Review and Measurements of PS Audio PerfectWave DirectStream DAC

[anmpr1]

This one is a gem:


You need to go out of your way to create a cesspool of negativity...

This is obviously someone who has dollars invested in the PS product, and is now in justification mode. But let's break this film down. Before you can have 'negativity' you first have to have a negative, or substandard product as a referent. There is plenty of praise and acceptance around here for gear that is designed correctly, either inexpensive or costly. In fact, the only group 'going out of their way' to create negativity are the folks designing garbage equipment. I mean, you really have to go out of your way to create the mess that is this product.

 

[Krunok]

Since when has Stereophile ever been about 'credibility'? Maybe when Gordon was running it in the '60s. But since the Atkinson era? Since then it's pretty much been about incredibility.

Well, Atkinson is obviously a liberal who allows subjectively oriented reviewers to live under his roof letting the readers to pick their source of trust.

 

[anmpr1]

When I was buying acoustic guitar I tested few dozens of them until I found one that sounded well to me because that is what I'm expecting from the instrument.

What you did was the only reasonable thing you could do, when buying a DAC. You should look at the spec sheet, build quality (as best as you can), company reliability, warranty, feature set. If you are lucky to have it reviewed here, or possibly a few other places, then you have to use that. And you can use Stereophile measurements to help. Those are helpful.

With a guitar (or other instrument) there are different factors to consider. The 'feel' of the instrument. How you play. The type of strings. If it's an acoustic instrument the construction and wood. A DAC, however, should be plug 'n play. Aesthetics could be important (how it looks--an Accuphase is going to look better to most people, probably, than a Benchmark), but looks are not important to its function.

I don't understand the idea that someone is supposed to 'audition' half a dozen DACs for 'sonic' attributes. But that is what the tweako boutique houses want you to do, and what the slick magazines and Websites promote. "What! You don't want walls with your churchbells? Then better not buy the Benchmark!" It's ridiculous.

 

[AudioSceptic]

That’s certainly impossible to achieve (as measurements are relevant) and I trust capable designers have something else to do.
Point is more if there is a one on one relationship between exceptional measures (resp. poor) with the perceived quality of the sound.

Sometimes, I cannot find that relationship to be aligned with my own experience / ears.

ASR allowed me to discover superb DAC’s I may have ignored otherwise. I bought them, listen to them and I like them very much: Sabaj D5, E1DA.

Some products have very good measurements, but I have technical issues with them (Topping NX4).

There are some products with superb measurements, which I like very much, who are regularly suffering from negative comments because of what the designer says (Chord). Some others are considered as fantastic because of measures, functions and rigor of the designer (RME). I have a Chord Hugo2 and a RME ADI2. Even after having read all comments in the forum, I still enjoy more H2 + Rupert Neve Amp versus RME ADI2 when used with headphones. Impossible to hear any difference when I focus on it, but when I listen I have just more fun with one of the 2.

I am owning a TotalDAC. Whatever measures, strange behavior of the designer and horrible comments here, I am not complaining with the sound. With ASR I discovered the Matrix Element X. Fantastic! (Not so much the app nor the configuration process. But works perfectly with Roon). They are now on my main music system and I am spending more and more time with the Element X. I cannot say however that thanks to its fabulous measurements I am rediscovering my records vs TotalDAC.

Finally, during the past years I have regularly listened to PS Audio DAC and I almost always didn’t like what I’ve heard. So some years back, the choice for TotalDAC. Thanks to ASR, I may now understand why I was missing something when listening to PS Audio.

But it also means that negative measures don't imply the same when it comes to sound. At least in my personal experience.

You own several expensive DACs. Did you ever consider that the differences are minute to very small compared with the differences between speakers or headphones, and that those would be a much more effective allocation of funds?

 

[AudioSceptic]

This one is a gem:

I’ve sat on the sidelines of this thread and have become progressively more annoyed and disappointed.

There is no difference between Amir’s approach to reviews and beating a Piñata. We all know the outcome of his reviews but we don’t know how many times it needs to bashed.

I’ve visited his site and there seems to be an excessive amount of slagging products. His fanboi’s routinely pile on in a feeding frenzy.

You need to go out of your way to create a cesspool of negativity that’s his modus operandi and clearly reflects his personality.

What I don’t like is the apparent guise of science to routinely damage hard earned reputations of many excellent companies and their products. I doubt that informed audiophiles pay much credence to his approach and clever smoke and mirrors to further some perverse agenda.

For him, it’s about cool hard cash or a least a bribe guised as a review sample. There are reasons why no manufacturer would offer up a device for his agendas. This explains why he routinely has to travel for reviews.

What ever happened to the main reason why we enjoy this hobby…the reproduction of music that approaches the ultimate goal…a live performance.

Measurements in themselves are a guideline and they tell me nothing about how the device sounds.

That is not only obvious delusional tripe but is also libellous. "Cool hard cash"? Outrageous.

 

[FredYves]

I would like to thank you @FredYves (was it your TotalDAC measured here?) for your candid responses and relaxed attitude towards some of the very harsh comments beating down the gear you own.
It is always good to weigh the measurements against real-world experience, especially from someone as open minded as you seem to be.

Thank you @Eirikur
I started my journey with audio many years back. That journey was about having fun and hearing more from the records. To make a choice, I continue to believe that nothing can replace listening to audio equipment, ideally in your own room.
I bought a TotalDAC some years back. No one forced me to buy. I have been very pleased so far, enjoying listening to music.
I’ve discovered ASR in parallel which made me aware of new audio components, mainly DAC and Headphone Amps. I bought some and liked most. It developed my respect to ASR.
Then one day, Amir reviewed a TotalDAC and the measures were (are) very bad. I was a bit surprised. I have been disappointed with the way the designer reacted.
But at the end of the day, has the sound changed since these measurements were made? No.
I have several of the best DAC reviewed by ASR in terms of measurements (Matrix, RME, Sabaj, E1DA,...). Do they outperform the TotalDAC? At least with my ears and set up, no.
So I am just in fact saying that measurements are very important, ASR does a fantastic job, but measures don’t replace listening.
To come back to PS Audio, my experience has not been great when listening to their DAC. And I have had the same perception as the one given by Amir in his review.

 

[AudioSceptic]

One of the reviewers at Stereophile already did this. In comparing the Benchmark DAC3 to a worse measuring one (Border Patrol), the reviewer said the Benchmark removed the sounds of the church walls in a recording he listened to...

That would require something like magic, given the Border Patrol's very poor performance. <https://www.stereophile.com/content/borderpatrol-digital-analogue-converter-se-measurements>

 

[SIY]

I think it would be easy to prove the ASR methodology wrong. Somebody just has to make a DAC that passes all of the ASR tests at a good or great level but that also obviously sounds bad and doesn't recreate the music successfully.

I could design something that would look great on the measurements but sound unlistenable. But... and a huge "but"... this would involve doing some trickery of the sort that would never be in an actual product. So passing the tests with an unlistenable device doesn't prove Amir's measurement regime "wrong," it just shows that people can have fun with party tricks.

It's a lot like the argument, "But you could have something with 0.01% distortion that would sound bad- as long as it's a ninth harmonic being dominant," but that corresponds to no actual physical piece of amplification.

 

[AudioSceptic]

IMO he totally lost his credibility with that claim.

Many subjective reviewers have made similar claims, not just with DACs but also with amps. Either they are imagining it, or they are hearing the artefacts and mistaking them for genuine audio information.

 

[FredYves]

You own several expensive DACs. Did you ever consider that the differences are minute to very small compared with the differences between speakers or headphones, and that those would be a much more effective allocation of funds?

We have all our own experiences. During many years, I took obviously care of the amp and loudspeakers, but I was really capable to hear a difference between sources (in my case, Naim CD player vs Linn Akurate Streamer etc). From that, I went to look at the expensive DAC and I bought a TotalDAC. I did prefer a lot what I heard vs other DAC at that time.
Now, 4 or 5 years later, thanks to the evolution of the market and the great job of ASR, you can find excellent DAC for much less. So I agree that in terms of allocation of funds, the money should go much more to the speakers and headphones.
There are few active loudspeakers which I could listen next to I live, so I don’t have a personal experience here - but that is also a solution to consider.

 

[Krunok]

Many subjective reviewers have made similar claims, not just with DACs but also with amps. Either they are imagining it, or they are hearing the artefacts and mistaking them for genuine audio information.

I can think of a 3rd option as well..

 

[Krunok]

but I was really capable to hear a difference between sources (in my case, Naim CD player vs Linn Akurate Streamer etc).

Like really hear? Like via ABX tests?

Are you aware that, to my best knowledge, no person was ever able to demonstrate such superhuman capabilities in properly conducted ABX test?

Edit, for reference: Linn Akurate DSM streamer has declared THD<0.002% and S/N>110dB.

 

[AudioSceptic]

I can think of a 3rd option as well..

I suppose you are suggesting dishonesty, but I prefer to be generous and give them the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Krunok]

I suppose you are suggesting dishonesty, but I prefer to be generous and give them the benefit of the doubt.

And while some of them deserve your generousity I can think of a few that definitely doesn't.

 

[FredYves]

Like really hear? Like via ABX tests?

Are you aware that, to my best knowledge, no person was ever able to demonstrate such superhuman capabilities in properly conducted ABX test?

Edit, for reference: Linn Akurate DSM streamer has declared THD<0.002% and S/N>110dB.

Well, the best comparison I can imagine is to have the same equipement at your place during a good amount of time, and to listen with the music you know. It is how I have always proceeded. And yes I heard a bit more from the Akurate DS (not DSM) vs the Naim CD Player I had at that time. And then a bit more with TotalDAC (more can be: I feel the music better, I have a better feeling of space, I can more easily perceive where are the musicians, and sometimes some instruments which I never used to hear I perceived them more clearly). I have no super power. I am aware of ABX. I have read a lot about bias.
Now, if I listen to TotalDAC vs Matrix Element X, or RME ADI2 vs SABAJ D5, I have more than hard time to perceive a difference. Very often, I have the impression that with one of them I am just hearing something I didn’t previously with the others. Then, if I listen with the others I will hear the same.
However with headphones, the difference can come not from the DAC but from the embedded amp.

 

[Krunok]

Well, the best comparison I can imagine is to have the same equipement at your place during a good amount of time, and to listen with the music you know. It is how I have always proceeded. And yes I heard a bit more from the Akurate DS (not DSM) vs the Naim CD Player I had at that time. And then a bit more with TotalDAC (more can be: I feel the music better, I have a better feeling of space, I can more easily perceive where are the musicians, and sometimes some instruments which I never used to hear I perceived them more clearly). I have no super power. I am aware of ABX. I have read a lot about bias.
Now, if I listen to TotalDAC vs Matrix Element X, or RME ADI2 vs SABAJ D5, I have more than hard time to perceive a difference. Very often, I have the impression that with one of them I am just hearing something I didn’t previously with the others. Then, if I listen with the others I will hear the same.
However with headphones, the difference can come not from the DAC but from the embedded amp.

Well, you may have read a lot about ABX and bias but you obviously failed to understand that without a proper ABX what you hear is your subjective impressions which cannot be used as a fact/argument. At least not on a scientifally oriented forum.

Try to accept that we do not compare devices here based on sighted listening impressions.

P.S. I can't even begin to understand how you fail to "hear" difference between TotalCRAP (sorry, I meant TotalDAC) vs Element X but you were easilly able to do so with Linn vs Naim CD player.

 

[BDWoody]

I suppose you are suggesting dishonesty, but I prefer to be generous and give them the benefit of the doubt.

Don't lie to people who trust you, and don't trust people who lie to you.

They've lost the goodwill that comes from honest, non-obfuscatory explanation.

I run a service company. I wouldn't be able to look my customers in the eye, or myself in the mirror if I dealt with valid issues and complaints like these ass-clowns.

Most of them deserve scorn. They should truly be ashamed.

 

[AudioSceptic]

Well, you may have read a lot about ABX and bias but you obviously failed to understand that without a proper ABX what you hear is your subjective impressions which cannot be used as a fact/argument. At least not on a scientifally oriented forum.

Try to accept that we do not compare devices here based on sighted listening impressions.

P.S. I can't even begin to understand how you fail to "hear" difference between TotalCRAP (sorry, I meant TotalDAC) vs ElementX but you could easilly do so with Linn vs Naim CD player.

That baffles me too. But then I can't imagine spending over €10k on a DAC anyway, or even on the whole system. BTW I see that the top TotalDAC model, d1-twelve-mk2 DAC (3 boxes), is over €30k. Bonkers.

 

[ahofer]

Don't lie to people who trust you, and don't trust people who lie to you.

They've lost the goodwill that comes from honest, non-obfuscatory explanation.

I run a service company. I wouldn't be able to look my customers in the eye, or myself in the mirror if I dealt with valid issues and complaints like these ass-clowns.

Most of them deserve scorn. They should truly be ashamed.

On my last round of dealer visits, to audition speakers, i got the cable lecture everywhere. Each of them would ask what cables I was using or planned to use, at which point I outed myself as thinking it didn’t matter beyond we’ll-made terminations and tight connections. Audio Doctor, Innovative Audio, Sound by Singer, Lyric HiFi-everyone in the store immediately (just two, typically) came over to gang up on me.

As if I’d come into an evangelist church and said “I don’t believe Jesus was the son of God”.

Depressing. There was no place in NYC to listen to well-designed speakers where I didn’t get lectured about ridiculously expensive amps and wires.

 

[FredYves]

Well, you may have read a lot about ABX and bias but you obviously failed to understand that without a proper ABX what you hear is your subjective impressions which cannot be used as a fact/argument. At least not on a scientifally oriented forum.

Try to accept that we do not compare devices here based on sighted listening impressions.

P.S. I can't even begin to understand how you fail to "hear" difference between TotalCRAP (sorry, I meant TotalDAC) vs ElementX but you could easilly do so with Linn vs Naim CD player.

Thank you very much for your good advices and nice words. I know very well in which forum I am and I respect it. I am learning a lot from the forums. My experience is however based on listening, not through the forums, but at home in the same room and conditions. Is it ABX? Not. But I would not say that an equipment is crap without listening to it. If you are so sure that ElementX will outperform a TotalDAC, you should try the experience yourself.
Here again, to share an experience, I had the opportunity to listen to PS Audio at home and didn’t like it (sorry no ABX). The perception was the same presented by Amir through his own listening experience.