[MatsudaMan]

For some reason, it took me quite a while to realize that I could hook up a DAC to my Playstation 3 - I actually didn't know that it had a digital optical output until I looked at the back while cleaning it. I have a lot of music on it (upgraded the hardrive to 320 gb) but have never been impressed with the sound, especially bad was the cd sound. Even so, I've been using it as the main music source in my living room system (NAD c352 integrated with Wharfedale Diamond 9.5s). Just today, I thought I'd hook up my Musical Fidelity V-DAC and take it for a whirl...to say that everything sounds better would be a drastic understatement. Mp3s that once sounded dull and lifeless suddenly are punchy and dynamic. Bluray movies and Operas sound amazing - the output is so much more rich and wonderful - so much so that I found myself spending the entire day going through my Bluray collection and listening to the difference....looks like I'm going to have to get another dac for my main rig, 'cause this one is staying in the living room! Anyone with a PS3 who listens to music off of it should really invest in a DAC to improve the sound. God I love tweaks like this!

BTW - games also sound much better.

 

[.Sup]

I've also hooked up my PS3 to DacMagic DAC and the console is now my primary cd playing unit. My Yamaha DVD player was too loud

 

[Miths]

Based on this thread and a few Google searches I just ran, I'm starting to think a DAC is almost a required upgrade if I want to get the most out of my current PS3 setup.
It sounds like the built-in DAC is pretty crappy (at least the one for basic stereo output, supposedly the HDMI output should fare better, but I don't have a surround receiver).

Considering I've got the Cute Beyond amp plus Supplier that means I'm obviously tempted to get the Firestone Spitfire, but I gotta admit that $350+ (only one store carries Firestone products here in Denmark from what I can tell - anyone know of any UK or other European online stores with cheaper prices?) is a pretty steep price right after I've thrown $150 after the Supplier, which ehh... supplied absolutely no upgrade in sound quality.
Or maybe I just couldn't hear it because I'm saddled with the crappy DAC in the PS3?
Damn, this new hobby turned out too be a lot more expensive than I had expected

.

 

[oqvist]

If you run bluray movies you may want to invest in a receiver instead? If you have speakers that is. Even though the PS 3 decodes the HD format and send them as linear pcm most external DACs don´t have HDMI inputs. (You can´t send it via optical/coaxial due to the copyright protection).

I am still awaiting my first bluray music but if the difference is as big as with movies and the samples I have run I am sure it would beat my Keces 131 mk 2 no problem

. My Keces do beat not only the PS 3 but the burr brown DACS in the RX-V663 for cd/FLAC quality so the best is a surround receiver and a really good external DAC combo. That said I am really fine with the sound quality out of the RX-V663. May even be those that preferr that but I am just addicted to the soundstaging and clarity the Keces gives

 

[BigTony]

I'm confused about bluray playback, i assume you mean 2 channel playback and not multi?
My ps3 simply make too much noise to be of use as a source for hi-fi.

 

[oqvist]

PS 3 can do both of course if you hook it up to a multi channel receiver. Otherwise stereo for most external DACs or analogue.

Do you have the older 60 gig version it´s a bit louder then the newer models? My PS 3 is quite quiet though not 100 % quiet of course.

 

[Mofferino]

I know its an old thread, but here goes nothing...

I've connected my PS3 to my Dac Magic via optical. When playing 44,1 kHz mp3's my Dac Magic displays an incoming sample rate of 48 kHz. Can someone tell me why that is?

 

[skeptic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mofferino /img/forum/go_quote.gif I know its an old thread, but here goes nothing... I've connected my PS3 to my Dac Magic via optical. When playing 44,1 kHz mp3's my Dac Magic displays an incoming sample rate of 48 kHz. Can someone tell me why that is?

Your PS3 has two settings menus you should look at. The digital output settings sub-menu (which makes you select HDMI/optical) should allow you to define the no. of channels and the digital bit rate your PS3 is allowed to pass to your DAC via optical.

Secondly - I believe there is a separate sub-menu for CD audio out which also allows you to define the bit rate for playback.

Maybe you've played with these already, but that's where I would start. Best of luck.

 

[SirDrexl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mofferino /img/forum/go_quote.gif I know its an old thread, but here goes nothing... I've connected my PS3 to my Dac Magic via optical. When playing 44,1 kHz mp3's my Dac Magic displays an incoming sample rate of 48 kHz. Can someone tell me why that is?

I just noticed this and had to bump it. Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do. It's going to upsample to 48khz.

In the audio output options, if you set it up manually, you can check/uncheck which sampling rates to use. 44.1khz and 48khz are forced, so you can't just uncheck 48khz. (Unchecking 48khz would stop it from sending Dolby Digital or DTS anyway.)

Somewhere else, there is a setting for CD audio where you can select either 44.1/88.2/176.4khz or 48khz. What it will do is play CDs at the highest selected rate of those 3, OR 48khz. If you choose the first option AND make sure that the higher sampling rates are unchecked back in the audio output, it will play CDs at 44.1khz. However, it will still upsample MP3, AAC, and even WAV files to 48khz. I've been wanting them to change this for years.