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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
earflappin
87 posts
 
Many audiophiles have reported similar findings - i.e. DAC's with USB interfaces not sounding as good as the AES or SPDIF interface. Personally, I think this is likely just poor implementation of the USB interface versus an inherent deficiency in the format itself. I don't find this surprising in that the USB and Firewire interface technology is new to the veteran DAC designers. Further, many of the USB interfaces in use are not async which means they use the computer clock for clocking the data transfer which causes high jitter. Therefore, async USB to SPDIF converters like the Legato, HiFace, et. al. will likely be the way to go for many of us.

I have a Berkeley Alpha DAC and recently tried a Legato async USB to SPDIF to compare to my Lynx AES16 interface. The Legato was better in every aspect of performance.

Bottom line, I think as designers master the art of building in async USB interfaces to their DAC's AES/SPDIF will fall by the wayside.

JMO
audiofun OP
799 posts
 
Earflappin: Thanks for your post, I find what you have written interesting. It could simply be poor implementation of the USB/DAC interface. My MSB PowerDac for instance stores the data into an internal ram buffer and then clocks it out using its own precision 2.5ppm clock completely discarding the clock signal from the computer. BUT..., it still sounds inferior to the coax or Tos SPDIF signal.

Perhaps one day direct USB will get it done, but I haven't experienced it as yet.

I love my HiFace, as it breaks in it has become EXTREMELY good. Interesting what you said concerning the Lynx card as I have no experience with that device (I have a mac mini) but I was thinking of getting a Power Mac for the living room and the Lynx crossed my mind. I will say however that the HiFace has been so effective that I started giving that plan a second thought, I think I am just going to purchase another Mac Mini and a second HiFace... that device is awesome.
vetnik
23 posts
 
Hiface new Mac drivers are bitperfect and without pop/clicks...
@Earflapp: Hiface is not asynch!
Nikos
rei_iii
5 posts
 
Audiofun,
Have you tried different digital filters for your Power DAC? There are six downloadable filters from www.msbtech.com/support/supportHome.php to play around with. It can be a pita to upload the filters, but I think it is worth a try.
audiofun OP
799 posts
 
Rei_iii I have all the filters in a playlist in itunes called "Custom Filters" and I can change them at will. I have worked with all of them extensively :) At the end of the day, I think it sound overall best with the default filter (probably why they made it the default :).
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