Connecting PS3 to a good quality DAC..

I was wondering what people thought about the PS3's audio capabilities and how a high quality audio stream might be fed into a good quality DAC via an optical TOSLink. With the Weiss DAC for example, one could connect a computer via firewire and a PS3 via optical right? So along with uncompressed audio from the computer we could also get DTS-HD Master Audio from the PS3 or other blueray player as well as the obvious Linear PCM also SACD playback. Or is a DTS-HD stream only over HDMI?

It would still be interesting to think that apart from an audio stream from the computer one could also get a high quality uncompressed audio stream from a blueray player like the PS3. The PS3 also acts as a server right? So it can be connected up to our home network.

My thoughts at the moment are to get a DAC like the Weiss Minerva - connect computer via firewire and PS3 via optical and then analogue out to powered speakers (Genelec 8040).

What are everyones thoughts about this setup and about the quality of the audio stream coming from a bluray player over optical into a DAC and out to powered speakers? Good idea or not?

I borrowed my son's PS3 one weekend to play 5 of the BluRay music discs that I bought a few months ago. The PS3 is way too noisy for critical listening. To add insult to injury I was only impressed with one of the BluRay music discs, two sounded so-so, one sounded like crap, and one would not play at all. I quickly learned that industry is all too eager to sell low to medium resolution/quality stuff in the new high resolution packages. The PS3 SACD playback was a lower quality than my Oppo universal player provides. I can't even remember what I thought of the playback of Redbook CDs using the digital out to a DAC since again the PS3 was too noisy.

I'm not in favor of the heavy burdens imposed by copy protection schemes for music. Dealing with equipment and source material where more attention is paid proprietary formats and the "so-called" protection of digital content is nonsense, especially for the masses who are content with MP3s. Years ago I was very pleased with the excellent sonic quality of open reel to reel playback of recorded LPs and today you can analog record anything whether SACD or BluRay. I have yet to determine if I will be as satisfied when I playback my digitized LPs.

By the way, I do enjoy using a PS1 for playing CDs on a secondary system. I had no idea until I saw all the positive feedback and read the articles in Stereophile. The PS1 also has many mods to improve the sound further - not bad for a unit that would typically sell for less than $25.

My PS3, playing lossless files via optical cable into my AVI ADM9.1* sounded the same as any other digital source playing the same lossless files into the same DAC.

*AVI ADM9.1 = active speakers with DAC built in

www.avihifi.com

I have a PS3, and can confirm, that it feeds a DAC very well. The sound quality through first my cheaper Beresford DAC, or my better Harmony DAC, both are very good quality, and of no discernable difference to any other source through them.

I do agree that it is a little too noisy for serious hifi though. The lack of real FLAC support is an issue for me too.