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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
 
Unfortunately the MSB did not show up tonight, but I did receive a Sim Audio Moon 300D dac today. Cold out of the box (sat in my car all day while I was at work) it sounds promising... I am not going to make any real judgments until at least 2 days so as to allow it to come to equilibrium.

It is promising and it was ice-cold. Stand by :)
heymikey
80 posts
 
Audiofun, you are indeed fortunate to have access to such high end digital gear to audition at home. Count me as a happy Weiss Dac2/Amarra/mac mini owner (at the moment), but I'm enjoying your observations and comparisons. I have a feeling the MSB Platinum dac is going to be hard to top, but you have some other strong contenders. Thanks for the interesting thread.
audiofun OP
799 posts
 
Heymikey: Thanks for the post. I do count myself fortunate and yes this fun. The dac I have coming is not a Platinum at the moment, with the whole Plat Dac IV coming out that plan is delayed a bit. I have a MSB Power DAC coming which from what I understand sound very very very similar (this from MSB) if used single ended which is the way I have been testing everything thus far.

I am glad you find the thread interesting.

I will say that the Moon 300D is turning out to be a bit of a surprise. Can't say too much yet, but I will say that cold out of the box I immediately found it (to my ears) superior to the Minerva in overall presentation. Will elaborate further in the coming days.
tbg
5,263 posts
 
If I might throw another log on the fire, I got the Exemplar moded Oppo 83 in yesterday. It is, of course, a universal player with blu-ray capability. I had already compared it with the original non SE version, and it was quite superior, but this much better regulated version is the best player I have ever heard. Previously, I tried the output of this (cd only) into the Minerva, but the Oppo digital out is not very good. I have yet to try this with the new one.

I should also say that it only had about four hours of breakin last night. The teflon caps would not be anywhere near their best. More to follow, of course.

I would recommend, Audiofun, that you get a listen to this unit and there are many dealers who sell it, but it is under such heavy demand that it may be difficult to get one in your home system.
audiofun OP
799 posts
 
I've already been pondering either this unit or the Cambridge Azure 650BD for my Blu-Ray movie watching needs. I rarely spin a disc for music any longer. I buy a disc and immediately rip it to the HDD (soon to be SSDD:).

If I go with the MSB, I will have their proprietary XPORT upgrade added to the deck of choice for SACD/Blu Ray playback through the dac.
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