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Digital Drive: REVIEW: Perpetual Technologies SOCS CD Player/Recorder by Pete Watt

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REVIEW: Perpetual Technologies SOCS CD Player/Recorder

198.81.26.201


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Model: SOCS
Category: CD Player/Recorder
Suggested Retail Price: $399.00
Description: Speaker Correction Software running in the Perpetual Technologies P-1A
Manufacturer URL: Perpetual Technologies
Manufacturer URL: Perpetual Technologies

Review by Pete Watt ( A ) on April 12, 2003 at 09:12:09
IP Address: 198.81.26.201
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for the SOCS


For the last two years, I have been running the beta test version of Perpetual's Speaker Only Correction Software (SOCS) in my P-1A DSP. This is the version 2 of the P-1A which has the vastly improved end user interface and is a prerequisite for running SOCS. The SOCS software is the 9-curve version and was configured by Perpetual specifically to support my B&W Nautilus 802 speakers.

During this period, I have conducted a series of listening tests to evaluate the impact of various individual upgrades and modifications added over time to my P-1A/P-3A/Monolithic digital source. These include in addition to SOCS the following:

-- Dan Wright version 2 mod to the analog output section of the P-3A
-- Dan Wright mod to Monolithic P3 power supply
-- Alternative I2S and balanced digital interconnects
-- Various interprolation and upsampling configuration alternatives
-- Quality power cord (Harmonic Technology Fantasy)
-- Power regenerator (Exact Power 1000)

I conducted my listening tests using five major criteria -- base content, treble naturalism, mid-range realism, soundstage and detail/delineation -- plus several sub categories. The results with SOCS were detectible sonic improvements in all five major categories, with major improvements in the mid-range, soundstage and level of detail. The only other upgrade that came close to this level of performance impact was the ModWright upgrade to the P-3A.

The performance enhancement provided by SOCS was experienced primarily running SOCS Curve #1 (full correction to flat frequency and phase response). This is the standard option and is tonally neutral. Other curves which I have used selectively where warranted on less than perfectly recorded CD's include: Curve #4 (full correction plus bass boost) and Curve #6 (brightness correction) which is particularly useful in toning down the digital hardness of early CD's. Curve #9 bypasses all speaker correction and provides an effective means of doing A/B tests on SOCS in real time.

No one including Perpetual will dispute the fact that this software has been very late in coming. But when you consider the magnitude of the challenge involved in developing the base algorithm, plus the numerous variants supporting the major speaker brands, and in particular when you consider its contribution to improving overall systems performance, you must conclude that this is truly state of the art technology that (at least for me) was worth waiting for.

Mark Schifter at Perpetual tells me that the production version of SOCS is about to be released, will include more options and is written to an even higher performance spec.


Product Weakness: Very late in coming to the market
Product Strengths: Across the board sonic improvement, especially in mid-range realism, soundstage and level of detail.


Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: Spectron Digital One (300 wpc)
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Conrad Johnson PV-12 (highly modified)
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Cal Audio Delta, P-1A, P-3A
Speakers: B&W Nautilus 802's
Cables/Interconnects: Audience AU24, Alpha Core Goertz MI 2
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Classical
Room Size (LxWxH): 20 ft. x 18 ft. x 12 ft.
Room Comments/Treatments: Large high ceilinged family room
Time Period/Length of Audition: 2001 to 2003
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): Exact Power 1000
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner




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Topic - REVIEW: Perpetual Technologies SOCS CD Player/Recorder - Pete Watt 09:12:09 04/12/03 ( 16)