SD Cards that work, or do not, in the DS

Audio Components DACs
1

Many have observed that only some SD cards work with the DS and other PS Audio products.

Please share your specific experiences here. Which cards work? Which do not?

What formatting works? What does not?

2

I just started today with mine, so I am learning. Since there wasn’t an SSD included I ordered a 4G card from Amazon, and now people are telling only a 2G will work. Naturally, none of this is in the manual. smile

3

Don’t despair, Bud. Some have had luck with 4GB cards. Format it as FAT16 and give it a try. There’s a small chance you might mess up the DAC; if you do you can email PSA and get a recovery 2GB SD card sent to you in all likelihood. Not the way to get one, but hey!

Minor kidding aside you can still get 2GB cards from Walmart.

4

What do you use to format card in FAT16?

5

I’m sorry to see that so many people seem to have problems with their upgrades due to the SD card. When I first got the DS I bought a 4GB (2GB cards weren’t sold anymore, they told me) Panasonic SDHC card. I went from 1.1.5 to 6, 7 or whatever came after until 1.2.1 and now PP, and I never had any issues. I used the card out of the box, without formatting it. So if you’re having problems with your SD card, a Panasonic 4GB card may help you out.

6

Correction - I should have said FAT32. Sorry.

7

I must one of the lucky ones.

As a photographer, I have a lot of SD cards at hand. I’ve used 4GB, 8GB and even 16GB cards without any issues… ummm, that I know of.

8

I bought some Sandisk standard (blue) 2 GB cards from Amazon a year or so ago, which worked without formatting. The price was below $10 each. I just checked and they have them now for $19.99, ouch! Guess they are becoming scarce. I’ll have to stock up on them and sell them for big money in a year or two!

9
Bud said I just started today with mine, so I am learning. Since there wasn't an SSD included I ordered a 4G card from Amazon, and now people are telling only a 2G will work. Naturally, none of this is in the manual.
When PSA shipped my DS they included a sd card with it. It was a 4G card and it worked without issue on the PP OS...
10

I believe in the past Ted said FAT16 was preferred but FAT32 might work. I’m pretty sure it has for me on at least one occasion and I have used a 4GB FAT16 card on multiple occasions. If the card, whatever side and however formatted, appears to work (and it shows the correct version when you touch the little wheel on the DS screen) don’t worry about it.

11

I’ve used cards up to 8GB without issue.

12
stevem2 said I believe in the past Ted said FAT16 was preferred but FAT32 might work. I'm pretty sure it has for me on at least one occasion and I have used a 4GB FAT16 card on multiple occasions. If the card, whatever side and however formatted, appears to work (and it shows the correct version when you touch the little wheel on the DS screen) don't worry about it.
I've always reformatted my SD cards on my Mac before using and they are FAT32 on macs when done. Never had any issues with FAT32 formatting on either my DS or old PWD MK I or II versions. Works like a charm.
13
pmotz said I bought some Sandisk standard (blue) 2 GB cards from Amazon a year or so ago, which worked without formatting. The price was below $10 each. I just checked and they have them now for $19.99, ouch! Guess they are becoming scarce. I'll have to stock up on them and sell them for big money in a year or two!
NOS SD cards! Be sure to find a way to label them Telefunken or Tung-Sol.

Great info everyone! This should help when someone is looking for assistance with SD cards.

14

Sandisk Ultra 4Gb ok

15
pmotz said I bought some Sandisk standard (blue) 2 GB cards from Amazon a year or so ago, which worked without formatting. The price was below $10 each. I just checked and they have them now for $19.99, ouch! Guess they are becoming scarce. I'll have to stock up on them and sell them for big money in a year or two!
+1 I did the same. Took delivery on 2 from Amazon last week and used one for the upgrade and keeping the other one "just in case"
16

My local Wal Mart sells PNY standard 2GB SD cards in a 2 pack for $11.88.

I do not format them, just download the files, drag them on to the SD card, insert them into the DS and cycle the power.

17

I just updated my DS with a Transcend 2GB SD card I bought on Amazon for 5 bucks. …no formatting required just open the file and select all the update files and copy them to the card…inserted the card and it took it from there.

18

B&H Photo (http://www.bhphotovideo.com) has Transcend 2 GB SD cards for $4.95, too. I’ve been a happy customer of B&H over the last decade and can recommend them highly.

19
Elk said Many have observed that only some SD cards work with the DS and other PS Audio products.

Please share your specific experiences here. Which cards work? Which do not?

What formatting works? What does not?


Folks have already stated that they’ve found that sometimes a card that worked previously, suddenly no longer does, so I don’t think it’s a brand or size issue. I tried 3 different cards that had worked in the past including the one that came with my DS upgrade kit. None of them worked when I tried to upgrade to Pikes Peak. I ended up buying a brand new card and that did the trick.

I’m wondering if somehow the cards are getting corrupted while trying to insert them in the DS. I noticed that it’s pretty easy for the SD contacts to come into contact with the metal case on the back of the unit. But, that’s just a hunch.

20

I used a 16GB because that was the cheapest I could find at my local Best Buy. Went in for an 8, but they were on sale and sold out. Didn’t have any problems despite not formatting. When I needed to reload 1.2.1, I just deleted the files from the card and copied the new ones over. What is the reasoning for only using a small size, other than cost and the wasted space?