Placed the newly upgraded PS Audio DSD MKI DAC, which I sent to JK Richards to do the mods, into my system at around 6 pm yesterday evening after the system had been unplugged for two weeks and was pleasantly surprised how good the music flowing from it sounded. Normally my system remains turned on and in standby at all times, but even then, it takes at least 30 minutes to an hour of playing music before the sound really starts to gel to the point where I get lost in the music. Yesterday I was held captive immediately and remained affixed in my listening chair for 4 hours straight as I went through my music collection as if hearing these silver discs for the first time. The PS Audio MKI DAC was no slouch to start with, and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to music through it, but it’s an entirely new and more refined DAC now.
The top end is more detailed while also sounding smoother and more delicate. Cymbals have more shimmer and sparkle, and their presence lingers longer as the sound decays into a blacker background. The midrange and vocals sound absolutely stunning and to die for! Again the lower noise floor reveals subtle inflections in the vocals that were previously obscured, further suspending my disbelief.
The bass now digs deeper and is more controlled and articulate. The foundation of the music has more drive and bass lines are easy to follow now. I also noticed I don’t need to listen as loud in order to get the bass to come alive and really boogie. Before when listening at lower levels the bass never really had the presence and punch it did when turned up louder. Now even at much lower levels everything including the bass sounds prefectly balanced.
I can say without hesitation, this is the best bang for the buck upgrade I’ve ever made.
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I forgot about the shorting plugs, was going to purchase some to be shipped back with my DAC. Can anyone comment on the improvements they bring to the DAC?
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Been letting my upgraded DAC continue to break in when not listening via the USB stick on the PST. Listening this morning and the sound has continued to improve. Soundstage has expanded and image specificity has become more pinpoint and focused. Overall the music has become even more satisfying and intoxicating to listen to, leaving me grinning ear to ear. Thank you so much Jeff for making these upgrades available. Once everything settles in I'll be ordering the shorting plugs.
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I'm curious what properties nickel has that gives it an advantage over iron transformers? I still can't believe how much better the PS Audio DSD MKI sounds after replacing the off the shelf transformers with nickel transformers and upgrading the caps.
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What's up with the disappearing post's here?
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Can't give you a break down of the percentages of each mod, as I had Jeff install both mods for me. But I would estimate the percentage of both mods combined is easily a 50% improvement, but in terms of musical involvement and enjoyment, there's a night and day difference. Every parameter of the sound has improved. Considering the cost of the upgrades, even if you pay Jeff or someone else to install the mods, is a no brainer.
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Came from a stock DSD MKI.
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I haven't heard the DSD MKII, but it's been mentioned by those who have, that the modded DSD MKI sounds better. I'm wondering though, how much better does the modded MKII sound compared to the modded MKI?
From what I"m hearing from my modded MKI, It's hard to imagine the MKII could improve upon that.
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This DAC upgrade is insanely good. I initially let it burn-in non-stop via the USB stick on the PST, for 200 hrs, but the sound has continued to improve under normal use.
The soundstage is rock solid with vocals and instruments clearly defined and focused. The soundstage has also expanded in all directions, creating more separation and air around the performers. And the bass, OMG the bass, is crazy good. Tight, punchy, and incredibly rhythmic.
This is a component level upgrade, without the price tag.
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The reason I opted to send my DAC to JK Richards to have the nickel transformers and VOCM mod installed, other than I wan't comfortable doing it myself, is not because of some great sales pitch, it's because of all the great feedback from others who either did the mod themselves or sent their DAC to Jeff. The improvements to my DAC exceeded my expectations.
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That’s great to hear Jeff, but now I’m wishing I held off a little longer before sending my DAC off to get modded, so I could’ve had you do this latest upgrade as well.
Hopefully I can find someone locally in the Denver area to perform this mod.
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Will the whole DAC need to be sent in, in order to have this mod installed?
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Glad I jumped in before the supply chain issues kicked in.
Any updates on the 8139 opamp modification?
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I bit off topic, but was wondering if anyone knows what happened to Ted Smith?
Looks like he hasn't posted since June 2nd.
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I read that post the other day, and that it was going to be deleted in 6 days.
Just hoping everything is alright with Ted.
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Hi Richard, just curious what you think of the modded MKII with the latest FPGA update, compared to the modded MKI? I know before you mentioned that the MKII was only slightly better.
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Thanks for your input. Was entertaining the thought of upgrading to the MK2 and having it modded with the nickel transformers and caps. Seems like it's not a huge difference though, plus after reading through posts on PS Audio's forum, many are continuing to have issues. Perhaps down the road, if and when PS Audio irons out the many glitches, I'll reevaluate
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Has there been any kind of official statement explaining Ted's absence?
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Although I haven't head the MKII, I couldn't be happier with my decision to have my MKI modded. Every listening session is a deeply satisfying experience.
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I hope PS Audio irons out these quality control issues before too long. At some point I’d like to upgrade to the MKII, as I’m sure future firmware updates will improve the sound quality, like with the MKI.
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If I had to rate the value of audio products purchased or mods I've done over the years, the APS DSD MkI mod is at the top of the list. It transformed a decent DAC into a total beast. The value proposition is off the charts.
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How much of an improvement are the new signature series MKI transformers, and is a trade in possible?
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