Does DMP sound much better than PWT or are they close with regular CD’s?
Here’s my memory when I had both in hand, before I sent the PWT off to PS Audio as “trade in” on my beta-testing deal:
Better. Much better? That’s hard to qualify. Better, and the DSD data via HDMI to the DSD was what made it so special for me.
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Agreed.
I use to think transports do not sound different from one another playing CD’s to a DAC. When I first got my DS DAC, I was using a Panasonic DVD player for a transport to the DS. It sounded much better than CD’s direct from the Panasonic. Then when I got a Oppo 95 DVD player, I found that using the Oppo sounded even better than the Panasonic. Then I got a Marantz SA11 S3. That sounded even better using it as a transport or playing it direct without the DS. I was going to get a PWT but never got around to it. I’m pretty sure the PWT would have outperformed everything I tried before. Then I Beta tested the DMP. Boy was that a game changer!! Not only was I able to CD’s without cringing when I turn up the volume, I was actually enjoying the sound!! Then the SACD’s, especially the better recorded ones put the DMP/DS in another league!! If you own a DS, you are doing yourself a disservice not able to hear SACD’s through this magnificent DAC.
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I’m using the Perfect Wave transport (into non-PS DAC) right now, but I don’t listen to CDs that much anymore … I figure it’s the last transport I’ll buy. But if I eventually get a DS DAC, what am I missing by not pairing it with a DS transport? (I don’t own, or have interest in, SACD). I use the PWT in my second system, which is an office/desktop/headphone setup – mostly streaming or files.
Whether you miss something depends, a high quality and well-balanced streaming front end does miracles 
The sound quality difference between the PWT and the DMP is significant. It is so much more enjoyable and listenable. It is superior to any other source including the bridge and anything USB connected. Operationally I prefer the reliability of the PWT to the DMP. This is not to say that the PWT is not a good transport.
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No experience with it so cannot say anything sensible about the DMP, but since the Melco/Matrix surpasses my PWT, the PWT is out of work…
For now I will enjoy my PWT as I have going on 8 years now. I even got a spare disc drive in case my current one fails. Reliability issues of the DMP scare me and $6500 US is a ton of money for me to invest in the new player. I have requested to beta test the new player but I have not received a response.
I picked up my PWT for $1200 refurbed which struck me as a great deal. Yet, I just don’t play CDs that often anymore. I won’t upgrade. What I’m curious about mainly is that if I picked up a DS dac to use in my second system (office desktop, headphones), will the I2S output into the DS be meaningful, even if the transport is the PWT? As I said, I am mostly a vinyl and streaming listener, so the whole question of CDs is one that is headed towards irrelevance. (Where do I love to play them? In my car, on a 15-year-old car audio system that really needs to be replaced). But I do love the PWT and it sounds amazing.
I suspect if you fed the DSD with the PWT via I2S, you’d start listening to CDs more often.
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Absolutely the I2S will function well. I use that output between my PWT and DS.
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Thanks Mitch. That’s the info I was looking for.
Unable to supply this info since they will have to pry the PWT from my cold dead hands
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My PWT is sounding quite nice with the Wireworld Platinum Starlight 7 cable between it and my Directstream dac. Perhaps $6500 would buy me a better sound but I’m okay with my PWT.
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The PWT was and is amazing! The question… Does the DMP sound that much better is a loaded question. On pure Sonics, the short answer is yes. However, when replacing any great high end product the replacement faces the “law of diminishing returns”. A small (but large when considering improvements at that level) for a sometimes large chunk of money. Thus the question… is it worth it? Sonic Improvement vs Cost.
An example: Take a very well accepted and acclaimed speaker from a given manufacturer. A couple of years later they come out with a Version II. Does the Version I automatically become junk or sound less than before! No! But if the manufacturer does legitimately make some improvements, it will most likely sound better. But almost always… not be in a different league! Just better in a audiophile world of small improvements for big money.
But to me that’s part of the hobby, researching, listening, weighing options, making purchases, and of yeah, listening to music! I love music but I’m an equipment lover as well (for me it’s not just all about the music. If so I’d be happy to listen on a lot lesser system than high end. And this we are back to… does it sound better? Is it worth it? And so on).
My two cents worth! Though in our hobby two cents won’t get us much!
Happy Audiophile Day!!!
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Right, and there’s the question of where else the money could go to improve the system overall. I mean, I just spent $299 to upgrade a USB cable and was knocked on the floor.
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Hello,
Is it possible to install bluray driver instead of dvd driver in pwt?
The dvdrom drive in the PWT does not support Bluray. If you installed a Bluray drive you would not gain any advantage and actually may compromise CD performance.
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I do not agree with you because it is not a cd driver. It also memorizes. In this case it is driver independent. If it works, I have a capacity advantage. If it works, ssd can also be installed instead of dvd drive.
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