I have not done any comparisons across brands, but I really like the PWD. I actually upgraded to their DSD, but sold it because the PW just sounded more natural. Less detail, but it matched the rest of my system (Coincident) better.
Perfectwave PWD MKII, Benchmark DAC2, Wyred DAC2
I just obtained a Benchmark DAC2 and am really impressed by the transparency, clean, open kids, and solid bass. I use XLR output (hooked up directly to amp) and had to adjust the attenuator jumper to -20db to match the gain on my amp. In my setup, I rank these three in the following order, based solely on sound quality.
1) Perfectwave PWD MKII - best DAC among the three, does everything well. I specially like the solid bass, buttery smooth midrange, and transparency. I could listen for hours and not get ear fatigue.
2) Benchmark DAC2 - not quite as good a midrange as PWD MKII, but very close. This DAC is very versatile with analog input, excellent headphone jacks, and DSD capability.
3) Wyred DAC2 - warm sounding and detailed, but not as transparent as the other two. I was already happy with this DAC before I obtained the Benchmark. And I may just keep it for my third system. It's still an excellent DAC.
1) Perfectwave PWD MKII - best DAC among the three, does everything well. I specially like the solid bass, buttery smooth midrange, and transparency. I could listen for hours and not get ear fatigue.
2) Benchmark DAC2 - not quite as good a midrange as PWD MKII, but very close. This DAC is very versatile with analog input, excellent headphone jacks, and DSD capability.
3) Wyred DAC2 - warm sounding and detailed, but not as transparent as the other two. I was already happy with this DAC before I obtained the Benchmark. And I may just keep it for my third system. It's still an excellent DAC.
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- 10 posts total
- 10 posts total