PS Audio Direct Stream

Neal, after looking at their site, I do not have the adapters you have, the cardas adapters I have are $96.00 retail on the music direct site, I believe these are the new and improved adapters that are black, they have never been $50.00 to $60.00 that I know of, I will be useing them temporary, I will be modding my digital player with furetech xlr chassis out puts with Tara labs internal wireing anyway,thankyou for your reply, cheers.

Below is my response to this from 06-06-14: Wisnon:

Why not just get a properly designed tube Dac?? Adding just a random tube output stage wont compare well to a designed from ground up tube Dac like Lampi, VAD or Aesthetix.

Or just a iFi Audio iTube for even less money?

Hi Wisnon,

It's not really a random buffer because it has adjustable voltage and it is really a very well thought out special piece its just not real expensive. Really its about the music and the sound that s forcing my hand. I totally disagree that those units you named with be better than my PS Audio Direct Stream DAC with my output stage.

Steve Decker told me about this a few years ago and I have tried to remove it from my system many times and it's just a pest. A booger on the end of your finger...LOL because there is no arguing how incredibly effective it is at making decent digital pieces sound real good and great ones sound even greater. It's blatant. Trust me Vinny from Red Wine Audio is my neighbor and my bud and he offered to make me a custom, battery powered duel mono buffer but its really not about that. What happens is I buy new or a used but new to me piece and I like it as is and listen for a while and all is well and I then break down and plug in the ZSTAGE it is just better and not by a little. If I went out and bought a Lampi, VAD or Aesthetix like you mentioned I guarantee you I would listen to them and enjoy them and be happy and then I would plug the ZSTAGE to back of them and bam it will sound better. So I go through all that trouble and I still end up using it. Also, my current combo of a PSA Direct Stream DAC then 10 inch custom made solid pure silver Darwin Ascension cables made for this unit then to my old CAT Signature MKIII with Phono chalk full with cryoed, platinum Tele CCA tubes through out is going to be tough to beat. Trust me I have tried. I mean I know I can spend 10k on a pre and get improvement, well that is still a maybe the Tele'd out CAT is a beast and this DS DAC keeps getting better and better. If I was to upgrade something it probably would my speakers before anything else in my system for the most SQ bang for buck. They are Wilson Sophia 2's and they are pretty decent so well see how much better this DAC gets. If it doesn't get any better I will still be very happy as is and wouldn't want to dump just to get rid of my tube output stage... Thanks

Audiolabyrinth,

Sorry to intrude on Ozzy's thread, but the ones I have are the Cardas Clear adapters. The old Cardas I had were about $60 when I bought them about 10 years ago. I am sure the ones you have are much improved. Good luck.

Neal

Fsmithjack,

Thanks for this detailed description. Much appreciated.

Ur Welcome ... For what it's worth this DAC has not stopped getting better. I'm waiting for the ceiling. My system is pretty dang revealing and I guess it could be my Wilson's speakers still breaking in as well but in my system it has not leveled off yet. For the guys using and/or complaining that are rolling w/o a pre. Really, for real at this level w/o a pre? You should buy a serious pre first, To each their own and all that but the pre? No pre? It's just not how it is supposed to be regardless what the OEM's spew out. The pre is where it's at. It's the blood and guts and would never ever consider optional but that's just mo. Anyways there is a progression and pre's in hobby are not really optional. There just not and especially at this level. I couldn't imagine this hobby w/o a pre.