Today I got one of my clients to drop off a PS Audio Direct whatever DAC so I can finally talk about this thing which I dont like but never speak to that because Ive never had it in my rig. I am fully anticipating to be able to talk smack about PS Audio after my tests and Im hoping to drive my feeling home that PS Audio is Mid Fi at best.
How neutral and open-minded of you, Mike! Seriously, if you really want to hear what the PS Audio DirectStream DAC is capable of, you need to make sure it has the latest "Redcloud" OS installed. You will also want to change out the stock fuse for a quality after-market fuse, which is a PITA, but well worth it. You also need to use the DAC's I2S input, which sounds worlds better than its USB input (if you do not have a source with an I2S output, try a Matrix X-SPDIF 2 D-to-D converter, which is what I use). Finally, this goes without saying, but you should level-match the PS Audio DAC with whatever you are shooting it out against, as the PS DAC's output voltage is a good bit lower than standard.
If you do all of the above and go into the experiment with an open mind, you just might be surprised at what you're hearing.