Cool!  

Is Al sending you his PWT to include in the mix?

FYI ~ I just got an email from Music Direct ... trade in "any" DAC get $1500 off towards the purchase of the DS.

LR...anything to report on the impact of a seasoned CSP2 pre-amp after the DirectStream?

Also...how you liking those Gallo's?

Lonely Raven wrote on 09/11/14 at 13:16:26:

That was exactly my dilemna earlier on in my Decware experience. I have too many crappy recordings of music I like a lot beter than a lot of the better recorded recordings. I began to seek components and cabling etc. that didn't accentuate the detail but had some sort of musical synergy. It has taken me a long time but I've managed to maintain a balanced overall gestalt that serves almost all my recordings well. WHEW. That's why I don't try to pursue every rabbithole and tweak for ultimate detail and transparency, one reason I haven't pursued room treatment etc. I've tried to incorporate that elusive "musicality" which is very subjective, but I've been successful at this. For the most part I sink down into serious enjoyment of listening and "watching". . .

Eric, I hope you can somehow hear a Decware preamp with the Jupiter caps; they really "make" any component I've had them in, and I think they will eliminate that undefined as yet "weirdness" you were hearing.

For my oddyssey I've found that cabling and the right front ends is the key to the "musical" nature of the playback. I'm pretty near the end of my journey. (But how many times have we said that?)

Yes, well I apologize if I don't take the ribbing as gracefully as I might once have. Sixty hour work week with no pay, and full of the sadness of my parents deteriorating before my eyes, and the pressure of wanting to be with my gal more but not able to as well as the accompanying dimishment of listening time that results from all this has made me a bit crustier than I would be. If I had the free time I had before I made this move, and had my own home again, I'd be inclined and able to 'modernize' and do room treatments, but alas and alack and all that.

Well thanks. I won't have anyone when I come to that stage myself, so I'm working on the drop dead plan.

It's just not right to be "retired" and be so "tired." I haven't worked this hard since my twenties. Maybe it's good for me but it doesn't always feel that way. But I can't imagine not helping my parents, though I can imagine what I would do if I didn't have to, but I try not to as it's . . . frustrating. And happiness is not having to help your parents dress and undress and help with bodily functions . . . . I'm hoping to have this type of happiness again one day. This is the toughest part.

Been nearly a year and a half now, so . . .maybe another year or two to go before I just can't do it any longer. My gal Lucy says she'll hang in there with me because she loves that I do this. . . I hope we can hang together because she's made my life so much better. I'd prefer you take your hats off to her.

To the contrary, especially with women, I'm very easy to get along with. I'm very laid back and open. And I'm very respectful and can be very affectionate. Lucy doesn't face problems with ME, but the situation sure has its difficulties. I'm hoping we can continue to have enough, and more, time together. I want my future with her.

Well, to bring this back on topic, the DirectStream is really sounding wonderful. I know people talk about "detail" with this over and over and over, but what I would say is most amazing about it is its presentation: depth and ease and tonal balance are all combined to give a very complete and satisfying representation of the recording.

Pic below is Lon and Lucy in Austin last month, waiting for the bats to come out from under the bridge.

I'm probably not going to change the firmware. It's a giant PIA for me and I don't really want to muck with the sound.

Well, I probably gained a little weight with each post. Was thinner at the beginning but pretty much the same.

That was a nice trip to Austin for Lucy's niece's wedding--our first trip together and probably the last chunk of time off I'll have til next summer. Sigh. But it was so much fun with Lucy, who had never been South or West before.

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Late last night I switched to direct as well. It does some things better, but I'm losing a bit of punch that I like. I've not really had time to do a proper A/B - with/without the CSP2.

I'll probably still pick up a CSP3 with Jupiter caps - but may not use it all the time. I do like what a preamp does though.

Pal...all of the recordings you referenced were likely recorded live with all of the musicians in the same room, including Fleetwood Mac Rumors, which was recorded at Sound City (which btw...if you haven't seen the documentary it's worth watching, particularly the first part where they talk about the history).

So...I think part of what you are hearing is the microphone bleed that Steve Hoffman was referring to when he was reviewing the PWT/DS combo.

Dave, I`ve just rewatched the Peter Green story ( 9x10min u-tube). Some fascinating insights on F.Mac`s time with Grateful Dead (3 and 4). Heady days.

My weekend project!  :)

I just need to find some time to do the install.

That's great. You've a nice adventure ahead of you as it breaks in and becomes. . . really wonderful!

Keep us posted as to how it's sounding.

LR...it came with the initial firmware, but I updated it to the latest (1.19).  I may try 1.16, since that is what wowed everyone (and every version seems to impact SQ a little bit).  

I read Paul's post about the new firmware release this morning and it definitely put a smile on my face.  Can't wait to see what Ted has in store for us this time, and the next and the next...

Lon...PS Audio will send you an SD card with the firmware on it if you don't have a way of downloading it yourself.  Also, I would be willing to send it to you pre-loaded on a card.  Let me know.      

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Don't bother going back to 1.16 - the FPGA (core) is the same for the past few versions, and they simply fixed other things like reliability of the bridge or something. 1.19 is fine till the new ones comes out. It's not out yet, but I've been gifted a sneak peek - and it's quite nice.

Ted mentioned that he got a new scope specially designed for audio, and it let him look at his adjustments with more precision. It's allowed him to dial it in better and this upcoming firmware is the result.

Lon, don't give up on Firmware, you *want* the firmware dance, and if you don't like the new version, you can always go back.

That said, from what you've mentioned in the past, I'm pretty sure you'll really like the upcoming update - it adds a certain presence to the sound that is quite beautiful - all while keeping the aspects we love.

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It's super simple - you copy the file to an SD card like you'd use for a pocket camera. Power off the DS by the switch in the back, insert the card gold pins up - power on the DS. It sees the new firmware and loads it. Done and done.

I can switch back and forth between the "old" 1.16 and the beta firmware simply by popping a different memory card and rebooting. I picked up an extra card just for the A/B test this weekend and it's been flawless to flip-flop - takes only 15-20 seconds I think.

If you're on the old 1.15 firmware, you *must* upgrade - you're not really hearing the DS as it's meant to be. And as I said, I feel this new version is even better (and, IMHO, even makes DSD sound more analog if you can imagine!)

LR...looking forward to the new firmware.  Sounds like it might be a little less wow than how Paul is talking about it, but Paul is pretty enthusiastic.  

So, I have been burning in my DS via RCA.  Interestingly, the DS 'seems' louder to me than the PWD.  I am wrestling with this one based on the specs (2.8V PWD, 1.4V DS).  In theory, I can't even drive the ZMA to full volume via RCA, but I'm not having any problem with drive.  Maybe the DS just needs to settle a bit.  

I really need to get some XLR cables.  I brought some in when I had the PWD, but sent them back because they didn't add anything to the experience.  In fact, I felt like I lost some volume control with the higher voltage on the PWD (because the PWD digital volume control was throwing away bits, you needed to be >50 for Redbook and higher for High Res).  The volume control on the DS is much more flexible than the PWD because there is no loss of bits.    

At this point, I prefer the bass on the DS to the PWD.  It does seem like a veil has been lifted on the bass.  The PWD sounded slightly fat and bloated in comparison.  I appreciate the 'tightness' the DS brings.  Will see how this changes with break in, but the DS bass is really working for me at this point.  

Also, I noticed very good cohesion across the frequency range, even with minimal break in.  And maybe due to better separation of instruments, less congestion on complex passages.  There are some builds in the new Daft Punk album that the PWD would struggle with in comparison to the DS.  

That's it for now.

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I'm trying to keep it sane and not go to Decware level of excitement and description of sound for once.  Plus I'm honestly not sure how much I can/should say - and I don't want to say too much so others can form their own opinion. I got a second SD memory card this weekend to A/B firmware, and I keep coming back to this beta - all the things the DS has right, plus this adds something to it. I'd almost liken it to the harmonic content I get with the ZMA. I'll just leave it at that.

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With the firmware you're on, I'd say it's OK to stay pat. If you were on the older stuff, no way - you'd *have* to upgrade. This new version is good, but definitely different - and I know you don't often like different. So at least you're on the other good version of Firmware. But if you can, I'd at least try the new one, give it a spin and see which you prefer.

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I don't think 1.4v is correct, it's 2v I'm pretty sure. I was asking for 2.5v for the ZMA to be happy but it's not possible with this hardware design. But honestly, the new firmware does something (as I mentioned it's almost like increased harmonic content) that seems to make instruments take up more space in the room. I think it makes up for the lack of voltage a little bit.  Also, Steve's "Magic Box" off the XLR might be just what we need. With the DS not losing bits when the volume is down, and taking the voltage off the Balanced outputs and using it on unbalanced - I think we'll get what we need, especially with this latest firmware.

I'm going to be testing the Balanced to Un-balanced magic box type setup on my ZMA soon - I didn't get a chance this weekend due to the new firmware testing - I didn't want to make too many changes at once and muddle up my views on what did what. But I think we'll be OK - we do have options that don't require a preamp.

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I agree with this 100% - I started listening to more symphonies and choirs now since the DS isn't tripping over itself like my Oppo would when things got busy. I'm also to understand the amp has a lot to do with that from what Ted Smith says.

Things just look better and better all the time!

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That is absolutely the worst way to look at it, and I disagree completely.

The device is already head and shoulders above the competition at or below the price range (we know this, this is why we have it), and it's only gotten better as Ted figures out better ways of doing things. It's not glitches he's fixing, it's improvements to what the device can do, based on new tools and information (literally in the case of this upcoming firmware).

So instead of having to run out and buy a new DAC because of a new (mid-year/mid-model) discovery or refinement, you're literally getting a new DAC via E-mail! How friggen cool is that!

If these were cables, it would be like having an AC-10 and being able to get the AC-12 upgrade, free via E-mail. Or maybe even the comparison could be made that we're talking AC-5 to AC-12 upgrade! FREE. And honestly, it would probably take me longer to swap out a power cable then it would be to flash a firmware - LOL   Don't let your dislike of computers bias your judgement and obstruct an excellent upgrade! That's just silly.

I beg to differ, I see it differently and I think I ahve a differing perspective. That's okay.

It's great right now, I don't even seem to feel the lack of density that you do with my amp. I wish they would be less insecure about their machine. They ARE releasing firmware now because of the Stereophile measurements.

Thanks for the offer of the SD card prep and mailing. I have 1.19 now. I'll wait for the release of the firmware and see what I can do after that. Thanks.

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Because of the dynamic nature of music, I think you'd have to use a test tone to get a solid, repeatable voltage reading. But I'm sure Ted has posted output voltages online somewhere, and I think what he posted differs from what's in the manual...which confused me a bit, but it's probably a case of cut-and-paste from the PWD manual to the DS manual or something.

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I believe the Jensen transformers add a little sparkle to the sound. I'm a bit of a purist, I like things simple and direct - so i was hesitant to try the XLR with the Jensen transformers in there, but it was a solid upgrade for the ZMA with the Oppo. I think the differential output and added voltage of the Oppo also had something to do with that - it's more of a pro-audio style output, and the ZMA just likes everything about that. But the Jensen transformers are well made, wide bandwidth, and low distortion - so they are good to go by my ears.

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There was another thread on this I think in the Frequently Asked Questions section from a newer Decware owner. I did my best to answer him after having played with Steve's "Magic Box" (I have no idea what the production model will be called). All it is, is an XLR (balanced) to RCA (unbalanced) converter box using the same Jensen transformer Steve installs on the ZMA, but with an attenuator to dial down the voltage.

I asked Steve what the difference was between that and what's already in the ZMA since I could hear a difference but didn't understand what (technically) was going on. It looks like (on the ZMA) it's just a resistor between the output of the Jensen transformer and the RCA input. Steve gave me his blessing to jumper this resistor to see if I get the sound I'm looking for via what's already built into my ZMA, rather than building my own Magic Box (which I figure would have cost $150 in budget parts - more for premium obviously). I've just not had the opportunity to do this mod with all I have going on.

IMO the main advantage of even using FPGA's instead of off the shelf chips (other than avoiding the additional cost of buying somebody else's chips) is for continuing refinements that also contribute to extending the product life cycles by a fair margin.  I consider this a very good thing at the rate digital audio is making strides.  Just a guess here, but I think more and more audio companies are going to take this path and for good reason.