I don't know if I have bad ears or what but I honestly can't really tell much of a difference in these filters. Maybe a slight difference in how harsh some recordings might sound...but I really have to strain to tell the difference on my speaker setup. I've long since given up and just stick with the auto setting on mine. There is a bigger difference in switching inputs in my opinion.

Your experience is exactly what I would expect and reflects my experience as well (well not the input part) but I was just pointing to places where you can hear the differences with apodizing filters (i.e. the listen setting on Ayre players).

Edited December 2, 201114 yr by Dreadhead

I feel like sometimes I can hear the difference among filters, and sometimes I cannot. In the end, though, I always end up settling on the apodizing filter, so maybe there is something there, who knows?

Yup, these filters seem a little like marketing gimmick in my eyes….like a lot of other BS out there in the audiophile world. Speaking of which, I have still yet to be really impressed with any USB 24/192 solutions out there which is why I’m kinda curious as to the different approach that PS Audio is taking compared to most of the competition.

For me the biggest benefit of this DAC is the bridge despite people’s love/hate relationship with it. I just love not having to futz with my computer all the time to play music. Just whip out my iPad, browse my library at the comfort of my couch and listen to music J I’ve found J.River to be a great media streamer / manager for the Bridge. You should also download an iphone/ipad app called ‘My River’. It works with J.River only but does so much better of a job presenting your music library than eLyric does.

Can J River control the music on my Synology NAS directly without a computer running, if my NAS is DLNA compliant?

Edited December 2, 201114 yr by jvlgato

J.River (the program that runs on windows) can read a DLNA library if I’m correct and also control a DLNA renderer like the PWD.

My River (the app for iphone) needs to have J.River media server running on a computer to be used. It actually hooks into the J.River library system (not DLNA) and so has all sorts of benefits like blistering fast cover art, reading local playlists, changing ratings, etc. which can’t be done with a regular DLNA library.

Very cool looking. I'll have to decide if I want to leave my old laptop running. Part of the reason I got a NAS was so I wouldn' t have to run my laptop to do stuff like this. I'm mostly happy with eLyric, but far from thrilled.

Yup, NASes are cool since you don't have to deal with leaving a computer on but I there is so much more flexibility to having an actual PC running instead with all sorts of services on it. I have an old laptop that I just use as a server and it happens to be quieter than most NAS units out there. The lid stays closed and it's connected to a 3TB USB drive which has all my flac files as well as movies / tv shows. This lets me run eLyric, J.River, Plex Server, and PS3 Media Server to serve all my media related needs

Edited December 2, 201114 yr by monsieurguzel

I just wish there was a nas that would do apple's new home sharing, it'd make my life so much easier

Hackintosh Nas?

Cool beans.

So with everyone buying these things my interest has been peaked again. I'm reading a lot of conflicting info on the Bridge (from format support and order of file uncompression - streaming 24/192 WAV seems asking for network issues, to general functionality concerns - and even a few "everyone knows this has been underspec'ed since the beginning" comments). Course many of those assertions were made early when everything was more widely discussed. Now even the digital lens advantage is possibly lessening if ever upgraded to mk II (where digital lens gets applied to all inputs... I think). So anyone have any additional thoughts on the Bridge versus sticking with a Squeezebox Touch (24/96 limited)?

Damn, I was enjoying vinyl.

.

Edited January 19, 201214 yr by blessingx

Ric

• Does it support lossless gapless playback? (The Rio Karma managed this back 2003 - anything that can't do this with today's hardware / software is broken in my opinion )
  
• Can you reliably (i.e. double blind, at statistically significant levels), detect differences between 24/192 + 24/96 samples from the same master, on the same hardware ? ( or even have a preference (Nyquist–Shannon + the thresholds of human hearing would suggest not))
  
• How much source material is there with audio content above 48Khz ?
  
• What makes you happy?
  

Try capturing some samples of Esme to see if its the source material , or the playback chain that's more important

Edited January 20, 201214 yr by Grahame

• Does it support lossless gapless playback? (The Rio Karma managed this back 2003 - anything that can't do this with today's hardware / software is broken in my opinion )
  

Damn, for all the issues I've had with it, I do miss my Rio Karma (and lossless gapless playback was precisely the reason I bought it).

Edited January 20, 201214 yr by Salt Peanuts

Goofy question - when the PWD sample rate setting is set for native/auto, does it display the incoming rate on screen?

I think mine does. At work now, but IIIRC, I see file type, word bit length, and sampling rate. I always set to native, but usually pick apodizing over auto, though have spent a fair amount of time on auto, so probably would have noticed it if it wasn't there.

Breaking: The PWD isn't bad.

Everytime I see this thread pop up I think the Monkey is selling his DAC.

Necroing for advice...paddles charged...CLEAR!

Just bought one of these a few months ago, but now suddenly I have downgrade fever—something I never knew existed.

I'm using it on my work system—I think it's both overkill and underutilized. It sounds great, but I'm using my MacBook Air with Amarra/Pure Music/whateverthefuck as a source and serving it out via USB to the thing. I tried the network bridge and it definitely sounds better using that, but I prefer using my MacBook to play music. In any case, not using the bridge is me not taking full advantage of its capability...and I'm also tired of tweaking with firmware revisions and all that.

If I sell, I could partially fund a new headphone amp (the GS-X) and an NAD M51 or Oppo 105.

Is this a Bad Idea?

Edited November 3, 201213 yr by cutestory

Not at all -- I'm not actually familiar with the bridge (or the DAC, for that matter), but I would make it a rule of thumb to listen to my inner downgrader.

That's assuming I had one.

I never had one myself before recently.

Doesn't really sound like a downgrade, more like a sidegrade with benefits.

Everytime I see this thread pop up I think the Monkey is selling his DAC.

just came here thinking it was that thread...

I thought he did sell it. Didn't he?

I did not. It's for sale.