PS Audio PWD MkII vs W4S DAC2

I own the PWD MKII and it is in a completely different league than the MKI. It's critical that if anyone compares this DAC with anything else that they have the 2.02 or 2.03 firmware installed. It's the most musical DAC I've ever heard, beating the Super modded Meitner BiDat as well as the latest T + A and Bel Canto gear. I know someone who's compared it extensively to the Berkeley (which it beats) but he says it doesn't quite reach the heights of the Meitner and dCs flagships. If a person buys the PWD MKI used and installs the MKII upgrade board (which you can do yourself) ..that's quite a good deal in my book.

I think it's worth noting that quite a few Meitner BiDat fanatics have switched to the PWD2. This crowd are known for their allegiance to "musical" DACs in a "reasonable" price range.

That said, I have to admit that the differences between the best 10 DACs could be considered relatively subtle. The reason I've settled on the PWD2 is that it hits my price/performance sweet spot. I'd have to spend more than twice its price to hear what I consider to be a significant improvement and I just don't have the green. Every DAC has a character and I could live with many of them. The PWD1 was a darned good DAC but it still had a somewhat digital quality that left me yearning for something better. With the PWD2, I find myself listening to my music and instead of focusing on my gear. What's that worth? I dunno, but I like it very much.

A final note: a buddy who moved on from the PWD1 to the Bel Canto battery powered flagship emailed me to ask whether I'd compared the PWD2 to the latest Bel Canto upgrade (MKII). I was unaware of the upgrade so my previous post does not apply to it. This is important because I trust my friend's good taste and he says the Bel Canto upgrade is stellar. The pace of digital improvement is crazy right now and I suspect strides in computing chips down the road will bring us to previously unattainable heights.

Mcondon,

I think you're right on target about the digital lens. I'm auditioning the newest Shunyata digital XLR that is bettering my Harmonic Tech Audio Only HDMI to the I2S...something I didn't think was possible. I also find eupsample measly Pandora feed over a coax sounds significantly better than it ever did before the MKII board.

Btw, I bought my original PWD from Wally...great guy!

I agree with Mr. Tennis. I hear people commit this error all the time.

Neal,

Have you seen Cordesman's review of the MKII in TAS? You can download it at the PSAudio website for free.

Neal,

Well put. I feel the same way about my old modded Meitner Bidat. It's a classic, but time marches on.

I've heard the Oppo 95 and, against my well-broken in PWDII, it's no contest. Your unit needs several hundred hours to sound its best. Don't turn it off between sessions and let it run for at least two weeks continuously. Anthony Cordesman of TAS and hundreds of discerning audio fans who can afford far more expensive DACs than the PWD are not crazy in their selection of this DAC. Of course, there are better DACs than the PWDII; the stock Oppo is simply *not* one of them. Like any high end DAC, the unit will sound it's best with the best possible digital interconnect.

If, after a few weeks and you are satisfied with its performance, you might
want to check the forums about upgrading your two fuses to
Hifi Tuning Supremes (very significant performance boost, IMHO). If you
want to hear what any DAC is truly capable of, upgrade the power cord.
Digital playback is very, very susceptible to electrical noise.

Gago1101,

You should probably check out the next firmware upgrade when it comes out. I hear it may be a big step forward....of course nothing is real until it's out of beta.

PSAudio has the best user community I've ever encountered and, as others have mentioned, the user forums on its website are a rich resource.

Cymbob,

There will be a little roller coaster ride during break in, but if you're this happy right out of the box, you are gonna be over the moon after 300 hours. Keep it on and in operation for best results. Once it's broken in, go for a Shunyata power cord and get ready for hyperspace. ;-)

Cymbop,

It *is* amazing how good Pandora sounds via Native X on a Squeezebox Touch. The MOG 320 is also great. I fool friends all the time who think it's a cd and ask to see the liner notes.

One caution: make sure your setting is always on Native X. Sometimes it switches out due to user error or after powering on and off.

I concur with everyone on the Hifi Tuning fuses as well. For the price, I don't think you can beat this unit.