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Bidat vs. Perfecwave MSB Playback Design

Ok, so here goes. I love my Museatex Bidat. It is not going ANYWHERE. The rub comes in that I want to be able to access high res files. All my files are on HDD in AIFF format. I am torn between the Playback Design dac, the Perfect Wave and the MSB Platinum Dac 3. The problem is I have never had a chance to hear, let alone compare any of the 3 high res capable dacs mentioned. I can not afford to purchase all 3 simultaneously to do a head to head comparison. I wanted to know if anyone has compared any of these dacs to a Bidat. The Bidat (currently and for the last 10 years) has been my reference digital source. I have noticed that when most people compare new dacs they will say things like "the bottom was so much tighter" or "everything is so trasnparent". The Bidat is just "Right"; anyone who has heard the unit will immediately know to what I am referring.
That certain unmistakable ineffiable quality which sounds like ral music; it makes you believe (even if temporarily) that Jane Monheit is in your living room singing directly to you. I have had Wadia and a slew of others and they are all fine machines, but I need the unit I am looking for to have that certain 'life' quality which makes you forget about all the reviews, what other people think and just reside in that special place in yourself where all is right.

Ok, now that I've waxed poetic, any opinions would be greatly apprecited :)

Thanks,

Don
PS>the Dynavox Dynastation II was the ONLY other digital source that I have owned or heard to compete with the Bidat bu alas it was a CD player only thus I got rid of it.
audiofun
audiofun OP
799 posts
 
Vhiner thanks for the enthusiasm :) I will be posting the review (my own humble opinions) as soon as I get my Bidat back. As great as it sounds it was stock. John Wright of Museatex fame currently has my unit in hand and is doing the full upgrade on the unit. Soon as I get it back I will purchase a Perfect Wave Dac and break them both in simultaneously and do a review. I will take copious notes on the differences I perceive and then I will get a MSB Plat Dac 3 and repeat the procedure rounding it out with the Musical Playback Design. Can't afford to have them all at the same time :( If only :)
vhiner
544 posts
 
Audiofun, my modded Bidat took about 100 hours to burn in. A friend of mine in Miami just got his Bidat back from John this week and he'll be comparing it to a Consonance Droplet CDP once the Bidat's broken in. I'll pass along his impressions once I hear. Please email me when your review is posted. This is what makes the hobby so much fun!
audiofun OP
799 posts
 
I agree this is what makes the hobby fun. I have also decided to add a TT to my system in order to really be able to compare to my own analog front end. I have already compared my (pre modded) bidat to the SOTA Vac table (I think approc $5k) using a Lamm phono stage. The sound was so close it was crazy, we ended up listening to the Bidat as there was no reason to mess with the TT. Having said all that, I want a TT to play with. My music is now ALL on a HDD and so I only interact with the ipod touch or a tablet computer to control my mac mini. It will be cool to have everything setup. I will keep you posted.
vhiner
544 posts
 
Audiofun,

You've probably heard this, but I think you'll be very surprised by what John's mods are going to do for your 'dat. He manages to maintain that analog house sound while bringing enormous, rolling bass and subtle detail into a widened soundstage. I did a shoot out with it and
T + A 's top-of-the-line CDP, which is quite refined, and it was simply no contest. Thanks for keeping us posted.
njedi
10 posts
 
Looking forward to this DAC shootout! Awesome stuff!

The MSB DAC III is of particular interest to me. One can bypass the preamp altogether since the MSB provides an analog input. None of the other DACs could be used as a preamp in this fashion. Removing the preamp altogether in theory should simplify and improve the playback chain.
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