there buddy!

You mean to tell me I can buy new gear and not buy new cables? Like reuse them? Like use the same cables I was using on my old gear? Can we lock this thread so my wife doesn’t read this?

:stuck_out_tongue: Just kidding! Happy New Year all!

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Love it!

@jamesh
I have to say as a former R&D guy (not audio but in vitro diagnostics) I find it hard to believe the server is as far along as indicated and outputs are not determined. Just doesn’t make sense from everything I know about product development and commercialization. So I’m assuming the outputs are specified or development is lagging.

Don’t mean to be provocative but I think the people on the forum really appreciate the sharing of information and realistic time frames. Quite frankly,historically, you have much better about timelines than Paul.

Respectfully I love my DSD and and am looking forward to future PS products, especially the DSD MkII.
Mike

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Does anything in there imply AirLens support for Airplay? Sorry if that’s a bit too proletarian for this forum :stuck_out_tongue:

And is it too late to add Dirac Live? The initial plan was to stream to my weirdly shaped listening space from this thing (Hans likes it) as the benefits from room correcting the low end outweigh any component upgrade I’ve ever tried:

Definitely will support AirPlay but not Dirac.

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If Roon is not used as a streaming interface, what will be the recommended streaming interface/control method for Airlens? Homebrew or 3rd party (e.g., licensed use of 3rd party interface, or freely available 3rd party options)?

Very fair point. I’m almost certain outputs are determined, I’m just not in the position to say what they are. Things are still in flux as well. The last thing I want to do is say what it’s going to support and then have the team make a last minute change. It’s unlikely to happen but I don’t want to make people here and the dev crew upset at me.

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@jamesh Thanks for the response. I always respect your perspective to unde rpromise. My credo as an R&D Director was always to underpromise and over deliver. My one adventure in software development was a nightmare as the specifications were ever changing as Marketing talked to existing and potential customers. I was just trying for some clarity about where the development actually was.

I’m still not clear on the differences between the upcoming server and what I thought was a server (streamer?) with the octave software as a later product with more functionality. Maybe it’s because I don’t understand the difference between server and streamer as it relates to the PS Audio pipeline in these two areas. I would appreciate learning what the differences are between the 2 or more products. I appreciate that the second product is further down the road and probably less specified at this point.

Again thanks for your response and all your ongoing interactions in these forums,
Mike

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I could be wrong but the main differentiator between streamer and server is the idea that a server has storage on board. Some streamers have the ability to plug in external storage devices though. For the most part though, streamers are sent the files either from a computer on the same LAN or a different server from TIDAL or Qobuz. The AirLens will be considered a streamer.

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We use an IR remote to control volume and there’s NOTHING more convenient than using the same interface to control play/pause/skip. I understand using apps for music selection and complex control but please please please put an IR receiver in the AirLens even if play/pause/skip are the only commands it can receive.

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