From: kucharsk@Solbourne.COM (William Kucharski)
Newsgroups: rec.audio.high-end
Subject: D/A Converter Test:  PS Audio vs. Counterpoint
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 20:39:30 GMT
Organization: Solbourne Computer, Inc., Longmont, CO
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: 129.89.7.4
Originator: tjk@csd4.csd.uwm.edu


Over the last few days I've had the opportunity to demo a PS Audio Ultralink
against the new Counterpoint DA-10.  Just a quick summary:

Equipment Involved:
===================

Transport:	Nakamichi 1000
Digital Cable:	XLO Mark 4
Preamp:		Mark Levinson No. 26S
Amplifiers:	Two Mark Levinson No. 20.6s
Speakers:	B&W Matrix 801

"Reference":	Mark Levinson No. 30 ($14,995, Listen Up, Denver, CO)
Converter 1:	PS Audio Ultralink ($1895, Soundings, Denver, CO)
Converter 2:	Counterpoint DA-10 with Analog Devices 20-bit converter
		($1495, Listen Up, Denver, CO)

This was done in the listening room at Listen Up in Denver; no, I don't have
$40,000 of audio equipment lying around my apartment. :-(

These comparisons are relative to the No. 30 and, as always, are MHO only:

PS Audio:  The Ultralink had a nice sound, but it has its problems.  First,
	   it's quite a bit "forward."  Vocalists nicely placed behind the
	   speaker plane on the No. 30 seemed to be a foot or so in front of
	   the speakers when using the Ultralink.  The Ultralink also seemed
	   to "bloom" somewhat, widening the soundstage while compressing it
	   in depth.  The Ultralink also had a tubby lower midrange and seems
	   to roll off the highs a bit.  One piano recording we listened to
	   was recorded such that you could hear the keys on the piano
	   bottoming out -- the keys were quite noticable on the Counterpoint,
	   somewhat subliminal on the No. 30 and almost completely impossible
	   to hear on the Ultralink.

Counterpoint:  The Counterpoint preserved much more of the soundstage than the
	       Ultralink did.  In most respects, the No. 30 and the DA-10 were
	       almost identical, except in the high end.  The Counterpoint was,
	       depending upon your point of view, either a bit more crisp or
	       edgy in the high end.  For example, cymbal hits sounded like
	       a metal stick was used on the DA-10, a wood stick on the No. 30,
	       and a stick wrapped in felt on the Ultralink.  Bass was tight,
	       with lots of authority, and the soundstage was deep and as
	       "laid back" as the No. 30 (vocalists remained about the same
	       distance behind the speaker plane when using either processor).

Granted, I haven't listened to too many other processors in this price range,
but to me the Ultralink just seemed to mess with the sound in a way I wasn't
happy with.  I'm not sure if the demo model I had was in some way "broken";
I can't believe that the folks at Stereophile would be falling over themselves
in this way over it if what I heard was "normal," but at the same time I need
to put it into context.

In comparisons between the No. 30 and the Ultralink, the latter seemed to fare
VERY well.  The PS Audio seemed to capture most of the sound of the Levinson;
it was only when the third processor in the form of the DA-10 was added and a
comparison made between the three that you noticed what the Ultralink was doing
to the sound that the Counterpoint was not (and vice-versa).

Summary:
========

No. 30:	 If I had $15,000 to spend on a converter, I'd have one of these
	 tomorrow.  'Nuff said.

Ultralink:  Nice, but a bit of a soundstage "bloom" with a forward character
	    and loss in soundstage depth roughly corresponding with the amount
	    of side to side expansion.  The highs seem a bit rolled off as
	    well.

DA-10:  Nice soundstage, nice overall balance though a bit edgy (clearer?) on
	the high end.  Nothing fatiguing about the treble, just a bit more
	of it than the No. 30 or Ultralink.

Pick:  No. 30. :-)
       I'm leaning towards the DA-10.  The highs aren't really a problem for me
       and I prefer the more laid-back sound and deeper soundstage to the
       rolled-off highs and wider soundstage of the Ultralink.  It's definitely
       a case of where you should listen to both in YOUR system and make a
       decision from there.

That's all; please feel free to email me if you have questions or comments, or
would like to hear about my listening sessions with the Ultralink or DA-10 in
my home system (no, I didn't ask to take home the No. 30. :-) )...
-- 
| William Kucharski, Solbourne Computer, Inc.     | Opinions expressed above
| Internet: kucharsk@solbourne.com   Ham: N0OKQ   | are MINE alone, not those
| Snail Mail: 1900 Pike Road, Longmont, CO  80501 | of Solbourne Computer, Inc.
| President, "Just the Ten of Us" Fan Club        | "Dittos from Longmont, CO"