Snowmass DirectStream Junior is now live

You lost me. AFAIK, there is no obligation for PS Audio to ever update the DS Jr. or Sr. going forward and I did not pay a premium for such upgrades in the future. What am I missing? Best regards.

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So this is a user feature?

PS Audio states ā€œFully upgradable through software releases.ā€ I suspect many read this to mean there will be updates.

[Edit: cgoundry beat me, and even included a picture!)

Understood.

10-4.

Yep, and MQA and various additional streaming options have been added (as well as various smaller features). We try to make better sound a bonus to entice people to update, but everyone is free to run the software they want (as long as they realize they might be missing a newer feature or bug fix.)

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I guess I view this not really from an optimistic standpoint, but from somewhere more simple. Sure, there may be some glaring shortcomings in the software side of things that are frustrating, but I also donā€™t know anyone in the DAC space doing anything remotely like this. I have seen a couple of other FPGA DACs like the Chord Hugo TT mention the technical possibility of upgradability, but Iā€™ve never heard anything come of that. If Iā€™m ignorant, enlighten me, but do you know any competing brands that do this?

Because of that, I do genuinely wonder what alternatives you might even consider, and how the pros and cons fall in comparison to the DS/J. Even if the product page explicitly mentions upgradability, it doesnā€™t seem entirely consistent to be alluding to the possibility of looking elsewhere primarily based on upgradability if no one else is doing that.

I have used this model successfully every time. SanDisk 16GB. Only $4.99

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007YX9O9O/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

I was unsuccessful with one of those but it might have been the fact that mine is 256 Gig. I donā€™t know.

Ted,
I never thought about the ability or intent to add features or usability only. Not being a programmer per se the thought never came to mind.
My last programming efforts were back in the early '90ā€™s hand writing CNC machine code using BASIC or similar to generate the complex geometric tool paths then pasting the output into the machine code text file.
Either way from an end user viewpoint this update process should be thought about as a risk / reward decision. Ignorance in truly bliss in a most cases. There is no reason to do anything at all except listen and enjoy the product.
Or you can also just request the USB update drive directly from PSA instead of trying the process yourself.
I have always wanted to be on the cutting (sometimes bleeding) edge of all technology and enjoyed every minute of it.
Thanks again for all that you and PSA in general do for product and customer support. It is truly unique and greatly appreciated. That mentality is what brought me to the product line and eventually here.

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A little clarification:

While I try to maintain a positive attitude in all aspects of life, I post exactly the same as if I had no role in this forum. I express the same opinions, views, information, etc. as if I were any other member.

I do not speak for PS Audio in any way. Nor would they want me to. :slight_smile:

Most of what I do is behind the scenes - solving member use problems, addressing spam, changing forum parameters to more closely match how we use the forum, etc.

Carry on! Ignore the man behind the curtain.

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A little adjustment on the listening position (slightly further from the speakers) attenuated this.

This keeps happening with every .dsf file.
@tedsmith , can you please give some thoughts on this? Is this expectable?
Many thanks.

Other than this, Snowmass took my system even further!

Continuing with the impressionsā€¦
A few weeks back I had the opportunity to listen to a dCS Rossini Player/DAC. I was stunned with the amount of information taken from a CD with an absolut sense of timing and ambience (the right amount of reverb telling exactly what was the venue of a recording). Before, I had the same kind of experience with Esoteric Players/DACs.
Now, my DSj with Snowmass is giving me the same kind of experience. Much more information, ambience, and accurate timing are retrieved from the recordings.
And, although listen to DSD files (native or converted from SACDs ISO) is the ultimate listening experience, is with PCM that I felt major improvements.

Iā€™m very grateful for this, and for PS Audio and @tedsmith work.

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I canā€™t remember what your source is, but
foobar2000 used to be gapless on DSD, but foobar2000 started opening and closing the ASIO device at annoying times a few release ago (I didnā€™t dig into the transitions with WASAPI) - the net result is that often there are (small) ticks between DSD tracks.
Playing from the DMP used to have small gaps between separate tracks, I donā€™t know if the current DMP software fixes this or not.
The last time I tried JRiver it could play DSD gaplessly.
I donā€™t know about the current bridge releases.

Playing DSD gaplessly is much harder than one would expect - if the ticks are small you might have to live with them or perhaps you can find a setting in your source that can help.

Yup, thatā€™s it.

Iā€™m using Foobar2000 on the Network Renderer (dedicated computer) reading FLAC files from QNAP.
I have Asset UPnP for QNAP converting on the fly FLAC files to WAV, but DFF and DSF ā€œas is singleā€.
This is my only source.

I can live with it, no worries. Just trying to understand how things work.

I would love to have really gapless playback, and if I recall I could if reading PCM directly from local or QNAP disc (without ASSET), never tried reading directly with DSD files.
But ASSET UPnP converting to WAV, at least PCM, and managing all the library, is a good compromise to have superior sound quality. Even if this means having little gaps between PCM tracks, plus tiny tiny clicks between DSD tracks.

Many thanks @tedsmith .

I am so glad I joined this family 1,5 years ago. Paul, Ted, and anyone else involved in the DS evolution: congratulations! Your engagement, open and direct communication and connection your customer is a very special experience. In this is why I think you deserve (and I hope you have) am above market growth and a top spot in the high-end audio streaming market.
You have an open ear to your customer, invest in the latest trends and share it on the sold units in the market. I think in the frequency you do this it is a unique thing that deserves a lot of followers. I am sure we are all verbal about this.
The latest update to SnowMass plus the latest bridge update make this affordable DAC to one of the best DACā€™s available today. I think it would be good if the German magazines Audio and Stereoplay would test it now. I am sure the DSJ would already end up in the top of the list. When I replaced my Linn Akkurate DS/1 with the DSJ PikesPeak it was already better and the steps with Huron, RedCloud and now SnowMass are not minimal and create a nearly perfect sound. The upgrade to Snowmass improves the presentation; details are better differentiated yet the sound is less sterile or sharp. The imaging is not wider or deeper but it seems more natural. Overall the sound is more natural, analogue. All small beauty flaws like clicks between DSD and other formats disappeared.
You have created something special and that deserves more attention.Congratulations and a big thank you!!

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I was lucky to have indirect access to the audio offers of someone whoā€™s a genius in various highly scientific works, background member of some international research projects of highest complexity level (cern etc.) and background consulter of various high end products. He luckily seemed to also have the interest in improving audio.

Ted to me seems the second one of similar kind, we can be lucky of, his hobby accidentally is high end. Extremely rare such folks are communicative and *calculableā€ at the same time. Those crazy discussions about theoretical uncertainties make me want to say; if thereā€™s one person Iā€™d trust in his integrity and deep responsibility and connection to his work, itā€™s Ted. Donā€™t bother, listen to music!

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Hi;

I have tried reformatting no go

Tried leaving up powered for 1 hour , no go.

I have massive problems tring to up grade from yale to redcloud , in fact ps audio in Australia had massive issues , and could only get in to up grade on certain usb stick. I am using same stick ( they ended up sending out sony usb to customers .

I am afraid if I delate snowmass of usb , load yale on usb , then load this to DSJ , then delate yale of usb and then retry to load snowmass , it still may not work, then iam struck with yale as it will be very had to re upgrade to redcloud.

There has got to be a better way than this .

I love DSj , love up grades , but all fear them as it will be so hard so much messing around and it most likely will not work.

How much pretesting on different machines do you do.

Where to next for me.

Regards

Paul OSullivan

oneform

Hi Paul,
What part of Oz are you in?
Iā€™ve just done the down shift to Yale then up to Snowmass so I know I have a USB that works with my machine. Iā€™m in Melbourne.
Have faith, follow Tedā€™s suggestions and give it a crack.
Cheers

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Brisbane I believe.

I agree with Cable Guy. Snowmass has changed the presentation for the better in my roomconsiderably.With RC I had turned my speakers down to lowest setting in an attempt reduce the fatigueing highs. Even deleted some speakers and configured the towers to face away from the listener. With SM sound stage is big so i am able to move the towers back about two feet and will try more when able. Speaker freq turned back up to Max. Towers facing listener. Plays louderer and clearer with less fatigue and lesspower required by the P5 and P10. Timing of 0&1s and therefore music is way better than RC. Better PRAT factor. More mid range which does seem to bring it closer to analog but with much more bass. I need more isoloation for my VPI scout TT. Canā€™t believe how much difference a small update made. Small as in amount of data. Good things do come in small packages. Frankly with SM in my system the playback is a night and day improvement for me.

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