PS Audio Direct Stream

I think I remember Ted Smith saying that the output transformers are part of the output filter. Changing them out would change the filter as well. Who knows if that would be advisable or not?

Hifial,
After reading the many PS Audio claims and accolades on this product, I don't recall they ever stated that it would take many hours of burn in to sound better than their previous product. The impression I got was that, as soon as the unit was plugged in you could tell instantly the superior sound improvement.

So, with blind faith I have one on order and hope to get it in a couple of weeks.

Now, I truly believe that all components sound better after they have been used (burned in) for awhile. Heck, I even own an Audiodharma cable cooker.

Now, you and others are stating that it needs many hours of burn in to sound better than the previous model, the PW II.

It is a little unnerving to have prepaid for an item with this rocky ("hope and change") kind of performance. Not to mention that it costs a little more than chump change.

So, I thank you for your posting and I guess I'll just have to try it for myself. Yet, I still have to wonder how you can design a product without knowing the final result?

Ozzy,
I wish you a better outcome than what " hope and change " has yielded.
Good Luck,
Charles,

With all due respect to new innovations in digital audio (this is only one more step forward in what has been a very large number of improvements over the years), if you already like what you are hearing from your system right NOW, it is in no way "obsolete": after hearing an SHM-SACD of Steely Dan's "AJA" the other day, i was so startled by the holographic imaging and the lack of any false notes, i concluded Yet Again that improvements in software is the simplest and the least expensive way of re-visiting what your system is capable of. Although
$45 isn't cheap either, but whatever "they" did to this disc, it was definitely a huge improvement.

Ozzy: You have zero risk buying the PS Audio Direct Stream DAC since PS Audio has a 100% money back return policy. If the unit does not sound okay, you can return it and get your money back. In addition, PS Audio Customer Support is terrific if you need it.

Please see this link for the PS Audio return policy.

http://www.psaudio.com/returns-and-security/

I agree with you that many hi-end units require a break in time. For example, I own the Ayre QB-9 DSD DAC and their manual says the unit requires about 100-500 hours of break in time. My unit sounded much better after about 200 hours of use. It is fully broken in now and sounds terrific.

When you get the unit, please give us your impressions out of the box and again after some break in time.