PS Audio DL III

[Martyn]

I decided to start a new thread rather than hi-jack Blindamood's Marantz thread. In that thread, JonMarsh refers to the DL III DAC, which I have been considering for use with my Squeezebox.

I run my Squeezebox directly into Hugh Dean's ASKA 100N+ power amp for use as a second system. I've been contemplating adding either a DL III or a decent pre-amp (maybe an Arcam FMJ C31) - I can't afford both.

However, as a mechanical guy, I have a hard time believing that a DL III is really going to make a significant audible improvement in a simple system that already sounds very good to my wooden ears.

Can anyone offer an informed opinion on the likely benefits of using a DL III instead of the Squeezebox's own DACs (24 bit BB)? Thanks,

Martyn

[legion1capone]

I would say I have a moddest system. Modified Jolida 302b tube amp, B&W 705 bookshelf speakers and a PS3 and xbox360 with HD drive for my players. I have 2 Ipods and a bunch of cd's. Obviously the one thing I am missing is a good cd player. When I went into Magnolia Audio/Video and Definitive Audio both told me I would gain quite a bit from the PS Audio III DAC. They all encouraged me to work with what I have for now. Since with this product you may not feel the need to get an expensive cd player right away. I haven't purchased one yet but from the reviews I've read and what the people at the audio stores said about this product I am more than willing to give it a try. For $695 it's not a bad price either. If you don't like it take it back. Definitive Audio told me the main reason they just started carrying PS Audios gear was soley so the could sell the new DAC.

Here's the product:

http://www.psaudio.com/ps/products/detail/digital-link-3-dac?cat=audio

Reviews:

http://powerplayadmin.psaudio.com/~psaudio/uploads/files/TONEaudio_DLIII.pdf

http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/digital/messages/13/139224.html

http://www.avguide.com/review/ps-audio-digital-link-iii-trio-p-200-preamplifier-and-trio-100-amplifier

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue34/psaudio_link.htm

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/psaudio6/cullen.html

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/ps-audio-dliii-dac-review

[JonMarsh]

The DL III replaced a Benchmark DAC in my family room system; the differences weren't subtle, and the Benchmark is a fairly highly regarded DAC. One problem with many DAC's I've auditioned in the past it that they tended to be "lateral changes" but not a solid overall improvement in all aspects.

I bought the DL III because it used two chipsets that I'd been thinking a few years earlier about doing a DIY project with (the asynch input receiver and the BB1798DB DAC), AND because it uses a passive I/V converter and a discrete zero loop feedback class A buffer.

After talking to ThomasW about the DL III and my experience and opinion of it, he purchased one and has been very pleased.

PS Audio has just started shipping their Perfect Wave DAC, which is a substantial move up in price from the DL III- about $3K. Based on his experience with the DL III, Thomas is considering getting a Perfect Wave soon. I'll probably get one before the end of the year, considering the technology and capabilities of that unit.

The system the DL III is used in is not particularly elaborate- a Mac Mini for USB input, a Cambridge Audio 640C for CD input, an Ayre AX-7 integrated amplifier, the Marantz SA-11 for SACD, my DIY NeoD CC speakers (see the Mission Possible forum if you're curious), and Cardas and Ayre interconnects and speaker cables. But the DL III has definitely been a step up- it's like the difference between some original CD's and more carefully remastered versions. I'm enjoying my older music collection quite a bit more now, and don't dig out the SACD's all that often- as I have the hybrid CD layers ripped to the Mac Mini in Apple Lossless.

What might be a telling point, is that when my 25 year old daughter came over and I was playing some music for her, she asked me what I'd changed in my system, because it "sounded richer and clearer". She's not an audiophile, but one of the iPod generation (well, OK, I have a couple of iPods, too- with Apple Lossless on them- but they don't begin to touch how the Mac Mini sounds going through the DL III).

[Martyn]

Thanks, fellas.

Yes, the price and reviews are good, although I think the reduced price is just for within the US, so I have the usual problem of dealing with cross-border issues (and taking it back won't be an option). Maybe it's time to take my wife to Seattle for a weekend...

Jon, I won't be buying a Perfect Wave - way beyond my price point - but I do appreciate your comparison between an original CD and a carefully remastered version. That kind of quantification is much more useful than the usual "whole new level" description. I'm told that the DACs in the Squeezebox are already quite good, but if I can expect that kind of difference from a DL III, then it will be money well spent.

Thanks again,

Martyn

[legion1capone]

If your coming down to the Seattle area I know for sure that the Bellevue Definitiv Audio carries the DAC. I'm not sure about the Seattle store. I'm sure they do though.

[Martyn]

Thanks. I don't have a trip planned yet, but I am hoping to visit a friend-of-a-friend in the area to listen to his diy speakers sometime. I'll call the store first anyway.

Meanwhile, if anyone is thinking of replacing their DL III, do let me know!

[Johnloudb]

Martyn,

Not trying to turn you off the DLIII, but I had a somewhat different experience that Jon Marsh. Our DLIII took forever to break in and developed always had a somewhat bright quality. We bought directly from PS Audio, and we told them about the problem, and they offered to let us try another one. We decided to keep it though, good sound quality but it never sounded like many of the reviewers talked about it ... warm, smooth sound. We eventually hooked up an old Benchmark my dad had used for his headphones. This sounded significantly better and the timbers sounded more neutral, and it was easier to listen to.

I know this is the complete opposite of the experience Jon Marsh had and leads me to believe our DLIII was out of spec. So, you might just want to buy factory direct so you can try it out for 30 days to make sure you're happy with it. They're a great company to deal with. Don't know if you'll get the same support if purchased in Seattle.

[Blindamood]

Another option I've seen, which is even cheaper than the PS Audio, is the Cambridge Audio DAC Magic, which uses Wolfson DACs. Does anyone have any experience with this one, and how it might compare to the PS Audio? The Cambridge is currently retailing for $429, and provides additional digital inputs for connecting other components.

[JonMarsh]

No personal experience with the DAC magic, though I, too, have heard some good things about it.

At the "budget end", the Musical Fidelity VDAC seems to be the one to beat- I've gotten a few friends into it, even my "big boss" back in Villach Austria has one now, and it seems to be very close to the DL III in sonics.

[Martyn]

Thanks for the tip, John. Unfortunately, the courier companies' "brokerage fees" nail you every time you ship across the border, so that's always a last resort for me. Since Definitive Audio appears to be a Squeezebox retailer too, maybe the best solution is to arrange a demo of the SB only versus the SB + DL III.

Thanks too for the pointers to the CA and MF products. My limited experience with CA equipment has been that it doesn't quite achieve my aspirations, but I'm certainly willing to give their DAC a try. I haven't listened to any MF equipment, but again it's certainly worth a look.

[LikeCoiledSteel]

I never heard the PS DLiii yet, but I now use the Benchmark and have been looking at the Peachtree Nova. It is an integrated amp with a tube pre section and ss amps section. Also onboard is a
The ESS Sabre DAC. Reviews so far have been very good.

From their site " patented jitter reduction circuit re-clocks the digital signal to almost 0 jitter before passing it through a high-resolution 24/96 upsampling processor that’s also capable of 122dB s/n ratio. This is unheard of in any D/A converter until now and out-specs anything from any other DAC on the market. But the DAC chip is only part of the story because the surrounding electronics are extremely important. We employ 11 regulated power supplies for the DAC and transformer-couple each digital input stage so noise associated with ground problems and switching power supplies is eliminated."