Review and Measurements of PS Audio PerfectWave DirectStream DAC

[ahofer]

I will still match you. Suggest we throw in a Topping DAC...or maybe a USB dongle converter, to make it more fun if they can’t tell.

If we make it “a charity of your choice” I will do more.

 

[scott wurcer]

I'll throw in $1000 to charity of choice, no problem.

 

[ahofer]

I have now removed the discussion of crowdsourcing a blind test to a separate thread: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?posts/240375/

 

[Krunok]

Try leather...wrapped very tightly...and a ball gag as the cherry on top. Makes the DAC sound however you want...

I can see you became a follower of @Thomas savage "bondage & restraints" philosophy.

 

[Thomas savage]

Sure there are a lot of better transformers out there, but they cost too much for a product at this price point. ."

Hey , I do the jokes ok!

 

[617]

 

[mkawa]

for reference, the custom billet encasement for the 250$ MSRP topping d50s

 

[GrimSurfer]

for reference, the custom billet encasement for the 250$ MSRP topping d50s

View attachment 35140

It's important not to take manufacturer's claims too seriously. CNC milling can turn a billet into a nice piece of sculpture. Mechanical strength? Yeah, maybe. But a lot of that depends on the alloy used and the finished design... keeping in mind that we're talking about a component body and not the Space Shuttle.

As for "anti interference", or what is more properly referred to as EMI/RFI protection, it's debatable whether an aluminum case with gaping hopes for displays and connectors is really going to make a difference. Far more gains are possible by using good power supplies, smart use of internal shielding, and good circuit topologies.

 

[da Choge]

In response to unrelenting rigorous testing and criticism of flagship DirectStream DAC at the Audio Science Review site, PS Audio releases revolutionary new hardware upgrade that places the DirectStream DAC's fidelity well above all competitors' similarly priced units. Remarkably, PS Audio is able to offer this new technology upgrade for the nominal price of $1500.00.

THANK YOU, 617 !!! For much needed comic relief in this somewhat controversial thread. Didn't really need any caption other than your brilliant graphic, but I couldn't help myself.

 

[mkawa]

oh god, i'd missed the joke. HAH!

 

[Gazjam]

PS Audio didn’t post that.

dont be a Dick...ffs.
Is that even your own Photoshop?

 

[Gazjam]

Posted that as not all members know the difference (like all forums) between what’s real and what’s not.

yes, I do have a sense of humour.

 

[Kacperum]

Yes, if, in 1993, you needed to drive your apogee Scintillas, you kinda had to get a Krell.

Don't remind me of Apogee, please. Shame they're not around anymore.

 

[da Choge]

PS Audio didn’t post that.

dont be a Dick...ffs.
Is that even your own Photoshop?

If your post was directed toward me, no offense taken and I credited the original poster at the bottom of my post. I'm not necessarily on one side of the fence or the other (but I am an avid ASR reader and fan); I just thought the Photoshop was genius and hilarious. Obviously, my last post was satirical as well. Kudos again to original poster 617 !!!

 

[anmpr1]

Finally, a DAC that sounds like a $12,000 vinyl rig! And at half the price too. The wife will surely hear the difference from the kitchen.

I would think that the 'wife' reference would have been relegated to self-parody, and reviewers who attempted to use it would be banned by any editor from that kind of copy. However, a recent 'review' of a five thousand dollar McIntosh preamp (really just some subjective nonsense about soundstage, coherence, and lush 'feel' of the music--talk about mixing metaphors) at hometheaterhifi dot com has the following: Even my wife commented that she loved the way it sounded, and we spent many an evening exploring music together on the couch.

Well, I'm glad the folks at Mac are helping out in the family togetherness department! For 5 thousand dollars, I think it's the least they can do.

 

[BDWoody]

I would think that the 'wife' reference would have been relegated to self-parody, and reviewers who attempted to use it would be banned by any editor from that kind of copy. However, a recent 'review' of a five thousand dollar McIntosh preamp (really just some subjective nonsense about soundstage, coherence, and lush 'feel' of the music--talk about mixing metaphors) at hometheaterhifi dot com has the following: Even my wife commented that she loved the way it sounded, and we spent many an evening exploring music together on the couch.

Well, I'm glad the folks at Mac are helping out in the family togetherness department! For 5 thousand dollars, I think it's the least they can do.

She strips out of the hearing aids after dinner...

 

[Gazjam]

If your post was directed toward me, no offense taken and I credited the original poster at the bottom of my post. I'm not necessarily on one side of the fence or the other (but I am an avid ASR reader and fan); I just thought the Photoshop was genius and hilarious. Obviously, my last post was satirical as well. Kudos again to original poster 617 !!!

None given!

 

[tytus_s]

If you just want cd performance, apple dongle is your friend. It's good, it's competent. Why bother spending thousands for shit???
[sad face]

There is no DAC in Apple's dongle. It's just wired so that iPhone recognizes it as an audio device and sends audio signal from the internal DAC.
It means that you have to buy an iPhone for this to work.

 

[BDWoody]

There is no DAC in Apple's dongle. It's just wired so that iPhone recognizes it as an audio device and sends audio signal from the internal DAC.
It means that you have to buy an iPhone for this to work.

What are you talking about...

 

[BDWoody]

Are you sure that there's a DAC inside a $9 dongle? And not just audio signal sent from the phones internal DAC?

Who told you there wasn't a DAC in the dongle? It has actually been tested here.