Using a PS Audio Perfectwave Dac as a music server

thanks Steve, that took care of most of it. seems it needed an update as well. things are streaming smoothly. still have a problem with the tag-n-play losing my pwd if i stop using it for a while (1 hour or so?). need to re-power the dac to get it back on my player list. minor glitch that i'm sure will be sorted out.

i'm still in awe of what it's doing and how it's doing it. tried some hi-res tonight.....incredible!

Hey Lev,
When TagnPlay gets too weird, delete it from your iPhone, and redownload the app. There is no charge to do this from the App Store. Are you using a iPad or iPod Touch, or the iPhone? Have fun, listening to the bridge can be addicting. Do you have all your CDs ripped yet? I'm about 2/3s through my collection.
Steve

Tag-n-play app issue's reared their ugly heads tonight. the app will change the player selection on its own....kinda like a delayed default or ghost switching it. if you're in the player screen/mode and catch it, you can reset the PWD as the player without interruption. if you're not watching it, it'll eventually stop playing and lock up. seems to do so about every 30-40 minutes or so??. will have to search the psa site for help or place a call. went into this with my eye's wide open. knew there would be glitches. if this is the worst of it, i'll be one happy camper.

the good news is it sounds fantastic!. having a PWT makes it very easy to a-b disc&transport vs computer. gotta say i'm impressed already. even with the limited time spent thus far, can already confirm it's gonna be close. will need to dive much deeper into different music to discover any differences. that in itself is a good thing imho.

cheers

Thanks Ben- I was curious.

Levy- Recommended settings are filter 1,Native. IMO. Congrats on your quick set up! That's how mine went, despite my over-thinking it!

Keep us posted on your thoughts about sound quality Levy.

You hit the nail when you talk about the concept (your entire music library accessible via one handy remote touch screen…It’s all too cool!

2chnlben- are you SSW?

Woot

No, Woot, I'm not Streets Still Works. I am however on that site alot (Hint: "The Dude").

_Ben

thanks everyone. got my bridge today. up and streaming in about 1 hour. amazingly easy process, even for a old computer illiterate fool like myself. can't comment to much on sound quality yet, but it sounds pretty good. will do some critical listening asap. need to upload some redbook tunes along with some hi-res dvd's before i can go there. will report back with my thoughts/opinions.

it just sank in how revolutionary these psa products (and others like it) truly are. listening to what you want, when you want it, at the push of a touch screen is remarkable (ok...so i'm late to the party). adding high quality hi res sound and doing so wirelessly, takes it to another level entirely. could be a game changer for me. if the sound quality is anywhere near my pwt, it will be for sure. trying to find the music you want to hear will be a thing of the past. one less reason to get off the couch. what's next?, a couch/bathtub combo? =)

cheers
Lev

Levy03-
m4a files are Apple lossless. Paul McGowan (the "P" in PS Audio) himself recommends apple lossless as an audiophile file format. IMHO they are in no way a "compromise" in sound quality.

Levy- J River is excellent IMO.

2chnlben- are you SSW?

Woot

thanks guys. knew j river was something i wanted. just forgot why lol. been reading so much about this stuff the last few months, some of it went in and out.

just checked my itunes and they appear to be m4a files. understand that is not a good thing regarding quality sound. seems j river picked up all my itunes and is ready to play them.

thanks for the link Ben. i visit the psa boards from time to time but musta missed that post. very helpful.

bridge will be here thursday. will chime in eventually with my thoughts.

cheers

Lev

Go here for good information about setting up J River server...

Let us know how you like your Bridge!

_Ben

Hey Lev,
You can use JRiver to rip your cds. Are your iTunes in redbook or MP-3? If redbook, eLyric should find them as a library. I have been using eLyric for the last week or so, and even though it crashes once in a great while, I still like it better. I'll be glad when all of its features become active. Let me know how it goes and how you rate the Bridge.
Sgr

great thread and very timely for me as well. my bridge should be here in a few days. finally decided to make the leap into pc tunes (kind of a crawl in my case). am keeping my pwt until i feel comfy/confident with the pc set-up's sound.. think i have all the piece's in place?. just need to put it together later this week.

the master plan...

pc running vista. intel 1.8 p4 with 2gb ram and newly installed1T hd. have a linksys wireless n network in place and a wireless ethernet adapter ready in my listening room....that's currently plugged into my pwt. iphone has tag-n-play loaded.

still unsure what to do with all my i-tunes music??. have a 1000+ cd collection dying to be ripped as well. need to figure this part out eventually. not sure why, but i downloaded J River. trying to back track my research as to what exactly it's for lol!. (any help here would be great as well).

if any of you guys see a potential problem in my plans...please let me know. any other tips/advise would be great, as long as it's simple.

have always had a hard time with computers. been learning for months in hopes of pulling this off. if i'm never heard from again, you'll know the reason why =)

cheers
Lev

I get the idea now. Thanks Kana813, thanks for the excellent explanation 2chnlben, and for listing the prices Shazam - and you're right, the HD backup is a great idea...

I use the exact same setup as Kana. 1TB HD ($100), Netgear wireless Router ($150), iPod ($100 on ebay). I do use a CAT-6 cable because my run is almost 100 feet from router to DAC, but it works great.

You have to have WiFi for the iPod to communicate with the library and DAC - the Netgear is pretty solid choice.

Be sure to buy a second HD as a backup. Once you rip all your music, you don't want to do it again and all hard drives will fail eventually. I repeat, not "might" fail - WILL fail.

Tomcy6:

Here’s what you’ll need in addition to the PWD and the Bridge:
1) Wireless Router (while not necessary, it may be beneficial to go with one that
includes Gigabit Ethernet and operates in 802.11 N)

2) Server (a server is the actual server software and the actual system that you run this
software on): You can download various server software, such as “Townky Server,”
“Asset,” from dBpoweramp, or PS Audio’s proprietary server, “eLyric.” You can use a
computer –PC, Mac, laptop, or Netbook – to load your software on, or you can
purchase a NAS – Network Attached Storage device – which will have some form of
server pre-loaded. This is an area of caution...there have been many reports of compatibility issues with various NAS/servers - research this area, or just use a computer.

3) Controller and Controller Application (the easiest solution is an iPod – iPhone,
iTouch, iPad, etc. – with PS Audio’s “Tag-n-Play” application loaded (only $9.99 via
iTunes).

4) Hardwired setup (not required, but certainly preferred). This will require a run of Cat5
(or Cat6 – although not necessary) – otherwise known as Ethernet cable – between
Server/NAS and the Router and also between the Router and the Bridge.

Note: the reason you need a wireless router is so the controller (iPod) can
communicate with the system wirelessly.

You asked what I am running:

1) Actiontec Q-1000 VDSL modem router

2) Twonkey server installed on a Gateway Netbook (N-450 processor with 2 GB memory)
(I plan to install “eLyric” once the bugs are worked out)

3) 8 GB iTouch (least expensive) with Tag-n-Play loaded

4) All hardwired.

It’s really not hard to setup, configure and play. You’ll need to know the security code of your wi-fi router – typically a “WEP Key” or a WPA code – because you’ll need to type it into the iTouch controller so that it will be able to communicate with your network.

You’ll also have to configure your server (Twonky, Asset…etc.) so that your network will see it and be able to access it (this is pretty much just following instructions via Twonky, Asset, or whatever server software you get).

If you get stuck, you can go to the PS Audio website forum, which is very helpful. You could also contact me or any other A-Gon members. We’ll be more than happy to get you started.

_Ben

Elputco-

The PS Audio tagNplay app will also work on an iTouch or iPad.

My set up is:

SeagateHD-Netgear WNDR3700-Cat5-PSAudio PWD/Bridge/tagNplay app on iPad

Thanks for your responses. The reason that I ask this question, is that I've had quirky or bad transports in the last 3 out of 4 CD players, and I've been eying a more reliable solution. 1 out of 4 is not good - Meatloaf would not nearly be satisfied. By the way, would an iPod work - I don't have or want a cellphone. And would it have to be Apple? I have a mini system here with a dock, but it only works with Apple iPod - no other manufacturer.

Simplest solution would be Apple TV, Sonos, or Squeezebox, in no particular order. I use an Apple TV gen 1 and have had zero issues. For $150, it's very tough to beat. I use my iPhone as a controller.

2chnlben,

Would you describe the components of your server system and how difficult or easy it was to get them to work together? When I check in over at the PS Audio forums there seem to be a lot of people having trouble getting their systems to work. I've been wanting to get a server system going but am not computer savvy so I've been waiting for a simple solution.

Your iPhone or iTouch will work as the controller - in fact, they are recommended. The software that you need for the controller is only $9.99 via iTunes and is a simple download. If you already own the PWD, then you simply must buy the Bridge - even if you own the PWT too.

Thanks Tomcy6. I knew the hard drive would have to be external (I didn't make that clear), but I didn't know that you needed a separate controller. And on top of that you need a bridge, I believe. Sounds less simple than we'd like it to be...

The PWD is not a server it's just a DAC. You would need to buy a data storage unit and a controller to have a server system.

A laptop computer with the appropriate software program plugged into the PWD could serve both functions. A Music Vault (do a search they're sold on Audiogon) with an iphone or ipad would work if you have a home wireless network.

These aren't the only possibilities. I don't have a server system and I'm not very knowledgeable about them so there are lots of other options out there. Peruse the PC Audio forum for more information.