PS Audio PW vs. Bryston BDA-1 vs. Wyred 4 Sound

Well, it's actually not full volume control, it let's you adjust the gain to 4 levels, from 0 to minus 3 db.

Not to hijack but I'm very curious how your changing the gain/volume on your Bryston. I have the remote and have read the instructions and I still have been unable to achieve this.

I'm also curious to hear about the Wyred 4 Sound dac2 after it becomes available.

Considering that the Perfect Wave DAC can be purchased new for as little as $2,100 from some e-tailers (hunt around and you will find one), this should be a no-brainer. It is a great DAC that sounds wonderful using the coaxial digital input and is absolutely stunning using the I2S input. The latter can be accessed with the PW Transport or (when it is released) through the network Bridge. I owned the Ayon CD2 in a second system (now dismantled). The PW DAC + Transport sounded far superior to the Ayon. And many here on Audiogon carry a torch for the Ayon CD-2. If the PW DAC + Transport is far superior to the Ayon CD-2, I doubt the Bryston or W4S DAC-2 are better than the Perfect Wave DAC.

I have to second Mcondon opinion regarding the PerfectWave DAC. I am blown away on how good my system is now that mine is burned in.

I use it with the Oppo BDP83SE digital out and a Squeezebox 3. Amazing. But here's a funny story.

We had/have/going to have again hopefully today, the PW Transport. First unit had control issues and IMHO has a terrible bug that needs to be fixed. We listened to 2 disc's. First one was Alison Krause/Robert Plant "Raising Sand" in Hi Rez. At first I thought I screwed up the burn and I burned this music from HD Tracks.com. It sounded weird. I didn't like it somehow. I let it play and left the room. I came back with "3 Guitars", another hi rez download cued up and playing. We were stunned. It was absolutely amazing. We are listening to a one of the tracks when the heating unit turned on. My wife got up to shut it off and I wondered why the &$#! heater turned on, it was warm in the room from my Pass Labs heater! She walks by the left speaker and stops. It was in the recording. Now understand, this isn't one of those dissect your music for fun and leave the musicality for another day source's. There was such a balance and flow, continuity in the music for lack of better descript, that I've rarely if ever heard.

I went back to the Raising Sand disc. What I realized then was how different it sounded. The actual flow of the music was now at a different level. It was displayed almost as if at a slower pace where the music flowed from note to note. Sorry, I'm no reviewer and I'm struggling to find the proper adjective to decribe what I heard. I'll try to write a review when I get this thing back into the system. Just not enough time with it.

But if I have to find a tool to eject every offending disc that my wife or Dad or whomever (myself?) inserts on a 3K Transport, I take issue. How hard can it be? if; "invalid disc" then; eject disc, Not freeze machine :-|

i'll third the ps audio gear. have not heard the BDA-1 but have no doubts it's a fine DAC. have owned the pwt/pwd since release and compared it to several other digi front ends (2 that where much more expensive). nothing has sounded better imho. every comparison i've done has resulted in the owner of the other source buying or wanting to buy the pw duo. i'll spare you all the accolades but until i hear something better....the pw combo is IT for me.