Though it has been on the market for the last five years, the PS Audio DirectStream DAC is still new and evolving. How so?

APS Audio DirectStream DACT

Unlike other DACs, it contains a FPGA instead of an off-the-shelf chip. An FPGA is a field programmable gate array, which allows the chip to be customized with handwritten filters, processors and up-samplers. With a stock DAC chip, you get, well, whatever sound qualities are built into it by the manufacturer. Think of PS Audio’s chip as software and stock DAC chips as hardware. This means the DAC can be upgraded through new software releases. (Currently, the latest program is called Snowmass).

Other innovations include the conversion of all incoming digital signals (PCM or DSD) to 20 times the DSD rate. Then they are down-sampled to two times the DSD rate and run through a low pass filter to the analog outputs. This means it’s immune to incoming jitter from the source and is fully balanced from input to output. The Direct Stream DAC has seven digital inputs (optical, coaxial, USB, XLR, two I2S and ethernet) with both balanced and unbalanced outputs.

PS Audio DirectStream DAC Back Panel

It will play incoming PCM signals up to 352.8kHz/24 bits and DSD double (5.6MHz), DoP (DSD over PCM), as well as raw DSD on the USB and I2S inputs. Mine came with Bridge II which makes the DAC a streamer as well. It can stream MQA, Spotify, Tidal, and in my case, Qobuz. Even my lowly CD collection sounds amazing! The Direct Stream has been a paradigm shifter in my music room. Hearing some hi-res music through this device, I have become smitten. See my upcoming review here soon!