This is a good discussion and I think we do need to start setting some reasonable expectations in the community. The PW technology is a 'next gen' approach that is highly convenient and likely represents where a majority of manufacturers are heading. That said, I think a fair label would be that the PW duo may represent the best bang for the buck digital front end for under $10-15k.
However, when you start talking about more than that kind of money, there's some seriously refined engineering going on that we shouldn't expect the PW to compete with. For those spending that kind of money, odds are it's part of a $100k+ reference system with carefully matched components tailored to the way that person listens. Where is that financial and performance divide actually at? I'm guessing it will clear up fairly soon as the reviews begin to emerge.
So, all things being equal, there surely are better combinations out there than the PW duo for many people. But things (money) are never equal and PS Audio is going to satisfy a whole lot of us I think. It certainly is for me.
However, when you start talking about more than that kind of money, there's some seriously refined engineering going on that we shouldn't expect the PW to compete with. For those spending that kind of money, odds are it's part of a $100k+ reference system with carefully matched components tailored to the way that person listens. Where is that financial and performance divide actually at? I'm guessing it will clear up fairly soon as the reviews begin to emerge.
So, all things being equal, there surely are better combinations out there than the PW duo for many people. But things (money) are never equal and PS Audio is going to satisfy a whole lot of us I think. It certainly is for me.