Snowmass DirectStream Junior

Is it in the works? Is there a target release date?

Thanks.

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It has been mentioned by Paul. End of this week or into next week depending if they hit any difficulties…

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Thanks … I must have missed Paul’s comment.

You’re welcome.

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Can’t wait! If Snowmass for DSJ is similar to the DS version, we are in for a real treat! I’m very much looking forward to hearing it.

Me too!

Me three.

Four of us now!

Bug free / issue free is the key here. Let’s hang in there gents, should be just a few more days. OK I’m gonna get my dose of Diazepam too!

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Make it five! Gentlemen!

Six now!

Count one more folks!
Seven is my lucky number. :smile:

Elk is going to be best pleased with needless posts :grin:

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Fellow Junior owners: Since this comes up a lot, and various prior threads have been closed/merged, I’ll repost something I wrote the other day (with additions and edits):

re: Junior Snowmass release date - please don’t hold your breath for Friday. Paul’s job is to push his people to meet and beat goals, but we’ll all be happier if we don’t Expect to spend the weekend listening to Snowmass. They are certainly shooting for that for a number of reasons - it gives us the weekend with it, a bunch of folks try it out and comment, and have 2-3 days to get their heads and systems around it without bugging PS while they’re trying to have a life on the weekend ; )

The Junior is a separate device, and the list of 20 compiles of the Code to review are completely separate from the list for Senior. Going through the compiles for DSJ is an additional, separate and painstaking process, and the winner of the DSSr. compiles is not the same as the winner for DSJ, though they will have the same/similar qualities.

Darren was over on Sunday (yes - he was working on it on a Sunday), and we went through 10-11 of the 20 compiles over the course of 8 hours. (This represented the Beginning of the vetting process for Junior). One of those stood out, having all the qualities he was looking for, but there are more to go through. The top 2-3 get subjected to further/broader evaluation with Paul and others, then the Winner gets married to the PIC code, requiring additonal checks, which however should be less of an issue than it was/is with DSSr., as we have a simpler display and the Sr. beta gang helped sort out issues with that.

I don’t think we’ll have to have a beta period for that reason, but I can’t say for sure. As I said - it’s a separate set of Hardware and Firmware.

Having heard half of the compiles, they all have a Familial Resemblance - they are instantly identifiable as members of the Snowmass family vs. another Peak. But they have many different qualities that make up the “Magical” ones, some more some less.

When Darren loaded up the first on the list (which turned out to not even make the first cut) I found myself standing up out of my chair, laughing out loud, and actually got “verklempt”. Not to add to the hype or anything… ; ) YMMV!! I sort of apologized to Darren and he replied something along the lines of, “Right?? When I first heard it, I immediately sent Ted a note to say that he had really done something special.”

So this one I’ve been listening to is not necessarily the Winner at this point, and it is all the things the Senior folks have been confirming. It’s not subtle. Which initially worried me before I heard it, as the last time it was this “not subtle” was, I think Huron for me, which I ultimately didn’t care for. This is another animal. Or Mountaintop, I should say.:cowboy_hat_face:

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@badbeef many thanks for sharing this…
It’ll keep us hooked! :grin:

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You’re welcome - though I realize you’re sorta kidding - it conjures this image of us as fish on a line. One assumes we’re “hooked” as we own the thing. Every other DAC I’ve had over decades, you had to buy an entirely new one to experience this sort of change, with the commensurate additional cost.

Rather, I feel that we are fortunate owners of an amazing piece of gear (all Praise to Ted, Paul, Darren and the Gang), and are lucky to be here in this day and age to experience it. I personally don’t necessarily see any need for hype in advance of it, but that’s me. Though - due to the nature of the Update workflow, we get subjected to the Senior owners’ experiences in advance of our own, so we’ll just have to learn to deal with it. : )

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Amen to that. :raised_hands:

Darren and the gang should take a few days off (and perhaps from any listening sessions), after these last two weeks.

Although it is a true pleasure for them to make part of all this, their brain should be a little stressed. :exploding_head:

Many thanks to you all.

PS Audio is really unique!

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That appraisal of the Snowmass DSJ has certainly whetted my desire to hear it and I’ve already been listening to it for 5 days in my DS boxes !!

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I’m going to assume it’s OK to relate this story - but yes, listening fatigue for evaluators is a definite concern, which is yet another reason for taking the time for multiple listeners on multiple systems to evaluate the options without undue time pressure. Darren is a very dedicated and hard-working (not to mention talented) engineer. This process is in addition to his multiple other duties, as he has great ears and gear of his own, knows and hangs out with many of the Living Legends of Audio as well as with customers who also have great systems. Not to mention MR1 as one of these references.

One time he went through all 20 compiles in one day, slept 10 hours straight, and had to take the next day off. It’s interesting and exciting work - but make no mistake - it’s work. And important work to get right. So taking some time to rest the brain and ears between sessions and to give others the same, so that you can all circle back around and confirm what you thought you were hearing is a necessary part of the process.

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Your verklempt almost gave me Schadenfreude :wink: