PS Audio DirectStream DAC

That's great Jerry! I just love it when a piece exceeds your expectations.
 
As soon as I can arrange it, I will try to get the MSB Analog DAC and the Direct Stream side by side in my room. I've been promised to borrow the MSB, now I'm trying to find a dealer with the new DSD.
 
Good morning , Normen I PM him no answer today I am going to buy one anyway. The Hugo will be used for mobile use on the trains with CIEM,s. The direct stream is a very good dac and even better at the price point it is. My direct stream has about 600 hours on it now. It's strong point with the firmware they have is red book. I have moved it from my home to the office where my msb is. Also still no lampi hahaha . Even in comparison to the msb in redbook the DS holds it's own. As the msb is better at this resolution , but I would not spend the additional money for it. The main difrence between them in red book is the low passages. The msb just has much more details at low levels . But the DS does play all, genre simple to complex music loud and low the same . It does not blur or move sound staging . Considering the price point is a amazing dac. Beyond this things change but hey the msb is 4 times the price there should be something you get for it hahahaha .
al
 
I can further attest that using the Direct Stream direct to your amplifer.....is better then using world class preamplifers in-line. I have been testing the D'Agostino Master Preamp that I just got, with the Direct Stream. After several hours of comparison, I definitely prefer the direct route. I have tried both a VAC tube preamp and the D'Agostino preamp. In both cases there is an immediate improvement in SQ, once the preamp is bypassed. There is a definite tube-like quality when bypassing the preamps. Your milage may vary (?)........but I have made my final conclusion without a doubt. It may be system dependent......I don't know. But this has been consistent with several amps, preamps, sources, and (2) different pairs of speakers.
I also have to give kudos to the Stealth Sextet XLR Digital cable. There is a major jump in quality when this cable is used. I am using this with a Bryston BDP-2 player. It has overtaken my Baetis Music Server as best digital sound in the house. And I believe it is because of the Stealth Sextet cable. Other digital cables have fallen short of this combination.
Mike can attest it was making some pretty decent music on his visit a couple of days ago. I again want to suggest this dac is a real game changer at it's price point and beyond. I continue to be thrilled with this purchase.
 
Jerry - I'm still trying to get the sound of the MBL 101E's out of my head. I can't. Amazing. Truly amazing. MBL's do things no other speaker can do. The DirectStream is sounding superb.
 
Mike said:
Jerry - I'm still trying to get the sound of the MBL 101E's out of my head. I can't. Amazing. Truly amazing. MBL's do things no other speaker can do. The DirectStream is sounding superb.
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Thanks Mike. I thought it was sounding pretty darn good, but it's nice to get confirmation from a fellow audiophile. And I know you have heard/owned a lot of world class equipment. I think I can finally get off the "gear chasing bandwagon" for awhile, and re-listen/enjoy all my music.

Happy listening..........Jerry-
 
Last night I did some comparisons to the direct stream . I commute so portable dacs or daps is a must . The ones I tried were the Hugo , ak240 , hdvd800 , hibino HDP r10 .
The only coma prison worth talking about was the Hugo from chord . Intil a FPGA. Based device as the direct stream. It has some of the qualities of the direct stream in sound. It is the best portable sac I won or have heard . All the devices mentioned above play dsd 64 as well as PCM . Both hi rez and low redbook PCM also dsd . At first listen the Hugo sounds pretty good it has clarity and layers . The direct stream adds so much more. The direct stream when going a b is very easy to spot. The Hugo is bright and thin in comparison . The direct stream is more detailed and has overall better sound quality and accurate tone . Whom ever voiced the Hugo opted to make it brighter to appear to give it more details . It's a ploy as this effects voices and most instruments just sound wrong . Anyway The point is there is good competition in this dac rac but the direct stream is clearly above any portable dacs and most dacs being sold today. Only when I compare the direct stream to my msb in above red book does the field widen between them.
Al
 
Anyone try this DAC with the PerfectWave Bridge? Looks very interesting would you end up with something like the Lumin? Not sure what software you would use to run it and how effective it would be.
 
Alrainbow said:
The direct stream ???
al
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Yes my understanding from the Ps Audio web site is that the Bridge is a modular card that can be installed turning the Directstream into a media server able to receive Ethernet direct.
 
Ok I can help. The bridge is what it says it is. It can play from Mac or PC. I used mine with jriver and jremote. Also it worked with foo bar . It must be streamed to.
Pit sounded better with the bridge and the Pwd mkii. Now for me the bridge sounded great but it was very unreliable as it locked up , dispareered named up my CPU. So intend end I used an a offramp to get that level of sound. Now the I sold the bridge I would wait for a bridge two . But I have the direct stream and it plays really well on all inputs. So,USB is the same in quality and if you use j river and j remote to an. iPad who needs a bridge .
Hope this helps .
 
It really is. It's good enough for headphones and speakers. When in use it I do not feel I a missing anything. It's only if I use the msb I hear where my money went. But this is not as much with red book. But becomes more apparent as the resolution increases . If inwas just playing red book I do not think I could justify the msb with it's price. Now hiw does your trinity compare to the direct stream ??
al
 
Alrainbow said:
It really is. It's good enough for headphones and speakers. When in use it I do not feel I a missing anything. It's only if I use the msb I hear where my money went. But this is not as much with red book. But becomes more apparent as the resolution increases . If inwas just playing red book I do not think I could justify the msb with it's price. Now hiw does your trinity compare to the direct stream ??
al
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I would love to hear the Trinity, but there are not many in the states. I hope someone in Florida gets one soon, and allows fellow audiophiles to come have a listen !!
 
PS Audio really should have installed a USB reader slot on the front of the DirectStream, and they would have had an awesome player/dac combo. They could still do this on the back where they install the bridge card. "Hello Paul"........"are you tuned in ??"
 
wisnon said:
SD card reader should be better than a USB reader slot.
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That would work as well. My Bryston BDP-2 player uses the flash drives, and I am having real good SQ with it. Either reader would make a complete package !!
 
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