How can a PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC enhance my system?


How can a PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC enhance my system? I just don't know how to integrate a PS Audio DAC into what I already have.

The meat and potatoes of my system is a McIntosh preamp and a McIntosh power amp.  I have all my music digitized in FLAC and DSF, stored on a Popcorn Hour A-500 networked media tank (built-in DAC) connected to my pream.

I also have a Marantz SACD connected to the preamp.  I am able to access the DAC in the Marantz directly with either a USB or Toslink cable.

Since I have a NMT, I have no need to store or stream music from a PC.  Where could a PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC help me?

Thanks

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My Popcorn Hour A-500 has an ESS SABRE ES9023P audio DAC and plays all my digital formats including my library of DSF files.  Same with my Marantz SA-14S1 SACD.  It has a Cirrus Logic DAC and performs as you would expect from Marantz so I am not sure why I would want to bypass the Marantz DAC on the notion that it might sound better.

I'm sure if I called PS Audio they would take great pleasure in telling me why I should use their DAC.

I had an opportunity to pick up a PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC.  I read the DAC connects directly to the power amp, in my case a McIntosh MC500, so what do I do with my McIntosh C48 preamp?

It connects either way unlike your claim of getting DSD out of that Marantz. Notion? Sounds like you're in the wrong hobby.

I ran my my PSA DAC with a Sony UBP-X1000ES with a Chinese HDMI to HDMI I2S adapter so it would decode the SACD Layer of any disc or DSD file.

 

1) the PS Audio DAC can be used with CDs, SACDs, and other digital sources.

2) many DACs can be used as digital preamps, because they supply enough gain to amplify the original signal of a digital source.  I owned a DAC like that and definitely preferred the sound with the preamp still in the system.  These DACs are not designed as pre amps and therefore tend not to sound as good as having a traditional pre amp in the system, but ymmv.

  As per my first post in this thread, I suggest you attempt to audition the DAC in your own system and let your ears decide.  There is an element of subjectivity in this hobby