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Just got the PS Audio Perfectwav DAC -- Amazing

For the last year my system has consisted of the Slim Devices Transporter (Transport + DAC) -> Bel Canto Ref1000 -> Anthony Gallo Ref 3.1

I listen to all my music digitally (lossless/flac). I was very happy with my original system but when the Perfectwave DAC came out I was intrigued. For quite a while I debated between the PW and keeping the transporter or modding it via Modwright.

I ended up getting the PW and though I can't compare it to a modded transporter, it blows the stock transporter out of the water. I should note that since the network bridge isnt out for the PW, I am currently streaming music via the transporter -> coaxial out (spdif) -> PW.

I have only listened for ~5 hours so far, but things I have noticed right away is much cleaner/tighter bass. The low end is so much more accurate than it was before. When comparing, the transporter sounded very muddy (even though at the time I though it was quite good). The mids and highs are tighter as well. The separation has improved quite a bit as well. I have immediately noticed that the loudness of different instruments is wider spread than listening to the same songs on the transporter.

Hope this helps! If anyone has any questions about the PW or the transporter I will try my best to answer them.
danyal711
danyal711 OP
22 posts
 
Ricky64 -- I don't have a preamp. My preamp was the Transporter and is now the PW.

Shadorne -- 1) That could be possible. The XLR of the PW does 6Vrms vs. Transporter 3Vrms. 2) The Transporter / PW controls the volume. So far havent had any problems with it and both have taken a lot of steps to make their software volume processing really good. Not too worried about that. I am trying to avoid a preamp at all costs. I am a fan of keeping the signal path as minimal as possible.
mr_bill
347 posts
 
Danyal,
Great comments and thank you!
My new PW DAC is coming soon.
mrtennis
3,295 posts
 
of the two digital sources, which is more foregiving of poor quality cds ? also, which is the more forward of the two ?

while i may be mininterpreting your original comments, it would seem that the transporter is more colored in a pleasant way than the PWD. what is the interface between dac and transport ?
swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker
5,138 posts
 
I for one can clearly hear the loss of detail if, on occassion, I use the digital volume control built in to my MW transporter.
trebejo
102 posts
 
The digital volume controls on the squeezebox work by changing the bits. In other words, there is some digital re-sculpting of the signal, and it's lossy.

Supposedly, it gets worse as you attenuate more and more, and I don't know at what level it is "still OK".

I don't know if the Transporter does the same thing, but I would be surprised if it didn't.

Hence the standard recommendation to let some other device do the volume attenuation. Yes, those are lossy too--but in an analog way, and that's usually better by comparison.

Before passing judgement on the DACs, you could insert a preamp--any preamp, probably!--between the DACs and the amp and then do some a/b testing. The difference you have been hearing between the two units may go away, or become a different difference; hopefully, in both cases, you will hear them play better.
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