PS Audio Directstream DAC?

@w123ale Even if you have an older Aurender, I would leverage that for the streaming and serving. It is documented on PS Audio forums, and it is the same for  my experience, that the Bridge II introduces some digital noise and is a bit fatiguing compared to external streamers. I heard improved performance by removing it. 

From my first post, I want to clarify that I am a very big supporter of this DAC even though I don’t classify it as analog sounding. I tend to be very critical of these things and have gotten spoiled being able to play with a lot of electronics in the $15-40K range. In its price range, especially used, it is very, very good. 

With the number of used units popping up, definitely invest in a latest generation unit vs one that has been upgraded from the PerfectWave DAC. the two may sound sonically equivalent but the native DirectStream will be years newer and likely offer better longevity. The PS Audio warranty is also fully transferable and you might be able to find a used unit with some warranty remaining. 

@blisshifi 

I've read some on the EDCORE transformer upgrades but no one really talks about it changes the sound.  What is the sonic signature change with the transformer swap?

it's a great sounding DAC, especially at current used prices. There will be no more updates for this model, as new one coming out soon.. PS Audio website has lots of conversation about upgrades. And yes, any of the previous firmware versions are available and easy to change back and forth...

@danager The Edcor transformer upgrade gave the DSD a better sense of ease and lowered noise floor. It helps to eliminate some of the grittiness that you likely don’t even realize is there. The delivery is a bit more confident, adding a bit more weight to the voicing, and the soundstage widens and heightens. In short, it becomes more musical in a very good way. 

The linear power supply upgrade helped significantly in other areas as well. That really helped with reducing the noise floor to being much more black. Detail retrieval improved considerably, as did the immediacy and speed of bass and treble.  Both upgrades were quite complimentary, and I did them months apart from each other. 

There is a lot of discussion on both upgrades on PS Audio Forum threads called Modding the DirectStream DAC. That said, it’s a really lengthy thread with 4,000 posts, but it is possible to search the thread for “Edcor”, the model number, or “transformer” and see the results from the community. I think the feedback gets good in early-mid 2021. 

I am also interested in learning more about transformer upgrades and power supply upgrades. Would appreciate any information.