This is encouraging to read. I have a PWD on order and have been using similar electronics (Cullen modded DLIII, Wyred4Sound ST-500 and PSA GCP-200(incredible preamp, I can't believe it's gotten so little attention)). Would you mind sharing some of the improvements you've heard over the modded DAC?
What I heard was very similar to what has been stated by the beta testers and the PS Audio guys themselves via the PS Audio website
here Let me try to give this some tangibility. When I listened to a Redbook CD from Keith Jarrett, The Koln Concert, a live recording from the early 70s, I immediately commented on how well this was recorded; the decay of the individual notes was very apparent and the timbre was very good for a Redbook recording. I liked what I heard so well that I purchased the flac download of this recording as soon as I got home from the audition. On my system the piano does not sound the same the timbre is not nearly as lifelike as what I heard via the PWD/dealer system, nor was the discernable decay of the individual piano notes. I also felt that many of the CDs and files that I am familiar with sounded better resolved than when played on my system (i.e.: more information was conveyed the sound was much less digital. Digital is highly dynamic and highly resolving of the information up to 44/16, but it is the missing information that makes for better resolved music).
I should point out that I am very familiar with my friends reference system (the local dealer) and for the most part, I prefer the sound of my Krell Res II speakers to the sound of his B&W 802D speakers (I am specifically referring to the upper midrange and treble frequencies overall, I feel that the B&Ws are more resolving). My point is, the differences that I heard at the dealer may have had something to do with his overall system compared to mine, but for my taste, I generally prefer the warmer sound of my speakers to the more analytical sound of the B&Ws (especially on piano) so the differences that I heard on, say the Keith Jarrett CD, I attribute more to the PWD than I do the speakers or other components.
I didnt focus on sound staging, imaging, or bass extension/control and nothing in these areas jumped out at me either via the PWD/PWT (no great improvements in any of the aforementioned areas). I was not out to make a comparison between digital and analog either, because there was not an analog system set up for comparison. I was merely there to hear if things sounded better to me compared to what I am familiar with (digital playback). What I heard was better. As I said, music was more resolving (not analytical, bright, forward, or clarified), it was however, more lifelike (instrumental timbre and vocal tonality, as well as a more appreciable atmosphere - bloom/air cohesiveness). Details seemed to be more fleshed-out (as when Jarrett coughs during his performance, hums to the tune, or starts tapping his foot while playing the piano).
I am not one to praise cables, power cords, tweaks, or even power conditioning I just dont hear easily-discernable differences. What I refer to above was, for me, easily discernable. The differences, which I heard as positive (better) were in no way as easily discernable as when replacing speakers which, to me, makes the most obvious difference. The differences in resolution, timbre, tonality and atmosphere were not subtle either they were definitely discernable which to me, was better. I can say that the PWD sounds audibly better than my PS Audio- Cullen Stage IV mod DAC enough so, that I traded that DAC in plus two-grand for the PWD. I hope it sounds as good in my system as it did in my dealers system; there was enough discernable improvement to my ears that, even if some of what I perceived as better was system related, Im confident that I will hear a worthwhile difference at home.
I dont usually ramble on this much, but you asked
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