PS Audio DS Jr. vs SW1X DAC

abd1 · « **on:** 9 Aug 2020, 05:13 pm »

I have a PS Audio DS Jr. running Windom and have been very happy with it. I felt like its the last DAC I'll own, for awhile at least. However, I'm curious about NOS DACs, especially the SW1X DACs. Wondering if anyone here who's had experience with both can comment? I mostly stream Tidal/Qobuz and don't care much about MQA or not. I actually think sample rate is highly overrated as I can't really tell a difference if something is 44.1, 96, DSD, etc. as long as the music is well recorded. I've A/B'd MQA vs non-MQA in real time and couldn't really distinguish a difference, at least not a meaningful one. So, while the DS Jr. upsamples everything to DSD I'm not convinced that makes the music sound better than 44.1, 48, 96, etc. Kind of like how an amp with 200wpc may not sound better than one with 20wpc.

Anyway, anyone with experience with both? Thoughts?

lokie · « **Reply #1 on:** 10 Aug 2020, 02:45 pm »

Im a fan of NOS Dacs.

While I have no experience with SW1X Dacs, I have an ABBAS Dac which has similar DNA. I have also bought, modded and loved 4 Audio Note Dacs.
I have a feeling the SW1X's sound very nice, but they are a bit out of my price comfort. I would suggest you focus in on the ouput transformers and make sure you go far enough up the line to get into the more premium analogue output stages than the entry level. That's what I liked about the AN Dacs (both UK and Kit)...you could upgrade certain components and go way up their levels on the cheap.
NOS transformer coupled Dacs have a certain sound... which is very cohesive with high efficient speakers. Quiet, dynamic and organic (analog) are a few words I would use to describe what I hear.

JLM · « **Reply #2 on:** 11 Aug 2020, 09:18 am »

abd1:

Share your MQA and high resolution prospectives. Thanks for exposing the emperor's new clothes.

Have owned DS Jr. and NOS DAC's, decades apart, but have listened to NOS more recently. Unfortunately the DS Jr. was used with active speakers that had built-in (substandard) DACs, so wasn't hearing the DS Jr. In disgust sold them both on. Haven't heard SW1X. But my impression of NOS DAC's is a gross lack of dynamics - a very smooth, soft, and sleepy sound - like really old vinyl without the surface noise.

Now run a NAD M10 "streaming amplifier" (a high-end all-in-one box) and am delighted with the sound quality and it's stunning simplicity.

lokie · « **Reply #3 on:** 11 Aug 2020, 03:24 pm »

"gross lack of dynamics - a very smooth, soft, and sleepy sound."

That is not my experience, in fact, just the opposite.

mresseguie · « **Reply #4 on:** 11 Aug 2020, 03:46 pm »

Quote from: JLM on 11 Aug 2020, 09:18 am

abd1:

Share your MQA and high resolution prospectives. Thanks for exposing the emperor's new clothes.

Have owned DS Jr. and NOS DAC's, decades apart, but have listened to NOS more recently. Unfortunately the DS Jr. was used with active speakers that had built-in (substandard) DACs, so wasn't hearing the DS Jr. In disgust sold them both on. Haven't heard SW1X. But my impression of NOS DAC's is a gross lack of dynamics - a very smooth, soft, and sleepy sound - like really old vinyl without the surface noise.

Now run a NAD M10 "streaming amplifier" (a high-end all-in-one box) and am delighted with the sound quality and it's stunning simplicity.

JLM,

I must second lokie's sentiment, "This is not my experience."

Allow me to expand on that a little. When I stumbled upon a used dB Audio Tranquility SE (with Jupiter Cu caps added at my request), my enjoyment of music jumped a few levels. I was gobsmacked. That NOS DAC didn't strike me or anyone else who heard it in my system (or theirs) as soft and sleepy. However, compared to my SW1X DAC III, my Tranquility does sound a little laid-back and muffled(?). The SW1X DAC took me from the 7th floor to the 12th in a heartbeat. Maybe it is a little smooth - my amp and preamp are both tubed, so there's a little smoothness or warmth in my music that I very much enjoy. In my mind, this is a very good thing. I don't hear 'soft and sleepy' with either of my NOS DACs.

I'm not chastising you, JLM. We all have our own hearing, our own opinions (and I respect your opinion), and our own experiences that color our impressions. I haven't heard an M10 yet. Perhaps, I'll discover it destroys my NOS DACs so that I'll suddenly sell them; perhaps, I'll prefer the NOS sound. Who knows?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

abd1,

If my memory isn't completely shattered, I recall you live approximately 80 miles north of me, yes? Perhaps, we can figure out a safe way to get my DAC into your home for an audition once it comes back from its upgrade to DHT and AN Cu caps.

Michael

abd1 · « **Reply #5 on:** 11 Aug 2020, 09:25 pm »

Quote from: mresseguie on 11 Aug 2020, 03:46 pm

JLM,

I must second lokie's sentiment, "This is not my experience."

Allow me to expand on that a little. When I stumbled upon a used dB Audio Tranquility SE (with Jupiter Cu caps added at my request), my enjoyment of music jumped a few levels. I was gobsmacked. That NOS DAC didn't strike me or anyone else who heard it in my system (or theirs) as soft and sleepy. However, compared to my SW1X DAC III, my Tranquility does sound a little laid-back and muffled(?). The SW1X DAC took me from the 7th floor to the 12th in a heartbeat. Maybe it is a little smooth - my amp and preamp are both tubed, so there's a little smoothness or warmth in my music that I very much enjoy. In my mind, this is a very good thing. I don't hear 'soft and sleepy' with either of my NOS DACs.

I'm not chastising you, JLM. We all have our own hearing, our own opinions (and I respect your opinion), and our own experiences that color our impressions. I haven't heard an M10 yet. Perhaps, I'll discover it destroys my NOS DACs so that I'll suddenly sell them; perhaps, I'll prefer the NOS sound. Who knows?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

abd1,

If my memory isn't completely shattered, I recall you live approximately 80 miles north of me, yes? Perhaps, we can figure out a safe way to get my DAC into your home for an audition once it comes back from its upgrade to DHT and AN Cu caps.

Michael

Yes, I'm in Lake Oswego and I would love a chance to try it in my system and compare to the PS Audio DS Jr. Just shout out whenever. Thanks!

mresseguie · « **Reply #6 on:** 11 Aug 2020, 11:20 pm »

Lake Oswego, just as I thought.

I believe we spoke on the phone, but I neglected to save your contact information.

Don’t you dare sell those Salk speakers before I visit you. I have been VERY curious about how they sound since they were first developed, and would be mighty sad if I missed an opportunity to hear them.

Michael

abd1 · « **Reply #7 on:** 17 Aug 2020, 05:45 pm »

Quote from: mresseguie on 11 Aug 2020, 11:20 pm

Lake Oswego, just as I thought.

I believe we spoke on the phone, but I neglected to save your contact information. Don’t you dare sell those Salk speakers before I visit you. I have been VERY curious about how they sound since they were first developed, and would be mighty sad if I missed an opportunity to hear them.

Michael

Don't worry. I have no plans to sell them. I purchased them as a gift to myself when I hit my 20-year anniversary at work, so they are special to me. Currently, I'm using some Clearwave Duet 6 monitors in my 2-channel with 2 REL T5i subs. They use Accuton ceramic drivers and tweeter. I'm pretty impressed with them, and with the subs, which I never really used in 2-channel. Since the Salks are pretty heavy for me and downstairs I haven't moved them back up to a/b, but one day, if I ever get the time, I might try it.