DirectStream DAC

A pure DSD approach to play back digital audio

Built in Boulder All units handmade to order in Boulder, Colorado

You are looking at the latest PS Audio DirectStream DAC in Black with the bridge II upgrade.  I have used this DAC for less than a year and is by far the best sounding DAC I have ever heard.  It is a part of my reference system and I am downsizing.  It is priced to move and in like new condition with all of the original accessories and packaging.  Thank you for your consideration and all other items in the photos are for sale as well.

“Astounding“, “Gave up vinyl finally“, “Never heard anything like it!” Product of the year in both Stereophile and TAS, Darko Knock Out award, Editor’s choice and Golden Ear awards. DirectStream is one of the most remarkable DACS ever built and the reviewers agree. Hand written, discrete, perfection based conversion that uncovers all the missing information hiding in your digital audio media. CD’s, high-resolution PCM or DSD based media are expertly upsampled in the DirectStream to twenty times DSD rate and output as pure analog directly into your amplifier or preamplifier. Now, full MQA, Tidal (including Masters), Spotify, VTuner, Qobuz, and Roon ready with Bridge II installed.

• Pure 100% DSD based D to A Converter
• Fully upgradable through software releases
• Resolution perfect volume and balance controls built in
• Upsamples PCM and DSD to 20x DSD rate
• DXD support
• Purely passive transformer coupled output
• Improves imaging and soundstage
• Simple, direct signal path with one master clock
• Hand written filters, processors and upsamplers
• Immune to incoming jitter problems from different sources
• Increased digital headroom
• No off-the-shelf IC DAC chips used
• Uncovers musical details masked by typical PCM based processors
• 7 digital inputs
• MQA and Tidal ready with optional Bridge II
• Fully balanced from input to output
• Color touch screen

Physical

Unit Weight22 lbs [9.97 kg]Unit Dimensions14” x 17” x 4” [ 36cm x 43cm x 10cm]Shipping Weight31 lbs [14 kg]Shipping Dimensions20.5”x 24” x 10” [52cm x 61cm x 25cm]

Power requirements

Input PowerModel specific 100VAC, 120VAC, or 230VAC 50 or 60HzPower Consumption30W

Digtial audio inputs

I2S(2), Coax, XLR Balanced, TOSLINK, USB, Network Bridge slot

Sample Rates

I2S, and USB -- 44.1kHz to 352.8kHz 16bit, 24bit, DSD 64, DSD 128
TOSLINK – 44.1kHz to 96kHz 16bit, 24bit
XLR (AES/EBU)S/PDIF (coax)-- 44.1kHz to 192kHz 16bit, 24bit, DSD 64

Analog Audio Output

ConnectorRCA/XLR Unbalanced /Balanced (X2)Output level, low0.282 VRMS Balanced
0.141 VRMS Single EndedOutput level high, maximum2.818 VRMS Balanced
1.414 VRMS Single EndedOutput Impedance100Ω/200ΩFrequency Response20-20KHz +/- 0.25dBTHD&IM @ 1KHz (full scale)<0.03%Output StagePassive audio transformer, fed by high current, high speed analog amps producing double rate DSD.

Data Handling

FormatPCM or DSDSample rate (PCM)44.1kHz, 48.0kHz, 88.2kHz, 96.0kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 352.8kHzWord length (PCM)16b, 18b, 20b, 24bData rate (DSD)Standard (2.8MHz) or Double (5.6MHz) DoP as well as raw DSD on I2S and USB inputsInput jitter reductioneffectively 100%, residual immeasurable. No input PLLs, FLLs.Input Processing170MHzSignal Processing50MHzSynchronous Upsampling, all inputs28.224MHzDigital Processing S/N ration>146 dBDigital Volume ControlZero loss of precisionAnalog Conversion methodDelta Sigma (DSD) Single-bit double rate

I2S Digital Input

ConnectorHDMIFormatPCM or DSD. DoP on all inputs as well as raw DSD on I2S inputs

USB Digital Input

ConnectorUSB “B” TypeFormatPCM or DoP v1.1 (DSD over PCM)Transfer modeAsynchronous