Received my Absolute Sound Magazine today with the Directsteam review. Congratulations to the entire PS Audio team on a job well done great review. Also in the Magazine is a review on a CD I picked up about a month ago, “The Brothers and Sisters:Dylan’s Gospel”. Very enjoyable CD another approach at Dylan’s songs.
Thanks!!
Godzilla63 said Would someone please post the review? My magazine always comes late, after I see it on the newsstands. It may be another week or so before I can get it. I would like to see it before we have our audio club meeting this weekend where we are discussing DAC's.Unfortunately we have to purchase the rights to publish the review. We're working on that now. Doesn't happen overnight.
Please no one post the review. It is copyrighted and we do not want to place PS Audio in a bad light by violating TAS’ or Stereophile’s copyright on this forum.
I really understand the temptation however . . .
Regrading the absolute sound article thanks for the information. As always, I learn new things every day!
Regarding the firmware in the TAS review unit: it was actually the original version. Version 1.1.5 was released shortly after the review was submitted. As Paul said, I really liked it.
Vade Forrester
Welcome, Vade!
It is great to see you here.
vforrest said Regarding the firmware in the TAS review unit: it was actually the original version. Version 1.1.5 was released shortly after the review was submitted. As Paul said, I really liked it.Vade Forrester
Nice to see you in here, Mr. Forrester
Thanks for your clarification!
Did you mean to say that the 1.1.6 was released shortly after the review was submitted?
You said in your review (quote):
‘The double-speed DSD rate allows the low-pass filter to begin rolling off at 80kHz’
From the PSA 6115 release notes: ‘Raised the input filter’s bandwidth from 40kHz to 80kHz’ I thought you were actually using the 1.1.6 (6115) which is a (huge) step up on sound quality from the former (1.1.5) that the DS came with.
I won’t rule out any confusion on my behalf, because these things are easily mixed.
Hey Vade! Thanks for posting.
The new firmware also increased the maximum PCM input rate above the 192/24 listed in the review (at least for some inputs).
+1 to welcoming Vade. Your input is very much appreciated.
Frode saidThere are a lot of different filters involved in the DS DAC: the one Vade was referring to was different than the one the release notes for 1.1.6 was referring to (or perhaps more accurately in this case: I used a 80kHz upsampling filter for more inputs in 1.1.6 than in 1.1.5)Nice to see you in here, Mr. Forrester
Thanks for your clarification!
Did you mean to say that the 1.1.6 was released shortly after the review was submitted?
You said in your review (quote):
‘The double-speed DSD rate allows the low-pass filter to begin rolling off at 80kHz’
From the PSA 6115 release notes: ‘Raised the input filter’s bandwidth from 40kHz to 80kHz’ I thought you were actually using the 1.1.6 (6115) which is a (huge) step up on sound quality from the former (1.1.5) that the DS came with.
I won’t rule out any confusion on my behalf, because these things are easily mixed.
I stand corrected, however Vade’s statement ‘Version 1.1.5 was released shortly after the review was submitted’ is still confusing if 1.1.5 was the first release…(?) It makes sense however if it should say 1.1.6.
Sorry I misread your post. Yep he started out on 1.1.5 and received 1.1.6 later, I presume after his deadline.
Frode saidvforrest said Regarding the firmware in the TAS review unit: it was actually the original version. Version 1.1.5 was released shortly after the review was submitted. As Paul said, I really liked it.Vade Forrester
Nice to see you in here, Mr. Forrester
Thanks for your clarification!
Did you mean to say that the 1.1.6 was released shortly after the review was submitted?
You said in your review (quote):
‘The double-speed DSD rate allows the low-pass filter to begin rolling off at 80kHz’
From the PSA 6115 release notes: ‘Raised the input filter’s bandwidth from 40kHz to 80kHz’ I thought you were actually using the 1.1.6 (6115) which is a (huge) step up on sound quality from the former (1.1.5) that the DS came with.
I won’t rule out any confusion on my behalf, because these things are easily mixed.
Now I’m confused! Here’s what happened: I got the information from Ted about the filter rolloff frequency. Paul was kind enough to review my technical description to be sure I hadn’t screwed it up. When I finished the review, I submitted it to the magazine. At that time, no firmware update had been announced. Shortly after I submitted the review, Paul announced a firmware update. I installed the update, and assumed it was 1.1.5. It made a noticeable improvement in the sound. I didn’t pay much attention to the update number, since at that time, there was only one update. Apologies if I confused things.
Vade Forrester
I suspect that Paul sent Vade just an FPGA update so indeed Vade would have seen 1.1.5 on his screen (and 0.61 for the FPGA)
And as I alluded to above I did tell Vade that double rate DSD was chosen for the output rate because the filters would be too steep with single rate DSD and that I could use a more gentle roll off starting at 80k for the DSD: that was what was in FPGA 5407. For FPGA 6115 I realized that I could also use that same filter for the PCM inputs without aliasing and that’s the major change in sound quality between 1.1.5 (FPGA 0.54) and 1.1.6 (FPGA 0.61).
Yup, like Ted said.
Yes, we bumped into this question during beta testing.
So, to conclude;
The display said 1.1.5, but it was really the new 1.1.6 (FPGA) - Which in this case is OK as long as the loader.cfg told the DS to load it.
However, if Vade never used the SD card (or file) that Paul sent over, he was actually not listening to 1.1.6 at all?
What makes you think he never used the file I sent? At the time I just emailed the new FPGA code that became 1.1.6 to Vade and he put it on an SD card and updated DirectStream. What am I missing?
This was all before we did an official package release and, as Ted pointed out, it was just an FPGA upgrade after Ted performed his magic.
Paul McGowan said What makes you think he never used the file I sent? At the time I just emailed the new FPGA code that became 1.1.6 to Vade and he put it on an SD card and updated DirectStream. What am I missing?This was all before we did an official package release and, as Ted pointed out, it was just an FPGA upgrade after Ted performed his magic.
I guess what confused me was that Vade talked about the Yellow box, but actually it is the red box that matters most.
I believe it is all clear now - sorry.
I received my copy of TAS today. The review is both thoughtful and well written, as well as extremely positive.
His comparison to the Audio Research DAC8 is telling. He describes the DS as better focused, a bit more distinct, more refined. Most interestingly, he opines the DS’ “bass power and extension seemed every bit as powerful as the Audio Research D8. No other DAC has achieved that.” (After noting the DAC8’s extended and powerful bass is one of the characteristics for which the DAC 8 is known.)
I enjoyed also Vade’s references to Jordi Savall’s La Folia and the Tallis Scholars’ recording of the Miserere. Both recordings possess tremendous subtlety and the DS does indeed shine on both.
(I am continually impressed with Savall’s percussionist, Pedro Estevan. On the Folia Rodrigo Martinez he maintains a consistent emphasis on the upbeat of three in a piece in 3/4 - tricky, elegant playing.)
Edit: I just re-read the review. It is more than extremely positive; it is a true rave. Very well deserved, Ted and Paul! 