THIS is what the current MK2 looks like…
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Yep - I had that Perfectwave model aeons ago, upgraded it to the Directstream Mk1 via kit, then traded that in for the Directstream Mk2. That Perfectwave DAC is ancient.
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The Ansuz Sortz arrived today. I have the BNC Basic on the LHY SW-6, the LAN Basic on the modem and the Signature in my Melco S100 switch. Not the big wow factor that the Sortz on the Marantz Link 10n’s USB DAC input caused. After a few songs you notice that there is still an improvement despite Muon Pro. What pure sound, openness and control! Connecting is easier than removing the Sortz. I have never had a greater effect with any other terminating plug for interference suppression. One Sortz per component, and it is upgraded by at least one level. The Sortz seem to be doing justice to their task of clearing up disturbances.
I can now immerse myself in the soundstage more deeply than ever before.
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Juan is good guy. He sold me my black box at a nice discount while other SR dealers had no interest in doing so.
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Hi Andreas, Do you hear a significant difference between the “normal” version and the “signature” version? because the price difference is significant.
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So many changes… sold my Zu Audio Omen Def Supreme and got a pair of Pure Audio Project Trio15Classic (and I think I’ve found my end-game speakers!). Figured I’d like to simplify things so I got a Pass Labs INT-25 (which unfortunately turned out to be defective as the preamp gain stage wasn’t working correctly). Sent the INT-25 back and now, I’m looking at a SET 845 integrated.
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I got my 2nd pair of Fidelium XLR (1.5M), and I moved 1m to PST/DSMK2. There was a clear SQ difference between the 1.5 and 1 meter, but I contributed the difference to the need of break in time. Also, my system was shut down for two weeks, and SNA Takshaka PC needs another two weeks to break in too. In other words, I do not know anything yet. 
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Just give it some time
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We have a bit in common as one of my stereo systems features the Pure Audio Project Trio 15 Classics with the Voxativ PiFe FR driver. I started with a Decware SET SE84UFO 25th anniversary. Very nice at low volume levels with acoustic jazz, but increasing the volume to moderate levels and the magic disappeared, with the image collapsing. Feeling I could improve on my Decware, I upgraded to the Pass Labs XA-25 amplifier driven by the XP-12. A nice improvement, with better sense of space, image specificity, depth and width. I believe a lower noise floor as well as increased power output was most beneficial. I have since upgraded from the XP-12 to the XP-22 preamplifier. The improvement was not insignificant. The speakers completely disappeared, the room awash in sound.
Sorry to learn your Pass Labs INT-25 had issues. I understand Pass Labs technical support is excellent, and should you contact them they will make it right. Worth attempting IME.
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Oh interesting… did I know you had some Pure Audio Project Trios? If I did, I forgot. I’ve been pretty curious about those but haven’t heard them in person. I kinda want to hear a pair with horns and compare with a pair using one of the other drivers
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Hard to demo, IME. I heard a pair in Evanston driven by a low power SET, and bit. No regrets.
I prefer the Voxativ Pife to the horns or the Heil drivers. To my ear the horns are very forward sounding, a bit like Klipsch. The Heil just didn’t integrate well to my ears. The Coax is also very good, but low power amps are not a great match IME. I have had opportunities to hear various iterations in the Chicago area, so I have a general idea. The Voxativ and coax drivers were more natural to my ears. The Quintets could be fun, but rather imposing.
The look of the Classics was an easy sell as my wife really likes the look and the sound. If you want ultra high resolution, these may not be your cup of tea.
Should you find yourself in Wisconsin I’d be glad to demo them for you.
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Excellent, thanks for your thoughts on them - hopefully I will get an opportunity to hear a pair sometime… or just bite the bullet and head up to Wisconsin!
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Something for the listening room.
We were at a local arts fair today and saw some beautiful carved pieces of all types from a wood artisan. My wife saw this and said “I want to get this for you for the listening room!” How could I say no? 
Hand carved from a single piece of sustainably resourced walnut. He had another in cherry, but my wife said “this one”. It can’t be seen on the photo but the tones flow beautifully with the grandmother clock we have just left of the doors. 
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I haven’t done a direct A/B comparison yet. But the sortz Basic and Signature seem tonally neutral. There will be minimal, if any, differences. Maybe the Signature is slightly finer or just a little more than the Basic. But the price difference is far greater than the effect. I would choose the basic.
I got remaining stock from a dealer’s demo for a little cheaper.
Otherwise I wouldn’t have considered the Signature. The Supreme is different and sounds fuller with more bass and rounds off the treble range. The first sortz in the system in the correct location provides the most advantage. Several are of course nicer, but with diminishing returns in effect.
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Donald has anything but time until the next update. 
I didn’t want to change anything so quickly, but the offer was too tempting. 
But we wanted to work on our self-control and audiophile addiction. 
It was a bargain that I couldn’t pass up.
Any chance they make a bass clef to put on the opposite door?
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I can email him to ask if he can make one. He had some pretty intricate work in other pieces, so I suspect if he had the right piece of raw material in front of him he could do it. Although as I think about it I’m not sure he could do it as a single piece carving. 
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From you description the Supreme will be least welcome in my system. PZ, SNA PC, and Fidelium added more fullness, bass, and lost some ultra-silky treble (mainly from Dragon HC moved away from MU2). It may do more harm to mine.
It sounds like basic may provide some benefit, but I plan to use it for MU2 since I play streaming way more often than PST/MK2 now. MU2 has only RCA inputs available because USB is used for grounding cable (per Luca’s recommendation).
Have you tried to plug a RCA instead of USB Sortz into n10? Is USB more effective than other types in the same component?
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The highest, most expensive tier is Signature. Supreme is the mid-range price range; this creates a warm tone. The Basic and Signature don’t change the tone; they just ensure that the noise is removed. The low end is more controlled and solid, with subtle detail and clarity. You’ll have to try it yourself; it may be that the Sortz has more utility than a grounding box. I couldn’t try out whether other inputs or outputs on my Marantz work differently. The Sortz is intended to clean the mass on the component. It’s possible that it doesn’t matter which connection is on the respective component. I don’t have a clock connected to my LHY SW-6; so I connected a Sortz Basic there. I plugged a Sortz LAN into the modem. I could compare these two again on the LHY switch. On my first try, I couldn’t detect any difference in sound between these. I have the sortz Signature in my Melco switch in front of the streamer. So far all of them are more or less in the digital part. I would still like to have sortz RCA that I can plug into my mono power amplifiers or into the analog input of the Marantz Link 10n. For now I’m taken care of. The rest may still come. Although I wanted to be more abstinent. A sortz for your MU2 might be a good idea to start with. Be careful if you like this one. Once you’ve tasted blood, the desire for more is awakened.
I’ll try it again to see what use the difference between Basic and Signature is. But you can’t go wrong with the basic. The Signature is supposed to offer a little more of what the Basic offers. The Basic is the best choice only in terms of cost-benefit ratio. The Supreme is suitable for those looking for a warm, full, mellow sound with rounded highs. An RCA sortz can also be used quite universally on various components.
Greetings Andreas
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The Signature has two more coatings and costs quite a bit more than the Basic, so it seems the Basic would be a good starting point. I have enough plug-in toys, but one thing you mentioned before stood out. Sortz apparently made a bigger improvement over Schnerz stuff, and that is very interesting since a few here gave high marks to GP (once moving it to your head level. It could be radiation that causes the brain to relax more ). Since I will not get a Schnerz anytime soon, this Sortz stick, if it works as advertised, is more easily available and be easily hidden too.
I will wait to see if anyone else is as excited about it first. I have a few weeks to play with my new toys already.
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