Upgrade PS Audio DSD Mk1 to?

I received my Baltic 5 a couple of weeks ago but due to some business trips I’ve only been able to put about 10 hours on it.  The stock tubes are Shuguang 5U4G, Shuguang WE6SN7 Plus, and EH 12BH7 gold pins.

So far I can say that it is a very good sounding DAC, nice and relaxed, good detail, and extended frequency extremes.  Over my modified PS Audio DSD Mk1 I can hear much more bass detail and layers of bass that were missing.  Bass guitar and stand up bass notes are much better defined and separated than before.  The bass is really the only stand-out difference so far.

I’m hoping to be home all next week and put some more hours on the unit to fully burn in the tubes and get a better handle on the sound.  Once fully burned in and I understand the DAC’s sound better I will start to roll some tubes.  I have some RCA 5814As that I haven't tried yet and a friend has an EML274B that he's willing to loan me to try out.

@orvilletc I look forward to your observations.

Thanks,

Ty

@tko956 I'm still burning in so I'll wait and see how it truly sounds when it's settled but initially I totally agree with you. My system was pretty resolving and I feel that I had squeezed almost every inch of capabilities out of my Pontus 15th. The Baltic 5 certainly has an "extra shelf" of bass to it. It's also ever so slightly more detailed (some tracks I can hear breathing etc.)  However, I'm not sure if it's as natural/organic sounding as my Pontus, but that might be down to the tubes. I'll experiment more....

A couple of thoughts. 

First, member JT Richards at APS Transformers modifies the PS Audio Directstream on different prices/levels and says they are great. I obtained in a trade a Directstream mki which was modified to some degree (not by APS) to be more like the mkii and found it to be pretty, pretty good. 

Second, I sold the PS Audio Directstream and got the Garlubidor Divinity Dac which sounds to me along the lines of the PS Audio Directstream Dac with better resolution and better bass. It retails for under 2k. 

Hans Beekhuyzen did a video review of the Garlubidor and said it sounded much like the Holo Cyan 2 (which is one of his reference dacs) except a bit better in the bass. 

There certainly are other options. I haven't heard the LTA or the Laiv dacs. I think the Garlubidor would be a better option than the Pontus 15th unless you want oversampling as the Garlubidor is a NOS Dac but it has a volume control so you could use it in place of a preamp if that helps your system. Additionally, the Garlubidor has two I2S inputs and it has an OLED screen. I haven't heard the Pontus 15th but Steve Huff's written review says: "Spoiler: I know of no other DAC in this price range that can compete with this one. It has that R2R sound which is detailed with killer dynamics along with a balanced top to bottom performance. I’d take this over a Pontus 15th, easy,"

https://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2025/11/09/the-garlubidor-divinty-r2r-dac-is-a-better-denafrips/

@orvilletc - How is your Baltic 5 coming along

I have to make a correction on the tubes that came with my DAC.  The box for my rectifier was from Shuguang and said 5U4G and in my giddiness I inserted it and have been playing my DAC.  On further inspection I found that it is a Winged C 5U3C.

I have rolled in some GE 5814As in place of the EH 12BH7 gold pins.  I have noticed maybe a bit more "flow" but nothing really much.  I'll hoping to try out an EML 274B soon.