The PST doesn’t depend on the DS connection through I2S to shine. The secret to why the PST sounds so much better than any player or transport on the market today lies in its AirGap interface that galvanically isolates the digital output stage from the internal power supplies and transport mechanism. You get the isolated benefits regardless of how you connect its output to any DAC.
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Hi Paul,
Since about 2 weeks I am also an owner of the new PST after my “old” DMP. After a very short period of burning in, I was from the very start convinced about the improfement of the SQ: a broadBut er sound image, and deeper with much more detail in the music. Impressive bass! I am very happy with the player.
But there are a few minors: not all sort of usb sticks can be read, especially two Kingston usb sticks will not be read, which is a pity. Perhaps something for the next software update?
I opened my latest edition of Gramophone today and there was yet another new high-end CD player, this one a 110th Anniversary model (called A110) from Denon. This is apparently not a new machine, it’s a version of a model made exclusively for the Japanese market called the DCD-SX1.
I heard the original Marantz SA-10 3 or 4 years ago. These are the premium ones with the transport now in the PS Audio transport. There was a Japan-only SA-12SE and a Japan and Europe SA-12 version as well. These all have extensive galvanic isolation. The new Marantz 30 range has less features for half the price and is a lot smaller, but basically the same transport.
One of the notable features of the Denon unit is the mechanical damping of the power supplies and transport, which includes their positioning, firing, and two steel cross-braces making the case far more rigid. The spinning drive itself has a solid copper top plate to make it as rigid as possible. It also uses miniaturised circuity as you would see in Devialet or dCS. Besides allowing a far shorter signal path and much lower noise from the components, what they don’t tell you is that it’s a lot cheaper to make.
The Denon also has 2 DAC’s per channel which they say drastically reduces noise.
Whilst not pushing any brand, and having only heard the top-end Marantz unit some time ago, there does seem to have been a lot of product development in the last 5 years, mostly for the Japanese/Asian (where SACD and CD are still very popular, apparently) and then the European market. They have a lot of common features such as very fast chips and lots of upsampling, galvanic isolation, mechanical isolation etc.
These units without exception have a matching integrated amplifier, often (like Denon) with a phono stage. So the marketing is an old-school (no streaming) 2-box system.
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I do believe Barry improved the USB input on the next FW update that is set to be released next week.
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Thanks for the info.
I always enjoy how creative engineers can improve on 40 year-old technology, and will continue to do so.
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Wow!
Did you connect the PST to the Denafrips using the HDMI (i2S) ??
If so, any problems ??
Yes I did and I had no problems.
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I’m lusting for the PST (after all the bugs are fixed) mated to the following Dac:
The reviews are amazing and for $5K with an outboard power supply I LOVE it.
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To be fair I’ve not heard all the others but certainly have of the main contenders. So far, not close.
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Any ideas for a 2 hour old PST user unable to get to DSD on a Denafrips Pondus (I2S input on both)? Gives me a “must be I2S connected” on the menu screen, can’t select the DSD layer only CD. CD is sounding great though!
Welcome, @johnallen !
I do not know, unfortunately, but hopefully someone will come along soon who does.
If you’re listening to an SACD, you’ll only be able to output the native DSD signal through to one of our DACs. Sadly goes back Sony’s copyright on SACDs.
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Thanks, I was suspecting such. So the only DSD playback will be files through via a thumb drive or similar?
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Good information, thank you. I just enjoyed the best sounding rendition of the Allman Brothers at Filmore East (CD layer) I’ve heard from my stereo- the PST is a dynamite redbook transport.
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Exactly. If I remember correctly, you’ll be able to play DSD files from a thumb drive and a data disc. Glad to hear you’re enjoying it!
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Paul
Which main contenders? Price range or no holds barred?
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I am hesitant to start naming names but let me suggest price point wasn’t part of the equation. We were able to borrow some pretty pricey products to compare with and were more than pleasantly surprised.
See, normally we don’t bother with comparisons. I honestly don’t care. However, what piqued our interest this time around was the radical change in technology we had built (in the AirGap Interface). I guess we suspected it would make a big difference but were rather stunned at HOW much difference it actually made. Were we kidding ourselves? Had we really broken through a major barrier (as it seemed)? That’s why we took the time to see where we stood amongst the competition.
In the end, we were just so blown away at how much better the PST was than the DMP that we had to know if it was just a fluke or had we really taken it to a new level.
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