Perfect Wave DAC and Bridge
Desalvo55 - You might want to check out DVD Audio Extractor which allows you to extract high res digital audio from DVDs and DVD-A discs. It extracts the digital audio into WAV files, and even has a fully functional 30 day free trial. Sorry I can't help you with the Blu-Ray discs. |
I hope the fans of the dac and bridge can help me understand something. I've followed the progress of the Bridge on PSAs site for a long time. It seems to me that most users are pretty pleased with the sound, but a lot of them are unhappy with the ease of use. Network freezes, inability of the network to find devices and store settings, and an unpolished software interface seem to be common concerns. So to me, it looks like the Bridge has a long way to go before it lives up to it's promise, and from purely a sound quality standpoint, I wonder if it is any better than other very low jitter hardware plus good player software like Pure Music. I am not knocking PSA here. I am very interested in the PWD and Bridge as a more refined and convenient alternative to my Mini/Pure Music/iTunes/DAC approach. So to my question -- are the proponents of the Bridge speaking of sound quality only or the entire user experience? |
I can only speak from using a Upnp server for which the Bridge will allow control from a computer when the user does not own an Apple control device. I am up and running using Jriver software and it works well enough. PSA just released a firmaware update to fix issues with Twonky server software but I couldn't get that to work. No worries though as the folks at PSA are very proactive when it comes to solving issues. They contacted me when I posted my frustration! That speaks volumes. For years I ran a SB3, then modded it, then bought a Transporter, then a Oppo BDP83, the BDP83SE, then modded that! Then I purchased the PerfectWave DAC and ran coax from the Oppo to the PWD. Then I purchased the PWT (transport) which connects I2S. So then I found myself back to spinning discs. It was after all the best sound I had heard through my system. I've only had the Bridge less than 2 weeks so I don't like to comment much on sound quality until it's had some hours on it (and my ears get some listening hours too). Now I'm boxing up my CD's making sure everything is ripped properly to my libraries. I haven't AB's Transport vs Bridge yet, but my ears are telling me this; maybe the best sound I've heard anywhere and is this really 44.1. I'm excited. And if I can simply, easily, scroll through libraries with an IPAD or whatever iDevice I get, all the better. Hell, maybe even dad can finally choose the music of his choice (he's 92). But like anything else computer oriented, these are still the dark ages in computerland. |
