SACD playback transport

Audio Components Transports
161
Amlan said
Paul McGowan said
lonson said It would be wonderful if there's an upgrade trade-in program as with the DS.

Your wish is my command.

Paul

$5K is a lot of money for regular folks like me who have been a long time loyal PSA user. However for me to be able to justify trading in my PWT 1 and get this, ideally I’d want to be able to not only play every popular format (SACD, DVDA, wav, flac, DSD double etc.) but also be able to rip the allowed ones (except sacd I assume) to an externally connected (USB?) flash or SSD hard drive. Compared to people caring about ipad remote or ripping or internet streaming do you guys really think people care more about multi channel sacd for using three different DS Dac ?


I agree, and the bad news is that $5K guess I offered back then has crept up to $6K - so it’s even more expensive.

We don’t pull these prices out of thin air, nor do we price things for what the market will bear or what the device should sell for, or even the hundreds of thousands we pore into engineering. Our pricing is strictly based on a markup of parts and labor - and that’s just what it costs.

I wish it were much cheaper. I was just not willing to compromise performance, not even a little.

The DST is engineered around, and based upon, 2-channel audio and CD play. That’s the target we shot for. Make the world’s best sounding 2-channel CD transport that also plays every other format and - and this was a big second for us - permits SACD play into our DAC without compromise and without restriction. Pure DSD straight into the DAC. And it is simply amazing. I can’t get over the difference. Not just how much better CD is, but how good SACD sounds!

And multi-channel is a side benefit. Yes, we can support multiple DACs and multi-channel. But that was never our focus, nor was it our main goals. We saw that we could, and figured there’d be a few that would enjoy it. Adding that feature took more engineering time, but added no more to the retail. So, why not?

But.

It will not RIP nor stream. It is perhaps one of the last great no-compromise 2-channel CD/SACD transports in existence. That’s it’s function, that was our goal, and $6K is what it winds up costing.

We’ll have a trade up program for PW-1 owners as a I promised.

162
Amlan said
Paul McGowan said There will be an early beta test program some of you may wish to participate in. Maybe as early as August.

Have you started the Beta program?


No, but we will soon. Beta units start to ship next month, October. Stay tuned for those interested. I’ll be asking for beta tester applications within another two weeks.

163

I’d consider Beta testing. . . but I also have a second PWT that I was planning on upgrading instead. Options. . . that’s a good thing.

164
JPWhee said Any chance that PWT II will decode HDCD?
I'll be in line as a Beta tester. But this is a fair question. Will it decode HDCD as the Oppo does?
165
darrenv1070 said
JPWhee said Any chance that PWT II will decode HDCD?

I’ll be in line as a Beta tester. But this is a fair question. Will it decode HDCD as the Oppo does?


Yes it will.

Dennis

166

Wow. That’s good news.

167

Would the 10 times up-sampling of the DS make HDCD a moot point? Or would the info on HDCD disks make a difference in sound quality?

168

If someone knows, I’d be interested what’s the difference to expect between playing an HDCD file without any decoding, with the decoding I.e. DBpoweramp offers and with proper decoding by a player.

One of my previous players did have this decoding, but as far as I remember, the sound, if at all different , was just a bit more unnaturally extended when playing back HDCD’s.

When I asked them, Reference recordings told me, the HDCD process is more relevant during recording and mastering and not much in play back/decoding.

169

The upsampling on the DirectStream has no bearing on CD vs. HDCD. HDCD largely increases the dynamic range potential of Redbook CD audio.

Admittedly my knowledge and experience with HDCD is limited, but the few that I have and have been able to compare with standard Redbook all sound better from the HDCD version. Of course, that improvement may come from better mastering when making the HDCD version, but it is impossible to say and not important to me as long as HDCD is consistently better. for this, I am disappointed that HDCD basically died and few titles are available.

Hmmm… more research to do… :slight_smile:

J.P.

170

Hmmm… Jazznut posted while I was composing my post and his opinion differs from mine. No big deal, to each his own. My ears are not as discerning as many here, so perhaps those with more refined listening skills may agree with Jazznut’s assessment. To me, the differences were subtle, but to my ears better.

J.P.

171

I have a broader question. Will the PWT 2 handle all of the formats available via the Oppo such as DTS or Blu-Ray audio along with SACD and Redbook?

172
Dennis Kerrisk said
darrenv1070 said
JPWhee said Any chance that PWT II will decode HDCD?

I’ll be in line as a Beta tester. But this is a fair question. Will it decode HDCD as the Oppo does?

Yes it will.

Dennis


Well, that’s great news! Is this a recent change? I though Paul told me earlier this year that HDCD decoding wouldn’t be included.

Paul, do you have an estimate on what you’ll offer for PWT trade-ins?

-Pb

173
Dennis Kerrisk said
darrenv1070 said
JPWhee said Any chance that PWT II will decode HDCD?

I’ll be in line as a Beta tester. But this is a fair question. Will it decode HDCD as the Oppo does?

Yes it will.

Dennis


I hate to be argumentative but I believe Dennis is wrong. Last I heard we’ve disabled this feature because to activate it means we’re no longer bit perfect (since HDCD loses the LSB to do its thing). I’ll check with Bob.

174
Paul McGowan said
Dennis Kerrisk said
darrenv1070 said
JPWhee said Any chance that PWT II will decode HDCD?

I’ll be in line as a Beta tester. But this is a fair question. Will it decode HDCD as the Oppo does?

Yes it will.

Dennis

I hate to be argumentative but I believe Dennis is wrong. Last I heard we’ve disabled this feature because to activate it means we’re no longer bit perfect (since HDCD loses the LSB to do its thing). I’ll check with Bob.


Paul,

You are correct. I forgot that we disable it to get bit perfect p[layback.

Dennis

175
longbowbbs said I have a broader question. Will the PWT 2 handle all of the formats available via the Oppo such as DTS or Blu-Ray audio along with SACD and Redbook?
Yes, indeed it will.
176
Peanut Butter said
Dennis Kerrisk said
darrenv1070 said
JPWhee said Any chance that PWT II will decode HDCD?

I’ll be in line as a Beta tester. But this is a fair question. Will it decode HDCD as the Oppo does?

Yes it will.

Dennis

Well, that’s great news! Is this a recent change? I though Paul told me earlier this year that HDCD decoding wouldn’t be included.

Paul, do you have an estimate on what you’ll offer for PWT trade-ins?

-Pb


Likely $1,800 but don’t hold me to that.

177
Paul McGowan said
longbowbbs said I have a broader question. Will the PWT 2 handle all of the formats available via the Oppo such as DTS or Blu-Ray audio along with SACD and Redbook?

Yes, indeed it will.


(Staring at my Oppo-105)…Looks like someone is going to have company!

178
wingsounds13 said Hmmm.. Jazznut posted while I was composing my post and his opinion differs from mine. No big deal, to each his own. My ears are not as discerning as many here, so perhaps those with more refined listening skills may agree with Jazznut's assessment. To me, the differences were subtle, but to my ears better.

J.P.


In this case my remembrance of properly decoded HDCD sound is quite old, could be wrong what I still have in mind. Would be interesting what the pro’s say.

But it’s interesting, what reference recordings said, that decoding on the player side its not that important, but recording and mastering takes main advantage of it

179
Paul McGowan said
Peanut Butter said
Dennis Kerrisk said
darrenv1070 said
JPWhee said Any chance that PWT II will decode HDCD?

I’ll be in line as a Beta tester. But this is a fair question. Will it decode HDCD as the Oppo does?

Yes it will.

Dennis

Well, that’s great news! Is this a recent change? I though Paul told me earlier this year that HDCD decoding wouldn’t be included.

Paul, do you have an estimate on what you’ll offer for PWT trade-ins?

-Pb

Likely $1,800 but don’t hold me to that.


Ouch. Not even 50% of the original PWT price for loyal brand owners?

I was really hoping that would be higher.

180

I should wait for the beta announcement, but since others have already jumped in, Paul, I’d appreciate continuing my role as one of your beta testers.