Another angle on the “bad load” front is how many are using the zipped download updates off the PSA website and how many are using unzipped versions emailed by TJ? And whether or not the TJ version is more reliable?
I’ve emailed him for unzipped versions of Huron and Windom (DSJ).
I’m curious about one feature which I encountered in windom which I does not appear to exist in snowmass: The ability to go up to a volume level of 106 with PCM. What change did you make to enable this apparent additional gain for PCM?
For many releases when the 20dB attenuator was engaged the volume could go to 106. If it can go to 106 without the 20dB attenuator engaged it’s a bug.
I can’t make that happen ie . Make it go to 106 without attenuator engaged
Mine does exactly as described by Ted, Volume up to 100 without the attenuator selected, and 106 with the attenuator selected. I’ running Snowmass 3.06. Windom has not been installed.
Come on now…zipping and unzipping is lossless process and will make no difference here.
I think that I probably did have the 20dB attenuator switch-in. So not a bug.
Yes, that’s the theory. But for those who are having trouble upgrading to Windom, one of the solutions PSA offers is to email an unzipped version, which then works where the zipped version did not. Equally in theory, if Windom loads, it ought not be a bad load, yet some have spent hours reloading Windom to achieve the best sound. So what ought to be, and what is, infrequently applies to our Windom upgrade adventure.
In that light, it’s worth considering if the unzipped version, for no applicable scientific reason aka the governing force we’re dealing with, may make a more accurate load. Its just an idea 
Windom is a significant improvement in my system. All is sharper, properly situated in the soundstage, and most importantly, richly full-bodied. Digital now sounds better than vinyl here. Thank you Mr. Smith, Mr. McGowan and everyone on the PS Audio team for this firmware update.
It’s not theory. If what you are suggesting could be true, computers would be totally unreliable and no compressed data files could trusted once decompressed.
The problem is not the zipped files. It has to be with the reading of the files from the cards or thumb drives. It could be specific card/thumb drive sensitivity. It could be sensitivity to the format of the card/thumb drive. But the files themselves can’t be the problem or everyone would be having troubles.
Agree w this. :).
Can’t go chasing gremlins. It keeps you away from the solution.
These are PSA products, and this is a PSA suggested solution, its not mine…
I’d say what they are really doing is taking the user out of the equation any way they can. It reduces the variables out in the wild. They know what they are delivering works - as it has worked there. They have no idea what we as users have done from download to install. Handing someone an unzipped file minimizes user interaction.
According to TJ, he theorizes that there is a difference between the zipped, and unzipped files, though he can’t explain why - but the results indicate there is. With the recent Bridge update I experienced the DSJ volume constantly jumping to 50. TJ’s fix was to reinstall Snowmass, but specifically from an unzipped file that he sent, and not a download from the website. It greatly improved my issue.
It’s documented that unzip updates can load where the downloaded zip version did not. Those are facts, according to PSA. That’s not an explanation, but it’s a truthful experience.
Given all our unexplainable updating issues, it’s worth, to me, exploring…
If we do for second pursue the thought that the unzipped files have a higher degree of success than the zipped package then maybe some people have removed the thumbdrive / SD Card whilst their unzipping program is still open. Perhaps the files are are not properly written to the portable card/drive or released by the operating system until the zip program is closed. Also, if the zip program is open, maybe removing the portable drive/card without ejecting it causes more issues with the contents since windows cannot release the files? If for example you tried to do a format on the external storage device whilst the zip program is still open you’ll most likely find that windows with prevent the action as it has locked the memory device exclusively for use by the zip program.
Just putting it out there.
Or some folks put the zip file on the SD or USB drive still compressed. It seems obvious to those with technical experience that the files must be unzipped but not everyone gets this…especially when some OS auto preview the contents but don’t necessarily save the unzipped files to the file system
There cannot be any difference between the emailed files and the unzipped files contained in the download unless they are different versions
Unzipped file’s are EXACTLY the same as the original files. Bit for bit. I have been a computer scientist for over 33 years. If zipping and unzipping is problem, then copying files is a problem. The ONLY files that are “original” are the ones generated on the system that first created them. This is is a ridiculous idea…
I personally have no idea. This was posted by PSA Whiz Kid jamesh 2 days ago:
“Great to hear it worked Gunter! Thanks for keeping us posted.
To be honest, they weren’t anything special. They were just unzipped on my machine here. Not that you did anything wrong, but some computers unzip files in an odd way, and I’ve learned that sending the individual files can really help.”
So either the PSA Whiz kid is incorrect, or there are more variables than we are considering, especially to do with updating a PSA DAC… And perhaps the software that unzips the files on a given computer system is throwing a wrench in??
Brett66 and I are trying to present real world based reasons why people with the unzipped files might be having a better success rate than the ones using zipped files. Rather than just dismissing the possibility out of hand, perhaps it would be more scientific to look at the data and form a hypothesis?
I find it easy to imagine there can be problems with users unzipping a file.
Computers do not necessarily do what we want, only what we tell them to.