Opinions on PS Audio Direct Stream DAC (Mk 1)

@magon i’ve had this DAC for over a month now. Bought it from TMR after I sold my Bricasti M3 as a hold over until I step up to something better.

First of all, I don’t agree that this is old technology. The DAC uses FPGA custom programmed by the designer Ted Smith. Rob Watts uses FPGA in his Chord DAC designs as well. PS Audio can be updated, Chord can’t be.
I haven’t tried any older versions but the latest Sunlight sounds great. In my system this DAC sounds excellent. Very natural, no hint of digital harshness, great resolution and soundstage. The noise floor is slightly higher than with the Bricasti DAC but can be mitigated by dropping the DAC volume from 100 to 92. The tone is warmer and more intimate than the Bricasti without any loss in resolution or dynamics. 
The DAC reacts well to upgraded power cords so there’s still room for improvement there. 

Overall, at the current prices offered by TMR this DAC is a ridiculous bargain.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

TMR will entertain an offer. Their return policy is 30 days on this with small restocking fee. Not much to lose. 

You won’t regret it! It’s factory “refreshed”. Mine looks brand new even has plastic protective film on top lid. +1 @krelldog on all points. 

@jfrmusic had an upgrade itch. I was always curious about the ps audio dsd and saw a good deal and couldn’t pass it up. As it unexpectedly turned out I like the DSD DAC a lot so for now I’m just enjoying music. Next step most likely Bricasti M1S2 or M21. We’ll see.

@audiom3 just curious what version firmware were you running?

Cool. Could be just bad synergy. It’s very detailed in my system and treble is excellent 

@magon I’d give it 24-48hrs of on/play time. Not sure if anything was changed inside as part of the “factory refreshed” process so just let it run. Overall your assessment is pretty accurate but I wouldn’t classify it as monotonous though.
It’s bombastic when the music calls for it but overall it’s a gentle giant. Coming from a cooler sounding DAC it may take some time to begin appreciating this DAC’s qualities.

One thing I found with the PS Audio DAC that’s critical is the quality of power. I have a dedicated line for my system and don’t use power conditioner but changing a power cable on this DAC to a better one brought out lower noise floor and more detailed sound while still remaining natural and musically engaging. 

@shooter41 try DH Labs. 

@shooter41 I keep mine on 24/7. It doesn’t like to be disconnected/powered down and it takes about a day to come back to optimal performance. 
I have a set of nobsound springs that are laying around. I was bored and decided to try them under the DSD DAC. I’ve not had good luck with vibration control in the past under any of the components but placing the DAC feet directly onto the springs tightened up the bass and resulted in a bit more clarity and high frequency sparkle. Still getting used to it and will try the springs under the chassis next and will play with loading. Interesting results so far though. Getting used to it for few days before I continue the experiment. 
As far as power cords, I’m using Nordost Heimdall 2 and Frey 2. Nice improvement in details and instrument separation compared to stock cord or the AQ Tornado that I used previously. 
Overall this DAC is a pleasure to listen to. 

@magon synergy is key. If it doesn’t gel in your system, move on.
I have zero brightness with this DAC in my setup and have no issues with bass. Mismatched impedance between components can result in what you’re describing. Send it back. 
 

@shooter41 yep! I turn the screen off on all my components. I was happy to see the PS Audio dac has this option. Safe to keep on. One other thing…I reboot the dac and the streamer about once or twice a week. I also reboot my network biweekly. Just to flush out garbage in memory and buffer and get things running fresh.