PS Audio PerfectWave SACD Transport

[@clothyardshafts]

Yes! As an I2Ser, I’m right now listening to Andras Schiff playing Bach’s Partita on an ECM CD through my Memory Player and DirectStream DAC. Just a perfect Saturday afternoon. Yup, sign me up too.

[@JingoLoBa57]

And you’re using standard hdmi cables...ya?

[@Paulmcgowanpsaudio]

It is only 2-channel, we're not supporting multi channel.

[@clothyardshafts]

JingoLoBa57. Yes. At the moment, I am. I’m about to switch back to the PS Audio cable - long story. Right now, I’m using a very generic HDMI cable.

[@Konspiration100]

Great artist great recording and greatest composer 😀

[@JingoLoBa57]

Congratulations on this design Paul. Looking forward to seeing the reviews.

[@superdougie10]

Most of this goes right over me because im just not into the tech side of all this but im happy to listen to someone like Paul who really knows their stuff. Also for a guy who makes products with such integrity, nothing but respect. I do have a passion for audio but not this esoteric side which seems to be so complex for music and stereo geeks like myself. Paul is the real deal and really have huge admiration for his ability and passion even if its way over my understanding. Thats how much I love being an audio geek.

[@DrJens-pn5qk]

I like this guy and how he brings his enthusiasm for the product across.

[@luisrodrigonunezolguin7038]

Congratulations Paul, my best wishes for success in this project. Greetings from Chile.

[@SpyderTracks]

Impressive, Paul, looking forward to this unit doing very well!

[@datdudeinred]

Possibly the best explanation of how i2s works... Hats off to you man.. You are amazing guy... Loved it... You guys should actually start reviewing other gear too... ❤️❤️❤️

[@salvadorrodenas3071]

Well done! The transport is impressive, the transport mechanism is of the highest quality.

[@eat_ze_bugs]

Would love to see more videos on the technicalities of PS Audio products in the future.

[@simonlai]

Just the most wonderful of all your videos, tks Paul!

[@jonathanvanier]

I would enjoy having once in while a presentation of your products on this channel (like this video), and maybe more in depth videos too with the engineers. The regular Ask Paul programing is great, but from time to time these would make for good "special" episodes.

[@SNL.81]

Congrats PS Audio! 🔊🎼🎵🎶💿

[@jamileshaheen8550]

I’ll be using your company as my life time system. Will be seeing you soon. Jamile JAM Shaheen

[@JingoLoBa57]

My Oppo205SE decodes full SACD layers and reveals the full DSD layer, of course it’s not a super DAC but sounds pretty damn good. Esp feeding my ARC pre/PassLabs/PMC MB2SE speakers.

[@melockavich9596]

Mac look out what a nice drive.. WOW

[@Enemji]

Know thy audience. Well done. Touch screen is a no-no for those who are still living or reliving the days of spinning discs.

[@net_news]

wow!! This is really cool, not many SACD transports out there.

[@ryanray6215]

Sony 4K BlueRay Player has all in one , including of course SACD and its sounds super fantastic, any cd you play on it . Not too mention super high quality 4K picture for just 400 $ . Wondering how much Paul will be asking for his product ?! Definitely super high price as all his products , which some of them are made in China .

[@allansh828]

Ryan Ray $400 includes a crappy DAC that can’t be replaced. The reason for I2S output is to bypass legal restrictions to feed the DSD signal into any high end DAC you have.

[@net_news]

@@ryanray6215 that's not a transport.

[@GlaciaDay]

This is exactly what I need! I will get one when kanjitsu denki have it imported to Japan here.

[@MoRegistrations]

Paul, so what other transports did yours' better?

[@homerjones3291]

Me, opening a door to a room, and hearing “We’re selling a SACD/CD transport for $6499”. Other people exclaiming “That’s not bad at all!” Me, then saying “Oops, wrong room, sorry” to everyone and closing the door.

[@vivianvaldi7871]

I don't understand the logic. U go online on a PC and get the 512 DSD files, u store it on a SSD, then it goes to ur DAC through USB. What's this thing about ? Doesn't every SACD goes maybe first online ???

[@vivianvaldi7871]

@Lloyd Stout Hugh General Stoud ! Sir I'm native american believing in DSD. See you. www.nativedsd.com/catalogue/albums/sl1031a-free/

[@classicrecordings]

I have hundreds of SACD's and love them. My main issue is whether or not using this player and the matching DAC will improve the sound of regular CD's.

[@jfr4987]

I have the DMP and it definitely improves the sound of regular CD's.

[@overtone_audio]

how does one use the double rate DoP? with the AES outputs?

[@sumitagg1]

I have a Linn akurate DSM. Can I connect it to the Perfect wave SACD transport with i2s

[@Nephilim-81]

Pretty cool. Once my OPPO BLU Ray/SACD player kicks the bucket this is what I will get.

[@MoRegistrations]

My Oppo bd83se has been making servo sounds so I got an Audiolab 6000CDT, and wow, I had no idea the difference a transport makes. Don't wait to upgrade! I would love to hear this new one, but, wow, the price. $3K would be easier to go for.

[@tango_gru]

which model do you have ? is it better than the SONY CDP-X7ESD?

[@rbyington22]

Paul nice addition to the family that filled a void after the departure of the last great unit. If you do an updated video on this unit could you please turn it on so your 115k fans could see what the new display looks like? Inquiring minds like ours would love to know. Please feel free to leave a comment. Additionally, I have read your books and want to know when the next one will be published some of us are not getting any younger 😎 all the best

[@brianmoore581]

Yeah, I was thinking that, too. Maybe open the disk drawer, too. I hope it has a nice metal transport.

[@ericyum6729]

Hi Paul, due to rack space, can I stack the transport above the DAC or vice versa? How much sound degrade should I expect? I know it is a dumb question but would like to hear about your opinion? Thanks 🙏🏽

[@MrDante10no]

Paul, could you please send this video to Arcam in England? 🙏 Arcam guys have NO CLUE what beta testing is. 😁

[@yonigta]

Do you have any video where I can see the information on the screen? Thanks very much

[@oldskool1979]

Why arent there more and more SACDs produced ???????

[@oohtob6685]

Is there a recomended i2s hdmi cable. There are so much on the market.. Thanks.

[@mrgadget4863]

To .my understanding SACD is copyright protected in a way you cannot output the digital data in HIRES format. Has this changed, referring to the SODIF outputs?

[@jtfoto1]

I own an Aussie made Halcro Logic EC800 SACD player that is nearly 10 years old. It originally cost close to AU$7000. It is a fabulous piece of equipment and given the large collection of normal and SACD's I own I would never part with it. I have never been and most likely never will be into streaming so that $7000 was money well spent.

[@kint7689]

Maybe this is a dumb question, but does this $6000 machine plays multichannel SACD? Love to get one of it does, since my Oppo died.....

[@kint7689]

Fat Rat ok, thanks for the info. I have a lot of surround SACD and looking for a transport or player that can play them. Both my NAD M55 and Oppo died

[@kint7689]

Fat Rat already held

[@peterjansson6468]

Pioneer UDP-LX 800 or UDP-LX 500 . The UDP-LX 800 was a Home Cinema Choice reference status by Steve May at xmas 2018.Look it up.

[@TheBeast-pp8bg]

you say isolation to transport digital signal, but whats the point of that, isnt it just useful for analog? i mean no bytes will change even if noise is in the signal.

[@serloinoflamm1119]

Great video. Could you do one for the new Octave Music Player?

[@richardcomerford1828]

I have a new Stellar Strata integrated streaming amp from you guys but I never saw any hype about it. I think it's a terrific product but never saw a video about it. Why?

[@Paulmcgowanpsaudio]

Laziness. I will try and start producing more videos of each product like this.

[@spenderwolf4847]

Good Day Paul. Is the new PS Audio PerfectWave SACD Transport compatible with the Holo Audio May DAC (world's first to support DSD natively on Resistor Ladder DAC) through I2S? Thank You

[@societyofhighendaudio]

DMM from Japan is that Denon Marantz ?

[@Sams911]

my McIntosh MCT5000 also has a Denon transport drive... apparently they're the Rolls Royce of drives.

[@Sams911]

@alexandre dubois I agree, I have a Accuphase DP-560 (hope over to my channel to see videos of it)... They are in a league of their own (literally).

[@arleneallen8809]

I2S caught my attention. Can I input the raw stream into my Avid equipment? I would prefer to get away from a hacked PS3.

[@Hare_deLune]

A hacked PS3? Respect!

[@drs-Rigo-Reus]

does it have a Superclock? Is the key feature for a good sounding transport.

[@williampearson4968]

Paul, as PS Audio Professor (who receives all the accolades), please name and give credit to the PS Audio Engineers who made this beautiful looking Transport. Was DAC guru Ted Smith part of the team? My DirectStream DAC will soon be happy to have a "synergy" companion plus i2s connections. I love SACD/CD especially for the extensive catalog of Classical Music as available on ArkivMusic. By owning physical media, I don't have to depend on a streaming service which probably doesn't have the rare recordings, artists or even the labels that I enjoy. Glad to see that PS Audio is using the same high quality SACD-M3 transport mechanism as in the Marantz SA-10. Long live CD and LP discs! Pricing is not out of line for a high quality Audiophile SACD/CD player. This transport is for all classes of music lovers ----- isn't this the goal regardless of price? I am not a 1%er, but an audiophile/music lover who has a passion for music which makes this thing called life a happy and wonderful journey.

[@Paulmcgowanpsaudio]

No, the hardware engineer was Bob Stadtherr, the software engineers Barry Solway and Tom Greenwood.

[@williampearson4968]

@@Paulmcgowanpsaudio Thank you PS Audio!

[@milkman100001]

hi paul.seem that you mentioned dacs,can you let us know when the next upgrade will be coming please..

[@charlesludwig9173]

Does it play 5.1 SACDs?

[@charlesludwig9173]

BluesCreation09 what I am wondering is will the PS Audio product output 5.1 via its HDMI output. BTW, all of my 5.1 channel SACDs have a stereo layer however my OPPO-205 will down mix multichannel to stereo if down mix to stereo is selected in the menu. Multi--channel orStereo it all sounds great.

[@donpayne1040]

Very impressed.

[@JingoLoBa57]

Why did you use the PerfectWave model name? Is it just the first edition, the reason?

[@avsystem3142]

He didn't really explain exactly how the galvanic isolation was accomplished, just that it was "like" radio transmission. I would think that if it really were radio frequency transmission over a gap that that would be highly susceptible to RF interference. Wouldn't optical transmission provide the best isolation?

[@chrisharper2658]

Galvanic isolation for components sitting right next to each other in someone's living room? Would like to see someone prove that it improves the sound somehow.

[@cablebrain9691]

Many audio products these days are using galvanic isolation. My understanding is that it keeps noise from traveling directly to critical circuitry, which can't be done with simple shielding. Good luck finding "proof" of that though. Buy it, and if you don't like it, return it. PS Audio is a very well respected company, so maybe we should give Paul and his design team the benefit of the doubt. Trust but verify.

[@chrisharper2658]

@@cablebrain9691 Given the operating environment, its totally unnecessary. Nobody needs to worry about noise on their digital signals but galvanic isolation is more about the potential difference between two ground potentials. But the seeds of doubt have been planted. In theory and in many industrial environments galvanic isolation is well justified but in one living room? No. It won't hurt but it won't help either.

[@cablebrain9691]

@@chrisharper2658 I can't specifically argue against what you've said, because I have no evidence that galvanic isolation helps, other than my very vague memory of a device that was reviewed on John Darko's KZbin channel, and the fact that many manufacturers appear to be using this method. I think it was a Raspberry Pi based streamer. Hans Beekhyuzen may also have spoken on the topic. There might have been more of a difference between devices other than only the galvanic isolation aspect, but like I said, the memory is vague. I think it is all about reducing jitter of the digital signal, which is supposed to be audible. I "believe" that the supposed issue is not only voltage potential, but of noise traveling via mechanical means. I'm no expert on this, that's for sure. However, I do have a great deal of experience tracking-down noise issues on a large-scale telecom system, but not down to a single device's circuit level. System technician here, not an Engineer. If you have any thoughts on any of that, feel free to reply; I always enjoy learning something new.

[@johnsimmons5056]

Well I can't wait to get one in my home. What is the anticipated release date ?

[@funkymonkey1198]

What if my receiver does dsd natively?

[@noone-cf2zo]

I would love to test one

[@rammisframmis8588]

Galvanically isolated = optoisolators are used between the boards.

[@frankgyure3154]

Does this play and output MULTI-CHANNEL SACD'S ? Does it play standard RBCD CD's? If it does not,and I am getting the sense that this is stereo only then this product is a complete wasteof money

[@entity279]

When it comes to transports, I'm currently confused by quite a few that offer upsampling. Are there any advantages to doing that in the transport, not in the dac?

[@davidhardaker192]

Where are the PS audio speakers?

[@tlhuffman]

I struggle to think of who might be the target audience for a $6500 transport when you can just rip lossless files and play them from a hard drive that is connected to the DAC via USB. Surely you could engineer some noise isolation box to go in between the computer and DAC for a heck of a lot less than $6500.

[@Phoenix_1991]

I am wondering about this also. But I am also guessing that a lot of people who own 500+ CD's don't want to backup everything and would like to have something they can hold. But $6500 for a transport is still too much.

[@tlhuffman]

@Fat Rat At least this is a full CD player instead of a dedicated transport that still requires a DAC to function.

[@stephenfleschler9682]

@@Phoenix_1991 I have 7000 CDs to go with my much larger analog collection. I want a transport that approximates the EAC rip for my DAC. I haven't tried the higher end CDPs but have already invested in a high end DAC (COS Engineering D1v). I want to keep it simple without a computer to log in my music from a huge list of CD rips

[@MrKentaroMotoPI]

You are correct. This hardware is beautiful, but the technology is obsolete. My entire CD collection is on my phone: ripped lossless with AccurateRip verification. The phone has ESS DAC's and a headphone jack. I can stream LDAC Bluetooth at 900 kbps, or I can connect an external DAC to a USB port with an OTC connector. Verified bit-perfect and in my pocket.

[@JayBeBerg]

Is there a way to connect an HDMI i2s output to a RJ45 i2s input?

[@Paulmcgowanpsaudio]

From a wiring perspective, probably, but you'd have to make sure the formatting and timing was correct. We publish the spec so people can make this work.

[@JayBeBerg]

@@Paulmcgowanpsaudio Thanks, doesn't sound like a DIY job. Too bad everyone isn't using the same standard.

[@atishaysingh5114]

Why the name perfect wave transport why not the direct stream perfect wave Transport ?

[@genez429]

The LOOK! Don't change that! ;)

[@Antoon55]

Interesting! Why is galvanic separation by air better then optical?

[@johnwhite2576]

The big problem is you have two conversions required between optical and non optical-two circuits providing another 2 sources fo noise.

[@SillyMakesVids]

I'm not understanding the need for galvanic isolation to get "a perfectly clean digital output." Digital output is only 1s and 0s, right? Nothing changes if noise makes them 0.98 and -0.06 instead.

[@homerjones3291]

Any time someone touts an extra step or product to isolate/filter out irregularities or noise, my mind always goes to “No one realized there was a problem until now?” and “So the rest of the unit wasn’t designed well enough to eliminate this problem in the first place?”

[@TheYuhasz01]

Digital and optical are different. Two types if s/pdif- Coaxial(copper wire) and optical(silicate using laser, ie light)

[@SillyMakesVids]

@@TheYuhasz01 Optical is still digital, though. That's what the D in S/PDIF stands for.

[@stephenfleschler9682]

Galvanic isolation is a electrical noise/distortion elimination process used by several high end transports. Not unique but only improves performance.

[@jonsingle1614]

So....it does not play red book cd or Dvd -A ????

[@juliaset751]

It plays SACD/CD/CD-R/CD-RW/DVD-R not DVD-A as far as I can tell. Also plays data files over USB.

[@ryanray6215]

@@juliaset751 He just said, it plays ONLY SACD !!!

[@juliaset751]

@@ryanray6215 Check out the PS Audio site.

[@kenttager5557]

@@ryanray6215 no it plays SACD and all redbook standard cds. no one is going to produce a player that only plays SACD

[@jonsingle1614]

Seems like the feature of DVD-A playback should be a easy add on....I dont have alot of them but its a nice feature

[@jvanb231]

huh, I was surprised to see all the output jacks just direct soldered to the output board. Are they supported by the chassis at all or is the physical connection strictly to the board?

[@Crokto]

all of the connectors have panel mounting systems (screw on hdmi, nuts on the coax, and screws on the xlrs)

[@michaelturner4457]

It does look like the BNC, XLR, etc. connectors are screwed and bolted onto the back panel. So not just the solder joints supporting them.

[@jvanb231]

@Fat Rat it's the right way, but its not done nearly enough anymore

[@allansh828]

Does it playback multi-channel SACDs? And how should I set up a surround sound anyway. A stereo system is already complicated enough.

[@charlesludwig9173]

BluesCreation09 that’s too bad. Glad I have an OPPO-205.

[@vfletes1]

What would be the CD player you would pair with this unit.? Since the unit doesn't play CDs

[@wolwowuddel]

The product page says it plays CDs

[@brianmoore581]

Who makes the transport are you using in this thing?

[@Paulmcgowanpsaudio]

D and M the parent company of Denon and Marantz.

[@brianmoore581]

@@Paulmcgowanpsaudio is there any information on it? Does it have a metal drawer?

[@Paulmcgowanpsaudio]

@@brianmoore581 It does have a metal drawer. Yes. www.psaudio.com/products/perfectwave-sacd-transport/

[@Finn-McCool]

Translation... We reverse engineered Oppo. 😊 Seriously though that looks like a solid piece of kit. SACD is my second favorite format behind cracklin' 70s vinyl. -✌🏼

[@FeeLtheHertZ]

Banters always good stuff hahaha, and PS Audio deserves this regardless. They make great stuff from what I can tell, and Paul being grounded and chill would bring me to his products anyways. But yeah.. No more OPPOsition now, ha.... ahem. And it does look gorgeous in his shell, build quality and w/e they did under the hood, 100%

[@stephensmith3111]

If this is the transport mechanism that I suspect that it is, it is a fairly new unit that was designed and built by Marantz for their current flagship SA-10S1 SACD/CD player/DAC (Hi-Fi News and Record Review, 03/2017; yeah, I keep old issues, come in handy at times like this) and later also used in the Ken Ishiwata Signature SA-KI Ruby player/DAC. Marantz was not able to source another transport (Esoteric VRDS-NEO VMK-5 drives getting scarce apparently) to their satisfaction, so they came up with the SACDM-3 drive in house.

[@Phoenix_1991]

@@stephensmith3111 you certainly know your stuff. Would you say that Marantz makes (one of) the best CD/SACD players? I've been hearing good things about Oppo and am going to pick up a 105 tomorrow to use as a disc spinner/streamer.

[@DonHamlin]

Stephen Smith I have the SA-KI Ruby and it looks exactly the same.

[@stephensmith3111]

@@Phoenix_1991 By reputation and reviews, Marantz makes good stuff now. They were originally a U. S. company, Saul Marantz was a contemporary of Frank McIntosh. At one point, they were acquired by Superscope, who put out a lot of marginal stuff, trading on the name (kind of like Bell & Howell is now), but they have returned to form under D & M ownership. As an Old Dude, I'm off the merry-go-round, but if I had a catastrophic equipment failure, Marantz would certainly be on my short list.

[@ejr1953]

I'll be upgrading from my current memory player, after we move into our new house and the transport is beyond beta testing and is in "general availability".

[@jonlaws4493]

What isolators are you using? Hopefully not opto-couplers.

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Is there something wrong with opto's in audio?

[@jonlaws4493]

@@MrCarlsonsLab Aging can be a problem with optos. Digital iso (iCoupler et al) does not suffer the same issues.

[@dhmallet]

I have never seen you so excited and talking so fast. Of course, this is one of your babies and you are a proud papa. I like the new design compared to my several generation model I got a while back through Kevin Deal. I rarely use CDs though I have about 700. I see them as a backup source if the streaming or network has hiccoughs . I like simplicity and focus on streaming.

[@brianmoore581]

Man, Paul, you might want to add about 50 pounds of dead weight to that thing. Some of these people might not think it's high-end enough seeing an old guy being able to lift it like you did! It looks great. Does it come in silver?

[@Sigmatechnica]

I thought it wasn't permitted for SACD players to output digital?

[@abrahambenmohagrau3181]

price ?

[@tlhuffman]

$6,499.

[@InvisibleIink]

I love needing out on this stuff.

[@QoraxAudio]

What's that D&M transport type called?

[@homerjones3291]

Fat Rat You crack me up.

[@Paulmcgowanpsaudio]

We cannot find the exact model number as it's not something D and M publishes. I wish we had a specific model XYZ to tell you. They only make one which is why there's perhaps no need for the model number. How about Number One. :)

[@QoraxAudio]

@@Paulmcgowanpsaudio Hmmh interesting, parts without part numbers are quite rare. And of course hard to deal with by the logistical department hehe

[@QoraxAudio]

@Fat Rat Nah I've serviced those to fund my degree. Sold all the original 1200s. I have one of the new generation, a 1200G, which is designed as a hifi turntable instead of a DJ turntable. Just like the 1200MK4 was a hifi version, but completely redesigned in 2015, except for the looks. So it's basically one big boot up the **s of all those "audiophiles" who buy their gear based on looks instead of performance 😜

[@homerjones3291]

Fat Rat I only have one, so that’s why I felt only a mild tug....

[@tthomassims9005]

got a qustion relating to power vs amp rating I have a pair of 12 in passive harmony audio venue seirers and a crown XL2 amp with a standard no thrills USB sound card as a source and I have the amp sensitivity set to the lowest possible setting would be the max sensitivy I could set the amp for before it would over drive my speakers thinking that 2 would be safe and 3 might be safe the speakers are rated for 150 watts RMS 400 watts peek my goal is to limit the RMS output of the amp 150 watts figuring the normal peek is double RMS my choice in music is stuff like MGMT and of monsters and men and cold play just to name a few groups I listen to I hope this is enough info

[@allansh828]

Where can we buy SACD anyway

[@thegrimyeaper]

I bought one Marvin Gaye SACD way back. The rest of what you can dig up for sale online is classical music, basically. I'll give this player a miss.

[@stephensams709]

I think Music Direct has them. I was looking at LP's the other day and they listed SACD as well : )

[@thegrimyeaper]

@Anthony Martino I gave up trying years ago, I'm sure there are more places to find things now.

[@charlescalkins4732]

Acoustic Sounds sells SACD discs. Pretty good selection of most music. Rock,Country, Jazz and much more. Not cheap though. Cost a lot more than a CD.

[@michaelturner4457]

Ebay or Craigslist probably. Do they actually make new SACDs these days? I suspect the format war with DVD-Audio didn't help much with their popularity.

[@mikecoffee100]

Please tell us if you to plan to sell it in Vancouver BC Canada :)

[@Paulmcgowanpsaudio]

You bet!

[@mikecoffee100]

@@Paulmcgowanpsaudio kewl perhaps a little less $$ model is avilable perhaps ?? Thank You for the Reply

[@Paulmcgowanpsaudio]

@@mikecoffee100 Nothing in the works that would play both SACD and CD. The drive is super expensive and there aren't many to choose from. We may, at some point, produce a lower cost CD only version.

[@mikecoffee100]

@@Paulmcgowanpsaudio ok look forward to it and again Thank You From Vancouver BC

[@fernandozegarraaudio8144]

Paul I wrote to you for a concern, I have been waiting for your transport to come out again to buy it, since I have a good collection of SACD MCh, but from what you showed at the moment you are removing the multichannel support. it would really be a shame if such a device no longer exists on the market.

[@TheJediJoker]

Will this transport DSD surround sound as well?

[@TheJediJoker]

Not a very complete transport, then. If it were a player, I would understand, but a transport should be able to stream any and all data from a disc to a DAC.

[@markholder6851]

I really really want one of these. Can i be a Beta tester, Please

[@cesargutierrez4999]

Can I sign up for beta test wing this I have a direct stream

[@janinapalmer8368]

Sounds magnificent... wow ..rf coupling ! What happens to Alpha A1 there ? If it ends up lying about gathering dust send it over to me ... I'm dying to try it ! Btw .... what is wrong with touch screens ? I HATE these little period of contact buttons ... they oxidise and stop working or suffer from double contacting and even corrupting the control circuitry ...

[@StephenBrennanGuitar]

I took apart a rack housing a Meridian cd transport, amp and other seperates in 2015 and replaced the whole thing with a Sonos. Now don't have a heart attack just yet. I also put in a Marantz cd player (integrated Dac) and the Sonos zp90 was reclocked and today runs tidal. Client has never been happier and been running same set up for almost 5 years now. Now as far as dsd goes I have installed a 20k media streamer for Same client (just up the road from Paul in quaint old Aspen) and yes you guessed it client doesn't like and now runs a Sonos with a $200 dac . Happiness abound. Lesson: dsd and mqa are emmm unnecessary. UI and convenience are king. Make that as good quality as possible and you have a solution.

[@StephenBrennanGuitar]

@Fat Rat true 🙂 but we've got clients all over the world with much the same - all good. Nothing wrong with going the transport route - just seems like an outdated route to me.

[@charlesgrubbs2101]

Sounds like someone with more money than taste, as my Mom used to say.

[@StephenBrennanGuitar]

@@charlesgrubbs2101 Perhaps in a way you're right but nonetheless he was someone who was severely misled by audiophile snake oil. Rectified by balancing great audio with an easy to use modern UI - we set him up with a Marantz amp, Rega turntable and some Kef reference speakers (we snook a Sonos in there on a different input)!). This was all under 10k and achieved a very high standard of listening. I think that's what it's all about. Truly great, well selected products that can unambiguously deliver on the value proposition aswell as on the sound.

[@danabunner487]

If I had $5M to $10M or more in my portfolio, I would give a product like this some serious thought. As I love audio and as this would cost me only a tiny portion of my net worth, I'd love to have great quality. If I had $100,000 in the bank, there's no way I'd drop $7K on a transport. As there are a lot of wealthy people, I don't blame companies for making high-end, high-cost products. It's a booming market, if limited.

[@kenttager5557]

even us with moderate incomes find a way if there is a will and a desire. plus you can pick up used PS audio gear at great prices and their Stellar line is well priced and affordable.

[@homerjones3291]

Kent Tager The used market is a good place to go for PS Audio equipment, because it doesn’t hold its value very well. PS Audio will honor the warranty even if you aren’t the original owner for the warranty period.

[@chrisguygeezer]

Unless you love jazz or classical music, then you're out of luck. Luckily I do. 👍

[@gordthor5351]

Bluetooth is transported through the air and it sounds like crap. For power to that board you must be using induction, like in a cordless phone charger. Why not just use a separate power supply? Copper trumps air for signal and power transfer and air is full of noise.

[@vivianvaldi7871]

Man what are u talking about ? Pollution in the air ? Do u live in Wuhan ? We're in mid west Arkansas here. Joke, that is to say.

[@vivianvaldi7871]

@Fat Rat Yes I know, it's about wifi that may change or flip the bits ! No it won't happen bc the circuit is inclosed, classic or even better Farraday like solution.

[@vivianvaldi7871]

@Fat Rat Read !!! I said it was a joke !!! Trapped.

[@TheYuhasz01]

Nice new product but very expensive. I am surprised how many commenters here have no clue how this product works technically. Digital signal can be copper wire( coaxial) or optical/light(toslink)

[@hifirulezzz]

If the price would not be so stiff you will be selling them like a hot cakes. But with this price it is hard to justify the purchase, as number of SACD disks is very limited. Much easier to buy SACD player, new or used, and it will be cheaper. Even from the market known manufacturers.

[@salvadorrodenas3071]

The back panel is full,

[@Yong-JuneChang]

As a big fan of red book CDs, this product is indeed a welcome addition in PS Audio line up. I’m wondering if this transport can be harmonious with other manufacturers’ DACs. Hoping to see this in S.Korea soon :)

[@richardsoffice9176]

This is the Holy Grail, of Audiophiles! Should, with best connecting cables. May not be, `absolutely the best,' with different manufacturers! Some manufactures will send us equipment, to `audition,' as well as some dealers. For 30 days, perhaps longer. SVS Speakers, for example. Ask! I've purchased a complete PS Audio CD System, the presumption being that their engineers are mindful of the, `optimum synergy, compatibility.' Sounds, good! We'll find out!

[@Oystein87]

So a "Transport" is just basicly a CD player but without a built-in DAC then🤔

[@saucebosspl]

yup

[@dap777754]

so if it's just a transport, how the heck does it cost $6000 or whatever without a DAC? I don't see the pricing rationale on this unit. Anyone?

[@Oystein87]

@@dap777754 Because of the work and developement I quess. And a seperate DAC would be better if you have an expencive and revealing system.

[@shawnmathew825]

honestly, i own the perfect wave products before this and i hear no difference between the outputs. I use a really good COAX and the hdmi that it came with, and i hear no difference sonically between the two... nonetheless, its a great transport. just dont understand the i2 stuff cause i dont hear any differences.. not sure why.

[@briansat7667]

Nowadays, transport is out. Get the origanal format dsd and play them on your server.

[@ecyfoto]

Other than classical music how much pop, rock and jazz are being mastered in DSD or in a res that would warrant a SACD release? Few if any at all I would say. This product is so niche. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s very cool and will take a legit DSD produced album to the point of creating goose bumps but just how much content is there available? There are some killer DAC/CD transports to be had for that kind of money or even less. I just don’t get it.

[@StephenBrennanGuitar]

Yep. Not mentioned. Equals snake oil. Sad to say

[@gme10955]

This transport, if used with a PS Audio dac, makes regular Redbook CDs sound almost as good as SACD'S. That's a thing of beauty.

[@manganzon81]

There are A LOT of rock and jazz albums that are remastered directly from the analogue master tapes to DSD available on SACD. Check out mobile fidelity and acoustic sounds. As for modern recordings, most of them are recorded horribly and don’t even warrant a play on a high end system. It’s just a fact recordings from the 50s to the 70s dwarf anything recorded today (with some exceptions in jazz like chick corea albums).

[@ericmiller254]

@@manganzon81 Most of that old tape is full of errors and degradation, so no Digital ages infinitely better And you can record in 24/192.

[@JohnSmith-zl8rz]

I know sounds amazing but it needs a redesign, looks plastic cheap, looks like a video game console.

[@brandonburr4900]

Terrifc new product paul! You have to be really bold to bring out a new high end transport these days with cd market shrinking and guessing no new sacds in years? This unit play anything from memory? Ps audio going to do a stand alone dedicated streamer? Thanks paul!

[@brianmoore581]

SACDs are still released all the time to this day, and they sound better than ever. You just have to know where to look for them. Channel Classics has some incredible releases. Mobile Fidelity always does great work. PS Audio just released their first about a month or two ago. If you look on CDJapan, you can find tons of SACDs available. Apparently SACD is still big in Japan. There's tons of stuff available, even popular stuff from the big labels, with more being released regularly. You can get your SACDs there, or from Amazon, or from Acoustic Sounds, or Music Direct, and there's always Ebay for used and out of print. Plenty of great sounding music is available on SACD if you just look around a bit. It's a niche audiophile product to be sure, but it's hardly dead. There are 21 years worth of SACD releases waiting on you out there.

[@riku5168]

Only SACD playback? No CD, Blu-Ray Audio or DVD-Audio?

[@johnmarchington3146]

I hope to have mine in a week or so.

[@cubinn149]

Can you send me one i have a good ear for sound i have owned some of the best sounding cd players