Hi, has anyone done a comparison in sound quality between PWT into DS vs Bridge II? I got rid of my Bridge I last year to replace it with a PWT for hi-res and “serious” listening (bad phrase, but you know what I mean), whilst using a Sonus Connect for Tidal steaming and Internet radio.
Now that you can use an Android device to stream Tidal to Bridge II, and the B2 is apparently a big step up in sound quality when compared to PWT, I’m wondering if I should sell the PWT and get a Bridge II plus an Android device to control it.
I’d like to hear opinions of people who have compared the 2 before going any further.
B2 is so very very close, but still not quite there. For serious listening sessions, PWT is still king in my opinion. Just a little bit fuller sound to the PWT, a little more meat on the bone.
radioclash said
B2 is so very very close, but still not quite there. For serious listening sessions, PWT is still king in my opinion. Just a little bit fuller sound to the PWT, a little more meat on the bone.
+1. Especially with the AH platinum reference fuses installed. My new reference easily replacing the SR Red fuses which sound flattened and tilted in comparison.
I’ve compared the SQ of the PWT with that from several renderers through my Bel Canto DAC. SQ of two was definitely inferior (Cyrus and Moon), two were just better (Naim and Krell) and the (less expensive) one I bought (Sonore Rendu) was at least as good as the PWT.
I’ve now added optical isolation to the last ethernet link to the renderer and this resulted in a small improvement in sound quality relative to the PWT.
I’d therefore suggest you consider adding optical isolation to your network.
radioclash said
B2 is so very very close, but still not quite there. For serious listening sessions, PWT is still king in my opinion. Just a little bit fuller sound to the PWT, a little more meat on the bone.
+1. Especially with the AH platinum reference fuses installed. My new reference easily replacing the SR Red fuses which sound flattened and tilted in comparison.
Heard great things about those fuses. Was going to audition one in my DS, but you have piqued my interest in upgrading the PWT fuse. You have one in the DS?
Yes. And in my two P10’s ARC Ref 40th and my tube amp. Rather obvious and quite dramatic improvement to say the least. The SR fuses found in your face and two dimensional in comparison. Lacking dynamics and hard in upper frequencies. The AH fuses added a very welcome analogue nature to the system with much more realistic dynamic shadings lowered noise floor and sweet beautiful upper frequencies locked into and part of the instrument not disconnected from it. Basically harmonically correct. Now my reference fuse.
Thanks. I think I will eventually upgrade the PWT fuse, but I’ll upgrade the DS fuse first. Don’t want to do both at once, I like to hear the improvement in each component.
Odd, did you compare comparably fresh SR fuses to the AH’s? Any chance they change significantly over time? Try going back to the SR’s after the AH’s (e.g., to make sure it wasn’t just that the contacts were cleaner due to the mechanical action of replacing the fuses)? As I recall you previously raved about the SRs. Or are the AH’s really just that much better?
stevem2 said
Odd, did you compare comparably fresh SR fuses to the AH's? Any chance they change significantly over time? Try going back to the SR's after the AH's (e.g., to make sure it wasn't just that the contacts were cleaner due to the mechanical action of replacing the fuses)? As I recall you previously raved about the SRs. Or are the AH's really just that much better?
What is comparatively fresh SR fuses? If you mean no no I didn't and don't plan on buying more. SR fuses take several days to burn in but AH fuses sound superb out of the box. I first ran mine in my amp then ARC Ref 40 preamp then P10's then DAC and PWT. In each case I heard exactly what the reviews heard - far more harmonic content depth image sizing and top end which is superbly integrated with the instrument not tipped up and colored hot.
@ikecarumba, what’s your take on the SR Red review and comparison to the AH fuses made in Positive Feedback? It seems in that case the Reds were preferred slightly.
tony22 said
@ikecarumba, what's your take on the SR Red review and comparison to the AH fuses made in Positive Feedback? It seems in that case the Reds were preferred slightly.
"With the RED in place, this was the best my Playback Systems MPS-5 ever sounded. That typical edge and stridency on certain digital recordings was much better controlled if not gone. Overall, the sound was still superb with the Platinum, but it was no contest for my ears. The RED was easily preferred.
The key differences between the two fuses were the level of detail and the sound stage. I would give the Platinum a grade of A on these variables, but the RED took this to an A++ in my system. I could hear into the music with a new level of detail and speed that was easy to differentiate. The soundstage seemed to double in size for both depth and breadth. Again, easy to hear and realize."
In this quote from the Sound section of the review, the last sentence of the first paragraph quoted is “The RED was easily preferred”
Care to elaborate on your interpretation? I would like to know where and what I am not understanding.
wingsounds13 said
Odd, I don't get your reading of the review.
"With the RED in place, this was the best my Playback Systems MPS-5 ever sounded. That typical edge and stridency on certain digital recordings was much better controlled if not gone. Overall, the sound was still superb with the Platinum, but it was no contest for my ears. The RED was easily preferred.
The key differences between the two fuses were the level of detail and the sound stage. I would give the Platinum a grade of A on these variables, but the RED took this to an A++ in my system. I could hear into the music with a new level of detail and speed that was easy to differentiate. The soundstage seemed to double in size for both depth and breadth. Again, easy to hear and realize."
In this quote from the Sound section of the review, the last sentence of the first paragraph quoted is “The RED was easily preferred”
Care to elaborate on your interpretation? I would like to know where and what I am not understanding.
J.P.
We’re reading two different reviews here in PF. The review you cite was the one that got me to use the red in the first place. What’s interesting to me is I hear the exact opposite of what Mr Youman hears in his later review you note. The red initially sounded so much better than my SR 20 fuses I was surprised and shocked. Over time I began to notice a pervasive lack of transient control a leading edge distortion and lack of image specificity and image depth that was proper it sounded more flattened. Reversing the fuses sounded dark full fat snd flabby. The better my system got the more I heard it especially when I went back to all tubes. Enter the AH fuse which could care less which direction it was installed and immediately a harmonic rightness began to emerge with dynamic shadings and “jump” from PPP to FFF that was startling and immensely controlled. Top end sweet and far more color to cymbals bells etc. as I later added Shunyatas brilliant new Sigma HC cables to the amp then preamp it was immediately apparent why the AH fuse is so exquisitely gorgeous sounding. Read the website and it should be obvious what is special about these they helps to create a far more jet black background.
May advice then is to obtain an SR Red and AH fuse for your amp or preamp first and you decide what’s more musical. If your system is dark and veiled the Reds tipped up upper middle to top may just balance yours out. If your system is very neutral your gonna live the AH. It’s very magical.
Mike Marks said
Hi, has anyone done a comparison in sound quality between PWT into DS vs Bridge II? I got rid of my Bridge I last year to replace it with a PWT for hi-res and "serious" listening (bad phrase, but you know what I mean), whilst using a Sonus Connect for Tidal steaming and Internet radio.
Now that you can use an Android device to stream Tidal to Bridge II, and the B2 is apparently a big step up in sound quality when compared to PWT, I’m wondering if I should sell the PWT and get a Bridge II plus an Android device to control it.
I’d like to hear opinions of people who have compared the 2 before going any further.
Many thanks,
Mike.
Don’t go by me but Ill say my view anyway
for me the pwt is below most anything I have tried it collects dust. And as for the bridge two it’s way above it period. It rivals a music server
also on the Krell music server what model did you try. I have one of those too. It too is being sold , there is just something about it that I do not like. Kinda like how most here don’t like my views or writing skills lol.
It’s close if both are played through a server very close meaning no one is a winner
but if you have a server USB is fine then. But I must say if not through a server Paul’s new bridge does not fault and is not far off a server compared to a USB. Now add on a regen if you use USB that gets you closer to the cost of a bridge. Both can j remote so no big deal.
I do need a preamp with the IRS v as even at 100 it’s loud but not intense
if you want to save some money to a regen and USB as long as it’s an I7 it plays PCM and dsd very well. What a server does is give more imaging and better details of each note meanin separation of the horns and vocals at the same time.
for me the pwt is below most anything I have tried it collects dust.
Al, does that "most anything" include any CD players or transports? I don't own a PWT, but a lot of the folks here who do think they are wonderful. Is this assessment based primarily on headphone listening? If so, might be interesting to see how PWT sounds on the IRS.