Ps audio Duet, first impressions.

[MikeW]

hey guys, I just got this Duet in recently, using with the hardware in my signature, minus the Valab, which is in for exchange. What can I say.. huge improvement, much more then I was expecting, i'd say nite and day, some of it is probably the power cord im using with the duet too, which is the PS audio power punch! I was having a real problem with Sibilance, and this thing has almost single handedly cured it, very impressed so far, that is with my X-fi putting analog out to the amp, before the duet, they where both plugged straight into the wall. Im not sure the differnce would be as noticeable with a dac or decent source though, I think my computers sound card (and thusly, the PC power supply that powers it) is a huge weakpoint (obviously) in my setup right now, and this device really helped. I should have my Valab dac back in a few weeks, i'll see if the improvement holds. Along with decreased sibiliance, i've also noticed a quieter background, and improved dynamics as well as frequency extension. I got it from cryoparts.com for 199$ with free cryo treatment.

When it comes to power conditioning/surge protection, my philosophy is do it as cheap as you can without messing up the sound, but I was really surprized by the improvement the duet has offered. Of course this will vary greatly by system, how good/bad your current power is etc.

If your considering power conditioning/surge supression, this gets a huge thumbs up from me. Don't pay 299$ for it though, it can be had for 200$ NEW, crutchfield.com and cryoparts.com for now, sometimes it can be had used for 150$ on agon, but lately it's been going for 200$.

cheers!

 

[fhuang]

i thought about getting this before getting a juicebar. i search for both but didn't find any useful information so i asked the guys at ps audio(difference between Duet Power Center and Juicebar II - PS Audio Discussion Forums) and the guy said i could use a duet with a juicebar so i got the juicebar(first). from the juicebar, i feel/hear clear/cleaner background. i have nothing to really compare except a power filter and a power cable from w-audio(not woo audio, i'm sure). for 200 dollars, it does look nice besides my rig.
p.s.: i too have the power punch but when comparing to other brands cable, ps audio looks a little bit cheap. i've been looking for a power cable for my cd player so i touch a lot of power cable lately.