PS Audio PerfectWave Cd/Dvd Transport ?

[montesquieu]

Anyone heard one of these? More to the point anyone nearby got one they could bring round for a wee sesh?

I've had my current Audio Note CDT2/II transport for an incredible eight years now (!) and fancy putting it up against something different, change for change's sake and all that.

I'm curious about the buffering technology used by the Perfectwave, though TBH my experience with the Audio Note unit has been pretty much exemplary. It would be one in one out so I wouldn't be forking out for the PS Audio if in my system it didn't bring some sort of benefit.

Alternative of course is climbing the AN ladder ... possible of course.

[hornucopia]

I'm guessing you've read this? http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/psaudio7/perfectwave.html
I'm interested in the fact that quite a few folk now rely on iMac/hard-drive as a source, plus a good dac (as do I, using MHDT 'Havana' dac, sticking to KISS principles-which I think AN does as well?)
I was sceptical, being 'brought up' on Analog, but my ears persuaded me.
Will watch with interest.

[Gazjam]

As a PS Audio fanboy, can only say this will sound superb.
These guys really know their stuff.

[montesquieu]

I'm actually doubtful that there's much difference between buffered data streams like this and what happens between a good quality transport and DAC, with (barring damaged disks) close to flawless reading, minimal error correction/interpolation and minimal jitter. Hence curiosity rather than being sold and running off and buying one. I want to hear it with my AN-based DAC first. I doubt I'd buy one on spec.

My issue with streaming or file-based output isn't with the sound quality, it's with the user experience which I find irritating.

[JohnG]

I have a PS Audio 2nd Generation CDT and I assume DVD Player.
I intend on taking it out this Winter to trial it against a Jay's Audio at a Dealers in Bury St Edmunds.
I am not trying to better the PS Audio, I'm curious to compare the Jay's with it using my DAC, and then get the feel for the different arrangements that can be had.
If you want to accompamy me, and bring your own CDT, you are more than welcome.
I use my PS Audio > DAC connection with a Coax, the DAC can also use a USB, which I have yet to try.
I am sure any other DAC's put to service on the day will have a further amount of hook up options.
As for the PS Audio, I bought it from a individual who had invested vast amounts in a Digital >Amp >Speaker set up, he was a real rocker and hammered the volumes.
He had another Band DVD Player that I can't recall the brand at the Moment, but I will post it later when I search it out. The vendor of the PS Audio claimed the two devices were extremely similar in SQ, so one was not required.
I accepted his evaluation as accurate, and he treated the sale process with the utmost professionalism.
The first time I heard a PS Audio CDT was at Brook Audio in Huddersfield, as the last audition on a very ejoyable day of the Yorkshire HiFi Club.
The Day started with a £20000 Digital Vinyl replay presentation, and then ventured onto
a more usual for Brookes Audio Vinyl Set Up so Probably about £7000.
The main set on the on the Day was a variety of Phonostages > Soulution Pre >LDA 211> Maxonic Field Coils.
After about 5-6 Hours of enjoying the Individuals offerings and getting close to being turfed out, My DAC was put on with the PS Audio, for me the love affair was immediate, I was done and felt that the combo was a match or bettered some of the offering on the day.
From that moment on I searched out the PS Audio Perfect Wave CDT MKII.
To Date I have been thoroughly impressed with the relaxed very engaging presentation.
This is not a Rich delivery, it is all that CD can be, but there is a space in the air between the artists and support, that is noticable, it is this that is captivating.
It is not in your face,biting, or fatigueing at any time.
I am a vinyl individual through and through, and am only playing with the Digital World, to date with this CDT, I am happy to relax and forget other formats.
For me it is not a competitor to Vinyl,meaning not Vinyl Like, but when doing a A/B comparison, if any track was extended beyond the demo track, as a listener I am more than happy with any format being played and soon forget the minor differences that are percieved when immediate comparisons are being made.
This is not a review, but it does get a thumbs up when used in my set up.
My Curiosity with the Digital world has now got me wondering what is the differences with my DAC and other noted CDT's

[montesquieu]

Thanks for your thoughts.

The Audio Note CDT2/II is only a shade under £5k retail so not itself a budget option (indeed, neither is the rest of the system these days), and I'm using it with an Audio Note-based DAC so there are synergies to be had from this as a redbook combo.

I'm really trying to get a hearing of the PS Audio within my own system ... Unfortunately you are a 5h+ return trip from where I am, down off the M3, so I think the practicalities aren't quite there for a visit here with it. Much appreciated for sharing your perceptions though.

[joolz]

First off, i have never heard a perfectwave cd player, only read a review or two, but i am on my third PS Audio DAC - now a directstream. I usually buy my kit second-hand, and have been waiting for a directstream cd transport to come up, but nothing for the last year or so. I recently spoke to the PS Audio importers, who advised that Oppo supplied parts for the directstream player, and as they no longer make those parts the directstream player is no longer available. A replacement is 'on the cards' but no real ETA.
They did advise that the perfecwave transport was the best match for the directstream DAC due to the I2S connection between the two.
I use a modified old Dennon dvd player, and don't think it lacks for much, so very curious about how the matching combo would sound.

[Gazjam]

First off, i have never heard a perfectwave cd player, only read a review or two, but i am on my third PS Audio DAC - now a directstream. I usually buy my kit second-hand, and have been waiting for a directstream cd transport to come up, but nothing for the last year or so. I recently spoke to the PS Audio importers, who advised that Oppo supplied parts for the directstream player, and as they no longer make those parts the directstream player is no longer available. A replacement is 'on the cards' but no real ETA.
They did advise that the perfecwave transport was the best match for the directstream DAC due to the I2S connection between the two.
I use a modified old Dennon dvd player, and don't think it lacks for much, so very curious about how the matching combo would sound.

Another perspective?

As a Directstream dac owner m’self, I too looked at the Directstream transport.
Was looking for my “last” disc spinner, and when I read that PSAudio (and even the Uber high ended) company MSB used the Oppo 203 drive and a lot of its gubbins, I got curious.
Then I got busy.

With the thought to get as close to a Directstream transport as possible, I set about modding and improving my Oppo 203 player.
This included fitting an i2s output, which directly connects to the Dacs i2s input.

Way better sounding than the stock Oppo, how close it gets to the PSAudio unit, who knows...and to me it doesn’t really matter.
It functions exactly the same, plays all the same formats AND connects via i2s.
Have a think about a modded Oppo if you can pick one up.

Any thoughts about tracking down a Directstream memory player soon vanished once I had the Oppo in play.

[montesquieu]

Another perspective?

As a Directstream dac owner m’self, I too looked at the Directstream transport.
Was looking for my “last” disc spinner, and when I read that PSAudio (and even the Uber high ended) company MSB used the Oppo 203 drive and a lot of its gubbins, I got curious.
Then I got busy.

With the thought to get as close to a Directstream transport as possible, I set about modding and improving my Oppo 203 player.
This included fitting an i2s output, which directly connects to the Dacs i2s input.

Way better sounding than the stock Oppo, how close it gets to the PSAudio unit, who knows...and to me it doesn’t really matter.
It functions exactly the same, plays all the same formats AND connects via i2s.
Have a think about a modded Oppo if you can pick one up.

Any thoughts about tracking down a Directstream memory player soon vanished once I had the Oppo in play.

Hmm. That's certainly a thought. It does the buffering thing in the same way? Then for me the important element would be the quality of the AES/EBU or SPDIF outputs which are surely something that can be modified. I'll look into it.

EDIT: interestingly there's not a vast price difference between what a PS Audio transport can be got for, and the Oppo.

[Gazjam]

Re: price difference, that’s an interesting one.
Depends I s’pose if you want a cd/ sacd spinner only, or Blu-ray player, Roon endpoint as well as the disc playback stuff.

Know Oppo’s are not made any more, were the prices you seen for them for stock units?

[struth]

the 203 was only about 650... though i guess they will be dearer now due to availability... the ps is 3.5k

[montesquieu]

Really only interested in redbook CD playback. I don't go along with the hype for hi-res formats, any digital I have heard is far more dependent on two things - mastering and the quality of the analogue output stage - than on anything to do with resolution, chip, or any parameter on the digital side. I don't own a TV so DVD is not a thing for me ... I have very few SACDs and generally happy enough with the CD layer when I do. I have no patience with streaming technologies, Room or any of that because of the user interface - I don't want to have to piss around with a screen when I listen to music. (I do have spotify which I used to help identify what LPs and occasionally CDs to buy, it's not a listening source for 'fun').

Used Perfectwave seems to be available around the £1500 mark, Oppo 203 which is a player not a dedicated transport is not that much cheaper.

[Gazjam]

May be some confusion,
‘The PerfectWave transport ISN’T the same unit as the Directstream Memory player (which matches the Directstream dac)
That goes for 6 grand, and is the one that uses then Oppo 203 transport.

The PerfectWave is an earlier model, still has i2s, but doesn’t use the Oppo 203 drive.
Should make for a great transport though, given PS Audios quality.

[montesquieu]

May be some confusion,
‘The PerfectWave transport ISN’T the same unit as the Directstream Memory player (which matches the Directstream dac)
That goes for 6 grand, and is the one that uses then Oppo 203 transport.

The PerfectWave is an earlier model, still has i2s, but doesn’t use the Oppo 203 drive.
Should make for a great transport though, given PS Audios quality.

Does the Oppo have the same buffering/re-reading technology as the PS Audio? That's what I'm interested in. There are plenty of CDPs out there that repurposed computer DVD drives as that's mostly what's available these days, but much depends on how they are implemented. Is there anything special about the Oppo drive implementation?

My question was about the Perfectwave I am aware of the Directstream but too pricey/not on the radar.

[Gazjam]

It doesn’t have that technology, PS Audio adds that.
Suggest you look into the Oppo 203 drive, lots of stuff online about it.

[montesquieu]

It doesn’t have that technology, PS Audio adds that.
Suggest you look into the Oppo 203 drive, lots of stuff online about it.

PSU Audio's USP is the RAM buffering technology .. because of the time delay it gets to read and re-read any segments where there may be problems, until the read is bit-perfect, no error-correction/interpolation required so that it's performance should be more or less the same as what you'd get playing out from a hard drive.

As I say, from what I've read it seems that with a very good normal transport, reading errors should be minimal anyway and interpolation is seldom required, however I'm curious about what the PS Audo buffering technology brings to the party.

With buffering in place the drive mechanism itself isn't especially important so long as the read quality is good, and it's reasonably quiet - noise being an issue with simply using any old computer/DVD drive as these both spin faster and tend to vary their speed far more irregularly than old style CD drives.

Audio Note by contrast have stuck with the Philips CD-Pro2LF drive which is an old-fashioned redbook CD drive. It's that difference in approach I'm interested in exploring.

[Gazjam]

Good luck with it mate, might be a difficult ask.

[hornucopia]

'ask'? Oh, you mean Task. (-:

[Gazjam]

It’s both a big ask AND a big task! :)

But hopefully someone can help Tom out.
Me, I’d just go for it.

[JohnG]

I don't know if this will help any.
The Vendor of my Perfect Wave CDT had a Primare CD35 > Bryston BDA-3 DAC.
I am sure the reason given for the sale of the PW CDT was that the SQ between the two machines were very close, but the DVD replay was not required, so the PW CDT was put up for sale.
After the long duscussion I had with the Vendor post sale, I believe he is totally capable of giving a accurate assessment of the two devices, and is a Audiophile to the core, having invested substantial finances in building a system.

[montesquieu]

I don't know if this will help any.
The Vendor of my Perfect Wave CDT had a Primare CD35 > Bryston BDA-3 DAC.
I am sure the reason given for the sale of the PW CDT was that the SQ between the two machines were very close, but the DVD replay was not required, so the PW CDT was put up for sale.
After the long duscussion I had with the Vendor post sale, I believe he is totally capable of giving a accurate assessment of the two devices, and is a Audiophile to the core, having invested substantial finances in building a system.

I'm unfamiliar with the Primare, so not sure the significance of this comment? The Primare seems to be a CDP not a dedicated transport?

[JohnG]

The info is the completion of my first post to you, I said I would update the info, when I could recall the Devices that the Vendor was using with the Perfect Wave, that he claimed had a very similar SQ.
Until I do the Jay's Audio vs Perfect Wave comparison, I am not with any further experiences that may be of use to your enquiry.
Audiogon post extensively about the Perfect Wave CDT vs ? vs ?
This might give a little further insight.

[montesquieu]

Thanks - yes understood makes sense.

I've read around about it, though I'm too long in the tooth to set much store by other people's reviews especially in systems that usually bear little relation to my own.

As I mentioned I've been very happy with the Audio Note transport for many years, I'm just curious, having had the DAC completely rebuilt and upgraded in recent times, whether there's any improvement to be had, and the only way to verify that is really to try and hear possible alternatives in my own setup. I don't want to have to spend £1500 just to satisfy curiosity (though it's something I've done in the past, for sure).