@Paul When will the Bridge2Box be available and approximate cost? My MKII scheduled to arrive by April 30.
If I was starting all over, I would be seriously considering the U2. I am sure they will be at Axpona, not necessarily the best place to demo how it sounds, but hopefully some time with the interface.
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I’m thinking if PSA doesn’t have some form of an operating AL at AXPONA, it will be a sorely missed opportunity.
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U2 looks like it has all functionality I needed. Their dedicated USB to DAC output is just what I wanted.
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If you have Roon you can play to multiple devices simultaneously.
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I wish the manufacturers that have their own s/w would create reasonably functioning demo s/w so we can get a sense of what it looks like. For those of us who don’t live in a big market, it’s a big leap of faith.
There’s is something positive to be said about PSA’s trial period.
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Paul said they already have all the parts needed to build 100 AirLens units, and that only a parts shortage on production scale was keeping AL from release, so with that not a concern for a couple of show units, surely if it is to ever be a real product you’d think it will be displayed at Axpona, assuming “parts shortage” is the only issue, though as I’ve expressed I suspect (without any inside info of course) that there are other issues. But regardless, they certainly have the parts to make a couple Axpona show units, so I’m assuming if what we’ve been told is true that they’d have it there for display.
Don’t forget that there was the day or two where PSA had the AL page reachable and teed up on the site and everyone viewed it and speculated excitedly about an imminent release (some were so impatient they said they were constantly refreshing their browsers) and Paul teased that you were all “excellent sleuths” or similar. That was a couple months ago.
So yeah, I’d guess AL display units certainly should be ready for primetime at Axpona if all that was true
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Yes, maybe this is a chance to get a guess if or roughly when it will get available. As I said before, the launch of the Bridge box seems no indication of rapid procedure.
Thanks, Paul. I have used the Bridge II ever since I got my DS Mark I. It will be interesting to see whether having the Bridge outside the DAC will improve sound quality. Hopefully I will have time to test that before the Mark II arrives. I also know that eventually I will want to get a streamer that can handle DSD256.
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I assume the Bridge box only or mainly makes sense for those using a Mk II without Brodge card connection.
If we’d try to compare its sound quality in and out of the DAC, we could only do it with a Mk I.
We’d then need either an add. power cable (if the Bridge box has a dedicated high quality PSU)…then it should sound better definitely.
If the Bridge box just has a cheap DC switch PSU, the benefit of the external,card, in relation to the better PSU for the card inside the DAC could be reduced.
I think the main reason for the Bridge box is that it offers a solution to be able to stream with a PSA product to the Mk II at all….maybe less a big SQ improvement to the card use…the main SQ improvement comes with the Airlens.only imo.
What you say is on the right track. Just a couple of clarifications:
I’ve read in this forum that some people believe the Bridge is noisy and detracts from the performance of the Mark I. I’ve never had a way to test this for myself (although it’s probably true, since people here have good ears). I just thought it would be interesting to try the Bridge in the external box before I send my Mark I back for trade-in.
I also expect that the Bridge box will be fairly inexpensive, so reusing my Bridge may be the cheapest way for me to continue streaming my network files until the AirLens becomes available or I settle on something else.
We are shooting for an April release and I do not yet know the cost.
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Yes your last abstract sums um the meaning of the Bridge box imo.
Not sure if it makes sense to compare its performance vs. the internal card with a Mk I, if you get a Mk II anyway, where you can only use one option.
I suspect the box won’t get a better power supply than inside the Mk I (maybe worse), as otherwise it wouldn’t be cheap. But that’s just a guess, not sure if anything of it was communicated.
Which would make it comparable with e.g. the raspi based Allo usbridge (if so desire accompanied by a LPS). SQ and price wise. The obvious difference would be I2S versus USB. Am I missing something?
Hmmm, I sent my Bridge II back to PSA with my DS SR trade-in. Didn’t think it had any value on its own, as the MKII does not have a Bridge port!! Mistake? 
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No you’re correct, it was a misunderstanding. I thought you want to compare Bridge inside MkI against Mk I with Bridge outside.
Maybe PSA should send out Bridge+box loans until Airlens is out, for those who bought a MkII, also want to buy an Airlens and traded in their Bridge card. Difficult.
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So ps audio is now going to make a external box for the bridge 2
… will this be of improvement to us mrk1 dsd users?
Theoretically. By moving the noisy Bridge II out of the MK1 and powering the Bridge II with an external LPS should lower the noise floor of the MK1.
Sure would think so…