My PerfectWave dac is working!

I’m wondering why the amps aren’t working either. I don’t feel like the seller would intentionally sell non working amps. But neither is working. I’m at a loss for words. I’ve contacted the seller. Let’s see if he responds and see what he says. 

Glad you got everything working,but I find it hard to believe that you bought these amps here. And they don’t work. Can’t see why a member would sell two dead amps. No benefit to anyone.

Yes, the entire system, with the pre, transport, dac, and integrated, is operating wonderfully.

The problem is the monoblocks I purchased from AG a month ago are not producing sound. But why would I not obtain sound from both amplifiers?

Can anyone explain that one?

So does that mean the DAC works too? Sorry to hear about the amps.

!!!!!!!!!!

Good news, and bad news.

The integrated with the preamp WORKS!

So apparently, the monoblocks I purchased on Audiogon apparently aren’t working. I purchased them 3.5 weeks ago.

And I highly doubt that the seller is going to believe that I couldn’t operate them until a preamp arrived a month later.

Interesting, that they fire up and glow just fine. $2k worth of paperweights!

What works coltrane1?I’m interested to know,and how you resolved the problem.

🤣🤣🤣

I work! Lol!

Wait you have other amplification in the house and haven't tried the DAC with it? Get on that Coltrane1!

I have a lot of equipment that I purchased from PS

A and always had fantastic CS. Even on a DAC that I was not the original owner and out of warranty 
 

I still have 2 tube integrated’s. I’ll try the one I just purchased brand new last year. Thank you!

You have narrowed the problem down to the amplification, so if I was you I would forget trying to tweak the DAC.  So lets talk about the amps

   Do you still have the previous integrated amp that you used?  If so try connecting the pre amp of the integrated to the power amps.  If everything works then the problem is the new pre amp.

   If that doesnt solve it connect the new pre amp to the power amp section of the integrated ..If you get sound then the problem is in your power amps.

   If you no longer have the integrated, perhaps look to buy an old integrated or AVR from a charity shop or ebay.  It could be old as long as it works.  Then use that for your testing

The dac does the identical thing with the usb connection. If my computer is off the dac still displays a green dot with a blue light on the dac. Why, because a usb connection is made on the PWD. 
 

The fact that I also have zero sound with the phono pre connection means something else is happening, other than the dac. What, I haven’t a clue.
 

I’ve a pair of class a monoblocks on the way. If they don’t work, at least I know that the problem isn’t the tube amplifier’s, which I’m not suspecting anyway. 

No, the lock light remains green on the dac when the cxc is in standby. I assumed because it’s selected as the source. 
 

I’ve yet to hear the monoblocks with the ML’s. They arrived 3 weeks ago, but I had to wait for a preamp to arrive. Prior to that I was listening to a tube integrated. But since the amps and pre arrived I’ve had no sound. 

@georgeab thank you I’ll look into that!

If it is the DAC, there is an easy cheap fix. There are many folks that have PWD MK2 digital and analog boards hanging around being used as door stops. They are left over from conversion to Directstream. I had a problem with my PWD MK2 and placed a WTB add. There is DIY video made by PS Audio on how to remove and replace the circuit cards. I think I paid $300 for the circuit cards, but since they are useless to their previous owners could likely get for less then the cost to ship your unit to PS Audio.  

No, it’s not “broken.” It’s simply a gremlin. What the cause is is uncertain.  I don’t have a CD player, only a transport. I’m using the cable that came with the transport., so it’s correct. I’m using rca to connect monoblocks. 

Unfortunately not locally. But since I’ve no sound with the preamp and phono preamp either, I now feel the problem isn’t the dac, it’s elsewhere. But I haven’t a clue how to track down the source of the problem.

Do you have a friend or relative who has a working system that would let you bring the DAC over and see if it works there?

I just connected the USB input to the DAC running to my computer. Not a sound.

Regrettably, I didn’t get the bridge. I’ll try connecting the usb input, just to cover all bases. It’s connected to my MAC. 

The source is the CXC transport connected to the DAC by Coaxial connection. I have a verified connection to the DAC. 
 

I know, what are the odds both amps aren’t working. It doesn’t make sense. 
 

I’ve checked and rechecked all cable connections to each component multiple times. Still I’ve no sound from either the DAC or the phono preamp, OR with the Preamp connected in the loop. Nuthin! Amps are on now with new tubes all around. Still nuthin! Pulling my hair out!

The dac is currently directly connected to the amps via RCA. There’s no sound. I’ve attempted several inputs on the preamp. Same result. PS Audio attempted to assist. Once they understood that there was no sound when connected to the phono pre either they suggested there’s nothing else they could suggest. Currently I’m at a loss. I’m going to have to get another amp in so I can see if the amps are the problem.

The Dac’s volume has always been at 100%. 

@coltrane1 

Did you say PS Audio won’t help you? That sure doesn’t sound right. They have been incredibly helpful when I have called them.

If the preamp is new to you make sure no mute is engaged obviously also do you have RCA cables you can run from the  Dac to preamp? Maybe your balanced input isn't working?

It doesn’t seem like a dilemma to me.  The DAC worked with a different integrated amp.  You never tried anything else with your new separates and somehow decided to blame the DAC, but if the phono preamp also is producing no sound, then the problem seems to be the amps.  

What inputs are you using on your pre? What inputs do you have the knobs selected to?   Just trying to eliminate the simple stuff. It’s odd that both your sources aren’t working.  

This just happened to me. The Directstream internal volume control defaults at 26.

Use your remote and raise the volume to 100. Make sure your going through your preamp.

It defaults at 26 in case you directly hook it straight up to your power amp.

No, I’m not saying the amps and pre aren’t working. But currently I’ve no sound with either the dac directly connected to the amps, or the dac connected to the preamp, or the phono preamp connected to the preamp and monoblocks. It’s a dilemma I know. Thanks anyway. 

No, I recently purchased the pre and the monoblocks. Right now I’ve no sound with them with either the dac or the phono pre. So I’m wondering if the problem is with the pre or the monoblocks. 
 

Initially I thought the issue was with the dac. I had no idea I had no sound between the pre and monoblocks. I’m going to see if I can connect the pre to an integrated later today to see if it works. I’ve no other digital source. 

have you tried another digital source into the dac besides the CA Transport? A streamer, or a CD Player, or even a television?

The first step would be to see if the DAC works with other digital sources. If it does then the issue must be the CA transport, or the handshake between the transport and the DAC.

If other digital sources fail to produce sound via the DAC then the problem is potentially the DAC or the Preamp. Does your preamp have an included DAC?

From what I can tell it doesnt, but if so, then...

You could be connecting one DAC to another, and then you wont get sound

Have you actualy produced sound before from the seperate pre and power amp with any other component?  If you haven't then look there first

I think that you are wasting time and money by trying different tubes

There is no hiss, no hum, nothing. 

From dac to pre via xlr. From pre to monoblocks via rca because the monoblocks are only rca.

The CD player is only a transport. I don’t play MP3’s, only redbook cd’s. 

The problem is I’ve no sound from dac direct to monoblocks or from pre direct to monoblocks. All power lights are on.

Threshold T3i preamplifier xlr 

Primaluna Prologue 6 monoblocks rca

PS Audio PerfectWave MKII dac xlr

PS Audio Phono preamplifier xlr

VPI Prime Turntable

Cambridge Audio CXC V2 transport coax

Martin Logan Summit X Loudspeakers

So you're getting no sound from your system at all from any source? Can you hear anything hiss, hum, any system noise? Tubes going bad shouldn't give you a complete and total loss of sound. That scenario almost always turns out to be user error.

What preamplifier? 

PS Audio can’t help. I’ve got no sound with the phono preamp connected to the preamp and monoblocks either.

I’m at a loss. I don’t have another preamp, or amplifiers, to insert into the system to attempt to see what the problem is. Right now I’ve zero sound. I’m wondering if the issue is the amps 12AX7 tubes.

None of the four 12AX7 tubes light up. Should they? They’re lukewarm to the touch. I’ve 4 new tubes on order.

The transport worked perfectly with the PSAudio MKII dac prior to attempting to connect separates. It’s a Cambridge Audio CXC V2 transport. 

I’m calling PSA in a few minutes. It’s the MKII version of the original PWD. It’s not a DSD, unfortunately.  I can’t spend $4k plus for a dac.