How To

How to fix USB connectivity issues with DACs
It is important on a Windows computer to install the PS Audio driver before connecting the PS Audio DAC. During the install process you will be asked to connect the intended DAC for the PC to recognize. If this process has not been followed, it may be necessary to uninstall the USB driver and start over according to these instructions. Power off the DAC Unplug the USB cable from both ends. Restart the PC Uninstall the PS Audio USB driver from the "Program and Features" control panel Restart the PC... Read more...
How to format an SD Card
Sometimes it is necessary to format or reformat an SD card before using it to upgrade firmware in a PS Audio product. Cards can become corrupt and reformatting them typically brings them back to life. We recommend downloading an application, offered freely by the SD Card foundation, specific to the task. For Mac computers, use this application: https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_4/eula_mac/index.html For Windows based machines, use this: https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_4/eula_windows/index.html Agree to the licensing requirements, download the application and install on your computer. Follow the instructions. It is recommend to use the full reformat option... Read more...
How to install a DSD kit
The DirectStream DAC is one of the best DACS ever built. Many will wish to convert their older PerfectWave DACS to this new reference standard. Conversion Kits may be purchased to convert. The three videos below will help you make the installation easy and rewarding. Read more...
How to update with an SD card
Many of PS Audio's products enjoy the benefits of updates to keep them sounding great as well as fix bugs and make improvements to functionality. These updates are typically performed through the use of an SD memory card. This video explains how to perform this function. The types of SD cards and formatting them can be found here: https://www.psaudio.com/ps_faq/sd-card-questions/ httpv://youtu.be/trByH4QwZCY Read more...
How to upgrade the DirectStream Operating System
One of the beauties of DirectStream and DirectStream Junior DACs are their ability to have their operating systems upgraded. Operating system upgrades bring new levels of performance to your DirectStream, similar to a physical hardware update. Operating system upgrades are typically free. Installing new firmware on DirectStream or DirectStream Junior is a simple procedure. The entire update is stored on an SD memory card (similar to what you might find in a digital camera for memory) in the case of DirectStream, or a USB memory stick for DirectStream Junior. The... Read more...
How to setup JRiver and the Bridge
These instructions are for Windows computers but with few exceptions, they are the same for Mac versions of Jriver. This tutorial applies to both Bridge 1 and Bridge II. First step is to make sure your computer is connected, via an ethernet cable, to your home router. Second step is to make sure the PerfectWave Bridge is connected, via Ethernet cable, to that same home router. Download and install JRiver. Click Here for both Windows and Mac versions. Open JRiver and go to HELP/UPDATE CHANNELS and select STABLE Go to... Read more...
How to build a music server
Here are instructions on how to build a high quality. easy to use Music Server for less than $1,000. This article is distilled from Paul's Post series, starting here. With the goal of a small, quiet, affordable, lightweight box without a keyboard, mouse or screen, the choices available to us narrow down quickly. Many of you suggested a laptop. I nixed this choice immediately because of size. Even a small 13″ laptop is huge, relative to what we have in mind for our project, and doubles in size when you... Read more...
How To manage your library in iTunes
Managing your media library properly can bring great rewards. If you are using iTunes as a management tool on a Mac, make sure you use an aftermarket program such as Bit Perfect, Audirvana, Pure Music or Amarra to get the sound right. Our specific recommendation is for Bit Perfect. If you are running iTunes in a Windows environment, we are still searching for a way to make it bit perfect if sample rates change. Add music from a hard drive or data source To bring music into the iTunes library... Read more...
How to use an external HD with iTunes
In many cases we may wish to use iTunes as our media interface, especially if we use an add on program to help iTunes sound good such as, Bit Perfect, Amarra, Pure Music, Audirvana. And when using iTunes as the media organizer for ur library, we may also wish to store our media on an external hard drive. iTunes allows users to choose where their music libraries are located: either locally or over a network. By default, iTunes stores music and media on the computer's main internal hard drive, in... Read more...
How to convert file types in iTunes
Converting one file type to another is easy in iTunes, either on a Windows or Mac computer. There are two types of files iTunes will not deal with: FLAC and WMA. iTunes will handle most everything else. If your music is stored on your computer or an external hard drive or NAS and is managed with the iTunes interface, then it is a simple matter to convert one format, such as ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio CODEC) to AIFF or vice versa. The first step is to open iTunes Preferences. Go... Read more...
How to fit the DS analog board to fit without excessive force
If you are having a little trouble getting the DirectStream analog board to fit into the PerfectWave DAC, with the conversion kit, here's some handy advice. 0) Make sure the gold nuts on the RCA jacks are REMOVED. This will interfere with the fit no matter what you do. 1) With the analog board OUT of the chassis, remove the one black 6-32 SEMS screw from the back of the power supply board you had put in at step 3c. This screw attaches the power supply board to the back... Read more...
How to calibrate a PerfectWave Touch Screen
The touch screens on PerfectWave products can get off registration or may not have been set exactly right from the factory. In this case, it is possible to recalibrate the touch screen through a simple process. Turn the DAC off from the master switch in the back panel. Let the unit discharge for 10-20 seconds. Then turn the unit on while holding down the PS Audio blue button on the top left corner of the front panel. This should bring the unit to a screen calibration. You will have to... Read more...
How to run a bit perfect test with DirectStream
We have a bitperfect test you can perform with your comper and DirectStream Here are the reasons why you might wish to do this: There are multiple reasons people might want to have bit perfect transmission from their player to their DAC: 1) They want to play DSD via DoP 2) They want to send, DTS to a processor which decodes DTS into multiple channels. 3) They want to verify that the player or OS isn’t accidentally doing some sort of “evil” processing (e.g. upsampling) 4) They want to do... Read more...
How to setup Vinyl Studio
Vinyl Studio is the recommended choice for transferring vinyl to the computer using the PS Audio NuWave Phono Converter. Here is a step-by-step video tutorial on setting it up. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB1vlAFd5Mc&list=PLd_UBKioKrnbyjgKbVI1f7LmCRECa2HS2 Read more...
How to update firmware in the NPC
To update the firmware in the NPC (NuWave Phono Converter)you will need a blank USB memory stick of about 1GB. Smaller is ok as well, as the size of the downloaded file is small. Go to our downloads page and find the driver or firmware you need for your product. Download the file, which will be in a zip (compressed) format. Unzip the file. Prepare the USB stick To prepare the USB stick we suggest doing a quick format prior to loading the new firmware (erase all the old files)... Read more...
How to setup JRiver 19 for DSD playback
Setup PS Audio PerfectWave DSD DAC in JRiver version 19 with a USB connection to your computer (instructions for network streaming at the end of this page): Download and launch JRiver version 19. Connect the PerfectWave DSD DAC to your Windows computer using a USB cable. Now to configure JRiver to play to the PerfectWave DSD DAC, From the top menu bar select Tools>Options, bringing up this menu: Under Audio Device select ‘PS Audio PerfectWave DSD ’ Under Bitstreaming, select DSD: Then under DSP & output format click on output... Read more...
How to record DSD with the NPC
This document is a short cut for Recording audio files in DSD mode with a Windows computer. For a more complete tutorial go here: https://www.psaudio.com/support/recording-with-vinyl-studio/ 1) Download and install VinylStudio: http://www.alpinesoft.co.uk/VinylStudio/download.aspx 2) In the Main window Create a new collection at: File>New Collection 3) Create an album : Enter An Artist/Performer, and an Album title. Press Create Album 4) Click on Recording Options 5) Select DSF or DFF, and then click on DSF (or DFF) Options 6) In the file options menu choose standard or double rate. Click on OK... Read more...
How to update Bridge 1 firmware
The PS Audio Network Bridge connects the PerfectWave DAC and the DirectStream DAC to a home network. It is a slide in PCB and the upgrade of its firmware is reasonably easy to do. If your Bridge is installed in a PerfectWave DAC and you are upgrading to a DirectStream DAC, it will be necessary to also upgrade the Bridge firmware to communicate with DirectStream. The latest Bridge firmware is backwards compatible and will work with either model of DAC. Bridge version 0.2.15 is now available. Your firmware update button... Read more...
How to play DSD files on Foobar
DirectStream is able to play DSD files from a computer over USB, or the coaxial, balanced or I2S inputs. To do so, the DSD files need to be converted to DoP (DSD over PCM). This process is typically handled on the fly by programs like JRiver. Foobar, the free Windows media player can be setup as well to play DoP. In addition, it is possible to play original extracted ISO files (what's on an SACD) through Foobar if setup properly. This process is not for the faint of heart, necessarily,... Read more...
How to install the Windows driver for DirectStream, PWD MKII, NuWave and NPC
Setting up on a Windows Computer requires the installation of our USB driver available for free download here. These instructions apply to the PerfectWave DAC MKII, the NuWave DAC, DirectStream DAC and NPC Phono Converter. Connect the DAC or NPC to your computer via USB Once you have downloaded the driver, but before you install the driver, connect the device to the computer's USB input and make sure USB is enabled. With the device powered on, connected to the computer through a USB cable not to exceed 5 meters in... Read more...
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