I got an update email yesterday from Kevin as a sort of “now that you’re on the beta test team” salutation, and providing some info on posting to the beta forum etc. I’m going to assume that the sending of this email means the shipping of DMPs is imminent.
His exact words:
In advance of shipments which will take place quite soon we are sending this letter to keep our beta testers updated on progress.
Hahahahaha
We (beta testers) are still waiting for our PWD beta units to arrive so we that we can practically determine whether the sound of redbook CDs is improved - compared to the PWT. I have a preliminary theoretical question-: Why should redbook CDs sound better - from a theoretical design change perspective? In other words, what has PS Audio done to their CD-transport to make redbook CDs sound better, and in what way will they sound better (compared to the PWT); and will this sound improvement be equally detectable using the coax output rather than the IS2 output?
Jeff.
It’s a good question and much depends on circumstances of what you’re playing, your system, its resolving power, cable types etc.
I can share with you some of my observations, and perhaps that will help.
First though, the technical reasons DMP sounds so much better than the PWT is for all the reasons you might suspect: lowered jitter, reduced internal radiated noise, superior isolation and power supplies. There’s really no magic here, just better execution of what we already know how to do. Remember, we’ve had many years of experience after releasing the PWT. And much has been learned in the meantime. Even the types of gates and semiconductors used are better. What’s available to us today, like the FPGA, was just coming online back when the PWT was designed. We cut our teeth on this seminal product, and the benefits of the new teeth are to be found in the DMP.
Several of our staff had asked me just today to demonstrate the CD performance differences between DMP and the PWT. The quickest demo I know is hauling out Daft Punk’s last CD, and putting on track 4, Within. It takes me about 2 seconds to hear how the opening piano strikes on the PWT sound as if muffled - or, put a different way - the hammer’s attack and resulting notes seem to struggle getting out of the piano’s soundboard. Place the same track in DMP and that which had been restrained is now freed - the piano’s hammer exciting the strings in a way I never understood until I heard the difference. Not everyone in the room is as quick to pick up on the changes, so I often go back and forth, but in the end, no one fails to hear what’s happening.
The second track I like to play is off of our own CD/SACD, One. The last track on the CD is called Fly and it’s one of my favorites. To play this disc fairly, I ripped another copy from the red book layer of the SACD and burned a data disc. I do this because DMP will not play the red book layer. DMP will always play from the SACD layer. If connected to a DirectStream DAC (Sr. or Jr.) you’ll hear pure DSD. If played through coax or into any other make of DAC, DMP downsamples that layer to 88.2kHz/24 bits.
With the actual red book layer burned onto a data disc, I play the track in both the PWT and DMP. In the DMP, Reed Foehl’s close mic’d voice resonates as if in the room, his strummed guitar rich and full. When Elephant Revival’s singer, Bonnie Pain, enters her harmony, she’s in a clearly defined space, separated perfectly - the soundstage wide, deep and full. Place that same disc in the PWT and it’s as if it had been squeezed by a giant set of hands. Narrowed and slightly cluttered, you also notice that Foehl’s guitar is missing the lowest fundamentals present with the DMP, making it sound closer to a ukelele.
And, mind you, the PWT is one of the best CD transports in the world. In fact, there would be those (me included) that have never heard anything better until DMP entered the scene.
Sorry to rattle on for so long but you asked…
Paul McGowan said . . . DMP will not play the red book layer. DMP will always play from the SACD layer.One is not able to tell the DMP what layer you want to listen to?
This is a feature I always enjoyed on Sony SACD players.
Thanks Elk. No, we decided to keep the clutter free from the remote - also, fears of people activating the red book layer and forgetting prompted us as well.
Though I agree the feature would be nice for some, we had to reign in the possible features to something manageable on the remote.
It’s not technically hard for us to do in software, there’s just nowhere to activate it on and off that’s easy - and there’s always the risk of it being left in red book mode.
Thanks for outlining those differences Paul, and for explaining how the player will select and play back SACD. I assume that one can place a DVD-A or a Blu-ray Audio Disc into the DMP and play them back as well?
I’m really looking forward to a few sessions comparing the PWT to the DMP and then to many hours playing the DMP. My SACDs and the few DVD-A and Blu-ray Audio Discs I have are READY.
Paul McGowan said . . . there's always the risk of it being left in red book mode.A reasonable concern; this would happen.
Perhaps a feature where the DMP defaults to the Scarletbook standard whenever a dual-layer disc is inserted.
With regard to defaulting to the SACD layer, my ARCAM has the option of defaulting to either layer. The default is set on your TV, the player is also a DVD player so you probably already have it hooked up to a TV, so no big deal. Kind of a problem with the DMP since there are no video circuits. One would think this could be done through the screen on the DMP. Having said that, not sure if it is important to offer this option, personally I would strongly prefer to listen to the SACD layer. If you do want to listen to the CD layer, though, making a disc does seem a bit kludgy
Paul McGowan said Thanks Elk. No, we decided to keep the clutter free from the remote - also, fears of people activating the red book layer and forgetting prompted us as well.Though I agree the feature would be nice for some, we had to reign in the possible features to something manageable on the remote.
It’s not technically hard for us to do in software, there’s just nowhere to activate it on and off that’s easy - and there’s always the risk of it being left in red book mode.
Hi Paul,
Is the new remote going to replace the very nice remote that came with the BHK-pre and also have controls for all the PS Audio products (except the power plants)? Will the build quality of the new remote be similar toe the pre’s remote and not another plastic one?
Thank you in advance. Frank
pmotz said With regard to defaulting to the SACD layer, my ARCAM has the option of defaulting to either layer.With the Sony SACD players it is a simple, cute minute button which toggles between the layers. There is a clear indication which layer is active.
I could live with the player defaulting to Scarletbook when a new dual-layer disc is inserted, but being wholly unable to play the Redbook layer is frustrating.
Elk saidpmotz said With regard to defaulting to the SACD layer, my ARCAM has the option of defaulting to either layer.With the Sony SACD players it is a simple, cute minute button which toggles between the layers. There is a clear indication which layer is active.
I could live with the player defaulting to Scarletbook when a new dual-layer disc is inserted, but being wholly unable to play the Redbook layer is frustrating.
Agreed. I think we’re all on the same page with that. Perhaps coding another button on the remote to handle that?
Also how would one toggle between 2-channel SACD layer and 5.1?
Seems odd.
I agree that there should be the option to play the Redbook layer on a hybrid SACD; my old Marantz player can do this. Defaulting to SACD layer would avoid the problem of people unknowingly playing the CD layer. For the time being, putting this control on the screen would be fine. Long term, another button on the remote is the way to go. If the DMP will ship with the same remote as the BHK pre, there is that button at the lower right of the ‘Transport’ section that dims the remote. Use that, which would be more logical since it would in fact be function related to the transport, and put another button below the ‘Transport’ section to dim the remote.
oddeophile saidI am confused.Elk saidAgreed. I think we're all on the same page with that. Perhaps coding another button on the remote to handle that?pmotz said With regard to defaulting to the SACD layer, my ARCAM has the option of defaulting to either layer.With the Sony SACD players it is a simple, cute minute button which toggles between the layers. There is a clear indication which layer is active.I could live with the player defaulting to Scarletbook when a new dual-layer disc is inserted, but being wholly unable to play the Redbook layer is frustrating.
Also how would one toggle between 2-channel SACD layer and 5.1?
Seems odd.
In my present headphone-based audio system (PWT => Anedio D2 DAC => Violectric V281 headphone amplifier => HE1000 headphone), I can play the redbook layer of my SACDs using my PWT, which then sends the digital signal to my Anedio D2 DAC via a coax cable. Will my PWD be able to read the redbook layer of my SACD in the same way, or will I not be able to obtain any signal from my SACDs seeing that I do not have a DirectStream DAC and a IS2 connection?
Jeff.
oddeophile said
Also how would one toggle between 2-channel SACD layer and 5.1?
- I also wonder about this (2ch. vs. multichannel) because the mix differs.
It should be possible to use a toggle button-sequence for the switch. By doing this, PS Audio avoid doing physical modifications to the IR Remote and the action can only be initiated on purpose.
lonson said Thanks for outlining those differences Paul, and for explaining how the player will select and play back SACD. I assume that one can place a DVD-A or a Blu-ray Audio Disc into the DMP and play them back as well?I’m really looking forward to a few sessions comparing the PWT to the DMP and then to many hours playing the DMP. My SACDs and the few DVD-A and Blu-ray Audio Discs I have are READY.
Yep, no problem on playback of these other discs as well.
Can’t wait to hear what you think.
Frode said oddeophile saidAlso how would one toggle between 2-channel SACD layer and 5.1?
- I also wonder about this (2ch. vs. multichannel) because the mix differs.
It should be possible to use a toggle button-sequence for the switch. By doing this, PS Audio avoid doing physical modifications to the IR Remote and the action can only be initiated on purpose.
The DMP knows if you have multiple DACs connected for multi channel sound or you’re just using its two channel outputs. But I believe whenever there’s a multi channel disc installed the default is to play the LR tracks of the multi channel mix through the stereo outputs. I can check with Bob on this.
frank7036 saidYes, the DMP ships with the new, nicer remote.Paul McGowan said Thanks Elk. No, we decided to keep the clutter free from the remote - also, fears of people activating the red book layer and forgetting prompted us as well.Though I agree the feature would be nice for some, we had to reign in the possible features to something manageable on the remote.
It’s not technically hard for us to do in software, there’s just nowhere to activate it on and off that’s easy - and there’s always the risk of it being left in red book mode.
Hi Paul,
Is the new remote going to replace the very nice remote that came with the BHK-pre and also have controls for all the PS Audio products (except the power plants)? Will the build quality of the new remote be similar toe the pre’s remote and not another plastic one?
Thank you in advance. Frank