Shawn Kernes Blog

PS Audio has been making the Perfectwave digital to audio converter (DAC) for quite some time, in fact, it is now at the tail end of its third incarnation, all using the same casework.  It started with the Perfectwave DAC back in xxxx, in 2012 it was upgraded to the Perfectwave MKII, and then, with the introduction of Ted Smith to the PS Audio Team, the Perfectwave Directstream (aka DS) followed in 2014.  The DS has remained PS Audio’s flagship DAC since 2014, roughly 7 years, with all upgrades being free and applied as firmware updates. Even more impressive is that many audio journalists and audiophiles still consider the DS to be among the best sounding, if not the best measuring, DAC’s on the market.  Full disclosure, the PS Audio Directstream DAC is my personal reference. From what I gather, the last planned firmware update, Sunshine (named for sunshine peak in Colorado) for the DS MKI is scheduled to arrive by the end of April 2021… Though, according to a representat...

I'm lucky enough to have both stock and parts conneXion modified PS Audio GCPH phono preamplifiers... So I figure why not finally write up a proper comparison. A bit of background info: http://www.underwoodhifi.com/modifications/ps-audio-modifications http://www.10audio.com/psaud_gcph.htm https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/impressions-of-ps-audio-gcph First, a quick note on what I don't like about the modified GCPH. I hate the WBT-0210-Cu RCA connectors... Yes, they are probably electrically superior products, but the ergonomics suck. It's why I use Kimber RCA connectors on my DIY projects. It's also worth noting that, as with all PS Audio Gain Cell gear, you want to make sure you have adjusted gain on the back panel such that the volume level is "correct" with the gain cell adjusted to between 11:00 and 14:00. Think of the gain cell as a tool for fine tuning output level, not as volume control. Test Systems: VPI Scout Turntable Dynavector 20x...