IMO, if the new DS DAC does not wow you when swapping in the old one, if you are really struggling to hear a difference, it’s not worth it. You should have already a good baseline with the old one. Put the new one, listen. Does it wow you? Put back the old one, listen again. Is the sound degraded? If the answer is “no”, or “I am not sure”, then it’s not worth it. There is nothing scientific with this simple approach, but that’s what I would do, personally
Comparing Directstream 1 and 2
I have one more week left in my 30 day trial of the PS Audio Directstream 2. I’ve had some personal (medical) issues which have limited my listening. Also, even though I know better than to rely on reviewers’ opinions, I’m a little put off by the unusually negative review in Stereophile. My wife, who has better ears than me, has offered a couple of hours to compare my current Directstream 1 with the Directstream 2. Here’s my question: What order is most effective for the comparison? is it better to begin listening to my current 1 and then listen to the new 2 or vice versa? Going back and forth takes me a while —there are 5 or 6 cables to move—and my wife will get impatient so I won’t be able to do very many comparisons -maybe 2- with about 10 minutes in between for set up. I also would appreciate any other suggestions for this momentous comparison-what to listen to (we mainly prefer classical and soft vocal options), how long to listen before switching, and anything else that might help. Thanks,