PS Audio Direct Stream

French_fries. A number of people on the forums (albeit some with vested financial interests) claim that adding a quality external converter/reclocker is a big improvement, so that would be the route I'd go over paying the $2500 to retrofit the unit.

Still know one has received a unit yet?

Ozzie: mines not supposed to come until early June. Sigh.

Cal3713 and French_fried : that is my exact dilemma. There are some serious contenders in the outboard USB to SPDIF converter category. 2 of the top choices are the Berkeley Alpha USB and the Empirical Audio Off Ramp 5. There are many others for sure, but in have narrowed my selection to these 2 if I went that route.

It does make sense that a dedicated external USB to SPDIF converter would do a better job then a built in board inside a DAC; just like an external phono stage is better then a phono card in a pre-amp. Not only will it isolate clocks, but it guarantees a more robust power supply and (theoretically) more accurate clocking. Mof course, many of the newer DAC's re clock their incoming signal so that part may be moot.

I am seriously considering the very well reviewed Concert Fidelity DAC-040 for red book only sources coming from my Core Audio mod'd Mac Mini. But the CF has no USB in so I would NEED one of the USB to spdif converters.
For now, I have decided to stick with a DAC that comes with a USB input. Once I chose one, I will definitely try adding a seperate USB to spdif converter to see if the sound gets better. Then I can try the CF unit as well.

Ozzy, one on the PS Audio forum just got his and one on Aidioshark gets his by Fri.

So hopefully we will start to get more feedback in a week or two.

Some peeps have received their dacs. Shipping was supposed to start the 3rd week of April, which would be the 25th. Positive comments at PSA forums so far. I heard it a month ago and it is divine.