New to PS Audio as well as this Forum. So. I have a question. The people that use the transport…does it seem to have sort of “bright” sound to you? I have to say I’m using a Laiv uDAC instead of a PS Audio. It works great with the i2S connection. Shows the DSD64 as it should for SACD. It just seems to have a “bright” presentation.
The Laiv is a r2r DAC so was expecting somewhat more “warm” sound. It surprised me. My other gear is McIntosh c53 preamp, Accuphase a48s amp, and Klipsch Forte IV speakers. Previously I had an Arcam SACD player. It didn’t seem as bright?
I am not saying it sounds bad at all but I would like a tad more warmth. Accuphase and McIntosh generally have more of the “warm” presentation. How can I warm it up some? Maybe a tube buffer like from ModWright?
Are you using the supplied wall wart or have you bought an LPS for the uDAC? Also the I2S cable could be the cause of the tonal balance. The Laiv DACs are definitely not “bright.”
Might want to consider investing in a better I2S cable with what you have invested in the rest of the system. This one is an easy recommendation for not a lot of money relative to other options. You of course won’t pay VAT so the price will be lower.
I’m using one between the Jays CDT2 Mk3 and the Laiv Harmony.
I’m using the PST along with the DSD MkI which has been upgraded, and the BHK 250 amp. There’s no brightness in my system, it sounds very balanced and musical. From what I’ve read about the Laiv uDAC, it’s definitely not the DAC either, nor would I suspect the amp
Is the PST brand new? If not I would suggest like others, upgrading your HDMI cable.
I assume you’ve noticed, but unlike it’s big brother the uDAC runs pretty warm so it needs good ventilation on all sides and it wouldn’t hurt to put some sort of isolation devices under the four feet themselves to get it more air on the bottom. These do the job quite well for little money. The point of the feet on the uDAC actually rest in the hole on the top of the footer.
PST is sensitive to cables and power cords, and you may want to try a few from The Cable Company first (if you are in US). But I will not describe PST sounding bright in any case. Footers under it to reduce vibration may help too.
OP, there is a bigger issue than what a cable/LPS/etc. will solve. For SACD playback your LAIV DAC is converting the DSD signal sent from the PST into PCM internally. You’re no better off using the PST than any other CD transport. I strongly suggest you change either the transport (or get rid of it/return it) or the DAC. If you want to stay in R-2R land, Holo Audio May and Cyan 2 have a separate DSD vector processing ‘DAC’ that keeps the DSD bitstream as 1-bit.