Article: PS Audio DirectStream DAC Review

[ALRAINBOW]

Jud,

 

I have talked about this at length on forums and really there needs to be more justification for the findings. In most cases applications that are more clean and take less CPU usage seem to sound better than those who don't. Also programs that take advantage of more memory without crippling the OS seem to sound better. I have the following setup now that I am using to get more information about this sort of differential:

 

MacBook Pro (multi boot OSX/Windows/Linux): USB Analyzer->USB Cable->TEK USB Compliance tester differential probe + I2S decoder->DAC or USB to SPDIF converter-> Prism dScope III

 

I am able to see complete data path before during and after the setup as well as compare the I2S & SPDIF to the source for various applications, cables, do compliance testing etc...

 

Problem is this takes a ton of time.

 

Thanks,

G.

Not sure why but according to audio phil some of what you saunas just wrong. According to phil you want a fast prosessor also you want the min memory I use. Also he states that using the cup alone is the intended goal. I think Ted B can confirm this but sits fine if he stays quit he has fought enough already in this thread.

Now here's a question no one has asked. It's agred upon that jitter effects the sound

but there is many kinds. As noise on the line wontons oral is one that is fixed in the dac input. And thus noise is not alone every action from hard drive to cpu also makes noise

and is this type noise eliminated or lowered by teds scheme. Lastly as the DS is superior in timing how or waht does it do with rinsing errors from the source itself. Meaning from the sever. I have heard many times a server sound fine until the music gets complex and then it changed things if it what does it do to fix this

al

[ted_b]

Shahed99, now that my audio world has settled down a bit, I need to go back and rank my preferences. I will attempt to keep any other variables out of the equation, but that is difficult as all interfaces bring their own baggage (cables, noise, etc). Right now the Rendu I2S (NAS-based DLNA server) is my fave, followed by the dual pc running either of the TotalDac or JCAT USB cables from the JCAT card (Jplay/Jriver). I can't honestly say yet if the Rendu SPDIF is third, etc. or describe why......yet. Stay tuned.

[tranz]

Shahed99, now that my audio world has settled down a bit, I need to go back and rank my preferences. I will attempt to keep any other variables out of the equation, but that is difficult as all interfaces bring their own baggage (cables, noise, etc). Right now the Rendu I2S (NAS-based DLNA server) is my fave, followed by the dual pc running either of the TotalDac or JCAT USB cables from the JCAT card (Jplay/Jriver). I can't honestly say yet if the Rendu SPDIF is third, etc. or describe why......yet. Stay tuned.

 

Hi ted_b,

 

Thanks for the review. Let me throw one more curious variable in the mix. Try running Minimserver as the DLNA server on your highly tweaked PC instead of using the NAS. I do not have an explanation as to why, but it lowers noise in my setup. NAS (untweaked Synology) as a file source was the 'noisiest'. Same with using Minimserver instead of JRiver as DLNA server....Minimserver provides a lower noise floor.

 

Cheers

[ajay556]

Shahed99, now that my audio world has settled down a bit, I need to go back and rank my preferences. I will attempt to keep any other variables out of the equation, but that is difficult as all interfaces bring their own baggage (cables, noise, etc). Right now the Rendu I2S (NAS-based DLNA server) is my fave, followed by the dual pc running either of the TotalDac or JCAT USB cables from the JCAT card (Jplay/Jriver). I can't honestly say yet if the Rendu SPDIF is third, etc. or describe why......yet. Stay tuned.

 

Ted,

I have never used an ethernet input audio device. Does the Rendu need to be connected directly to the network? Because i do not have a network outlet in my room.

Additionally, did you try the PS transport?

[ted_b]

Tranz, that is an interesting approach. I will try it. I wonder if Minimserver runs ok after AO, or will I need to reset back to normal. BTW, as I have likley stated before, I am amazed at the low noise floor from either of the Synology NAS-based server apps (MInimserver, Media Server) given the fact that the Synology box, on paper, is as poor a candidate for music server as I could think of (Atom cpu, only 2 GB RAM, 8 spinning discs, fan, OS intended for disc mgmt and RAID mgmt). Yet it sounds ever so slightly better than JRiver DLNA on a small CAPS V3 (my best CAPS, an i7 Zuma, is the audio pc currently and not currently on the network per se). I was rooting for JRiver cuz of JRemote.

 

Ajay556, the Rendu is an ethernet-to-SPDIF/I2S renderer and needs to be wired to the network. I have it connected to a gigabit switch (with liner power) in the music room, the switch handling my NAS (sitting in home office 20 feet away), CAPS setup and the Rendu. I do not have access to the PWT.

[Distinctive]

I have never used an ethernet input audio device. Does the Rendu need to be connected directly to the network? Because i do not have a network outlet in my room.

You can also use this one as a wifi Ethernet bridge for the Rendu:

Networking - EA-N66 - ASUS

The Rendu will 'believe' it is hardwired to your router.

[Hanuman22]

Thanks Ted for all the confirmation,, and really thanks to all the guys in CA for all the forum help in setting up the PSAudio DSD/AsusROG/JRiver as I know I've been giving Alex fits at PSA,, rest assured as we speak the DSD playback is nothing short of, in understated Zen terms, decidedly and absolutely satisfying.. Playing the PSA Transport via I2S thru the DSD Dac has not only resurrected and given value to a couple thousand CD's with stunningly revealing playback, DSD file playback once set up, reveals,.. the resolution we seek, period. If the eight hundredth hour sounds better than today, so be it, yet I doubt my joy will be exceeded or the smile grater than my first listen to this awesome technology. Thanks guys.

[Sonic77]

So it took 800 hours of break in time? What exactly broke in for it to sound good?

[ted_b]

The transformers/analog card for sure.

[wadeh911]

Is multichannel feature a likely option on the PS Directstream?

[bmoura]

Is multichannel feature a likely option on the PS Directstream?

 

It's up to PS Audio on whether we will see a Multichannel version of the DirectStream. Since Ted Smith, the DirectStream developer, is a fan of Multichannel SACDs, it could happen. You never know.

 

In the meantime, there are a couple of companies looking at entering the Multichannel DSD DAC market. For now, Oppo and exaSound are the main choices.

[ted_b]

I will be at CES and asking multichannel plans of every DAC maker I find. My experience with this SSR-I2S-DS would be quite something x3 (like my Mytek stack review ). But that stack was only doable due to the USB driver capable of mapping the channels among multiple DACs (and the word clock synching via cabling). Currently George Klissarov and his exaSound company clearly lead the way in a great affordable one-box multichannel DSD (and PCM) DAC.

[bmoura]

I will be at CES and asking multichannel plans of every DAC maker I find. My experience with this SSR-I2S-DS would be quite something x3 (like my Mytek stack review ). But that stack was only doable due to the USB driver capable of mapping the channels among multiple DACs (and the word clock synching via cabling). Currently George Klissarov and his exaSound company clearly lead the way in a great affordable one-box multichannel DSD (and PCM) DAC.

 

From a look at the on-line CES Exhibitor guide, there won't be many DAC makers at CES this year. The market has clearly changed. An exhibit at CES is just too expensive for most audio equipment companies.

 

These days you are more likely to find companies selling DACs at audio shows like The Show in Newport Beach or Rocky Mountain Audio Fest than CES. Very interesting. For now, it does look like exaSound for Multichannel DACs at home.

 

Home - 2015 International CES, January 6-9

2015 International CES® Exhibitor Directory | Map Your Show

[bmoura]

But the lampi is real DSd for sure. Something that rob watts does not be leave in anyway. With the new dsd firmware the DSd for the first time is there . Not great but present. The how and why is not for me it's just the end result I care for. But how anyone feels the hugo is like a DS is just remarkable to me. The difference between them is pretty vast. But hey just because I own them does not mean I am right .

But it does make me a bit of a skeptic to others.

Al

 

Having them in your system always is the best way to go when judging, if you can do it. No doubt about that.

[jglacken]

So, are we saying, Ted B, Ted S or anybody, that to get really good results from the DS we need to have a Signature Rendu too? Otherwise, Ted B you would seem to be stuck on writing this review at all? (from a positive point of view!)

[highstream]

Ted B made clear that he didn't use the DS with the Bridge, so doesn't have any idea how the ethernet connection sounds. Granted I'm not listening to either of the Ted systems, I do think the ethernet route sounds awfully good, much better than USB with a TotalDac, Lightspeed or (cheap) Pangea cable, especially as one goes up the ethernet cord quality chain.

[ajay556]

not to hijack the PS audio discussion. I have a hugo and was thinking about getting the PS audio DS. My only issue with Hugo is that my home system nordost valhalla cables do not like to be disconnected. It sounds better when connected all the time. So my hugo becomes an issue as i use it also for working out and traveling. Not sure why i am posting it but would like to know if anyone has the same issue.

[ted_b]

So, are we saying, Ted B, Ted S or anybody, that to get really good results from the DS we need to have a Signature Rendu too? Otherwise, Ted B you would seem to be stuck on writing this review at all? (from a positive point of view!)

 

i found the best sound i have extracted in my system to be SSR-I2S-Directstream. To conclude that this is the ONLY solution would be the wrong thing to do. It sounds very very good with my tweeked out dual pc and USB, too, now that i have given it enough time and resources to understand the DS a little better. But i will not listen to that solution cuz i dont have to. I temd to think that the quality of signal handling in the Rendu, the i2s connection and the simplicity of the NAS-based signal path all lend to this result, and each of those could be replicated with other products out there too. BTW, Chris's review of the SSR applauds it for quality and SQ too, so maybe Jesus and company are on to something.

[ajay556]

i found the best sound i have extracted in my system to be SSR-I2S-Directstream. To conclude that this is the ONLY solution would be the wrong thing to do. It sounds very very good with my tweeked out dual pc and USB, too, now that i have given it enough time and resources to understand the DS a little better. But i will not listen to that solution cuz i dont have to. I temd to think that the quality of signal handling in the Rendu, the i2s connection and the simplicity of the NAS-based signal path all lend to this result, and each of those could be replicated with other products out there too. BTW, Chris's review of the SSR applauds it for quality and SQ too, so maybe Jesus and company are on to something.

 

 

I just got a Directstream. Going to be using my PS transport I2S to Direct stream. TEd which cable are you using for I2S?

[ALRAINBOW]

Ps audio sells one it's pretty good. Get the short one . The shorter the better. But regarding the PWT transport it's just sub par . Maybe ok for some but not worthy of the ds . You can get far better other ways. But again just because I own one does not make me right for everyone.

Ted B I am glad you have found some good in the DS. It's a nice Dac.

I am a beta tester for the B2 release. It's a dam good bridge as they are working out the bugs in software it does gapless. And the sound rivals my caps all,out server . Although the usb edges it out it's pretty close and this is only the second release of firmware.

I do feel when it's done it's a complete setup then . One could play directly from a nas with an iPad or others as a control point. Very cool,indeed . As Ted and I have a commonality in being caps servers for audio. It's pretty cool to find less complex and cheaper ways to achieve this level of performance .

Al

[ted_b]

I just got a Directstream. Going to be using my PS transport I2S to Direct stream. TEd which cable are you using for I2S?

Nordost Silver Screen. As Barrows mentions, it is a very stiff cable. I haven't cable rolled at all yet.

[ALRAINBOW]

Ted have you had a chance to hear the new ver 3 ppa card. ???

[ted_b]

Nope

[ajay556]

Just got the new DS. Hooked it up and let it play for an hour. It sounds bright and thin. How long does it need to burn before it sounds sweet?

[Distinctive]

Just got the new DS. Hooked it up and let it play for an hour. It sounds bright and thin. How long does it need to burn before it sounds sweet?

Come back to report in 500-800 hours......