@nailzgun.
My friend had the opportunity to listen to the PS Audio AN3 loudspeaker at Axpona 2019. When he came back, he took his TEAC UD-501 Direct Stream DAC, we connected it to my Oppo Universal Player and pressed play.
Before I say WOW the associated equipment at my friends house was.
Infinity Kappa 9 from early 1987( a prototype K0055221, K0052324) recapped only in the mids and highs with Monacors and MKPs.
The rest of the crossover was okay, however we felt to remove the Polyswitches becouse they tend to take something away in the sound making a slitghy metallic eddy high end.
The Wonder Caps, Rels and Culvers were left in there and their specs were okay.
Preamp: Audio Research SP-11 fist version, updated Rels, more switched in series to increase speed, net filter included against dirty power and hum from outside
Power Amp: Threshold SA2e with standard caps, one cap switched before to increase speed.
Cabeling: G58U, Emotiva RCA, Neutrik connectors to loudspeakers
CD Player: Oppo - 93
DAC: TEAC UD-501
He told me the following becouse I was not able to attend the show.
I gotta tell you folks this combo easily blew away the AN-3. He told me that the transparency and dimensional sound was going far more beyond the speakers revealing more details. The highs you felt the space, breath of the singer causging you to get goose bumps and the midrange contrabass was something that really giggled on your stomach - a prickeling taste you felt on your skin and the woofers came out in that amazingly musical way that you almost heard the walls vibrating with the countours.
To sum it up and what I can tell you as well is that DSD Dacs have made a huge progress and that might the reason the AN-3 sounded better for most.
I have had similar experiences experimenting with new DACs that I almost outperformed any new loudspeaker when it came to experimenting with my Kappa 9s.
However, so far my friend believes the AN-3 is not currently able to outperform Arnies Kappa 9s and I assume this is why many people go with vintage stuff, becouse most of the developments I see is in high qualties DACs and loudspeakers over the years have not really become that much better.
Any experiences from other members are highly appreciated.