Article: PS Audio DirectStream DAC (Snowmass) Full Review

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Thanks for another well written, very informative and useful review. I just recently purchased a Holo Spring 2 KTE DAC so I am no longer actively looking but I enjoy reading your reviews. Using HQPlayer and the Spring, I can get part of the way to the performance level of these DACs at a price I could afford. I may look at one of these later when I re-do my entire system.

 

Thanks again

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4 hours ago, daverich4 said:

I'm considering a PS Audio DirectStream DAC to replace my Auralic Vega and while I appreciate all of the work you put into this review, I find that it is not so much a review of the PS Audio DirectStream DAC as it is a review of the PS Audio DirectStream DAC PLUS your special sauce. That makes the results somewhat less valuable to me and I suspect, others, who won't be doing that kind of upstream setup. Sort of like when a reviewer reviews a set of stand top speakers but insists on adding in a subwoofer or room specific DSP as part of the evaluation. Again, I appreciate the work you put into this but would have preferred to know more of your impressions of the DAC by itself with perhaps adding in the differences that your upstream setup makes to the sound as a sidebar. My 2 cents.

 

Another way to look at this is that optimizing whatever is practical in the upstream chain can possibly obviate the need to spend more on a higher end DAC. It may be possible to get the sound of a much more expensive DAC with some judicious upstream enhancements. It may also be that no matter how good the DAC, it will never be a great DAC without an enhanced front end. I would love to see this explored at some point. Put a great DAC behind a good front end and then put a good DAC behind a great front end and compare. It would be interesting.