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Berkeley dac2/Alpha USB vs ps audio perfect wave ?


I want to try going without a preamp but want to have very good quality dac sound to make it a fair right (I will demo vs the existing preamp before I pull it out ). I've kinda narrowed this down to these two set ups based on reviews , features, and ease of resale if I change my mind. Perfect wave is about half the total cost if you pick it up on Audiogon. Both Computeraudiohile and absolute sound raved about Berkeley, and both gave very good reviews to the perfect wave 2 but without comparing it directly to Berkeley .

(I already have the Berkeley USB but I know I could resell easily so im not locked into that choice ).
audiojbva
ejlif's avatar
ejlif
1,376 posts
 
John,

What do you mean by hassles in implementation? I have mine hooked up via USB and can't imagine what could be a problem. I've also had not one problem with the optical input either. I'm guessing you may be referring to the bridge? I have not tried that though Paul from PS Audio said there will soon be a direct way to hook up via Ethernet that will be as simple as using the USB connection.
edorr
714 posts
 
True. The only issues you may encounter are when using the bridge, but this is a feature the Berkeley does not have in the first place, so this should not be a disqualfier of the PWD MKII. If you stick with USB, you should never have any issues.
jdoris
972 posts
 
My problem **was** in fact with USB implementation: brief interruptions of play ("skipping"), usually once a track.

By luck, after 8 months of headaches, I figured out it was problem involving the interaction between the PWD and my MACbook (it did not occur when I swapped in another DAC, nor did it occur when I used a CDP as transport).

Both the MAC "geniuses" and PSA disclaimed knowledge of how to resolve the problem, and responsibility for doing so.

A random software update after I'd decided to give up on PSA resolved the problem. I kept the PWD, but the experience did very little to improve my mood.

Best,

John
edorr
714 posts
 
Interesting. Never heard of USB related problems with the PWD MKII. Bad luck. Plenty issues with the bridge though.
knghifi
1,668 posts
 
I never had a problem with the bridge or coaxial connections. Use bridge for music collection on pc and coaxial with SB Touch for internet radio.

Just plug in ethernet cable, select "bridge" and voila, music!

I do find PS Audio software is much inferior to SB. Some of the reported problems are trivial for any competent engineer.
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