I am sure the Mk.2 betters the Mk.1 in every category - as it should. But I am so much happier with my system after moving away from PS Audio gear (P12 and DSD Mk.1). 'Noise' with the DSD (used as a Roon Endpoint) was an understatement.
direct stream 2-Stereophile review
has anyone read the review of the ps audio direct stream 2 in the latest Stereophile magazine? I just received this dac for a 30 day trial, possibly to replace my direct stream 1. Stereophile doesn’t generally post critical reviews but this one is among the most negative I’ve seen there. The main problem is with noise. i’m not technically knowledgeable enough to understand their graphs and statistics. the review is by John Atkinson, a very experienced authority. i know better than to substitute a reviewer’s judgment for my own but still it is concerning.
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I was/am still using all the gear that is in my system page with the exception of the Lumin U2 streamer. Converting my LAN to fiber optics helped the DS DAC a ton but I just knew it was still missing something. The U2 showed me quite handily what my setup was missing. Fantastic streamer (using it via the fiber network input) and I could not be happier with digital playback now. Highs are no longer overly softened which leads way to far better 3D imaging and soundstage perception. |
I opted to have my DSD MKI upgraded by JK Richards with his custom designed nickel transformers along with the VOCM caps. I couldn’t be happier with the outcome. The DAC is in an entirely different League now, so much more refined and musical. Highly recommended if you have a DSD MKI, and don’t want to drop the necessary coin to upgrade to the Mk II. Link to thread on upgrading your DSD MKI or MkII. https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/modding-the-ps-audio-directstream-dac-mk1-and-mk2 |
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