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Bidat vs Perfect Wave vs Weiss and others

This is thread I started a while ago and promised in February i would start doing some real world comparative testing using the Bidat (Plus Mod) as the ref. The units under test are to include in no specific order the MSB Platinum Dac, the Weiss Minervera and the Playback Design player. I posted this under the follow-up of the original thread and it is there is you do a search under Digital for "ps audio perfect". I can't understand why it did not 'promote' to the top of the digital section as it did in the past whenever there was a new contribution, so I have started a new related thread with the first entry of my fun (and I hope edifying comparative experiences).
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Ok, I just got a broken in Weiss Minerva (several hundred hours at least). It has been in my system burning in for about 18 hours (18 hours since arriving in my home, time to come to thermal equilibrium). I have done some comparative listening to the Museatex Dcc-1 (a rarely known digital preamp 19 bit dual differential type) using glass Tos on both and then glass on the DCC1 vs a very expensive (can't name it yet as the manufacturer has not released it...sorry :( ) Firewire on the Weiss. I have a Mac Mini (2007 model) 2.0 ghz Core2Duo with 4Gig of ram running Leopard (although this model can only see 3.01 gig of that (I used 4gig as the memory transfer is optimized when the mem modules are the same). I also have a 1TB NAS (all over wifi). I am of course going to reserve final judement until a bit later.

I will be comparing the Museatex Bidat with the Plus Mod later this weekend. As a teaser, I will go on record and say that honestly at this point I don't agree with the stellar reviews concerning the Weiss Minerva.

It is resolute, almost technicolor but just to give you a short glimpse of what I am hearing, I could imagine a well healed vinyl person listening to Holly Cole on vinyl and then listening to the Weiss (playing the same in CD format) and saying "this is why I will never leave vinyl". Now that may sound harsh, but this is a hobby and I don't have a dog in the race, I am just reporting my ears findings.

I listened to a few high resolution files 176.4/24 and 96/24 but what I heard was a really clear highly resolved soul-less rendition of the music. It never ever made me smile or relax into the music the way the DCC-1/Bidat or even my former (when I actually spun cd's...wow time flies) stellar Dynavox Dynastation 2 (the finest CD player I have ever heard).

In a nutshell (at this point) it just sounds like digital and that aint good in my camp because I am not forgetting about the gear and just listening to the music. I don't like syrupy or dark, I have heard plenty of players try to use that trick to sound musical. No, I look for something that is more elusive and few their be that find that magical combination when forging through the nether regions of the digital domain. I will continue listening to see if the Weiss surprises me :)

More to come...
audiofun
argyro
438 posts
 
As an owner of the Weiss Medea I would agree that the Minerva is NOT that special. It is quite good for the money but not sth extrordinary. The only advantage it has the 24/192 through the Firewire connection.

Thats why Weiss is changing it almost after a year since its release although they have kept the Medea for more than 6 years as their reference....That alone, must mean a lot...;)
audiofun OP
669 posts
 
Very interesting Argyro. I would love to hear a Medea one day. I don't wish to keep ragging on the Minerva as I'm sure people who have followed this thread know my opinion on it's sound :). I appreciate
your comments.
bmckenney
91 posts
 
When you did the last audition at your friends place, what were the transports involved? A computer at all? What transport for the Bidat?

Bryan
audiofun OP
669 posts
 
We used exclusively the AMR 777 as the transport and as I stated above I completely forgot to bring my resident FIM Gold Coax or my glass TOS. The audition was performed the afternoon of Super Bowl Sunday. I did not take or use my Mac Mini which is my source of choice for ALL my music. Though I may be getting into a turntable for the fun of it :) I did take photos on my iPhone just in case someone needed proof that all these units were in the same room at the same time :)
tbg
5,263 posts
 
I just noticed this thread. All that I can say is that my experiences are greatly at odds with what has been said here. Initially, I just used the Minerva driven by several transports and a music server. With the exception of using it with the Oppo 83 as a transport, I was quite impressed with the sound. This was primarily the width and depth of the soundstage as well as the bass. After about two weeks, I was even more impressed as the topend was more extended and sweet.

It had always been my intent to use the Minerva with a Mac server using Amarra and Firewire. The Mac has a USB output along with the Firewire 800 output, but the Minerva has no USB input. I had heard such a setup prior to buy all of this and was amazed at what I heard. When I finally got everything together and waited about a week, I would flat out say nothing in my experience with digital sources even approaches what I am hearing.

I have Shindo Labs vinyl front end and love it. The new digital front end does not sound like vinyl, it sounds like master tapes. There are several conditions, however. First, at least in my system, the Minerva at it full output overloads the line input. I find that two pushes on the Minerva down volume, while still pretty hot, works best. Second, I think the use of Firewire is essential. Unfortunately, I cannot really test this, but with my S/P DIF sources, I never got what I hear with the Mac, firewire source. Third, the Minerva and the Mac are very sensitive to power conditioning and to vibration. My mac using the trickle charger when plugged into the Synergistic Research PowerCell 10SE improved so dramatically, that I had to go back several times to make myself confident of what I was hearing.

I have never heard the Museatex Bidat DAC, but did long ago have the EMM dac. I have heard the AMR 777 and really could not stand it. The best dacs I have heard have been the input on the Lindemann 820S, the Exemplar Xindak Dac 5, and the AA tube dac.

All of this once again, suggests that component's sound depends on what is in the system and what ones tastes are. Given past experiences I expect that the Weiss Minerva will be soon displaced by another dac. Some say the new Weiss Dac 202 will do this, but I have yet to hear a production version.
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