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Bidat vs Perfect Wave vs Weiss and others

This is thread I started a while ago and promised in February i would start doing some real world comparative testing using the Bidat (Plus Mod) as the ref. The units under test are to include in no specific order the MSB Platinum Dac, the Weiss Minervera and the Playback Design player. I posted this under the follow-up of the original thread and it is there is you do a search under Digital for "ps audio perfect". I can't understand why it did not 'promote' to the top of the digital section as it did in the past whenever there was a new contribution, so I have started a new related thread with the first entry of my fun (and I hope edifying comparative experiences).
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Ok, I just got a broken in Weiss Minerva (several hundred hours at least). It has been in my system burning in for about 18 hours (18 hours since arriving in my home, time to come to thermal equilibrium). I have done some comparative listening to the Museatex Dcc-1 (a rarely known digital preamp 19 bit dual differential type) using glass Tos on both and then glass on the DCC1 vs a very expensive (can't name it yet as the manufacturer has not released it...sorry :( ) Firewire on the Weiss. I have a Mac Mini (2007 model) 2.0 ghz Core2Duo with 4Gig of ram running Leopard (although this model can only see 3.01 gig of that (I used 4gig as the memory transfer is optimized when the mem modules are the same). I also have a 1TB NAS (all over wifi). I am of course going to reserve final judement until a bit later.

I will be comparing the Museatex Bidat with the Plus Mod later this weekend. As a teaser, I will go on record and say that honestly at this point I don't agree with the stellar reviews concerning the Weiss Minerva.

It is resolute, almost technicolor but just to give you a short glimpse of what I am hearing, I could imagine a well healed vinyl person listening to Holly Cole on vinyl and then listening to the Weiss (playing the same in CD format) and saying "this is why I will never leave vinyl". Now that may sound harsh, but this is a hobby and I don't have a dog in the race, I am just reporting my ears findings.

I listened to a few high resolution files 176.4/24 and 96/24 but what I heard was a really clear highly resolved soul-less rendition of the music. It never ever made me smile or relax into the music the way the DCC-1/Bidat or even my former (when I actually spun cd's...wow time flies) stellar Dynavox Dynastation 2 (the finest CD player I have ever heard).

In a nutshell (at this point) it just sounds like digital and that aint good in my camp because I am not forgetting about the gear and just listening to the music. I don't like syrupy or dark, I have heard plenty of players try to use that trick to sound musical. No, I look for something that is more elusive and few their be that find that magical combination when forging through the nether regions of the digital domain. I will continue listening to see if the Weiss surprises me :)

More to come...
audiofun
audiofun OP
799 posts
 
Jim the auditioning is done in a relatively small room with hardwood floors (18ft by 15ft with 9ft ceilings) near field as to eliminate as much of the room as possible. I mentioned the connections used above (starting thread) as I will with the other dacs when they arrive. When I can used the same type of connection I will and with the same cable.

Components other than the dacs are my own design. Solid state amps 100 watts/channel and 2 way stand mount speakers. My larger sys consists of an active system which uses 6 channels of amplification and for this, I simply wanted to get at the soul of the device under test...very direct on level playing ground. The system I am using is very neutral...not thin, not cool, not warm... neutral.

I do now want this to go into gear-fest, it is specifically to see for myself (and I am sharing for those interested) a real consumers (i.e. non dealer, non pro reviewer... non silent investor) point of view on a lot of newly hyped gear. Hope this helps :)

I will tell you that I recently got rid of a Wadia 851, a Bat Rex and various other better known pieces. I sold my Manley Labs Neo 300's but I think I am going to buy that particular amp again, I used it on the tweets in my active system (with Princess Mesh plates...very NICE). I do prefer active systems over passive ANY DAY OF THE WEEK :) but the test system is all passive.
audiofun OP
799 posts
 
Pardon my lack of proof-reading, I wrote:
"I do now want this to go into gear-fest, it is specifically to see for myself (and I am sharing for those interested) a real consumers (i.e. non dealer, non pro reviewer... non silent investor) point of view on a lot of newly hyped gear. Hope this helps :)"

I meant to say "I do NOT want this to go into gear-fest"

Thanks.
sgr's avatar
sgr
689 posts
 
So are you listening to the PS Audio Perfect Wave digital also? It was mentioned in your orginal thread.
fplanner2010
283 posts
 
I have a SUPER-DAC prototype from APL whose DACs in the Esoteric modded APL NWO 3.0 and 4.0SE literally have caused people to sell their vinyl rigs. 20 32-bit 2nd generation AKM Dacs/side, upsampler, 2 NOS-tubed class A output stage, etc., etc., etc. This is the first "stand-alone" DAC box ever designed by Alex Peychev that wasn't based around a transport of some kind.

The performance is nothing short of amazing. Production on APL stand-alone DAC boxes at a lower level should start sometime this year in Europe. As a prototype, the box is pretty rough and it doesn't yet have all the inputs it will be fitted with in final form. It does, however, sound better than anything I heard at CES, including all the well-know stacks and standalone players.

I have no connection to APL and it took me over 18 mos to finally get this SUPER-DAC prototype. It was worth the wait. I am in Denver.
heymikey
80 posts
 
Audiofun, you should really try the Weiss dac along with the Amarra software. The Amarrra works in tandem the iTunes interface. It may change your opinion of the Weiss. I have the Weiss Dac2 myself, and own the Amarra software as well. Note that the Amarra does not work on any compressed audio files, only lossless and hi-rez. You can download a free demo version of it here:
http://www.sonicstudio.com/amarra/amarra_mini.html
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