PSAudio Direct Stream or Bryston BDA/BDP2?

Ricred1,
The Cary is in for service right now.
But as I recall, the Cary digital input was very good and in many ways more robust compared to the Bryston.
However, the Cary only does Hi Rez to 24/96 if that matters.

I can only speak for the PS Audio (and I should add I have no experience with any other high-end DAC), but I just had my Perfect Wave upgraded to a Direct Stream: I basically have not left my couch for a week. It's the rare piece of equipment that makes you want to relisten to your entire library. It is a detail monster, though not aggressively so, and is the most beautifully musical piece of digital equipment I've ever heard. I have fairly "analytical" speakers (Kharma CRM 3.2 FE) which can be a little hard-edged; now they are so pleasurably musical I can't stop listening.

Ricred1,

I still have a modded CEC TL-1x transport and have compared the sound of a CD played through the CEC into the PS Audio DSD, vs the same music as ripped CD (using DBPoweramp) through the BDP-1 to same DAC. The Bryston unarguably has greater clarity and detail, larger soundstage, more presence, more realism. The CEC gives you a more mellifluous, slightly softened, burnished sound that on some CD's actually sounds more pleasant than through the BDP-1, but those are the exception. It really is no contest as a general matter.

Hope this helps.

Neal

Neal,
Thanks for the information. Hopefully I will receive my BDP next week.

Any of you with the Direct Stream + Bryson also have the Bridge 1 installed? I was considering getting the Bryson BDP1-USB when I get my DS but now I am waiting until the Bridge 2 is released in the next few months. One less component in the living room. The Bridge will supposedly have a cleaner more direct circuitry to the DAC.