restorer-john
Grand Contributor
For 16/44, the first D/A converter commodity point was reached around 1985/6 or so with the Burr Brown PCM-56P. Ubiquitous. I think it was pretty much in everything.
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Review and Measurements of PS Audio PerfectWave DirectStream DAC
- Thread starter amirm
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For 16/44, the first D/A converter commodity point was reached around 1985/6 or so with the Burr Brown PCM-56P. Ubiquitous. I think it was pretty much in everything.
Plastic tea bags??? Never heard of them?
GrimSurfer
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Those little triangular designer ones, used in higher end restaurants and tea shops. (OK, some of them are square.)
There is some plastic in almost all bags, even if they look like paper. I discovered this in the compost heap.
Tea bags spoil the taste so I never use them anyway.
Besides after the first use, the ones from the compost heap would make weak tea.There is some plastic in almost all bags, even if they look like paper. I discovered this in the compost heap.
Tea bags spoil the taste so I never use them anyway.
Just got word that there is going to be a new firmware version coming out this week for the PSA DS DAC.
"... With every new Mountaintop software update, the DirectStream DAC is transformed into a completely new listening experience, for free. And if you don’t like an update for some reason, you can easily go back to your preferred Mountaintop sound. ..."
"... With every new Mountaintop software update, the DirectStream DAC is transformed into a completely new listening experience, for free. And if you don’t like an update for some reason, you can easily go back to your preferred Mountaintop sound. ..."
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Now we have to remeasure everything with the new Windom firmware release.
https://www.psaudio.com/windom/
https://www.psaudio.com/windom/
That's what I was thinking. The flash appears to be a tone control (flavor of the month club), AND IT IS FREE !!!
It would be nice if they would list the specific bug fixes and improvements (i.e. release notes).
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If I owned this DAC, this would sound very scary to me. Hope it's just marketing!
To be fair the updates are optional and I think they keep the old versions available for download on their website, so that no one is forced to switch if they don't want to.
https://www.dagogo.com/ps-audio-releases-new-os-directstreamdsj-windom/
The result is an even lower digital noise-floor with these benefits:
- Playback at high volume levels is clearer and cleaner than ever before;
- Soundstage is even better-defined due to increased channel separation and lower noise, providing a clearer, deeper image of hall acoustics and decay times;
- Overall “sound picture” is more 3-D, more realistic;
- Bass is significantly more impactful and better-defined than with any previous OS.
The DAC has been out for what, 5 years? And they only now get to lower the noise floor... in response to this thread perhaps? Before this update it was not anywhere close to a decent DAC performance, much less state of the art. I have a 1995 DAC that measures just about as good as this one
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...dio-alchemy-dde-v3-0-quick-measurements.7558/
Just give me the transparent one.
But that's not the game, the game is the gimmick.
You get a DAC with tone controls to play with, discuss and debate on the forums.
It creates interest and following.
It's so much FUN
BLAH
tobes
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I know that measurements are what this forum is about, but for some perspective its interesting to read the subjective part of the Stereophile Benchmark DAC3 review.
The reviewer (and apparently other visitors to his system) found it hard to discern differences between the DAC3 and PS Audio DS Snr despite the large measurable differences in the DAC3's favour. While I find it surprising that this was the case (since I am satisfied that differences exist between two well measuring dacs) its almost certainly the case that the DS dac does not sound bad. Or anything like bad.
I think the very strong derogatory remarks against the DS dac are misleading in terms of the sound differences. It will likely sound less transparent to source but some will like its particular sound, others won't.
Personally I don't have a problem with people liking a different sound profile - or paying big money for it - even though I have (ultimately) chosen otherwise.
I suggest holding back on the hyperbolic descriptors. In any case some adjectives must be left for when @amirm tests the Border Patrol dac.
The reviewer (and apparently other visitors to his system) found it hard to discern differences between the DAC3 and PS Audio DS Snr despite the large measurable differences in the DAC3's favour. While I find it surprising that this was the case (since I am satisfied that differences exist between two well measuring dacs) its almost certainly the case that the DS dac does not sound bad. Or anything like bad.
I think the very strong derogatory remarks against the DS dac are misleading in terms of the sound differences. It will likely sound less transparent to source but some will like its particular sound, others won't.
Personally I don't have a problem with people liking a different sound profile - or paying big money for it - even though I have (ultimately) chosen otherwise.
I suggest holding back on the hyperbolic descriptors. In any case some adjectives must be left for when @amirm tests the Border Patrol dac.
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I am suspicious because he matched levels by ear in that Benchmark comparison. Matching by ear isn't good enough.
If you've not tried them, you might be interested in downloading these 8th generation copies I posted in a thread here:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-choose-the-8th-generation-digital-copy.6827/
3 files of about 30 seconds each. Two are the original digital files and one is an 8th generation copy having gone DAC to ADC 8 times. Modern DACs and ADCs are very, very good.
Somehow I removed the file for the 2nd link (Phil Woods), but all the others are still there and work.
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No matter how many times I tried I could not get to like how Topping DX3 Pro sounds. DX7s is mostly fine, the Khadas and a Denon DVD-5000 I use as a DAC hit the spot. I'm unable to pick them apart reliably in a blind test and there are very minor differences in quick AB sighted input switching. No idea about Denon measurements but the rest are pretty close. Go figure.
Indeed, but this is the same PS as the Paul Mcgowan who did one of his videos telling his fans that they should buy DAC designs less than a year old because it is such a cutting edge rapidly changing technology. At the time I saw his video I dismissed it as just marketing nonsense given the technological maturity and commoditised nature of DACs. However, in the case of Ted maybe I was unfair and he genuinely is struggling to reinvent the wheel and getting closer to a decent design every year.
Ha-ha!Besides after the first use, the ones from the compost heap would make weak tea.
I like my tea strong. Very little tea tastes good to me and I had a major search for another I liked when the one I favoured stopped being blended
now I order it in bulk from a blender in the north of England as loose leaves and have teapots with built in strainer so I can remove the leaves when properly brewed. Yum, drinking some as I surf!
Try this, it's one of my favorite blends and it makes your system sound much better, wider-deeper soundstage and all that.
I have had a Devialet amp since software v3, it is now v13.
Many users get excited by the sq improvement following a software update. I found it difficult to test since the update takes a while so direct comparison is impossible.
The only time I heard a difference was when the stereo image collapsed following one change which turned out to be some sort of timing problem in the digital link between the two boxes (I had gone for a dual mono solution) of the D-Premier which was quickly fixed by new software.
I did compare directly the D-Premier and hardware update to 250 (I think that was the model then) since I had my 2 units updated at different times but again difficult since the changeover takes time but didn't notice anything.
The only thing I would say is that the hardware change from D-Premier to 250, which was mainly a bigger power supply and more DSP power, seems to have come with a noisier phono input. I presume there is some sort of preamplifier for the cartridge signal before digitising which isn't as good as the original
The idea that sortware updates give sound quality improvements seems to be commonly expected amongst enthusiasts whereas it seems unlikely to me.
All the software updates on the Devialet were for functional reasons iirc and early on some re-mapping of the ADH and power supply allowed more power, though the last power step involved a hardware update to the heat sink as well.
Many users get excited by the sq improvement following a software update. I found it difficult to test since the update takes a while so direct comparison is impossible.
The only time I heard a difference was when the stereo image collapsed following one change which turned out to be some sort of timing problem in the digital link between the two boxes (I had gone for a dual mono solution) of the D-Premier which was quickly fixed by new software.
I did compare directly the D-Premier and hardware update to 250 (I think that was the model then) since I had my 2 units updated at different times but again difficult since the changeover takes time but didn't notice anything.
The only thing I would say is that the hardware change from D-Premier to 250, which was mainly a bigger power supply and more DSP power, seems to have come with a noisier phono input. I presume there is some sort of preamplifier for the cartridge signal before digitising which isn't as good as the original
The idea that sortware updates give sound quality improvements seems to be commonly expected amongst enthusiasts whereas it seems unlikely to me.
All the software updates on the Devialet were for functional reasons iirc and early on some re-mapping of the ADH and power supply allowed more power, though the last power step involved a hardware update to the heat sink as well.
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