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Just got the PS Audio Perfectwav DAC -- Amazing

For the last year my system has consisted of the Slim Devices Transporter (Transport + DAC) -> Bel Canto Ref1000 -> Anthony Gallo Ref 3.1

I listen to all my music digitally (lossless/flac). I was very happy with my original system but when the Perfectwave DAC came out I was intrigued. For quite a while I debated between the PW and keeping the transporter or modding it via Modwright.

I ended up getting the PW and though I can't compare it to a modded transporter, it blows the stock transporter out of the water. I should note that since the network bridge isnt out for the PW, I am currently streaming music via the transporter -> coaxial out (spdif) -> PW.

I have only listened for ~5 hours so far, but things I have noticed right away is much cleaner/tighter bass. The low end is so much more accurate than it was before. When comparing, the transporter sounded very muddy (even though at the time I though it was quite good). The mids and highs are tighter as well. The separation has improved quite a bit as well. I have immediately noticed that the loudness of different instruments is wider spread than listening to the same songs on the transporter.

Hope this helps! If anyone has any questions about the PW or the transporter I will try my best to answer them.
danyal711
audiofun
799 posts
 
The bridge is a card which will allow the unit to connect wirelessly to your network, where you might have a NAS (Network Attached Storage (a fancy way of saying a hard drive connected over the network instead of plugged directly into the computer)) drive. This is supposed to (according to PS Audio) have the exact advantage and sound every bit as good as hooking up to there PWT as the bridge is said to have a built in digital lens.

I would probably buy this dac if the bridge were currently available but as it stands to the only transport/player I will buying is either the new Cambridge BluRay or the OppoBDP83 and then I am sending it off to MSB for the XPORT upgrade in order to have a SACD transport and BluRay player (you of course have to have a MSB dac with XPORT in order to take advantage of this). Hope that helps.
trebejo
102 posts
 
The digital volume control seems like such a deal breaker.

If you pay something in the neighborhood of $3k, for the sake of hi-fi, only to watch the accuracy of the system go away dramatically with a digital volume knob, it seems a shame.

I think that the $400 DacMagic paired with a midfi preamp (altogether, less than $1k) would sound better than a $3k DAC that uses a digital volume knob.
2chnlben
595 posts
 
I think that the $400 DacMagic paired with a midfi preamp (altogether, less than $1k) would sound better than a $3k DAC that uses a digital volume knob.

You're thinking is way off. It simply is not possible that the $400 DacMagic paired with a midfi preamp could ever sound as good as the PWD. I assume that you have not heard the PWD for yourself and are merely speculating. If you have the opportunity, listen for yourself…

There is no loss in the upper 50 percent of the digital volume with the PWD used as a preamplifier. That said, I prefer to use a preamplifier – with the PWD volume set at 100 percent.
trebejo
102 posts
 
2chnlben, do your homework on how a digital volume control gets the job done.

On the other hand, if you cannot tell the difference between an mp3 version of a song and the version on the CD, then you might be OK with it...
2chnlben
595 posts
 
Trebejo

No need for the immature rhetoric…homework aside, the PWD is simply in another league compared to what you offered as a “better alternative.” The type of conjecture that you offer happens all of the time at this, and other sites – in that a someone make a generalization or even an attempted rationalization about a given product based on everything (except) hands-on experience and primary knowledge of said product. I’d say that is a bit impetuous…
What’s an MP3 anyway!
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