I have several extended listening sessions with Snowmass under my belt now and I have yet to experience any improvements worthy of the superlatives reported here. Am I enjoying the music? Yes. Does Snowmass seem like a step backwards from Red Cloud? No. Interesting?
So far, in order to ensure there is not something amiss with the update I have:
Checked the settings to confirm Snowmass was loaded; and
Rebooted the DS Sr. DAC withe the SD card removed twice.
To my ears, neither action resulted in a change to the DAC’s performance.
Today, despite my concerns about creating a firmware update issue (I have never had any software loading issues BTW), I will reload/re-update Snowmass and “see what I can hear”.
[FYI: The only other change I have made to the system commensurate to the update is the Bridge II software update. My Snowmass code came factory direct from PS Audio on a SD card loaded and supplied by them.]
I can only note a few observations with any confidence since I have not taken the plunge and reloaded Red Cloud. I have never gone backwards in this manner with DSD Sr. software developments and I guess I have a bit of a reluctance to do so. Maybe I need to overcome my (irrational?) reluctance and do some more comparing?
On a few tracks, the extension of distinct voices and instruments further beyond the outside of the speakers (i.e., a wider soundstage) has been evident, but not startling so. My Anthony Gallo Acoustics Reference 3.1 speakers have always thrown a wide and deep soundstage and done a great job of disappearing.
Likewise, on a few tracks, the rearward extension of the sound stage (a deeper soundstage) has been evident.
(Not an improvement per se) I have to turn up the volume of my preamp. four to six clicks to get the same listening levels I tend to prefer with familiar music (I use an Anthem AVM 50v2 as a preamplifier and keep the DS volume set at 85%, with no attenuation).
Of the three changes I have noted, so far I would say that the sense of a deeper soundstage (when appropriate) is the most significant improvement. (But, none of my observations were made during an “acute”, holy cow what a difference moment.)
TBH, not really (maybe a bit more “harmonics” on certain piano notes). At the risk of “looking too hard”, I 'll check out some well recorded acoustic tracks do a little focused listening in this regard.
Have you a recommend track (album) or two that were noteworthy in these three respects?
And to that I would add the Objectivist caution that none of this is possible and it’s all in your head anyway.
For good or ill, I’ve personally only ever lived in my head - though I will freely admit to having been out of my head on occasion - so I’m kinda stuck enjoying the subjective improvements ; )
I have nothing specific to suggest other than to note I listen almost exclusively to classical music. As a performing classical musician I know intimately the sounds of unamplified acoustic instruments.
I have played Snowmass in one of my DS boxes for over 300 hours… On reading your post just now I switched between my other DS box and Redcloud…
Snowmass is much better in every way. But, - saying that, what I am slightly perplexed with just now is that Snowmass has lost gravitas at the lower end. Bass is lightweight and not as deep and articulate as it was when I first loaded Snowmass, 13 days ago. I will see how it pans out over the coming days…
This could well be system related and / or ME…… but that’s all I have to go by !! Snowmass does sound much more natural and easier on the ear…
In the higher treble region there can be more of a white noise bite imbued into the mix that I can hear on poor recordings that force me to turn down the gain on my preamp…compared to redcloud.On great recordings cymbol work,bells,whistles, etc; is fantastic. Midbass has more clarity and presence to my ears also.
Overall,the best part about snowmass for me is the ability for the music to have a more natural feeling of music washing over of me… without an artificial presence to it. That to me alone is worth keeping snowmass put.
Still waiting for delivery of My ds sr I bought it is day of sale:sunglasses:
replacing a meiter ba
I never turn off the bidat id does ger quite warm for just a dac
I will being using an accustic arts drive 1
I hava kimber rca d60 an a apogee balanced cable for connection
I WILL HOOK UP BOTH AND TOGGLE between.
The Bidat sounds bettter with rca digital input.
I prefer single ended with a bit more so called" noise"
Ii hear no hiss even full gain!
balanced just does NOT have the midrange and air
The Ds will be uptream to
lamm ll2 just serviced sounding sweet
I thinK it a ll2.1 the ciccuit board and all components are new!!
ll2>Lamm M 2. 1 monoblocks
I have Martin Logan Requests biwired with
silver audio symphony 48 4ft biwire ( minimal resistance)
2 6ft runs of silver audio appasionata rca to monoblocks
(minimal resistance
All power chords are silver audio power burst
All power through a Sound Application CF-X condtioner ( it does work)
the system is transparant and warm
with the associated Martin Logan roll off after 12k or so
I Looking forward to blacker background and more air and space
Well I finally got the update to work, Thanks Kevin at CS. This thread has been an informative/ concerning read. My screen has become less responsive, having to tap several times on an icon to achieve a response and at times getting the wrong one. Have not fussed with it much after that, honestly kinda afraid something might get messed up. So for now I’m just listening to music and reading what you folks post.It’s comforting to see Ted on here to track and work on issues.
FWIW, your issues don’t seem to reflect others with respect to Red Cloud to Snowmass updates (unless I missed some posts that indicate otherwise). Just want to make sure you are not referring to a DMP update…
Hoping that it doesn’t sound like a broken record:thinking:…but it occasionally bears repeating that even if one were to have an identical system in an identical room of someone who is having a sonic or functional issue, you don’t have their ears, experience, tastes and brain. So it’s always good to take everything (over-the-moon and bummed out alike) with a grain of salt, and remember that we are all “focus groups of One”.
That is it in a nutshell … There is no need for analytical processing, the music just flows out effortlessly… Redcloud was good - very good, but Snowmass just sounds much more natural and unforced.
Switching to Redcloud in my other DS: Redcloud is more two-dimensional and less involving. Obviously - that’s just what I hear and experience through my system.
No, simply with red cloud the screen bottons were quick and responsive after installing snowmass I now need to tap on it several times before a response. Is there a DMP update that I should have done also ? I’m new to the DS so it’s a small learning curve for me… thanks
That’s correct, nothing has to be analyzed as long as the experience is better!
It’s just important that together with the new „natural feeling and less presence“ as it was described, the other more individual qualities remained or even also improved.
Because if one‘s just after the more relaxed tonality, there would have been loads of other DAC‘s offering this since long (by tube buffers or individual voicing), but not with the rest of the quality characteristics the DS has.
That issue would be related to the pic code that operates the functions not so much the Snowmass update itself. They did make changes to the pic so that may be where the issue is coming from.
