PS Audio Perfectwave Compared to High End Players


PS Audio claims superior sound on CDs in consequence of new technology. Meridian makes a similar claim for their 808.2 CDP. Other high end manufacturers extoll their own technology. How, sonically, does the PS Audio Perfectwave transport and dac compare to Meridian, dCs, and other high end products in CD reproduction?
kusina
Macdadtexas: That's interesting you found the Bryston and Berkeley similar overall. Could you elaborate a bit more on how the Bryston sounded "warmer"? There aren't many postings that compare these two units specifically.
I always think of warmer as there being little to no hard glare to the music. It may be a bit more coloration actually, and less clarity, but it sounds fuller, and more analog.

Tubes and High efficiency speakers = warmer: Solid State and electrostats = analytical with greater clarity.
I had the PWT for an extended test and compared it thoroughly to a Forsell Air Reference Mark II transport. I have described my evaluation in another thread here a few weeks ago. The PWT as a transport as compared to the Forsell and both run into high-end dacs (Audio Synthesis and Meridian G68, NOT the PWD) cannot convince me. It does not create a realistic sound signature of acoustic instruments, is less detailed and overall less musical. I have returned it to the manufacturer and will continue with the Forsell 'dinosaur' to enjoy Redbook CD playback.
Rogerwalk, Thank you for your entry here and for the thread you wrote previously. That the Perfect Wave transport is not exceptional when connected to other equipment is an interesting and not unexpected finding. But how does it perform when connected to the Perfect Wave DAC, connected by the recommended HDMI cable? And, for that matter, how does it compare to the Meridian 808.2, which also uses a special filter to reduce "pre-ringing?" If anyone has made a comparison, please let the rest of us know what you've found.