PS Audio's new DAC - NuWave - Page 6

Quote:

Originally Posted by peytah 

Hi All!

this is my first post on Head-Fi, but I've appreciated lurking for some time now.  I'm a speaker guy, but it seems that the group in this forum is more up on computer audio than in other forums.  

 

I've been listening to my Bifrost for a while now and recently got a Nuwave DAC.  I'm currently struggling with whether or not to keep the Nuwave.  I posted my impressions of both DACs in the Audiokarma modern hifi forum.  I haven't gotten much in the way of responses there, so I'm broadening my horizons.

 

Review: Schiit Bifrost vs PS Audio Nuwave DAC

 

Has anyone here been listening to a Nuwave?  I'm anxiously awaiting HiFiGuy528's review.  

Nice write-up, thanks! It's tough to say if you should keep the NuWave or not. Normally my answer to this type of thing is as follows - choose the one you enjoy most. Easier said than done, of course.

As I read your impressions, it seems to me that you do like the PS Audio unit a bit more than the Schiit, but not by a large amount. So then we get into the tricky predicament of placing a monetary value on a small improvement. At that point other factors come in to play - do you like the looks of the NuWave more? Or is the more compact Schiit easier to place in your system? It really comes down to which one you'll be most happy with over time. Can you keep the Bifrost knowing you like the sound and you saved some cash? Or will it always nag at you that you could have had something better, however slight the improvement may have been? Answer that and you'll know which one to keep. 

EDIT - CEE TEE beat me to it with multiple salient points. Dang. 

Luckily I'm in a situation where the Bifrost is definitely staying.  I have 2 spots in 2 different systems to fill.  The question in my mind is whether or not to return the Nuwave and get something else.  Gungnir...?  One of the reasons I bought the Nuwave rather than the Gungnir was to try something different; different company, different design philosophy.

It sounds like the Benchmark is not for me either if the Nuwave is warmer by comparision.

Indeed, I do think the Nuwave is a bit better than the Bifrost, but I'm not sure that I'd even miss the difference.  Project86, you hit the nail on the head about diminishing returns.  That's why I'm not planning on going higher up the DAC performance ladder.  

As of this moment, I'm leaving toward keeping the Nuwave.  Inertia has its way.  And like CEE TEE said, low stress.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shipsupt 


FWIW - http://www.dailyaudiophile.com/ps-audio-nuwave-dac-review-on-daily-audiophile/

awesome!

guess its not really worth upgrading yet. it feels silly having a 6-7 year old dac now though, i do use mine with the MF V link (24/96 version since no need for 192)

In Mac OSX under Applications->Utilities->Audio Midi Setup there is a dialog box for setting bit and frequency. To play red book with the Nuwave and its Native setting, what bit and frequency do I set in the Audio Midi Setup, 16/44.1, 24/44.1, etc. to optimize the sound?

Quote:

Originally Posted by auee 

In Mac OSX under Applications->Utilities->Audio Midi Setup there is a dialog box for setting bit and frequency. To play red book with the Nuwave and its Native setting, what bit and frequency do I set in the Audio Midi Setup, 16/44.1, 24/44.1, etc. to optimize the sound?

24/88.2

New Nuwave owner here.  I'm currently using the Nuwave with a Resonessence Concero as a USB converter to the coax input of the Nuwave.  I'm quite liking the combo so far.  It's a reasonable upgrade over just the Concero as a DAC.  Also did some comparisons of the Concero and Nuwave as USB DACs on their own.

As DACs on their I would slightly recommend the Concero to most users over the Nuwave, though some may still prefer the Nuwave depending on their taste.  Both on their own are pretty decent for the money and in the same league I feel.  The Nuwave generally has the edge on dynamics and detail on it's own via USB input.  

The Nuwave has the tendency to sound a bit flatter in the soundstage and a more sterile or boring compared to the Concero.  The Nuwave does however, have a very "fast" sound in that it seems to quickly respond and track small, quick dynamic changes (Transient response, I think?)

The Nuwave also has a noticeably blacker background, likely due to the dedicated power supply.  However, the Concero seems just slightly more dynamically restrained, likely due to the lack of a dedicated output stage and power supply.  There is just less "Jump" factor with the Concero.    The Concero is smoother in the treble region and likely to match with a wider variety of systems.

However, when feeding the Nuwave using the Concero, the Nuwave actually seems to take on a majority of the positive traits of the Concero, while still keeping the Nuwave's excellent dynamics, speed, and black background.  Immediately noticeable when adding the Concero is a much better depth of image in the soundstage  

It's actually quite an addictive combo for me.  Currently using the Resonessence linear phase apodizing filter feeding the Nuwave in native mode.  I like to think of it as my poor man's Invicta/PWD hybrid 

Of course, the Nuwave is just a beautifully built unit as well.  I just wish they would make an updated GCHA in a Nuwave Chassis with some modern updates.  That would be one good looking stack.  Looks kind of silly stacked on my SA-31 at the moment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by auee 

System matching is crucial. The Nuwave is giving me excellent sound in my system.

I would agree with this.  I'm still unsure if I really want to sell it or not.  It does some things really well but on it's own (without Concero as converter), it can be rather aggressively forward sounding.  This would probably be great with something like the LCD-2 though.

 I did get to listen to my Nuwave-Concero combo with a Burson Soloist SL and really liked the synergy with the HD800.  My only concern is if I sell the Concero or Nuwave I may lose some of the synergy I heard with the full system.  I suppose I could just sell my amp and try to squeeze out the difference from my paycheck for the Soloist.  That and I want to go for the full size Soloist but I'm hoping to find a good demo price if I'm lucky.