I’m going to leave notes here on this journey. If this is the wrong place let me know and I’ll move it. My desire is to leave a roadmap of where I came from, plus delta, and overall observations of reaching the (acceptable IMO) reproduction of 3 dimensional sound using PS Audio gear. I hope this is the right thing to do.
I made a table, I put my things in the table.
Interconnects
RCA Kimber Hero WBT-0114Cu .5M
XLR Audioquest Mackenzie
I2S Audioquest Carbon .75M
Speaker Kimber 12VS WBT-0610Cu 2.5M
| Perfectwave SACD Transport (PWT) | Directstream DAC (DSD) | OPPO 205 | Stellar Gain Cell DAC (SGCD) | M700 | Monitor GR60 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bits In / I2S Out |
I2S In / RCA Out |
Bits In / RCA Out |
RCA In / XLR Out |
XLR In / 12VS Out | 12VS In / Noise out |
Let’s see. Beginning
Anxious to record vinyl to bits I searched for the best a/d converter. Found a PS product, tried it out and hooked.
Started with Stellar S300 & Gain Cell DAC,
Now I am in the process of PerfectWave Transport, PerfectWave DAC.
Current observations:
15-061-01-1 Rev. D Manual has typo, p2 “Unpacking and Connections” first bullet. mine didn’t come in a “soft organic cotton bag” I don’t want one but that should be addressed.
What can I do with it? What can I not do with it.
It said I can use it as a pre-amp, as long as it is the main DAC processor. There are no RCA or XLR inputs.
I am currently in the process of determining how I want this to work. I don’t think using it as a pre is going to work since I want to play my Oppo 205 and Airport Express. After looking a lot, the Oppo 205 doesn’t have the same options as the 203 down in numbers from the world of mods. SOL. What does this mean in real world.
I can play CDs at 44.1 all day. I can play SACDs at 44.1 without a skip. I cannot play an SACD through Optical, Coax, I2S above 44.1 into any device ever. This I have found, it is known.
I looked at all the things, made by the people with Websites. There’s HDMI Visual scrapers, DoP converters ranging in price from 600-2500. Looking at the specs I was convinced these all solve immediate problems from 4 years ago.
Called PS and talked on the phone with someone who was very nice.
Final conclusion for now, order the PerfectWave Transport and do it right.
Now I am looking at configuration.
I think I am going to use the Stellar GCD as the pre into the M700s.
This gives me the freedom to use the Oppo via the RCA ins - though would love a second set of XLRs… So Oppo does SACD out via RCA and XLR. That goesinta the SGCD RCA and goesoutta XLR to the M700s.
PerfectWave Transport goesoutta I2S and goesinta PerfectWave DAC.
PerfectWave DAC goesoutta XLR and inta XLR SGC. DSD signal path complete.
JRiver to Bridge handles DSD as separate library from FLAC files. I’ll have to switch over the Library’s between FLAC and DSD. I am not certain if the devices can perform format switching flippity floppity as I haven’t found it to be a feature.
I’m ok with manual JRiver library changes, it allows me to put my DSD files in a separate folder structure. I have had problems with JRiver fixing my file structure and naming conventions and prefer to keep the damage isolated.
Since I can’t rip a DSD, only options moving forward are downloads and buying CD’s with DSD files (thanks Paul!). I have a passion for physical media, so I’ll grab every DSD/SACD I see but all the recording studios, Octave, Blue Note and Pure DSD have downloads more than physical media.
