PS Audio direct stream new OS..

[tapatrick]

From PS Audio website.

 

"Ted Smith has done it again. A major breakthrough in the art of digital audio. Over this weekend we have been beta testing our newest operating system for our DirectStream DAC, Snowmass, and the reviews are flooding in:

“listening and it is scary – black background with delicate sounds, then the sax… this sound stage is just unbelievable! That track is like velvet textures on a very smooth and dark background. Man is the background black!”

 

https://www.psaudio.com/pauls-posts/listening-is-scary/#comment-94814

 

[tapatrick]

Waiting eagerly for the DS Junior version....

 

[rodrigaj]

@tapatrick

 

Thank you for the heads up. I just upgraded to Snowmass. This is my first update since I purchased my DS Dac last December - delivered with Redcloud. I haven't had time for a critical evaluation, but the install went without a hitch.

 

From all the comments over at PS Audio, it should be quite an improvement.

[tapatrick]

"Ted's description may make it sound as though Snowmass would make only a modest difference in sound quality—but PS Audio CEO Paul McGowan found that nothing could be further from the truth:

"Redcloud, our previous upgrade, makes huge improvements in the sound quality of DirectStream. But Snowmass is truly stunning. 

"Everything is more open and soundstage depth is better-defined. This allows your ear to work less because the image is more palpable and the illusion is therefore much more realistic.  In the midrange, there's more detail with less harshness, and voices and instruments are better separated, more precisely located in the soundstage. It's easier to hear the enunciation and vocal technique of singers, dynamic contrasts are far greater and crescendi just leap out at you—and everything just sounds more 'real'. 

"Snowmass is our best update yet, and as always, DirectStream owners get this upgrade for free—and holy cow, they're not going to believe how good this is. It easily blows away six-figure DACs."

[diecaster]

1 hour ago, rodrigaj said:

@tapatrick

 

Thank you for the heads up. I just upgraded to Snowmass. This is my first update since I purchased my DS Dac last December - delivered with Redcloud. I haven't had time for a critical evaluation, but the install went without a hitch.

 

From all the comments over at PS Audio, it should be quite an improvement.

 

It's an improvement but probably not as earth shattering as Paul suggests. I really like the new release. There are noticeable improvements in soundstage as it is more 3D with better voice and instrument separation. The timbre of instruments, especially horns and piano to my ear, are certainly better. The overall sound is less digital while still maintaining high levels of detail. In fact, I think there is more energy in the midsized and highs yet the sound is less harsh. The bass has been cleaned up a bit too yet is still quite present and booms appropriately. Overall it is a nice step up in sound quality and probably the biggest step up ever from one release to another.

 

It does feel like I have a whole different DAC. I don't know if it is as good as a six figure DAC as I have never demo'ed one in my home.

[Dev]

6 hours ago, diecaster said:

 

It's an improvement but probably not as earth shattering as Paul suggests.

 

What's not earth shattering to you, maybe to someone else. Sometime that last 5% can make or break a system. And moreover, he is selling DS so anyone can take it with a grain of salt but that doesn't take away the enormous (when you have the system resolution) improvement they made with their custom upsampling code - to me, its indeed a big step forward comparatively to their earlier version.

[diecaster]

Okay, @Dev, I am calling you task on this. Did you read what I wrote?? Because it sure looks like you missed just about everything.

 

First, note that I wrote “probably is not as earth shattering”. You do understand that “probably” is what is called a qualifier. In other words, I was not making a definitive statement. Snowmass, in regards to my life, is not “earth shattering”. If it is for you, fantastic!

 

Then, I went on to write a glowing review of the update which contained not one negative comment. 

 

Yet you decide to vilify my comment suggesting Paul was probably a little over the top in his comments.

 

Oh, while I think Ted did a great job with the upsampling filters and it certainly is a big improvement, I still much prefer the filters and noise shapers in HQPlayer and use them instead. 

[Ralf11]

how about earth splattering?

[rodrigaj]

I listened tonight to two favorite albums:

and

 

I think that classical music listeners, like myself, will benefit the most because there is an improved clarity that allows the artist interpretations to reveal themselves fully. Harmonic nuances along with timbre stand out whether one is listening to a ff or pp passage. I'm very glad I went with PS Audio last year for my new DAC. I can't say the same about the Bridge II, but that is a whole other discussion.

 

Snowmass is an achievement about which PS Audio, Ted and Paul, can be very proud.

[diecaster]

Yeah, I am in the same boat. I love the DAC but stopped using the Bridge II in favor on the USB port via an ultraRendu.

 

I’ve been looking for a non-Rpi based I2S NAA so I can bypass USB altogether but no luck so far. 

[asdf1000]

18 minutes ago, diecaster said:

I’ve been looking for a non-Rpi based I2S NAA so I can bypass USB altogether but no luck so far. 

 

What sample rate do you have HQP up-sampling to? PCM or DSD up-sampling? And which filter?

 

[diecaster]

HQPlayer is upsampling all PCM to 24/352.8. It is using the poly-sinc-xtr-mp filter and the NS5 noise shaper. 

 

I don’t have much DSD content. I have all SDM upsampling to DSD128 using the poly-sinc-xtr-mp-2s filter and the ASDM7 modulator. 

 

I am really liking the poly-sinc-xtr-mp filter and Snowmass!

[rodrigaj]

9 hours ago, diecaster said:

Yeah, I am in the same boat. I love the DAC but stopped using the Bridge II in favor on the USB port via an ultraRendu.

 

I’ve been looking for a non-Rpi based I2S NAA so I can bypass USB altogether but no luck so far. 

I still use the Bridge II for Spotify Premium streaming only and casual listening. I then don't have to be going to the SonicOrbiter OS Switching app. It's mostly used for casual listening and for convenience only - the large input button on the remote. My wife prefers that.

 

I'm don't know what non-rpi means, but have you looked at the uRendu / uDigital combination? That would get you off of USB. I've seriously considered that but the thought of 2 more little boxes discouraged me.

[tapatrick]

Paul on when DS Junior Snowmass is due " Hopefully end of this week or maybe beginning of next." ?

 

[rodrigaj]

4 months waiting for the Bridge II update and today I see this:

 

Paul on the Bridge II update (dated today, 11/13/18):

 

"Further to this note it will actually be another couple of weeks for the Bridge update. Sorry."

[BigAlMc]

Darko on Snowmass

 

https://darko.audio/2018/11/ps-audio-announce-snowmass-update-for-directstream/

 

Didn't realize that was 11 months since Redbook. But given how Redbook knocked it out the park I can't wait to get my hands on Snowmass!

 

Alas my employer, girlfriend and life in general seem to disagree. Hoping to find the time tomz....

[diecaster]

That is really nothing more than a press release. The previous release is Redcloud. 

[BigAlMc]

3 minutes ago, diecaster said:

That is really nothing more than a press release. The previous release is Redcloud. 

 

@diecasterhas it occurred to you that your constant negative tone is why so many people take issue with your posts?

 

You gave me my first ever Off Topic award on another thread and frankly from you I'll take that as a badge of honour.

 

This is a thread celebrating both Snowmass and the brilliant Ted Smith/Paul McGowan ethos of further improving an already great product for little financial gain. John Darkos commentary will be welcomed by some. Even if it lacks detail.

 

Critical questions are useful. Being critical for the sake of it is exhausting.

 

Cheers,

Alan

 

PS I wrote Redcloud. Honest. But I'll take it as another badge of honour that my phones autocorrect assumed I meant Redbook!

 

 

[diecaster]

Negative? All I said is that Darko's post was nothing more than a press release. Is that an unfair characterization? How is that negative? I didn't say he should have posted a full test or impressions. I didn't say his post was bad or good. It was an observation. I was pointing out that there was no review or impressions presented...again not a negative or a positive.

 

Celebrating? I thought this was a thread discussing the new Snowmass release of which I have nothing but positive things to say.

[BigAlMc]

2 minutes ago, diecaster said:

Negative? All I said is that Darko's post was nothing more than a press release. Is that an unfair characterization? How is that negative? I didn't say he should have posted a full test or impressions. I didn't say his post was bad or good. It was an observation. I was pointing out that there was no review or impressions presented...again not a negative or a positive.

 

Celebrating? I thought this was a thread discussing the new Snowmass release of which I have nothing but positive things to say.

 

The fact you don't see how your post comes across says a lot.

 

Let's break it down:

 

30 minutes ago, diecaster said:

That is really nothing more than a press release.

 

This comes across as saying it's a worthless post. Nothing but a press release!

 

32 minutes ago, diecaster said:

The previous release is Redcloud

 

Pedantic corrections. I always love those. My autocorrect and I hope you'll keep us right.

 

[diecaster]

All I see is an oversensitive dude that wants everything presented to him in some overly warm and fuzzy way and has no sense of reality.

 

When you said "Darko on Snowmass" I thought I was going to read what Darko had to say about Snowmass. Well, that wasn't "Darko on on Snowmass". That was "Darko announcing the release of Snowmass". So let's put the blame for my comment where it belongs. Right in your lap. I was clarifying that it was not "Darko on Snowmass". Again, not bad or good....just different that what your imprecise text might lead one to believe.

 

How the hell am I suppose to know that you did not actually mean to to write "Redbook"? All I wrote was that the previous release was called "Redcloud". Pedantic? No, another example of you being oversensitive again.

[BigAlMc]

Over sensitive, nope. Fed up with your negative posts yes.

 

Anyway, let's take it offline if we need to continue this as it's not helpful to this thread.

 

@tapatrick apologies for disrupting the thread. Will report back once I've heard Snowmass for myself.

 

Cheers,

Alan

 

[diecaster]

3 hours ago, rodrigaj said:

I still use the Bridge II for Spotify Premium streaming only and casual listening. I then don't have to be going to the SonicOrbiter OS Switching app. It's mostly used for casual listening and for convenience only - the large input button on the remote. My wife prefers that.

 

I'm don't know what non-rpi means, but have you looked at the uRendu / uDigital combination? That would get you off of USB. I've seriously considered that but the thought of 2 more little boxes discouraged me.

 

That's makes a lot of sense. I have not tried Spotify with the Bridge II card or the ultraRendu. I removed the Bridge II card from the DSD because doing so decreases the internal noise and the DAC sounds a bit better.

 

What I mean by "non-rpi" is not a Raspberry Pi solution. The Raspberry Pi solutions I have seen all have boards stacked on top of the main board and that is not good for noise.

 

I want to get a box with a single board computer that goes from Ethernet to I2S directly. As you said, I also don't want a bunch of extra boxes to do something that could easily be handled in one small box. The DirectStream has a really good USB input and coupling that with the really good USB output of the ultraRendu, I am getting excellent sound quality already. I just think it would be better with I2S. 

[tapatrick]

Just now, BigAlMc said:

 

@tapatrick apologies for disrupting the thread. Will report back once I've heard Snowmass for myself.

 

Cheers,

Alan

 

Thanks Alan. Looking forward to hearing your impressions and I will report when I get my hands on the Junior version. 

[diecaster]

13 hours ago, rodrigaj said:

I listened tonight to two favorite albums:

and

 

I think that classical music listeners, like myself, will benefit the most because there is an improved clarity that allows the artist interpretations to reveal themselves fully. Harmonic nuances along with timbre stand out whether one is listening to a ff or pp passage. I'm very glad I went with PS Audio last year for my new DAC. I can't say the same about the Bridge II, but that is a whole other discussion.

 

Snowmass is an achievement about which PS Audio, Ted and Paul, can be very proud.

 

I listened to both albums last night via Tidal. Great choices, by the way. While I was listening to the Rach's Piano Concerto #2 - Adagio sostenuto, my wife walked by then turned around and came back. She said, "That sounds like...." and I said "All By Myself" by Eric Carmen?" She said "Yeah!!" She stayed and listed to the whole movement and commented that Carmen stole his whole song!