PS Audio unveils their PS Audio Directstream DAC

Ejr1953,
You may want to stick to the 1.2.1 version a while longer. Folks over at the PS Audio forum site are rolling back and forth the 1.2.1 vs the latest Pikes Peak update.
The gist of it is that, compared to 1.2.1 :-
1. PP gives more detail, widens the soundstage but foreshortens it
2. PP gives a leaner presentation with less "meat on the bones".

Jon2020,

You stated that people have observed that PP foreshortens the sound stage and has less meat on the bones, in comparison with 1.2.1.

My impression, and that of many others, is that there is actually more meat on the bones. But that the sound stage suffers, in some cases. It is more than about it being foreshortened. In my system the feeling of air and natural imaging I heard with 1.2.1 is missing. Some others have experienced the same thing, but most have not.

The DS DAC is truly awesome. The PS Audio team is the best audio team I have ever seen, providing a world class DAC with free software upgrades. The PS Audio team do their best with each successive version but they recognize that it is inevitable that one size may not always fit all. The easy solution is that you can revert to an earlier version if the latest version is not to your liking. So, in the end, there is no problem.

Sabai,
It is as usual, about system synergy and personal taste. I guess those with already warm systems may cotton up to PP but those whose systems are on the lean/dry side would rather stay with v1.2.1. My humble suggestion to the PS Audio team would be to not call each firmware version an upgrade but rather have all versions switchable on a whim like different settings/strokes for different folks. That should make the DS extremely versatile and one heck of a desirable one for everyone.

Jon2020,

My system is not on the "dry side". I have a tube amp and a tube preamp. By the way, all PS Audio firmware versions are already "switchable on a whim". All you need to do is insert the SD card and away you go. So, there is never a problem choosing and using the firmware that best suits your system.

Sabai,
What I mean by switchable on a whim, is that one could have all the different versions switched to instantly without a reboot, use each to compare for different recordings(much like filter/upsampling settings) and then choose a particular version instantly the next time one plays the same recording. This would make the DS a dream machine for many. It's like FPGA settings instead of filter or upsampling options.