Bridge II vs USB

I’m not sure if this thread has been done before. I’m on the fence sort of speak if getting the bridge II. Which method sounds better?

That really depends on the USB set up. If just straight outta a PC, with nothing else…The Bridge all day long. At least in my system.

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I am using a Mac mini as a Roon Core with wireworld silver usb cable , it sounds good. My main interest in the bridge would be for the final unfold of MQA . What is has me on the fence is sound quality. I have read about click and popping soundswith the bridge when a red book song is followed by DSD or other high resolution pcm files. I have read on this forum that the bridge gives a limited unfold?

The Bridge II unfolds up to 192/32 according to https://www.psaudio.com/perfectwave-bridge/. It’s easy to see in the Android app (MConnect) from Converse digital - bits, kHz and kilobits per second (for example shown here: .

My bridge says MQA when playing MQA files, not flac.

^This is incorrect. The Bridge II Ethernet card allows for the “full monty” MQA experience. Do some searching within this forum and you will find confirmation. Also, see PSA’s product page: Bridge II Network Audio Card

Regards.

“Ditto” (here are some useless words so that I don’t run a foul of the 8-character minimum requirements…)

There are PCM353kHz MQA albums on Tidal (like MAGNIFICAT).

Bridge II is limited to PCM192kHz… do you get this MQA ‘rendering’ up to PCM353kHz?

“Mine, too” would have done the job. :slight_smile:

Sorry if I was not clear…I was simply noting that the Bridge does the full MQA “unfolding”. I am not claiming that the kit exceeds its specifications, which “tops out” at 192kHz as you noted.

Sure…But that is beside the point is it not? The point being that I cannot express myself as I preferred with my pithy response of “Ditto”. Not a big deal – just having some fun at the expense of this fixed forum operating parameter. I find it to be a bit of a nuisance. But, I don’t get to set the rules. All in good fun…

You apparently missed the :slight_smile:

On other forums posters simply write 10 char or the like to fulfill the requirement of a minimum number of characters.

Guess so…maybe a :wink: and I would have received what you were broadcasting…Ha!

Regards.

This is getting complicated . . .

:slightly_smiling_face::slightly_smiling_face::slightly_smiling_face::slightly_smiling_face::slightly_smiling_face::slightly_smiling_face::slightly_smiling_face::slightly_smiling_face:

Everything after 96kHz is what MQA Ltd refers to as ‘rendering’. The Bridge II doesn’t do the full rendering, as per MQA 353kHz example.

Gotcha…understood. My point to the OP was that the Bridge does not do a “limited unfold”. To be more precise (as you noted and if I understand correctly), the Bridge is a decoder and a renderer. Copacetic…?

No problem. I was only replying to your comment:

"This is incorrect. The Bridge II Ethernet card allows for the “full monty” MQA experience."

Understood…thanks.

@entman - I used the BII for almost a year and it was great. The BII is capable of single DSD (Max); moreover, I was challenging the notion of better SQ. So, I went Matrix w/ short usb “data only” cable to Matrix w/ Sbooster & Ultra Filter as external Matrix PS and HDMI cable to DSD I2S. Removed the BII and sold it. The result is double DSD capable, MQA capable, and a definite step up in SQ. My initial reason for looking beyond the BII was driven by PSA’s directional change in BIII… Not looking to go Octave in a small footprint or be influenced by that implementation spilling over into the very simple BII. I heard no talk of bettering the BII, just going right to BIII. I might be wrong, that was the sense I got. So, not looking to invest any more calories in that streaming tool.

Purchasing a BII locks you into a certain approach with limitations. The Matrix is only bound by the DSD capability. I wanted the DSD to have no restriction and PSA’s philosophical change in direction is incompatible with where I want to go in streaming down the road… PF 2.16, using I2S.

There are many ways to skin a cat, this is just one and hope it causes you to contemplate options.

So, to answer the mail directly, @darrenv1070 is correct… BII all day long if it is usb direct. If Matrix w/ good external PS… usb to Matrix to I2S all day long.