August 1, 2015. PS Audio has announced the release of the latest operating system, Yale, for its highly acclaimed DirectStream DAC. Software engineer Ted Smith had worked with the PS Audio engineering crew to develop the DirectStream, a DAC that upsamples and converts all input signals to DSD. Rather than using a conventional DAC chip, signal processing is performed with a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The FPGA architecture allows designers to future-proof their DACs at no additional cost to consumers.  Named after a Colorado mountain that peaks at more than 14,000 feet, Yale succeeds Pike’s Peak, a previous OS upgrade that provided broader source compatibility, reduced sensitivity to jitter, and proprietary resource management.  Smith discussed the development of Yale: “I rewrote about half of the DSP code to take advantage of what we learned about noise and jitter from the Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).”

PS Audio Founder and CEO Paul McGowan describes the sonic impact of the Yale operating system as “a revelation in the way it provides added spatial and low level information. Voices that once had noticeable reverb which seemed to come from nowhere, now have taken on a life of their own, and I can clearly identify the source of reverb as if it reflected from the room. Extraordinary levels of detail and added information and space become apparent with Yale.” All DirectStream DACs shipped after August 1, 2015 will be equipped with the Yale OS.  Current owners of DirectStream DACs can download the new software from PS Audio’s website and transfer it to their units via an SD card. For more information, PS Audio technology support can be reached at 720-406-8946 (8 AM to 5 PM, Mountain Standard Time).