Perfect Wave Transport & DAC Reviewed

[JSCC]

Hi Ryan,

Is it as simple as using a MacBook Pro's iTunes, drag the lossless music from there into Titanium Toast 10 "Music DVD", insert a DVD into it and burn. The end product then could be played by the PWT/PWD combo?

I am certainly planning to buy one set. Hopefully, as time passes, PS Audio would make available the capability to playback other formats, inclusive SACD/DVD-A (and maybe even DVD Video). That would really make this THE LAST perfect player one would ever need (cum preamp).

Cheers!

Originally Posted by Ryan Conway

Okay so here's the deal with the playback of various audio formats. The Perfect Wave Transport currently only supports WAV files. We intend to support additional formats in the future, but this will take time. All units, including those currently shipping can support additional formats through firmware updates.

Personally I don't see the lack of format support as a big deal. In order to burn a disc containing FLAC or MP3 files you will need a computer. So with a couple of extra clicks you can use the computer to convert the file to WAV and then burn the WAV files to the disc. Many programs, including Media Monkey (which is free by the way) support automatic conversion.

[Still-One]

The current issue of Hi Fi News has a review of the PWT and PWD. They were very happy with the sound.

The only real issues related to the small display and lack of video output to send the display to a monitor. They also would have liked additional SPDIF digital inputs for routing sources thru the DAC.

[b3n]

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[David]

Why not just skip the transport and use a computer as transport. Then you can play any PCM format you want. I think there are some sound cards with I2S out there.

[Masterlu]

I can tell you this, so far the demand for the PWD/PWT has been very strong. Current orders have been running 4 weeks to fill.

[JSCC]

Originally Posted by Masterlu

I can tell you this, so far the demand for the PWD/PWT has been very strong. Current orders have been running 4 weeks to fill.

I can vouch for that! Cause I have been waiting for like 4 weeks already! Hopefully they will be coming in first week of August!

[jdandy]

Jerry.......I am definately looking forward to your impressions on the PWD/PWT once you receive them. After you havethe DAC and transport set up, and have had some time to play with it, I hope you give us a review. Are you planning on using the HDMI connection between the DAC and transport?

[Still-One]

Dan
Don't they have their own iteration of the connection?

[JSCC]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Jerry.......I am definately looking forward to your impressions on the PWD/PWT once you receive them. After you havethe DAC and transport set up, and have had some time to play with it, I hope you give us a review. Are you planning on using the HDMI connection between the DAC and transport?

Indeed Dan, I shall post my review/opinion of my experience with the combo. I have bought myself a set of Wireworld's HDMI Silver Starlight 5.2 to be used. Am also looking at PS Audio's latest PerfectWave I2S HDMI cable too, if its available. All power cables will be PS Audio's AC12 (amps, PWT/PWD & PPP). I am also trying to see if I could get my hands on the already out of production PS Audio xStream Transcedent series interconnects (XLR) and Speaker Cables. If not, will then uses the latest Cardas Clear XLR interconnects and Clear Beyond speaker cables.

I am told the combo will be available by this coming weekend and if luck is with me, should arrive in another 2 weeks together with the 5 pieces of AC12 power cables.

They will be pushing direct the Jeff Rowland's Class D amps which I bought a week ago. Speakers would be the Acapella High Violons MkIV. Having lived with them for some time now, it had now been "rooted" to stay. Better be as I cant be changing them every now and then. Not at US$69k list per pair (not including 7% import tax). My wife TOLD me so every other day! As there are not much interest in them, I opted not to write a in-depth review on of them.

Yes, I have moved out from mainstream McIntosh and the only remaining gears are the MVP871, MCD500 & the MA6600+TM2 integrated amp/receiver which will take their place in the bedroom. The Vintage system had found a new home.

By the way, congrads on your new "cat" - The Jaguar. I did have a look at it and if not for the pricing of the 4.2 litre version which is out of reach for me, I would have bought it. Of course, over here,the B&W system comes as standard for this version.

Cheers!

[jdandy]

Jim.......Yes. The use the HDMI cable, but not in the way it is used for video and audio. The left and right channel data streams are not combined in the transport, but are sent to the DAC as seoerate signals. This is done to keep from having to combine, and then seperate again the data streams. It is proprietary to PS Audio's Perfect Wave Transport and Perfect Wave DAC.

This is a reprint from PS Audio's site:

I2S through HDMI output
There are two ways to get the digital audio data out of the PWT: standard S/PDIF /AES/EBU digital audio outputs or I2S. I2S (pronounced "I squared S") is the preferred method if you have the PS Audio PerfectWave DAC that can receive it.

To understand I2S it is necessary to first understand the standard digital output, S/PDIF. S/PDIF stands for (Sony Phillips Digital Interface) and was invented by Sony and Phillips over 20 years ago as a simple and convenient method of transferring digital audio over a single RCA cable or optical cable. 25 years ago, when the format was invented, no one ever dreamed that a quarter century later high-end music lovers would not be happy with the compromised performance of S/PDIF.

S/PDIF takes three separate internal clocks along with the raw music data and combines them into one stream and sent out with an RCA, XLR or optical cable to the DAC. Once that single stream is received by the DAC it must be separated back into the multiple clock and data streams in exactly the same timing and form it started. The problem is the encoding and decoding of these complex critical clocks is never perfect. Through this flawed process we get jitter and timing error that we can easily hear.

A much better way of delivering the clocks and the data between the transport and the DAC is to not mix them up in the first place. This is what I2S does. Instead of trying to stuff these clocks and data into one stream, I2S simply transfers the three clocks and the data on separate cables to the DAC. Done in this way, there's no chance for error or increased jitter and the audible results are simply stunning. PS Audio has searched for a long time for the perfect cable to transfer I2S data. Some manufacturers use CAT-5 which is the cable your computer connects up to the internet. We took one look at this method and rejected it out of hand. The best solution we found was HDMI (High Definition Multi-media Interface) . An HDMI cable is the best multi-conductor digital cable made today and it was the obvious choice for the PWT.

Simply use any HDMI cable between the PWT and the PWD and you are transferring data perfectly.