Was Upcoming DS release - Now Windom has been released

@straightwire - yes, this is what I hear after going Shunyata Research power cords, D2000T, and Farad Super3 Power supplies. Huge detail, very tight low end, and big space between instruments. In addition added micro-dynamics going bi-wire. There is also, zero fatigue listening all day long. So detailed, so effortless and smooth.

I use a card formatted to FAT16 which you can’t do on Mac using Diskutil. At least not with newer version of the macOS.

To format Fat16 on the Mac you will need to use the Terminal app.

Insert the card and from the command line type this:

diskutil list

Locate the “Identifier” for the card. In my case, it was “disk7”.

To format the card, it needs to be unmounted using “diskutil”. Here is the command:

diskutil unmountDisk disk7

You will get a message telling you if that was successful. If it is, here is the command to format the card Fat16 with the name “DSD”:

sudo newfs_msdos -F 16 -v DSD /dev/disk7

You will be asked to enter your superuser password. That is normally the password of the main account setup as an admin account.

I tested this with a 16GB card and it was formatted to a capacity of 2.15GB.

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Hi Speed Racer, thank you for the advice !
I already have some experience with Terminal, so i can handle this.
I’ll save this instruction for the next mountain top release.
Do you think using FAT16 formatted SD’s is more reliable / robust than using FAT32 formatted SD’s ?
I remember Ted @tedsmith writing about this in the past, but is it still relevant ?

MS-DOS(FAT) works fine!

The reason I use FAT16 is that Ted said that is what we should be using as that is what the DirectStream DACs expect. I have never had a problem updating so…

Read some of these posts:

https://forum.psaudio.com/search?expanded=true&q=fat16%20%40tedsmith

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I’ve had my DSD since 2014, never had a problem with an update. All completed with Mac.
MS-DOS(FAT) is completely compatible with FAT16 and FAT32.

Good for you! Now back to what Ted the designer of the DAC has said…

Clearly, I have no experience that would matter to other DSD users. LOL.

Hi Speed Racer,
I found out that ‘sudo newfs_msdos -F 16 -v DSD /dev/disk7’ leads to deletion of the 1 level of the medium. I think it’s better to change it to ‘sudo newfs_msdos -F 16 -v DSD /dev/disk7s1’.
This way the 0 level remains ‘Generic MassStorageClass Media’ (including the MBR) and the 1 level remains ‘DSD’, but then FAT16 instead of FAT32.
Thanks again.

So I rolled back to Snowmass today… For about 10 minutes.
At first I doubted it, was not sure I liked the change. Going back proved it to me, Windom is much easier to listen to, I hear the brightness and edge in Snowmass now.
You did good Ted.

You clearly have info that can help others here. I’m a PC user but looked up Mac formatting for SD cards and saw the reference to MSDOS(FAT) and MSDOS(FAT32) and that with another users input helped another forum member get his DAC to accept the new firmware.
We can all help each other. This is a very friendly forum with some very good members with lots of good info to share.

A post was split to a new topic: Jump from the DSD Jr to the DSD Sr

That was in response to speed racer’s dismissal of my statement.

After reloading an earlier version then reloading Windom I am really liking what I am hearing.
Great well defined, tuneful bass. Vocals that are excellent, I can now understand more words in songs than I ever could before. All this along with a refined treble range that sounds so great!.

ozzy

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So are you going to let another forum member silence your response? Your response is welcome regardless of whatever you think. We are all entitled to present our opinions regardless of what others think.

Kyle was kidding

15 posts were merged into an existing topic: Windom: Sound Impressions

I am about 90 minutes into Windom on my DSD. (“Upgraded” from Snowmass 3.0 firmware).

FWIW, I had no problem with the upload (but I always buy the new firmware direct from PSA on a disc that they supply and have only had one issue through multiple firmware updates; i.e., it took three cycles of loading Snowmass and then going back to Redcloud before Snowmass “took” for me - a real head scratcher).

My primary input and method of rendering my library of ripped and downloaded files is Bridge II with JRiver Media Center managing my library and JRemote as the controller/app. on my iPhone.

So far, my overall impression is that there is jut a bit MORE of everything (clarity, quietness, separation of voices on harmonies, etc.).

More to come after further listening and maybe a quick reversion to Snowmass to hear what I can hear as between the two after I become accustomed to Windom.

Cheers.

@Elk,

Having gone through Snowmass and Windom each upgrade generates the same two discussions so I think splitting makes sense and for the next one just start with two from the get go. Sound Impressions and Installation Problems as you suggested. I have never had a problem upgrading so having a thread dedicated to sound impressions would help with seeing if other people are hearing what I am hearing.

Just my 2 cents.

Thanks, Alan.

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@Elk,
I think splitting into 2 is a good compromise for a start. That is, ‘Sound Impressions’ and ‘Installation Problems’. I’m not as sure with the DSD model split. Ted’s suggestion of using FPGA/firmware version numbering may be a better alternative if we go down that route.