April 27, 2015
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PS Audio DirectStream DAC and Network Bridge, Part 1
These installments will cover the PS Audio Perfect Wave DirectStream DAC and the Network Bridge. Interested readers are directed to the PS Audio website for additional information regarding these components.
Additionally, there are a number of online reviews such as those in Stereophile and 6 Moons.
Some of the features for the DS DAC include:
- Pure 100% DSD based D to A Converter
- Fully upgradable through software releases
- Resolution perfect volume and balance controls built in
- Upsamples PCM and DSD to 10x DSD rate
- Purely passive transformer coupled output
- Simple, direct signal path with one master clock
- Hand written filters, processors and upsamplers
- Immune to incoming jitter problems from different sources
- Increased digital headroom
- No off-the-shelf IC DAC chips used
- 7 digital inputs
- Fully balanced from input to output
- Color touch screen
The DS DAC was purchased from an online vendor, The Music Room, Broomfield, Colorado. The purchase price was $3,399 which is a considerable discount from the unit’s list price of $5,995. As a matter of fact, the unit is also available at its list price but also including the PS Audio Perfect Wave Memory Transport from online vendors.
In conjunction with the DS DAC, I also purchased a used Network Bridge which allows for Ethernet connection to an owner’s home local network so that a network attached server (NAS) or home computer (PC or Mac) may be used as source devices. The Bridge may be controlled with any UPnP device. The Bridge lists for $799, new.
DirectStream and the Bridge Shipping Cartons
Nested Boxes
Initial Opening
Full Name
DS DAC Unboxed
Power Cord and Remote
DS DAC Top View with Protective Film
DS DAC Bottom View
DS DAC Front View
DS DAC Rear View
From top left we see the on/off/reboot switch; IEC inlet; plate that covers the Bridge connection; SD card slot used for firmware updates; digital inputs: XLR (does not make a difference whether pins 2 or 3 are hot), optical, USB, I2S-1 and S-2 HDMI; analog outputs: right XLR, right and left RCA, left XLR.
Touch Screen
This view shows what is displayed when the Bridge is operating. From the top upper left it displays the access point to the Tools menu (sprocket shaped icon); track title, artist, and album title; the pause, home and bridge set-up icons; to the far right is the PerfectWave symbol which would show album art if the DS DAC were connected to a PerfectWave Transport; the input indicator with bitrate; the phase indicator; elapsed track time together with fast reverse and forward; and finally the volume indicator together with decrease/increase capability.
Correction: The DS DAC requires an SD card be inserted into the Bridge in order to display album art. Once this is done, the Bridge will (fairly reliably) display the correct album art for the track being played.According to PS Audio and owners, the DS DAC requires 500 hours to fully break-in. Some have reported as many as 650 hours. Subsequent posts will cover my initial impressions of the DAC and Bridge used in various configurations along the way.
Comments (2)
Several of my readers complain that "professional" reviews never show the component's underside. So kudos for informatively showing the DS' underside.
Thanks. But I neglected to cover some things that I normally include during the introductory piece. The next installment will rectify that error.
As to undersides, they can be awfully interesting, too.