So we don't clutter up this thread, I recommend we start a new thread for our Software settings.  I just took screenshots of my Audirvana settings and will start a post...

On the Preamp front - every time I see Steve, I've slipped into the conversation somewhere that we need a switching preamp with remote. And since the ZMA loves XLR so much, I've added, switching, XLR preamp, with remote to my mantra.  :)

I'm not holding my breath, but the seed has been planted.

Stone, you have contact info for Joe, or is it easily found on the page?

I might just go ahead and try the loaner Kimber Select KS1030 and see what I see.

PM me please.

I could PM you. But, it is good to have the Cable Co out there on this thread for general knowledge. As we might stray a little off the OP...we always come back to it. I hate those sites that have carnival barkers that yell: "back to the OP" (original post for those unfamiliar). I won't participate on the Polk Forum...because of that reason...they are fascist zealots about protocol over there. Apparently, they don't have any power at work..... .

Anyway, I digressed!

LR, call Joe direct at the CableCo....great guy. I recently noticed that the 1030 in RCA had been omitted from the scrolling page and he got it back on there asap. Super nice guy....great company to do business with.

But be forewarned. I can't use my Kimber Select with my Parker Crusader's at 95db 1/watt/meter.  The resolution crushes them and the high end treble sweetness/no fatigue is gone. Simply put-they can't handle the ZERO viscosity!

Well, the whole idea behind Steve's CSP3...is to do what the Calypso does via RCA/unbalanced. Two inputs an one output an mono out (Y connect for Sub).....kinda keeps cost down.

Their are a lot of great preamps in that price range...their should be. The new Audio Research Pre...comes to mind too.

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I'm interested in vintage Porsche as well; it doesn't mean I can afford one unfortunately.

The Calypso is on my radar - it must be well liked, because I just haven't seen one pop up used anywhere.

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This is true on both points. When we did our DS listening session at Steve's shop, we went back and forth a bit about this. With the CSP3 we gained some density and more of that tape like quality I've come to love from Reel to Reel - but at the expense of  *some* detail and  "ambient retrieval" (I'm really liking that term - thanks Steve Hoffman) . That ambient reverberation that's captured (or faked) in recordings is important to me, as I believe it's part of the key to getting that holographic sound I love. Steve shrugged it off part of the compromise to gain density, but Dave and I rather liked the details as they were. Then the more we listened, the more it seemed this density vs detail tug-of-war seemed to change song by song and we started discussing the need to be able to switch out the preamp or have it in and all sorts of other silliness. At that point I bowed out - if I can't get a preamp that gives me the voltage the ZMA needs, gives me at least a little bit of the density I want, without losing detail and ambient retrieval - then I'll just continue to run straight to amp.

IMHO, I should be able to get all that - somewhere.

Do I need the DirectStream to hear what Paul is describing in the Shelby Lynne track? ; )

http://www.psaudio.com/pauls-posts/bleeding-music/

I am a little disappointed in AD's review of the new DS. When he owned and was Editor an Chief of The Listener Magazine (I own an have read just about all of them)....Art would have written a more, lets say LESS, politically correct review.

I will comment more/later.

I got the linear power supply for the Chord QuteHD on Friday.  I was in Michigan, but had my son burn it in over the weekend.

Upon returning home, I hooked it up and played (yes, the king of pop) Billie Jean and it tamed the bass and sounded much closer to the DS.  I still think I like the DS better for this particular cut, but it was much closer.

So we have some more comparin' to do Raven.

I put some other comments on the Chord thread.

I'm not suggesting...I am saying I have no loss. With my cables an Speakers of 91db efficiency. Kimber Select does take you there with the correct Speakers.

LR…I can hear the pre-echo, but I really have to listen for it.  If I remember correctly, it happens at about 2:48.  

I’m sure Paul’s system is quite a bit more revealing than mine.  I would like to visit PSA and listen to the IRS System in Music Room 1, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon!    

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LR, Yes, that's right.  I made it pretty clear that the CSP3 we tried that night was brand new, un-burned in and with untested, stock tubes.  Perhaps that's why I shrugged off the complaint.  I'm going to assume you forgot or didn't hear me, because it almost seems as though you've made a buying decision based on how an unburned in preamp sounds... Now, I know you're way more cautious than that.

-Steve

Heck Will, with the quality an efficiency of your HR1's. You probably have more ambient retrieval than me; where my Select Cables are not needed in your System. I would bet on it. Especially, based on my two visits to Decware and great sound.

I will certainly be putting my SE84CS an CKC back in soon for ~more~ comparisons (run direct of course).  

As I stated though, the CSP3 & ZMA are my SE84CS. Total enthralling Magic with Headroom! .....now with 37 hours on the Chord QuteHD DAC....the grin on my face is starting to hurt.

stone_of_tone wrote on 08/19/14 at 19:05:53:


I just love the fact that the Super Zen, the least expensive amp in Decware's lineup can compete and has the same magic as their top tier amps and is still highly regarded.  I'm getting the sense that a good description of the ZMA is the Super Zen on steroids .  

The ZMA must be something special, and although it is way above my budget ... It makes me think that if I were to get a set of Super Zens and set them up as monos, it may get me into the same ballpark sound wise with the ZMA.  I think this would be something special and give me enough headroom for my 93dB Omegas to cover all bases, but in the mean time I'm jealous of you guys.

Stone,

Since ambience is a big part of the DS discussion, and the CSP also, I guess this segue is in the topic? I do have really good micro detail and associated complex ambience. And the HR-1s surely can reveal this. But mine have become a more resolving version, so they reveal it more due to increased resonance damping, more controlled bass, and a really sweet cap and resistor arrangement, opening the top in a smooth but also textured way.

Your post got me to looking at ICs. I switched the Grovers to the amp side of the CSP, and the VHAudio DIY silvers to the DAC side. The VHaudio are more like music to me and the Grovers just a little "too good" doing everything exceptionally, but a bit in the face...just a little. This is why I have been using the VH on the amp side. But with the Grovers there the micro detail increased. Enough that the ambience became a bit over done for me.

I realized that what I love about this room is its ambient contributions, its just-right diffused liveness. I depend on the system revealing a lot of ambient information for making the sound realer, placing instruments in space and the getting the feel of the recording space. But if the system goes too far into the reverbs, or the recording room space, it dominates the experience making it seem more like a recording. With a good balance, though (still loads of micro detail) then the recording space fills up my room, AND mixes with my room space, making it sound like it IS in this room (though without walls!). I had not quite gotten to the level of too much ambience before, so I did not know how important this balance of room and recording space is for the live player sound I love. Always learning...

Whatever level of ambient information, a grin that is so persistant that it hurts is surely the best thing going!

No Kana. I am content with my Tranquility playing all Rebook.

Hey Kana,

My posts here have been relative to comments in this thread related to DS/DAC use...computers, alternative DACs, player software, CSP3, all things I know from personal experience. In response to posts about alternative DACs, I did make a personal comment on the DS...its high price of admission.

My most recent post is in response to the segue about CSP3 micro detail retrieval, an issue that came up relative to folks impressions that the DS is really good at micro detail. This is an area I have spent a lot of time sorting out to bring the CSP3 into sync with my very resolving DAC and amp.

So I may have, but don't recall commenting on the DS performance directly.

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Just reminding you of what you heard...  Trick picture btw!

Steve

Interesting review. The "impact" and "forwardness" that several reviewers seem to miss . . . I sure don't, it's absence is one of the big pluses for me of the DAC.

So much blather made about the measured "defect" on line. . .it sure seems to bother a lot of people who have never heard the DAC!

Just dropped my DS off at UPS for shipment to its new owner.

Appreciate the exchange of info on this great forum.

If Steve decides to build an amp with balanced inputs and KT-150 outputs, please let me know.

Aloha

Positive conclusion to the DAR review; part 2:

http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2014/08/ps-audio-perfectwave-directstream-revi...

From the above review - about the Oppo BDP-105 - this sounds familiar, doesn't it?

"The Oppo 105 packed tremendous resolve but hints of digital hardness were definitely present – this is the same hardness that keeps so many vinyl heads away from digital but maintains a sense of aural excitement high for those who instead prioritise deeper detail retrieval. How much was attributable to the PCM source files and how much the Oppo player I couldn’t say."

and about the DS

"Out of pure coincidence, I too have been running Magnepan MMG driven by a REDGUM integrated – the similarly Chinese-baked Black Series RGi35. Each and every time I compared a rival DAC to the DirectStream unit the results mirrored the afore-detailed Byrne/Eno digital/vinyl standoff in all but detail retrieval."

Yeah, the review made sense to me, I'm glad that he enj0yed the DS. I've been enjoying mine (though not this week, I'm out of town for a wedding in the GF's family, having a lot of fun).

I'm so glad I use discs and don't have to futz with networks, eq settings, etc. Whew!

I can understand how that "convenience" can be so satisfying for others but it doesn't have the same value for me. And my PS Audio PerfectWave Transports are amazing transports, putting out data not at all unlike the data from a computer as a source. My Blu-ray and SACD players are also top notch. I am not really "into" computers, don't like digital data as a soure, don't have the time it takes to rip, futz with eq and all these things with my 60 hour a week no pay job and girlfriend, so I'm so happy to not have a computer in my system. Even in just this one thread I see how much time you guys spend with different "players," eqs, settings, connections, and I just don't have that type of time, let alone the added time of finding, downloading, ripping files, etc. I'd never be able to spin music if that were the case for me.

I've got sound I just don't need to get better now, and the methodology I want---I can just sit and listen to music and skip all this tinkering aobut. I consider myself very lucky, and I'm not fixing what isn't broken.

Well, paramount to me is the time factor. I have so little time on my own, and I have to split it between time with my GF, my instruments, my books, and my music and TV and movie interests. So little time, it's very frustrating. Futzing about with computers is very very low on the list for me, I'd put housework above it!

Also with the PWD Mk II the HDMI handshake with the PWT is special, audibly better than other connections tried. I think that is less so with  the DS, but still a bit of a specialness in my brief testing. I'm just happy with the PWTs and other sources, I'd have to be very unhappy to make a move. I am far far from being very unhappy with my system!