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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
vhiner
544 posts
 
Njedi,

I ran my Bidat directly into my amplifier for many years. The resolution was amazing, but the "hi-fi" etch was always a problem. I finally started experimenting with tube preamps and was simply floored by the improvement without ANY loss in resolution and articulation. I can't speak for other DACS but the Bidat is best run through a tube preamp or a very, very good solid state preamp. I know a number of other people who have tried skipping the preamp with their DACS and, while there are some advantages (money saving being the biggest) the DAC preamps are generally not up to Class A preamp performance. Just my two cents.
audiofun OP
799 posts
 
Hmm, I used to run my Bidat directly into the amp (I owned a Super Bidat in the late 1997-98) and my new Bidat which is currently with John Wright being converted to the Super and Plus updates (which by the way John informed is now both updates rolled up into one simple called the 'Plus' update) directly into my amps. I have never ever heard a Bidat have even a smidgen of etch. I was surprised to read that Vhiner. My 1st Bidat used to feed (if I remember correctly my Kora 100SB Triodes (at the time) and then I think my Tube Research Labs GT200 (but that would have been through the TRL pre). My current Bidat was feeding a solid state amp of my design and the sound has beaten many a tube amp I compared it to.
vhiner
544 posts
 
My bidat is the super/plus version and I agree that the DAC is NOT prone to etch compared to other DACS...it's a relative term. Bear in mind that, at the time, I owned Thiel 3.6 speakers, which are, themselves, prone to over articulation. However, even with the Thiel CS3.7's, the Super/Plus bidat sounds better through a preamp. As usual, though, your mileage may vary. I just wouldn't broadly recommend that anyone bypass a preamp...John Wright and Moray James both strongly recommend that the Bidat be used with a preamp. In fact, John refers to the Bidat's volume control function as "flawed" as far as his ears are concerned. FWIW.
vhiner
544 posts
 
Audiofun,

I should add that an amp of your own design puts something in the equation that I know utterly nothing about. If you're talented enough to create your own amp, I'm sure it sounds fantastic as you have it set up.
audiofun OP
799 posts
 
I understand. I am very hard on preamps and I have only found a couple that I have found memories of. Best I ever heard period was my TRL pre, the Joule was ok, I hated my Sim Audio P5...etc. I want to try the Wyred 4Sound unit, a trusted buddy thought it was as good as his Esoteric C03, which he ended up selling. Lots of choices out there and it's all fun!
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