Getting Started
©2014 PS Audio Inc. All rights reserved.
Owner’s Reference
DirectStream DAC
15-061-01-1
4826 Sterling Drive, Boulder, CO 80301
Rev A
PH: 720.406.8946 [email protected] www.psaudio.com
Getting Started
LOCATION
A good location for DirectStream is in a cabinet or on a shelf at an easily accessible height.
Care should be taken to keep it away from power amplifi ers or large potentially hum
inducing products. The IR (infrared) receiver for the remote is located to the left of the
Touch Screen. A direct line of sight will will help with DirectStream's IR sensor, which has
been greatly improved from its predecessor, the PWD.
STACKING DIRECTSTREAM WITH A PERFECTWAVE MEMORY PLAYER (PWT)
DirectStream and the PWT were designed to stack on top of each other if they are not
placed on separate shelves. To do this, remove the feet from the unit you wish to place on
top of the stack. Carefully place the top unit so it rests on the bottom unit. You will note
that the bottom of the corners of each PerfectWave piece is specially designed to mate
with the top corners of another PerfectWave.
DIGITAL INPUTS
DirectStream offers multiple digital input choices including: The Network Bridge II, XLR
(AES/EBU), RCA and TOSlink (S/PDIF), USB as well as I
2
S. All inputs, including USB, are
capable of accepting high-defi nition digital audio signals. The TOSlink input is capable of
96kHz, 24 bit audio and all other inputs, including the USB, are capable of handling up to
192kHz 24 bit of PCM or DoP data. The I
2
S inputs can handle single and double rate DSD
directly or DoP. Currently only the PS Audio NuWave Phono A/D Converter is capable of
sending pure DSD over I
2
S.
DirectStream uses an HDMI cable to transfer I
2
S data. This data can only be used with
another compatible component, such as the PerfectWave Memory Player, and will not
work in other HDMI equipment as the I
2
S format incorporated does not comply with the
HDMI standards. The HDMI connector and cable were chosen to carry the I
2
S signal
because of their superior high-speed data transmission capabilities for multiple clocks and
data lines. PS Audio publishes its I
2
S standard and it has been adopted by multiple other
manufacturers as well.
DoP (DSD over PCM) is a standard allowing single rate DSD to travel over S/PDIF (the RCA,
XLR and Network Bridge digital inputs are S/PDIF compatible) as well as over USB and I
2
S.
It is not currently possible to send DSD directly over S/PDIF and the DSD fi les must fi rst be
converted to DoP standards to travel this route.
It is possible to send DSD fi les (without conversion to DoP) over DirectStream's I
2
S inputs
as well as USB. Most programs, such as JRiver Media Center and Foobar 2000, will
automatically convert DSD fi les to the DoP standards on the fl y if the appropriate checkbox
has been enabled. There are no sonic penalties for conversion to DoP as the raw DSD
data is unaffected by the process.
Installation
Considerations
DoP
Digital Inputs
Available
1
