Was Upcoming DS release - Now Windom has been released

Exactly my experience when I had Quad 989 speakers.

Interesting perspective. I found Snowmass to have tight and taut bass definition. The kind you rarely get unless it is acoustic in a live unamplified venue. I will have to try some Tin Pan Alley. Overall I have not missed Snowmass yet though bass is what speaks to me. I wish my late Brother in Law who played bass could give his impressions. I guess I never heard growl in bass amps. Curious what bass amp you use and whether your home system or performance stack uses bass isolators akin to Iso acoustic Gaia. I feel I would like windom less without that isolation. I isolate the amps and speakers with isolation footers.

I don’t have Windom yet, but I’ve already been using the DSD at 100 with Snowmass 3.06. I had been seduced into the “DSD at 80 to 90” mass delusion (just kidding) for.a while but when I settled definitively on 3.06 I tried using the tubed preamp to control volume and the DSD at 100 and didn’t go back. More dynamics, more “color.” (But then I can adjust gain at DSD, preamp, EQ preamp, balanced to single-ended transformer, and amp so I can really go crazy “riding gains” and tweaking.)

I may get my SD card today and get listening Monday. Can’y wait to be part of the group paradigm shift. :wink:

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I am also having the problem of the USB cutting off. I have an e-mail thread going with TJ at PS Audio. He said that I was the first person to report the issue and that he would forward the info to engineering for consideration.

If you also have the problem, please let PS Audio support know. The more of us that inform them of the issue, the more likely that their engineering team will look into it. I get why this is the case and am hoping that there is a significant number of us who have the problem so that they will get to working on it sooner rather than later.

Thanks

With Windom, I’m hearing an increase in the quality and the impact of the bass. I can feel the bass more now than with Snowmass. From the lowest notes up through the lower mid-range upper bass, there’s more meat on the bone. With Snowmass I removed my bass traps which helped produce a fuller sound. Although the bass sounds very tight and not bloated with Windom, bringing the bass traps back into the room improved the bass, by tightening it up further, and revealing more detail in the mid-range and treble. I feel the bass is way more satisfying with Windom vs Snowmass.

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The system with the XP is apart right now.
I’m using my BHK pre now.

The DSD and PCM gains are identical and identical to those in Snowmass. Tho many will hear Windom as quieter and may want to turn things up just a little to get the same perceived loudness and bloom as Snowmass.

Whenever you down mix to stereo you loose a lot. Phase information is often compromised. Personally I never find mixing to stereo to be satisfying, if I’m listening in stereo I always choose the stereo track instead of mixing down when watching video. Tho I can play SACDs in multichannel from my DMP, I don’t yet have a multichannel path from my PC so I listen only to the stereo tracks of my ripped SACDs.

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FWIW there is clearly more well defined bass and deeper bass here in Windom. Many things I never noticed before are clear now (and not only in the bass region.)

In some previous releases (including Snowmass) some reported that the bass was gone (while others reported bass bloat.) Usually this was fixed by thinking of the DS and its new software as a new component and resetting the system up: e.g. repositioning the speakers, perhaps seeing if you have a set of interconnects that (in combination with the new software) provide a more satisfying experience, etc. If you have a sub you might need to adjust the phase as well as the level.

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This was obvious, listening to Windom for the first time last night, in about 10 seconds on my system. The good thing about using subs for bass fill is the ability to adjust. Going to have to do that tonight!

I noticed the “perception of less bass” (as you describe it here) going from Redcloud to Snowmass. I came to recognize/perceive the difference as “cleaner”, more accurate reproduction of certain lower frequencies. In fact, certain notes had a much better “snap” or quickness to them. I could envision some hearing “less bass” in these circumstances.

FWIW.

I had a lot of trouble getting Windom to load on my DS Jr but after many attempts and a few days with different USB sticks - all Fat 32 formatted - I went back to Yale then using same stick for Windom and it worked!

The difference is immediately noticeable, there is more ‘air’ and detail over all and a fuller sound. Also clearer and stronger bass. I feel more engaged with the music as if moving closer to the performers which is delightful! Something I would only expect to come from upgrading to a new component.

However I notice a slight increase in harshness, something I spend a lot of effort removing in my system and I have found that any changes to my system that add more detail usually results in added harshness.

I am pretty sure this is recording related and not coming from the software upgrade, I think Ted’s improvements just reveal more of what is there. ie. Listening to Van Morrison’s ‘Philosophers Stone’ on his ‘Back on Top’ album which has no harshness is a fabulous rich sound.

I didn’t really notice much change when going to Snowmass but this upgrade is in another league. Thanks Paul and Ted for another great FREE upgrade and for a tweaker that is so easy to do!

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I would agree that Windom is not bass shy. I have focal scale v2 speakers with real subs nicely integrated and. There is definitely more bass, a big mid range improvement and an overall clarity and musicality with Windom. Thanks to the PSaudio team!!

In the end, it’s just so unique and wonderful that we have choices that are no more difficult than upload/download. And we get a different flavor DAC, ranging from slightly different to very different.
And let’s not forget, this is FO FREE!

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My DSJ is go down at 50 Only when no ethernet cable to Bridge. Never during listening.
I thought was fixed. :pensive:

Windom installed.
Dusty Springfield…Son of a Preacher Man?

The bass player, he knows what he’s doing and is being a little bit naughty with how he plays that song.
Never heard this before, it grabbed my attention when music was on and I was doing something else.

Sign of your hifi doing something right, when that happens.

On the mid to upper bass, I perceive less congestion in my room with Windom, allowing better resolution in those areas, in addition to the improvements others have noted.

I had been looking into further room treatments for bass before Windom but now this is not necessary. For my system, in my room. I agree that those who are perceiving insufficient bass might look at set up and room interactions before giving up on Windom.

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Windom installed and converted :slight_smile:
@tedsmith - FWIW in my set up, I found the bass to be very airy when the DAC was at 100. This made the mids sound ‘recessed’ , ‘soft’.
Putting the DAC at 80 and the BHK Pre between 35-45 made the bass feel tighter, the tone seem warmer and put a huge grin on my face.
WOW - take a bow!!

Cheers,
E

Hi - i have been in touch with them.
Check the usb cable you have to see if it has a 5v line on it. Apparently the DSD needs the 5v line for noise rejection and some USB’s dont have it.
If you are not sure just get a stock usb cable and try it out - this way you can isolate the issue to either the cable or something else.
Hope this helps and do let me know the outcome.

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Like others, I noticed a difference in bass reproduction with Windom Vs Snowmass. It seemed weaker at first listen with less “presence” or “punch.”

After letting things settle in I realized that one of my pet peeves with bass reproduction with my system had taken a significant step in the RIGHT direction.

With ultra-megabuck systems and/or rooms with good bass acoustics, I experience that sense of ambience that comes with clean low bass reproduction. As Paul has commented on more than one occasion, you sense or feel it more than you “hear” it.

My rig and room (acoustic treatment but no room correction) produced a wide and deep soundstage from the lower midbass and up, but never did so great with that low bass ambience even though the speakers go to 25 Hz. With Windom, the ambience of the bottom end has opened up and expanded.

So I would say that the bass is more “organic” and natural vs “hi-fi” in sound. So, like everything else in an imperfect world, there seems to be a trade-off sonically. For me, a most welcome compromise. Your personal preference rules, of course.

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I am following up from my post in the 640 range. The only thing different on my system from this observation and the previous is that I ran break-in sweep track continuously overnight. The system has had an abundance of run time since Windom was installed, previous to the sweep track, and all components were at stable temperatures. My observations are from headphones, to remove any room interactions.
On my tracks I know well (AIC - Unplugged - Down In a Hole; Sade - Slave Song; SRV - Tin Pan Alley), there is better detail of the bass guitar. The rattling of the acoustic bass and sound from fingers sliding over the string coils on DIaH are more present. On TPA, the bass notes are more succinct and the variations in tone as each note is stuck and decays are more evident. On SS, there is more character in the bass notes. Each of these is an improvement from before the sweep track, where bass detail was smudged and obscured.
While that detail now is not as forward as Snowmass (in relative terms), it is fitting better into the overall presentation better than before the burn-in. It is allowing me to listen without thinking about a certain range being underwhelming. The frequency range, before and after the sweep, is still as deep; I did not have an issue with the depth of bass before, it was the detail within that depth that was obscured.
Overall, I am a fan of the Windom release, and I am sure that the remaining bass differences from Snowmass will matter less, as the rest of the spectrum is really awesome.