PS Audio DirectStream DAC mk2 hilarious ad copy

[amirm]

I'm glad you guys have found a place to be snarky but if $8000 is too much for you to wrap your sensibilities around ... don't buy it.

Money is not an issue for many members here. Recently a member sent me some $30K worth of DAC gear. The issue here is being charged a lot more, and getting a lot less performance. If this were a car and you got 1/4 the horsepower for 10X the money, few would question why folks would avoid it. But this being audio, people go by false impressions of sound and waste the money on things that just have a story to back their benefit.

As to this DAC sounding more real to you, what do you say about the talent and production folks that created your music without this DAC? They approved music that sounded like "autotune" and your DAC undid that? Doesn't seem plausible, does it? Fact is that if you performed a test without knowledge of what you are listening to, you will find that the benefits that you are attributing to these DACs is simply not there. It can't be there given the facts.

Indeed, such effects when perceived, disappear with time so sitting where you are, you could have saved nearly $8000 for the same sound.

Before you object to all of this, let me remind you that you just told us what is wrong with us. I did the same to you.

 

[ahofer]

I have the PSAudio MK1 and it converts my digital files into analog creating a very pleasant presentation. Ted Smith wrote the code and assembled the first prototypes himself. Is writing the code my hand and handwritten the same thing? (I'm sure he typed it) . I'm glad you guys have found a place to be snarky but if $8000 is too much for you to wrap your sensibilities around ... don't buy it. Their are people who it doesn't offend and without knowing those people your comments are more empty than ad copy. Sure there is a little hyperbole about a new product they are seem to be excited about but at least it's not poorly translated Chinese.

LOL

 

[pkane]

Ted Smith wrote the code and assembled the first prototypes himself. Is writing the code my hand and handwritten the same thing? (I'm sure he typed it) . I'm glad you guys have found a place to be snarky

I should really charge a lot more for my code, now that you mention it. After all, I hand-type all of it, all of the time! That must be worth a lot to someone, huh?

 

[Palladium]

Wow, they have outdone themselves! Previously 0.017% (SINAD 75) and now 0.1% (SINAD 60)! Took them 8 years to worsen it further. Unbelievable.

Glad to see my Aiyima A07 has better SINAD than both as a $65 pure analog power amp.

 

[DonR]

I should really charge a lot more for my code, now that you mention it. After all, I hand-type all of it, all of the time! That must be worth a lot to someone, huh?

Hand-coded from only the finest 1s and 0s then lightly dipped into silky chocolaty mids and dusted with fluffy details. You can almost smell the plankton.

 

[DanaGer]

Personally, I don't know if I could justify the price of this DAC,

Money is not an issue for many members here. Recently a member sent me some $30K worth of DAC gear. The issue here is being charged a lot more, and getting a lot less performance. If this were a car and you got 1/4 the horsepower for 10X the money,

I really didn't respond to this to start a flame war (OK maybe a little) and if horsepower was my only criteria for buying a car yes I would be questioning my sensibilities but if that were the only criteria everyone would simply buy a vehicle based on horsepower.

Has anyone who responded on this thread actually heard / tested the MK II or is the thread really about that? Is this a thread about ad copy? Advertising word choice is exactly what it is. Word choice, trying to make your product stand out among all the rest. Making fun of an advertisement is great fun and probably possible with any manufacture that is trying to promote their product but this thread stopped being about that and took a nasty turn dumping on a product without any evidence. Where is the science in that?

As to this DAC sounding more real to you, what do you say about the talent and production folks that created your music without this DAC?

That is kind of the rub isn't it? Is a piece of music performed on a Steinway grand piano more correct than the same piece of music with the same performer at the same venue performed on a Yamaha grand piano ... or are they the same? If I prefer one over the other does that make me more or less correct about my choice? I admit I have a sound preference. I listen for certain elements and gravitate toward gear that accentuates those elements. Sometimes I luck out and can be satisfied spending less sometimes to get my preference I have to spend more and at that point I make a value judgement. I was asked what are the aspects of a piece of gear I felt would make it worth the money to me. I responded with the best of my knowledge with the limited resources I posses . YMMV

 

[pkane]

Is this a thread about ad copy?

What gave it away? Was it that “ad copy” was explicitly mentioned in the subject, perhaps?

 

[JustJones]

"perfection-based conversion that uncovers all the missing information hiding in your digital audio media.”

This is hilarious, which is it missing or hiding? They need a proof reader.

 

[DanaGer]

Out of context much? "(

What gave it away? Was it that “ad copy” was explicitly mentioned in the subject, perhaps?

Sort of the point right? The title is about Ad Copy but the thread is about dumping on a manufacture without evidence. If you're gonna quote somebody try quoting the the whole content instead of cherry picking the phrase that falsely supports your view.

Is this a thread about ad copy? Advertising word choice is exactly what it is. Word choice, trying to make your product stand out among all the rest. Making fun of an advertisement is great fun and probably possible with any manufacture that is trying to promote their product but this thread stopped being about that and took a nasty turn dumping on a product without any evidence.

This on the other hand

"perfection-based conversion that uncovers all the missing information hiding in your digital audio media.”

This is hilarious, which is it missing or hiding? They need a proof reader

Spot on

 

[mhardy6647]

Ah yes, calculating with 300 dB of dynamic range to generate a 60 SINAD output. Bravo PS-Audio It’s about 15 dB worse than the first version…

You know, as I reflect upon all matters audiophilic, it strikes me that euphonic is probably synonymous with about 15 dB worse.

 

[mhardy6647]

"perfection-based conversion that uncovers all the missing information hiding in your digital audio media.”

This is hilarious, which is it missing or hiding? They need a proof reader.

It's missing from being in hiding, of course. You must be new to audiophilia.
Here's a concrete example. That weird, spectral guy hiding up in the top of the gatefold of Hotel California*
He's completely missing in the digital versions of the album.
Unless... you know... one has a perfection-based conversion system.

(up in the center 'window' of the triplet of openings in the photo near the top and left of center -- obviously this is taken from an analog reproduction)

Revisit The Hotel California….

Hotel California The rumors are out there still. The song was written about either the devil or a madhouse. You can’t kill some myths although they’ve been disproved time and again. The lyrics and …

blackjacketsymphony.wordpress.com

___________________
* An audiophile favorite for decades. Ask The Dude.

 

[pkane]

Out of context much? "(



Sort of the point right? The title is about Ad Copy but the thread is about dumping on a manufacture without evidence. If you're gonna quote somebody try quoting the the whole content instead of cherry picking the phrase that falsely supports your view.



This on the other hand

Spot on

The context is obvious: ad copy for this DAC. Hand-written filters are hilarious. The hidden missing data is funny. Prove me wrong. You seem to want to defend the product while this thread is clearly about ad copy. So who’s out of context?

 

[dtaylo1066]

Money is not an issue for many members here. Recently a member sent me some $30K worth of DAC gear. The issue here is being charged a lot more, and getting a lot less performance. If this were a car and you got 1/4 the horsepower for 10X the money, few would question why folks would avoid it. But this being audio, people go by false impressions of sound and waste the money on things that just have a story to back their benefit.

As to this DAC sounding more real to you, what do you say about the talent and production folks that created your music without this DAC? They approved music that sounded like "autotune" and your DAC undid that? Doesn't seem plausible, does it? Fact is that if you performed a test without knowledge of what you are listening to, you will find that the benefits that you are attributing to these DACs is simply not there. It can't be there given the facts.

Indeed, such effects when perceived, disappear with time so sitting where you are, you could have saved nearly $8000 for the same sound.

Before you object to all of this, let me remind you that you just told us what is wrong with us. I did the same to you.

From an objective viewpoint, their marketing copy is over the top, just as many audiophiles and people loyal to their brand enjoy it to be.

Amir's analogy to car performance is accurate. But there is more to a car than just horsepower, and there are some expensive autos out there that are not particularly good cars -- though not nearly at the percentage of DACs -- and people still buy them or are brand loyal.

But I think before we objectivists totally rip into this actual piece of gear, rather than mock its copy, I would say how about some measurements. I know what folks here think of PS Audio. And I would not bet the farm on this DACs measurements being stellar. But you never know.

A lot make fun of Chord and its designer's approach, but the Mojo2 had some very good real-world measurements. Yes one can argue about its price, and other Chord products measured here.

An 8K DAC is being purchased by someone for many reasons other than just measurements, and I would argue that at about the $1.2K price point in a DAC, you can get SOTA performance and about any feature you want, so why spend more?

One really does not need to spend more money on a car than a Honda Civic, as it performs perfectly well and is highly reliable, and can exceed any legal speed limit. A Subaru BRZ will deliver a true sports care experience for 30K, but people spend 90K instead.

Logic, marketing and consumerism comingle in a strange stew at times.

 

[Chrispy]

@DanaGer just checking out your signature "of course I'm right, I'm an audiophile". That's hilarious!

 

[ahofer]

Advertising word choice is exactly what it is. Word choice,

Among the choices vendors make are whether to be misleading, unscientific, or nonsensical, or to charge too much for nothing. This ad and product are good examples of some bad choices.

 

[Chrispy]

Among the choices vendors make are whether to be misleading, unscientific, or nonsensical, or to charge too much for nothing. This ad and product are good examples of some bad choices.

It is BS Audio after all. They don't make generally a lot of good choices IMO.

 

[solderdude]

A lot make fun of Chord and its designer's approach, but the Mojo2 had some very good real-world measurements.

Some people make fun of some of the controversial statements (-300dB remarks) and the overkill in the filtering approach as well as the price point.
The technical performance is fine. The external filter they sell for a lot of money can be seen as snake-oil.

BS Audio does not have high technical performance, they sell more BS than technical performance and the 'informative videos' from grandad Paul contain some truths mixed with nonsense. The problem is that the public the advertising and videos are for is not able to discern what is nonsense and what is the truth.

Spoiler: spoiler

ignore EVERYTHING he says after the 'weeellllll'.

So I would not put Chord and BS audio in the same category.

An 8K DAC is being purchased by someone for many reasons other than just measurements

Yep.... but spending that amount on a device that has technical perfection and build quality is not the same as being fooled by flowery language in adds and the extension arm of that industry (the audiophool press in written and online form).

Everyone is free to spend their money on whatever they want for whatever reason. No one here will disagree.
What (most) people at ASR react to is nonsensical adds that people are eager to accept as truth and the sales of snake-oil in a nice package.

I really like the looks of beautifully made and attractive gear but prefer to buy (or build) something good enough for as much money as is needed. This is usually much less than what snake-oil vendors try to sell gear for.

 

[amirm]

Has anyone who responded on this thread actually heard / tested the MK II or is the thread really about that?

What you saying? That there is no figure of merit of any sort for an audio equipment that can be used to at least reduce the number of gears of interest before buying? Only an in-person audition will do? Why do you believe this? You don't think this is a all too convenient to dismiss every type of objective data and make that the only criteria? After all, they don't do well in objective department so let's hide behind this excuse.

While you only want listening test data gathered by you, the rest of us live a much more comfortable audiophile life, relying on measurements that tell us if something is well engineered, or we are being sold a marketing story.

Mind you, we love to know about the "sound" as well. Have the manufacture perform a blind test and show us that the sound is different/superior and we would throw out all the measurements in an instant. But no, the company doesn't provide that. And neither do any of its advocates.

You see the problem? The high-end industry has completely transformed its potential customers to its advantage. Build gear and sell at any price but don't allow any reliable metric judge its performance. Make people believe that only their "ears" can tell if it is good or not. Rely on faulty evaluation there and you have a market. They can all sell $10,000 DACs and not ever think for moment they are in commodity market that doesn't remotely justify that kind of expenditure. I personally retired a $6,000 DAC for a $600 DAC with far better performance. Folks like yourself, will continue to waste money on hardware for no reason. Only clinging to folklore and strategies designed to make you buy and not get what you think you are getting.

Last PS Audio "PerfectWave" DAC I tested could not even reproduce the dynamic range of the CD:

CD's dynamic range can be as high as 96 dB. Run your bits through this box and you lose one bit of that. 40+ years after introduction of the format, folks still want to buy such a DAC to play said content with less performance??? Only in audio folks think serving food in a dirty dish is good for them. The DACs we buy do justice to your music with dynamic range approaching 130 dB! That is some 40 dB better!

Hard to imagine why folks still come here and make the arguments they make....

 

[sq225917]

He came here because he's an obvious troll digging up corpse threads....

 

[Billy Budapest]

I have the PSAudio MK1 and it converts my digital files into analog creating a very pleasant presentation. Ted Smith wrote the code and assembled the first prototypes himself. Is writing the code my hand and handwritten the same thing? (I'm sure he typed it) . I'm glad you guys have found a place to be snarky but if $8000 is too much for you to wrap your sensibilities around ... don't buy it. Their are people who it doesn't offend and without knowing those people your comments are more empty than ad copy. Sure there is a little hyperbole about a new product they are seem to be excited about but at least it's not poorly translated Chinese.

The point is that the ad copy is completely hilarious.