PS Audio DirectStream Memory Player universal transport Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Analog Source: Acoustic Signature WOW XXL & TA-1000 turntable & tonearm, SoundSmith MIMC cartridge.
Digital Source: PS Audio PerfectWave transport & PerfectWave DirectStream DAC.
Preamplifier: Convergent Audio Technology SL-1 Renaissance Black Path Edition.
Power Amplifiers: McIntosh Laboratories MC275LE, Theta Digital Prometheus (monoblocks).
Loudspeakers: Monitor Audio Platinum PL300 II.
Cables: Interconnect, Speaker, AC: Nordost Valhalla 2.
Accessories: PS Audio PerfectWave Power Plant 5 power conditioner, Nordost QB8 AC-outlet strip, Furutech RD-2 CD demagnetizer, Arcici Suspense Rack, Audiodesksysteme Gläss Vinyl Cleaner, IsoAcoustics Gaia I speaker isolators.—Robert Deutsch

COMPANY INFO
PS Audio
4826 Sterling Drive
Boulder, CO 80301
(720) 406-8946
ARTICLE CONTENTS

COMMENTS
Stevelgbch's picture

I am looking for an excellent transport for my dCS Vivaldi DAC. Using the balanced digital I am assuming AES output would I get superior sound from this unit compared to the coax digital output of my Oppo UDP-203? I know I will not get the SACD output, but I very few SACDs.

romath's picture

Hard to imagine not. Ted Smith of PS Audio wrote that he was using the VanityHD card with his Oppo 103, which gave much better audio than the stock board, that is, until the DMP came out. Audio circuit aside, by eliminating the video portion the DMP is a more focused or specialized device and hence more likely to offer better quality audio (for me, the lack of video is a drawback practically speaking, so instead have ordered the Vanity card for the 203).

stereophilereader's picture

listed in specs but no mention in the review ?
there is no video output so how do you navigate the menus ?

georgehifi's picture

"A major feature that distinguishes the DMP from the PWT is the former's ability to play the DSD layer on SACDs. As mandated by Sony, the DSD bitstream on an SACD layer is encrypted, to prevent illegal copying; to allow the DSD bitstream to be sent to the DAC, PS Audio developed a proprietary handshake protocol between the DMP and their DirectStream DACs, using the I2S interface implemented with HDMI connections. This keeps both Sony and PSA happy: the handshake protocol prevents copyright violations, and gives PSA DACs access to SACD's DSD bitstream. If a DAC other than a DirectStream is used, or if the DMP–DirectStream connection is not made with I2S, the playback will be of the PCM-CD layer."

When are Sony going to give up protecting SACD!!!
This is an expensive transport.
But to do SACD on it you have to have PS Audio's dac, never to be changed.

Cheers George

David Harper's picture

bits are, in fact, bits.The "timing errors" you suggest as the reason for the improvement would be on the order of 1/1,000,000,000 (one one-billionth)of one second. I think I can state with confidence that no human, or even a dog,could hear this "improvement". So maybe the improvement in the sound is the placebo effect. You high-end guys have to learn about the power of the placebo effect.

David_A's picture

I've been waiting for a review of this transport for comments about how it performs outputting SACD over the coax and optical outputs. I know you say that:

"If a DAC other than a DirectStream is used, or if the DMP–DirectStream connection is not made with I2S, the playback will be of the PCM-CD layer"

but on page 10 of the manual PS audio state:

"Without entering the setup menu, DMP will play the stereo SACD layer when connected to an authorized PS Audio DAC. If connected otherwise, DMP will output a downsampled PCM version of the stereo DSD layer, at twice that of RedBook CD: 88.2kHz/24 bit.".

So, does this player convert DSD to 88.2kHz/24 bit PCM on the coax and optical outputs or not? If it does, how does that sound after processing by a decent DAC compared to digital output from the CD layer fed to the same DAC? I'd really like to know because I use a Devialet amp and my choices for SACD playback are currently to feed the Devialet the analog output from my player and have the Devialet then convert that to 96/24 PCM and then back to analog, or just feed the Devialet the digital output from the CD layer.

I've seen a couple of reviews of this player now and every review has claimed that you only get the CD layer output through the coax and optical outputs despite the fact that the manual actually does say the DSD layer is converted to 88.2/24 for those outputs.

allhifi's picture

I suppose your following remarks are self-explanatory:

"My initial listening to the DMP was with its stock HDMI cable, ... but I had to hear what the DMP would sound like with something better. For this, I chose 1m lengths of Nordost Heimdall 2 4K UHD and AudioQuest Coffee."

" ...Compared to the PS Audio link, the Nordost and AudioQuest HDMIs were more detailed, with better soundstage definition. In a shoot-out between the Nordost and AQ, however, my preference was for the Nordost. The AQ was more laid-back, the Nordost more lively and dynamic, with a greater sense of transparency."
Indeed, these are notable, worthy improvements. But then you say:

" ...The magnitude of improvement with the Nordost or AQ cables wasn't great—much less than between the PWT and DMP—but it was definitely worthwhile."

Oh man, where to start? At once, the $600. after-market digital cable was given considerable ink espousing its virtues, and then:

" The magnitude of improvement with the Nordost or AQ cables wasn't great ..."
(" ... —much less than between the PWT and DMP—but it was definitely worthwhile.)

Do you actually read what you write ? Where's the logic here? Where's the editor?

You nonchalantly throw at the reader that (using your words): " Each costs about $600, or 10% of the DMP's price—a not-unreasonable price for an upgrade ..." Not unreasonable ?

And then inform us not a few paragraphs later that: "The magnitude of improvement with the Nordost or AQ cables wasn't great —much less than between the PWT and DMP—but it was definitely worthwhile."

Definitely worthwhile, you say ! Six hundred bones for both all that improvement that in the end offers up very little improvement (to the throw-in digital cable) -or to use your priceless words, again: " The magnitude of improvement with the Nordost or AQ cables wasn't great ..."

I'll say this: "The magnitude of improvement brought forth from future professional (talented) writer/reviewers shall relegate such "reviews" to the forgettable, regrettable and embarrassing past.

Talk about a (desperate) need for change; radical, deliberate and swift.

pj

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