PS Audio Directstream, DS MKII, TSS : New DAC or Mods?
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 representative of PS Audio, “If Ted were to stumble upon something for the DS, we would absolutely release it.”
At Axpona in 2019 PS Audio announced that they were developing a new all out assault on digital called the Obsidian “Ted Smith Signature” (TSS) DAC at a projected MSRP of $20-$25K. In addition, a Directstream MKII is in the works, slated for general availability lin the second half of 2021.
Unfortunately, according to Paul (PS Audio CEO), the casework for the Directstream MKII will be changing a bit. Specifically “It’s the same case as the current MK1 but without the touch screen. Have a look at the PerfectWave SACD Transport to see what it will look similar to.”
That likely means that there will not be a circuit board only upgrade option like there was with the Perfectwave MKI and MKII, though, as always PS Audio is expected to offer generous trade up pricing.
With that said, the online community has been foaming at the mouth for ways to upgrade their current hardware, rather than “have” to upgrade the entire package. Both Ted and Paul, in true PS Audio fashion have been perfectly happy to help.
Given the number of Directstream DAC’s PS Audio has sold over the years, and the fact that it is still damn good, I suspect the modder community is going to go wild with this one as soon as the price drops far enough for their liking.
It’s worth noting that for as long as I can remember, PS Audio gear has been the focus of professional and DIY modders alike. I own an UnderwoodHiFi/Parts-ConneXion modified PS Audio GCPH (phono preamp) myself.
Ted, in particular, has been quite involved in the online conversation, and has even suggested or supported the following changes - which i have listed from easiest to most difficult to implement:
Feed the Directstream via external i2s because the bridge ii is noisy and the onboard XMOS chip used for USB, well, basically sucks (at least in comparison with the latest XMOS XU208/XU216)... If there was a bridge ii installed, remove it. For reference, Ted is using the Matrix X-SPDIF 2 USB Interface which retails for $439 at this time, though there are other good options available, such as those by Singxer.
Replace feet with thick sorbothane parts, or perhaps something fancy from mapleshade, stillpoints, or isoacoustics.
Add additional RF shielding around sensitive components.
Upgrade the output transformers to Edcor XS4400’s which are pin compatible to the stock Edcor PCW 150/150. According to Ted, The XS4400 is one of three output transformers the DS was designed to accept from day one, and it's even rumored that the DS MKII will use the Edcor XS4400’s. The cost for a pair is a very reasonable $53.06 plus shipping, in my case, shipping was $24.30.
Upgrade main power supply rectifier diodes with hexfred’s or other soft recovery types to reduce power supply noise.
Add a standalone 12v power supply for the analog section of the DAC.
There has been some conversation about upgrading various other components, but results appear to be mixed… So i'm going to ignore them for now.
In Ted’s own words “These kind of mods will never take a DS to the level of the TSS, and probably not to the level of a theoretical DS replacement, but the differences are available now and different DACs from PS Audio aren’t (yet.)”
Paul has also graciously stated that as long as the changes are made with care (and aren't just silly like covering the circuit boards with glue), PS Audio will continue to service the product. Amazing!
“Just for what it’s worth. We’re fairly lenient about this. If you perform some work that does not damage the DAC and something else in the DAC fails, we’ll still cover it. You just have to use a bit of common sense with this liberal policy.”
For this article, i intend to implement several of the aforementioned changes, specifically the replacement of the output transformers and replacing the bridge ii with the Matrix X-SPDIF 2 USB/Raspberry Pi.
I may also swap the rectifier diodes, but since i haven't found their values online, ordering the parts will have to wait until I have the box open.
Things like powering the analog board via a standalone power supply, adding additional RF shielding, and replacing feet could be projects for the future… But I suspect those changes will not have nearly as significant an impact as the three called out above. The DS power supply is already well designed, well shielded, and relatively impervious to microphonics.
With a little luck, and support from PS Audio, I would like to be able to compare a stock DS with a modded DS with the upcoming DS MKII.
Stay tuned.
References:
https://forum.psaudio.com/t/wishes-upcoming-psa-directstream-mkii/21746
https://forum.psaudio.com/t/next-dsd-firmware-update-in-2020-or-2021/18423
https://forum.psaudio.com/t/next-dsd-firmware-update-in-early-2021/21651
https://forum.psaudio.com/t/modding-the-directstream-dac/2680
https://www.psaudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/DSD-Upgrade-Kit-Rev-C-V2.pdf
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