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This is a fair ask, leaning slightly ambitious rather than a bargain: at £4,300 it sits just above the £3,971 median and a touch over the £4,280 75th percentile from recent UK comparables. It’s not wildly out of line, but it’s priced at the top end of the current used market rather than as an easy pickup.
The reason it still merits attention is that the DirectStream has a strong reputation for natural tonality, dimensionality, and a very engaging, “musical” presentation, with plenty of enthusiasts still rating it highly for pure listening pleasure. At this money, I’d want a clean, well-kept unit with firmware history and the right accessories, but if the listing checks out, it’s a serious DAC from a respected line and a sensible buy for someone prioritizing sound over chasing the newest badge.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
PS Audio, a pioneering American hi-fi brand, traces its roots to 1973 when co-founder Paul McGowan launched the company in California alongside Stan Warren. Emerging from the analog golden age, it debuted with a standalone phono preamplifier, reflecting McGowan's early passion for vinyl playback honed through radio station connections and encounters with audio enthusiasts. The brand quickly evolved, embracing digital audio in the 1980s by releasing one of the first high-end CD players, the PS Audio CD-1, soon after Philips and Sony introduced the format.
Today, PS Audio specializes in premium electronics, including power amplifiers, preamplifiers, digital-to-analog converters (DACs), and integrated amplifiers, with a hallmark focus on power conditioning via innovative AC regenerators known as Power Plants. These devices, born from Stan Warren's mid-1980s discovery that oversized transformers enhance audio performance, remain a cornerstone. The lineup also encompasses digital lenses for refining streaming and disc playback, alongside select analog components, though it eschews speakers, headphones, turntables, or cables.
Positioned firmly in the high-end market, PS Audio commands respect among discerning audiophiles for its bold engineering and unwavering pursuit of musical purity. Celebrating 50 years in 2023, it occupies a niche as an innovator rather than a mass-market player, appealing to buyers who prioritize transformative power delivery and digital refinement in sophisticated systems.
See all PS Audio listings on RADAR.
