PS Audio PWD MkII vs W4S DAC2

Kng, for budgetary reasons I'm going to stick with my Squeezebox Touch until it goes belly-up. Then I'll go for the bridge or whatever updated version of it might be available. I expect the bridge will sound better than my SBT due to the extra digital lens.

Regarding break-in, I'm going to be zen and take my sweet time with it! I power on the system for about 5 hours a day, so it will take me 2-3 months to accomplish at that rate. The PWD was a stretch for me and I'll live with it for a long time, so if I can get improvements over the next 12 weeks without doing anything, that's like getting tweaks for free!

I will echo what a prior poster (Vhiner?) mentioned that even a 192 mp3 from Pandora now sounds damn near as good as redbook did before. That's stunning.

Cymbop,

It *is* amazing how good Pandora sounds via Native X on a Squeezebox Touch. The MOG 320 is also great. I fool friends all the time who think it's a cd and ask to see the liner notes.

One caution: make sure your setting is always on Native X. Sometimes it switches out due to user error or after powering on and off.

I concur with everyone on the Hifi Tuning fuses as well. For the price, I don't think you can beat this unit.

Cymbop,

Just saw your question. Yes, more than ever. It has become a permanent part of my audio family. I don't think much about it, which is the highest compliment I can pay a component. Just groove to the sounds.

I don't use USB; only AES/EBU (Stealth Sextet) and PDIF (Kharma Grand Ref). May try USB with Internet radio and Samsung netbook just to hear what it's like.

Good luck.

Neal

Cymbop, I have a similar setup with a Touch. Only use digital out to PWD for SqueezeNetwork internet radio. From my experience, sound is superior with the bridge but very very acceptable with Touch.

Several suggestions:

1. Upgrade fuses in PWD
2. Get a good PC. You can pick up a HiDiamond P3 on Agon at good price. In system, I actually prefer P3s to Elrod Statements and easier to use.
3. Replace the Touch DPS with a LPS. Improves sound and lowers the noise level of your system. I got one from Channel Island.
4. With bridge, hardwired is superior to wireless. I found AQ made a huge improvement over generic ethernet cable.

I'm using PWD NOT budgetary reasons but it sounds excellent in my system. I plan to keep mine for a while too. Buy with your ears and NOT ...

While on the PWD MKII DAC topic, has anyone loaded the latest firmware (2.4 something)? Before I make the move, interested to hear comments. Yes, it can be reversed, but it is a pain tooling with these things.

Neal