PS Audio PerfectWave DAC MK II

Like new, PS Audio PerfectWave DAC MKII (first version) as new, double factory boxed and comes with Remote & Power cord:

S/N = PWD-B19H007200

Top Features:

1) Sound is SUPERB.

2) All major Digital inputs.

3) Both XLR / Balanced & RCA outputs.

4) VARIABLE output, it is said no loss at 50% volume and up and NO PREAMPLIFIER is needed with all of the digital inputs / sources.

Specifications:

• Digital Inputs: AES/EBU (XLR), Coaxial (RCA), Toslink Optical, Asynchronous USB, I2S (HDMI)
• Input Data Rates: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz (up to 24 bits)
• Operating Systems: Apple Macintosh Apple OS X 10.6.4 and newer, Windows, Linux Kernel 2.6.33 or newer
• Analog Outputs: One Pair Balanced (XLR), One Pair Unbalanced (RCA)
• Finish: Black
• Network Bridge Optiona

Review:

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/477-ps-audio-perfectwave-dac-mkii-review/

“…it is this balanced, natural musicality that makes me praise the PS Audio PerfectWave DACII so much regardless of whether I listen to CD’s or music through my computer.” Anthony H. Cordesman Absolute Sound Sound review available to download here

 

A remarkable new DAC

Ideal to be used with or as a network source such as a NAS, computer, or stream music directly off the Internet.

As a complete pre-amplifier control center connecting directly to your power amplifier controlling volume, balance and selection of any of the seven digital inputs.

“I would make listening to these units an essential part of buying a digital front end at anywhere near their price range—or even at prices twice their cost or more.” Anthony H. Cordesman Absolute Sound Sound review available to download here

 

 

 

The PS Audio PerfectWave MKII is a remarkable new class of product that makes high-end music fun again.

It accesses high-resolution digital audio data, CD transports and players, computers, home networks, or the Internet and converts the data to the most musically natural sounding analog audio we’ve ever produced.

The PWD MKII is one of a very few high-end products to fully transcend the limitations of traditional digital to analog converters (DACS) by providing uncompromised performance for any media delivery or storage system possible.

This means that it no longer matters how the digital audio data is stored or delivered, the PWD produces the same high performance audio sent over a network, taken from a hard drive, a CD or even downloaded via the Internet.

A complete solution:

The PWD is a complete solution that can be used in a multitude of ways. As a standalone DAC, the PWD will accept inputs from any digitally connected source such as a CD player, transport, receiver, music server or computer.

As a music server, the PWD can access any DLNA compa

 

Player and optional digital pre-amp all in one chassis:

Our first choice for connecting the MKII to your system is all by itself and directly into your best power amplifier without going through a preamplifier first. There’s simply “no preamp like no preamp” and the MKII direct into your system provides a remarkably clean, simple and elegant path for the music.

The MKII is a fully balanced design and offers true XLR balanced outputs as the first connection option and RCA single ended output as the next best alternative.

Asynchronous inputs

The PWD MKII has 7 asynchronous digital inputs that include two I2S over HDMI, an optical TOSLINK, coax S/PDIF, balanced AES/EBU, 192kHz 24 bit USB and the optional network Bridge.

The HDMI inputs are designed not for accepting HDMI data, but instead are utilized in a unique PS designed standard for I2S data which is the native data management system within every transport, CD player and DAC.

The optional PerfectWave Bridge (not included) :

If you wish to play music stored on your computer the MKII offers easy connection through its asynchronous 192kHz 24 bit USB input. But if you prefer to untether your DAC from your computer, the MKII also offers the ability to stream any resolution audio over your home’s network with the optional PerfectWave Bridge.

The PerfectWave Bridge is a remarkable piece of engineering that connects all your digital music sources in your home together through your home’s router. The Bridge provides bit perfect performance of any sample rate music up to 192kHz, 32 bit audio and brings uncompromised music into your high-end audio system.

The MKII can be ordered from the factory with the Bridge installed or later as an easy option installed by the user.

 

A built in Digital lens:

The MKII features our exclusive Digital Lens technology built right inside. The Digital Lens takes any digital audio signal and regenerates a new and jitter free version to listen to.

The Digital Lens, called NativeX, is selectable from the front panel or the remote. Engaging NativeX will reduce incoming jitter levels jitter on any input of the PWD to below 1 pico second, regardless of how jittered the incoming signals are.

“The digital lens improves sound quality in the MKII so dramatically that I consider the MKI product broken. Honestly I can’t imagine listening to a PerfectWave DAC without sending every bit of audio through the sharp focus of the Digital Lens.” Chris Connaker Computer Audiophile Magazine.

 

Asynchronous high speed USB :

A Media DAC, like the PerfectWave, can match up to either a computer or a home network. The PWD can do both with the Network Bridge installed. For those customers connecting to their computer without the Network Bridge, there’s USB available. USB communication, if handled properly, can have every sound quality advantage of a dedicated CD transport or Network Bridge.

New in the MKII is a completely redesigned high-resolution USB path. Asynchronous and capable of 24 bit 192kHz performance, the new USB input sounds every bit as good as the best digital audio. Finally, computer audio without limitations and compromise to the sound quality and it’s all yours in the new MKII. Using a high quality USB cable between the PWD and computer, like a quiet MAC Mini, and you have an instant media server that can be controlled through any number of hand held devices like an iPod, iPhone or Android using a 3d party controller program. Your music can be managed by iTunes or Ammara for ease of use.

11 power supplies :

The MKII has 11 separately regulated power supplies for best performance. Each of the 11 supplies is a super low noise design placed strategically around the digital processing board to lower noise, jitter and talk-back. Properly designed power supplies are like one way gates that provide a clean and plentiful source of needed power to each section of a circuit, while keeping out unwanted noise, jitter and potentially degrading artifacts generated in digital audio circuits.

The results of these low noise power supplies are quite noticeable- mostly as an openness that simply wasn’t present in older designs. On larger orchestral pieces of music, individual instruments take on increased air and separation between each of the players.

Lower jitter clocks :

Digital clocks are an essential element to a digital audio DAC. They play a significant role in audio performance that can ranging from poor to spectacular depending on how they are implemented. Clocks can be either fixed or variable frequency devices depending on the design, but fixed clocks outperform variable clocks and these are what PS Engineering depend on to set the critical timebase in the PWD MKII.

Our fixed clocks have extremely low jitter and provides a stable reference for the digital audio data. In addition to lowered jitter and improved stability, each of the internal clocks in the MKII benefits from its own power supply that keeps the clock isolated from all other timing devices in the circuit.

The results from lowered jitter isolated clocks are audibly cleaner upper harmonics and a reduction in digital glare, present on more jittered electronics.

Balance control:

It hasn’t escaped us that many of our customers rely on the PerfectWave DAC as their primary music source feeding a power amplifier directly. In fact, that is our preferred method of connection. Many preamplifiers only add an extra layer of unwanted veiling and restricted dynamics to the sound. Unfortunately the MKI had no provision for adjusting the balance between the left and right channel, thus any mismatched loudspeaker pair or unequal room acoustics contributed to a slight skewed image when using the PWD directly.

The MKII solves that problem with a balance control, capable of shifting the balance between left and right in small 1/10th of a dB increments adjustable from the new (and supplied) remote control.

You view the changes in balance from the PWD’s touch screen and everything can easily be handled from the comfort of your listening position.

Analog switching in the digital audio path :

If you were able to view digital audio moving through a circuit board it would remind you of a busy city with hundreds of intersections, stop lights, and a maze of streets. The digital “traffic” is directed and routed through devices known as digital switch gates and these play a large role in audio quality.

The vast majority of digital switch gates use a type of transistor logic that is known as “saturated logic”. This simply means that when the gate is in the fully on state, it is locked or saturated on. When it moves from this saturated on-state to its off-state, the point of transition can vary from device to device causing jitter and poor sound.

The MKII uses high-speed analog switches instead of saturated logic digital switches. CMOS analog switches do not go into saturation mode, do not add jitter or timing issues and sound remarkably better than any digital logic gate we’ve auditioned.

Low noise layout and spot regulators :

Digital audio noise is one of the most difficult issues to lower in a complex digital circuit. Techniques include multi-layer PC boards, precision trace lengths for digital audio signals and spot regulation using localized power regulators at strategic points in the circuit.

Execution of the circuit board is the key to a low noise design and the MKII has all these considerations in spades. PS Engineers cleaned the decks, rolled up their sleeves and created an entirely new design for the digital processing board from scratch. Special attention was paid to a low noise design that included the addition of 11 new spot regulators, matched and measured PCB traces in critical areas to minimize reflections and maintain proper impedances and superior capacitive bypass techniques using low ESR capacitors in critical areas.

The MKII digital processing board has 10dB lower emitted radiated digital noise than its predecessor, the MKI and this lowered noise is due entirely to careful design, spot regulation and matched traces in critical areas.

Minimum phase and apodizing filters :

All DACS and digital media servers rely on filters to cleanup the audio and help make the music sound open and natural. The qualities of these filters has a great deal of impact on how the music sounds through your system.

The PWD MKII utilizes the best sounding apodizing and phase correct filters, selectable from the front panel touch screen or through the supplied IR remote control.

The MKII provides 5 filter choices, each automatically memorized on a per input basis. So, for example, if your CD transport benefits from Filter 1 and your Bridge sounds best with filter 2, the selected filter will automatically engage along with the choice of input.

In addition to hand selecting the various filters you can let the MKII make the choice for you with the Auto filter feature. Auto filter chooses the best selection of filter based on the sample rate chosen.

This means that as you play different sample rates the appropriate filter is automatically chosen.

Inside the PWD Mark II itself

Inside the PWT Mark II is an amazing piece of engineering that features the latest in technology coupled with parts quality and circuitry of the highest order.

The heart of the PWD Mark II is a Wolfson WM8741 stereo differential DAC, one of the latest generations of high-end DACS in the world. The extraordinary low order modulator and multi-bit DAC architecture found in the WM8741 achieves low out-of-band noise and world-class linearity for outstanding sound quality.

The DAC displays characteristics available on only the finest processors in the world including group delay, phase and latency, impulse response and transition band roll off.

These features significantly reduce pre-ringing and give maximum insensitivity to the MKII’s already low clock jitter rates.

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It is best to call David visit: www.weinhartdesign.com with questions in Los Angeles Showroom 310-472-8880 or on my cell after hours and weekends 310-927-2260 or e-mail me directly Davidweinhartdesign.com

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Changing the Way You Listen,

David Weinhart
Weinhart Design, Inc.
President & CEO

The Audio and Video Expert
e: daviweinhartdesign.com
www.weinhartdesign.com

2337 Roscomare Road, Studio #1
Los Angeles, California 90077
Showroom) 310-472-8880
Cell) 310-927-2260 10am -7pm Los Angeles time