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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
 
Tos with a real glass cable sounds awesome in my system. Most people commenting about the sound of Tos are possibly basing that on one of two thing; regurgitating what they have read or heard from others or they have listend with a plastic fiber Tos cable. I have directly compared my "real glass fiber" Tos to my former $1.7k FIM Gold digital out of the John Wright nodded Bidat and my MSB Power Dac. While I agree that as far as bandwidth goes (6.xMHZ for Tos if memory serves) Tos is the lowest on the totem pole, in my system it was fully 97% of the coax connection.

I did compare the glass fiber to the plastic fiber and the plastic is horrendous and completely unlistenable, but the glass will shock you.

Now having said all that :) I use the Diverter HR now so the point is moot, but blanket statements seldom cover all the permutations thus my pontification on the Tos connection.
car123's avatar
car123
121 posts
 
Interesting to read this old thread about the venerable bidat vs. some newer dacs. I don't think that I will ever sell my wrighted bidat. Its wonderful and bests every other dac i have tried in my system when fed by the cec tl 1, which I can't imagine selling either.
audiofun OP
799 posts
 
Carl23, I totally understand your point! I've said it before; if it were not for me wanting access to hires files I would probably have kept my Bidat forever :)
car123's avatar
car123
121 posts
 
audiofun I understand your point too. I am sure that one day I will enter the world of hi res digital but for the moment when I sit in the chair I usually spin vinyl. :)
audiofun OP
799 posts
 
Ok, so the Sonicweld is pulling away nicely from the Tos using glass cabe (I keep mentioning the glass part because it really does make Tos quite formidable as a choice). 

In direct comparisons the Tos is very languid and smooth, rich sounding if you will. It is only in direct comparison to the Diverter HR that one begins to see the fine cracks to use an analogy. The glass sounds very good, but it is lacking something very fine.., a sense of overall gentlenss is not there. The Diverter offers that last bit of an organic quality to the sound. The glass never sounds digital, it is very very analog, but perhaps like a $10k analog rig compared to a $30k rig.
Both are great (speaking of the hypothetical analog rigs) and should be for the money but typically that extra money will buy you something and it usually comes across in increased refinement and musicality. The way the diverter finishes notes is really quite something!

I would suggest that the diverter deserves a well sorted out and highly resolving system. If you value everything you can get out of your Dac buy the diverter HR it is really worth every penny!
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