CHANGSTAR: Audiophile Headphone Reviews and Early 90s Style BBS

  • December 31, 2015, 11:18:32 AM
  • Welcome, Guest
Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  
Pages: 1 2 [3] 4 5 6 7

Author Topic: The PS Audio Perfectwave DAC PWDII Mystery  (Read 12967 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

johnjen

  • Able Bodied Sailor
  • Pirate
  • ***
  • Brownie Points: +10/-0
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 148
  • Sonicus Blasticus
Re: The PS Audio Perfectwave DAC PWDII Mystery
« Reply #20 on: July 18, 2013, 08:07:13 PM »
I just performed a 'master reset' of the PWD and then loaded the bridge f/w and the PWD operational files.

It boots up 2-3 times faster.

It sounds better.  More resolution, more inner detail, smoother top end, more dynamic bass etc.

The changes aren't huge but are certainly noticeable and well worth the 30-45 minutes it takes to perform this procedure.  A double :thumbs up especially since it is free.

JJ
Logged
PWD-II w/bridge (lightly modded) - Schiit Ragnarok - The Rok (lightly modded) - HD-800 SAA modded, balanced & hardwired
Shunyata Python & α-Digital & Anaconda XLR - AudioQuest Coffee - Wyrd Schiit - 'Other' cables & Tweaks aplenty
Schiit Mojo (retired for now)

johnjen

  • Able Bodied Sailor
  • Pirate
  • ***
  • Brownie Points: +10/-0
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 148
  • Sonicus Blasticus
Re: The PS Audio Perfectwave DAC PWDII Mystery
« Reply #21 on: July 20, 2013, 07:26:04 AM »
PWD s/w 2.4.1 was just released.

I'm listening to it now.

So far I'm impressed…

JJ
Logged
PWD-II w/bridge (lightly modded) - Schiit Ragnarok - The Rok (lightly modded) - HD-800 SAA modded, balanced & hardwired
Shunyata Python & α-Digital & Anaconda XLR - AudioQuest Coffee - Wyrd Schiit - 'Other' cables & Tweaks aplenty
Schiit Mojo (retired for now)

twizzleraddict

  • Powder Monkey
  • *
  • Brownie Points: +30/-0
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 69
Re: The PS Audio Perfectwave DAC PWDII Mystery
« Reply #22 on: July 20, 2013, 07:33:18 AM »
Quote from: johnjen on July 20, 2013, 07:26:04 AM
PWD s/w 2.4.1 was just released.

I'm listening to it now.

So far I'm impressed…

JJ

You don't have an upgraded MKI->II reference to compare with, do you?

I think s1 and I are going to do what you're doing and have a bakeoff to see whether the new firmware release is going to be comparable or not. I lent him my upgraded PWD MKII (whereas he has the new MKII) and I'm afraid I'll get the new MKII back instead of my upgraded one.  :)p13
Logged

johnjen

  • Able Bodied Sailor
  • Pirate
  • ***
  • Brownie Points: +10/-0
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 148
  • Sonicus Blasticus
Re: The PS Audio Perfectwave DAC PWDII Mystery
« Reply #23 on: July 20, 2013, 07:42:07 AM »
My PWD started out as a MKI and was upgraded to the MKII by PS Audio just before I purchased it.  And since it's my only PWD I don't have a way to A/B it. 

I do have an upgraded Headroom UDAC but ever since I began to dial in this PWD, I've not looked back.

JJ
Logged
PWD-II w/bridge (lightly modded) - Schiit Ragnarok - The Rok (lightly modded) - HD-800 SAA modded, balanced & hardwired
Shunyata Python & α-Digital & Anaconda XLR - AudioQuest Coffee - Wyrd Schiit - 'Other' cables & Tweaks aplenty
Schiit Mojo (retired for now)

CEE TEE

  • Master controller of all scores
  • Mate
  • Pirate
  • ****
  • Brownie Points: +98/-338
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 839
  • Need More Time To Loaf Around
Re: The PS Audio Perfectwave DAC PWDII Mystery
« Reply #24 on: November 23, 2013, 09:28:21 AM »
2.4.3 is now out and I like it...better Firmware page over on PS Audio too:
http://www.psaudio.com/support/perfectwave-firmware-update/
Logged
sound soft harmonics rich bile rich rhyme

Marvey

  • The Man For His Time And Place
  • Master
  • Pirate
  • *****
  • Brownie Points: +555/-33
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6698
  • Captain Plankton and MOT: Eddie Current
Re: The PS Audio Perfectwave DAC PWDII Mystery
« Reply #25 on: November 23, 2013, 06:04:17 PM »
How does the new firmware sound?
Logged

CEE TEE

  • Master controller of all scores
  • Mate
  • Pirate
  • ****
  • Brownie Points: +98/-338
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 839
  • Need More Time To Loaf Around
Re: The PS Audio Perfectwave DAC PWDII Mystery
« Reply #26 on: November 23, 2013, 08:43:45 PM »
I like it...more dynamic and seemingly more resolving without killing me in the treble/sibilance on bad tracks.  Rides a nice edge there that feels like a step up from 2.0.2.  But, I am also listening to the Zana and fairly loud to bring up the mids on my HD800.  If I listen to the Zana at lower volumes, the mids back away unlike the BA at lower volumes.  Not sure what causes that and if I would need to go Anax 2.0/3.0 plus roll drivers to help or another way. Also, I have 3 SD cards ready to go with 2.0.2, 2.2.0, 2.4.3 so I can compare one of these holidays coming up.


So far good, but something weird was happening with 2.4.1 for me and the treble was <not> right.  Skip that one that I think I emailed to you... 
Logged
sound soft harmonics rich bile rich rhyme

johnjen

  • Able Bodied Sailor
  • Pirate
  • ***
  • Brownie Points: +10/-0
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 148
  • Sonicus Blasticus
Re: The PS Audio Perfectwave DAC PWDII Mystery
« Reply #27 on: November 23, 2013, 09:28:33 PM »
I agree, at least thus far with 2.4.3.  2.4.1 added a slight grey edge/veil/fuzz to everything.  It wasn't bad but once  I went back to 2.2.0 to hear the differences I stayed with 2.2.0.  Functionally 2.4.1 cleared up a few 'idiosyncrasies' as does 2.4.3.  And it will be a while before my system is stable once again to fully test to see if it is a 'keeper', or not.  But so far it seems a step up in resolution and dynamics.


JJ
Logged
PWD-II w/bridge (lightly modded) - Schiit Ragnarok - The Rok (lightly modded) - HD-800 SAA modded, balanced & hardwired
Shunyata Python & α-Digital & Anaconda XLR - AudioQuest Coffee - Wyrd Schiit - 'Other' cables & Tweaks aplenty
Schiit Mojo (retired for now)

aive

  • Powder Monkey
  • *
  • Brownie Points: +5/-0
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 35
Re: The PS Audio Perfectwave DAC PWDII Mystery
« Reply #28 on: February 05, 2014, 09:51:10 AM »
Considering purchasing this DAC but noticed this issue from Purrin's DAC review thread at head-fi. Does anyone know if this is still an issue with the new mk2 units?

Also, from following the official PS Audio forums seems like quite a few people having issues with firmware versions, pop/click noises.... not very good for an expensive DAC ><
Logged

Anaxilus

  • Phallus Belligerantus Analmorticus
  • Pirate
  • **
  • Brownie Points: +65535/-65535
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3493
  • TRS jacks must die
    • The Claw
Re: The PS Audio Perfectwave DAC PWDII Mystery
« Reply #29 on: February 05, 2014, 05:24:32 PM »
Quote from: aive on February 05, 2014, 09:51:10 AM
Considering purchasing this DAC but noticed this issue from Purrin's DAC review thread at head-fi. Does anyone know if this is still an issue with the new mk2 units?

Also, from following the official PS Audio forums seems like quite a few people having issues with firmware versions, pop/click noises.... not very good for an expensive DAC ><

No idea.  Since they never acknowledged there was a problem, it's hard to say they ever explored a solution.  We know there was as confirmed by 3 sets of ears who sampled the two variations independently and together.  Purrin even tried to trick us (LFF and myself) by pretending to switch cables when he didn't.  We figured it out right away.  Our impressions also matched those of the newer units that were sampled at the meet in Texas, so hard to say the differences were some placebo effect.  Expectation bias also tends to suggest the same model and make will sound the same, not different.

Personally I have not tried the new firmware but some who have seem to be rolling back.
Logged
"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading." - Lao Tzu

"The Claw is our master. The Claw chooses who will go or who will stay." - The LGM Community

"You're like a dull knife, just ain't cuttin'. Talking loud, saying nothing." - James Brown
Pages: 1 2 [3] 4 5 6 7
« previous next »