I upgraded from my original Direct Stream DAC to a Stellar Gold DAC about 6 months ago. I’m currently streaming with a PS Air Lens. I’m pretty happy, but PS is offering a nice trade in value for the Direct Stream & Air Lens.
So what’s everybody’s opinions on the PMG 512 compared to the Direct Stream & Stellar Gold & streaming with the with the PMG 512 compared to the Air Lens? There are not many reviews out there, which suggests it didn’t make a big splash.
Thanks in advance for any help.
I do not have first hand experience, however I have followed just about every post on this forum about the PMG 512. Other than the initial glitches, it seems everyone has reported a clear SQ upgrade from the Airlens and DSD MKII combo. There are particular praises for the built in PMG streamer compared to the Airlens feeding the PMG 512. Others will for sure chime in.
Well, I upgraded from a Direct Stream Mk1 to the PMG 512. Here’s what I thought:
I also tried an Eversolo T8 vs. the 512’s built-in streamer. I was surprised to find that the 512’s streamer was, in my system, slightly superior.
— Chris
Compared to both my previous DS Mk1 and MK2 with APS mod, PMG512 has an obvious advantage in lower noise floor. As a result, music sounds cleaner and clearer. In addition, bass sounds tighter. The high and mid sound smoother with better separation. It is simply more lifelike.
It’s quite a superior DAC and streamer than its predecessors.
Lack of reviews speaks more to the theme of the recent post about “respect”. If you dig on this forum I believe you will find several, like myself, who made the jump from gold to PMG 512 and are quite pleased now that the issues with the streamer have been resolved. I noticed the improvement without any need for A/B comparison. Same with my switch from gold to PMG preamp.
If you search the Forum topics that discuss the PMG 512, you should find plenty of insights and opinions on the unit, most very positive.
As for other reviews, and I assume those from the major rags, it takes a good while for them to get to it. The PMG Pre was months ahead of the DAC and I’ve only seen one review from a major mag.
Be patient, or buy and try on the PSA return plan, and you will have your own research.
Well, from all of the comments here, I bit the bullet and ordered the PMG 512. It should be here next week and I’m pretty excited. So, here’s another question… How does it sound driving an amp directly as opposed to going into the PMG Signature preamp?
So I just noticed when reading the PMG 512 user manual, that Tidal only works through Roon. Is this true, because I asked PSA support yesterday if Tidal direct works and he said yes?
I for one couldn’t offer an opinion, since I don’t have a PMG Signature preamp. Though I do have a preamp, I’ve been driving my Atma-Sphere MA-1s directly with the 512’s built-in preamp and the result is very, very good. The overriding opinion of everyone who’s tried the 512/PMG preamp combination seems to be that it’s better than the 512 alone. It might also be better with whatever preamp you have now; experimentation is the order of the day!
— Chris
This is what the PMG 512 officially supoprts:
| Connectivity |
|---|
Roon Ready
Tidal via Roon
Qobuz Connect
Spotify Premium
DLNA/UPnP
ShairPort
I just upgraded from DSD II and AirLens to 512 DAC. In terms of sound quality, no regret! I agree with all others, the difference is not small and 512 is better in almost all areas. So actually it is hard to describe. If budget is not an issue, go for it. DSD II is a solid DAC and now 512 is a true high end DAC.
Regarding AirLens vs internal streamer of 512 DAC, I did half an hour of AB test between them and the difference is nuance. Maybe 512 is a bit wider, but AirLens seems to have a bit more weight in the middle.. After several round of back and forth, I wonder if I just imagined the difference or not so you probably get my point. And I am using AQ firebird HDMI to connect AirLens to 512 DAC. So for the beauty of simplicity and savings from using less cables, I will go with the 512 internal streamer.
p.s. Audirvana from my M2 Mini initially had problem recognizing 512. Eventually Peter remote in and fixed the issue in less than 10 minutes. He said my upgrade to latest firmware is not 100% successful. PSA support is great. If you have any questions, get their help!
Thanks again for everybody’s input. I truly appreciate it. There’s a good group of audiophiles on this forum.
Well it looks like I may switch from Tidal to Qobuz, as I don’t want to subscribe to Roon again. I’ve had problems with Tidal Direct on an iPad with the Airlens and Android Galaxy phone with Android Auto. Little bugs/glitches here and there. I’ve been playing with Qobuz on both platforms yesterday and so far I haven’t encountered those bugs. One example is Tidal on Android Auto won’t allow “fast forward or rewind”, but it seems to work fine with Qobuz. Also, auto play when starting my truck never worked with Tidal, but Qobuz does well here, too.
Welcome!
I just found out yesterday that iPad can Airplay into 512 DAC!!! AirLens can’t
The highest frequenzy seems to be 44.1 so a 24/96 will be downscale and I don’t know even if it is a CD quality song, is that bit perfect to 512? But it sounds OK to me. Well, one won’t assume we can get the best out from Apple Music, right? The best thing is I can let my wife easily play song from Apple Music on ipad rather than a USB connection
I went from DS2 and Airlens to PMG 512, and am completely happy in every way. I use Qobuz and Tidal connect, without issue, from iphone. I find Tidal somewhat easier to use and less glitches, and sometimes has better library. never liked Roon. Waiting patiently for Maestro to come to iphone/ipad.
Hey jll37… From your description, its sounds like you’re able to use Tidal without Roon with the PMG 512. Is this correct?
Yes. I use Tidal Connect and Qobuz Connect on my PMG 512 without Roon
Perhaps you already know this,but you should be able to use a third-party UPnP/DLNA control point app on your phone, such as mconnect, BubbleUPnP, or JPLAY, to send the audio from Tidal to your PMG DAC. I don’t know if there are disadvantages – seems possible there would be some.
i would second the JPLAY to play Tidal over Tidal Connect. i am getting the best sound possible on my PMG 512 using JPLAY.
PMG 512 —> Holo Serene KTE —> ATC scm50asl