I like all this attention to detail and the MSB website suggests a company that is massively proud of its American heritage and of the products they make. Auction bid 7 150 25 . You are using an out of date browser. I don't have that kind of money. Put simply, your DAC is ready for the future. In that price range, you would be mad not to addthe MSB Premier DAC to your list as well. The AC modules are fully balanced at every stage, have no buffers, IV converters, or transistors in the signal path, and have no active devices used in the conversion process at all. dac at a reasonable price. Directstream, Bricasti M1, Jeff Rowland Aeris, Chord Dave, and today I Digital: Jay's Audio CDT2 MK2 CD transport, Modified MHDT Labs Balanced Pagoda DAC. @ricred1, youre right to point that out. Some very good advice here. This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. The clock can be seen as being the heart of the DAC and once again the clocks are made in-house. I actually like the simplicity of this and it is very intuitive to use when you get into setting up and menu diving, though diving is over-egging it a bit as the Discrete is a doddle to set upif you do it right, but more on that in a while. I'd also look at the Mola-Mola Tambaqui and the new dCS Bartok. So, essentially, around the back of this DAC we have XLR output modules, dual power inputs (more on this in a moment) the digital input module (XLR, RCA, and two optical), and the USB input. So I personally prefer to listen to different DACs just like I prefer to listen to analog as well as digital. I'm looking for suggestions on DACs I should listen to as possible replacement of my Chord Dave. DLNA Protocol. Is it better than the Chord DAVE that I raved about a few years ago? I have enjoyed my time with the MSB Discrete DAC a great deal. You go off people's opinions and hope it'll match your equipment and system when you put the hard earned down. In my assessment the Makua offered a more open and spacious sound. as my Select II sits it would list for $116,450. In that time, weve pushed the industry forward with each product weve built, redefining whats possible. Pass Labs INT-60. Perhaps you should consider the Accuphase DC-37 currently for sale in the classifieds? However, Id argue that there is sort of two trains of thought on this subject; one where theres absolute fidelity to the source material at all costs, and another that sounds great though to the listener but perhaps not absolutely true to the original source and I dont think its unfair to say that both these positions have their place in the world of playing tunes at home. home system and listening for that end result. I have heard the Dave and EMM Labs DAC2x up against aMakua that I subsequently purchased. Im getting a bit away from the review proper, but Im sure you can see why I have added that little diversion. I've tried it in my system and I don't like it. Cs | Critical Mass CS2s -> components, Isoacoustics -> speakers + subs | Adona Eris II rack on Herbie's titanium footers | Fully treated and dedicated 2 channel room. So thats it and I think the only thing I think Ive left out of the build part of this DAC is the 3 buttons and the knob on the front panel which are used for manually changing the volume and menu diving, though all this can be done from the remote. Height with feet: 68 mm Weight: 8.2 kg, Accessories included: Manual Remote control Aluminum MSB USB charging cable 4 X Spikes and Cups 4 X plastic inserts Power connector splitter, MERASON FRROT DAC REVIEW The Merason Frrot DAC costing 995 isn't the first thing that comes to mind when we think of Switzerland. I can leave my hand on it as long as I want to. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. As the noise in my system keeps getting lower, the PM2 keeps reaching deeper to find even more musical engagement and purity in standard 16/44 files. It would only sound like sales so we The more observant of you will have read this and noticed that there is no mains inlet. @smodtactical I would not take price as any arbitrator of quality, especially nowadays. 2001-2023 Head-Fi.org. Its a clever thing meaning that their products are repairable and upgradeable for example, you can have a card that is set up for single-ended outputs or balanced XLR outputs (for review we have the balanced version). The Prime DAC Module. Up to 32 bit 768kHz And this level of detail the MSB Discrete brings to the listening experience was carried through everything I listened toand I listened to this DAC a lot, with it being the only thing I used to for a solid two weeks. How r they comparing to the MSB Select 2 and Trinity? You absolutely can say that you prefer other DAC's to the Berkeley Alpha Reference. Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator, https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/absolute-top-tier-dac-for-standard-res-redbook-cd. I do however like the i2S connection better than any other Great Dac but for me a NOS DAC (Metrum Adagio) won the contest over all the others Dacs I have tried so far. Sources: Hiby R6, Fiio x3II, Fiio x5II DACs: Dave, Yggdrasil, Hugo, Hugo TT, U12. It may not display this or other websites correctly. The Discrete is a genuine high fidelity DAC and a fabulously built one to boot, add in the modular input flexibility and you have a pretty stunning product with excellent future proofing. The modular nature of the Discrete and other MSB DACs is very clever and I assume this goes a good way towards giving it such a neutral and detailed sound, where no one part is interfering with what the other is doing. Didn't like it at all. This would help to take your digital playback upa few levels. Or arm yourself with a nice bottle of red and pay a visit to@Stereophilus. That statement makes sense in an analog paradigm. For some folk, a highly resolving and accurate system may well be described as being over-analytical, and on the other side of the audio fence, some will suggest that some systems sound nice but flawed. Thank you for posting! Complete electrical isolation It could sound analytical or hot coupled with bright combination of speaker and amplifier. The Discrete DAC, The Premier DAC, The Reference DAC, The Select DAC II, Theater Master. EAR FILLERS HiFi Pig Playlists on Qobuz, Transatlantic Dispatches: A New World Disorder, Astell&Kern Launch Three New Products At High End Munich 2022. It features the very best conversion technology available, using proprietary techniques never seen before, making DAVE the most advanced DAC/preamp amplifier in the world. How does it compare? You might want to consider adding one of Chord's Upscalers, either Hugo M scaler , or the Blu Mk. StereoNET (Australia) is part of an international network of publications owned wholly by Sound Media Group (Australia). Please specify coaxial S/PDiF or optical S/PDiF. Then just stay with the basic Premier unit, and the power supply that comes with it. But then we have to apply the law of diminishing returns. I think my DAVE sounds great with everything. Thanks. I haven't heard MSB or theDenafrips DAC. No matter what ice cream you prefer, I prefer something else. johndoe21ro Conversely, you could spend a lot more and not gain a great deal in real terms. Then we have the Integrated Clock module and Im starting to get the whole modular approach to the design of the MSB DAC. I suppose that the vast majority of people who listen for pleasure at home are looking for a balance between the two, and whilst I still maintain we are most likely to hear the biggest effect in a system by changing transducers, every element in the chain of sound will affect the final sound and, in a digital system, I think the DAC you choose can have a huge effect on the final sound. SO/ROON/HQPe: DSD 256-Sonore opticalModuleDeluxe-Signature Rendu optical--Bricasti M3 DAC--DIY Purifi Amplifier-Focus Audio FS888 speakers-JL E 112sub-Nordost Tyr USB, DIY EventHorizon AC cables, Iconoclast XLR & speaker cables, Synergistic Purple Fuses, Spacetime system clarifiers. The MSB simply offered more of everything and to my ears proved again that a true multi bit converter/ladder DAC is superior to delta/sigma or FPGA DACs. Look, says I theres obviously a fault with this unit as its lighting up, I can see it on the network and I can send tunes to it via the Stack streamer and Roon! We went through everything and I was getting ready to pack it up and send it back when I reached around the back of one of the PSUs and switched it on MUSIC!!! More to follow. There ain't no Coupe deVille hiding at the bottom of a Cracker Jack Box. Thirdly, having suggested that the brightness issue may lay elsewhere, I will shortly post a suggested tweak directly to both HMS and DAVE - that I have found to increase the "weight", "solidity" and "analogueness" of the resulting sound. Astrostar here, said it completely blew away any dac he had before, and mind you, he has the entry level AC model. I have had Dave in my system. digital 149728-117859 MSB select II vs all dacs ? Specifications: Type: Digital to analogue converter with volume control. prefer to keep our test results among ourselves. I wish you would have had the Totaldac D1 Seven to try. Bespoke Audio Ultimate Silver TVC passive preamp, Totaldac xlr version D1-Drivers x2, Eisteddfod 340 & 840 amps, Magico S5 speaker, MSB Select DAC, MSB Select Transport, Nakamichi 700 XLE cassette deck, Taiko Audio Extreme Server, Tripoint Troy Signature NG groundbox, PLiXiR Elite 1500 isolation transformers. 2 are upscalers , not upsamplers. By Needless to say given everything talked about so far, the Prime DAC modules are made in-house and they have been making and designing discrete ladder DACs since 1999. MSB Discrete Dac with one additional basic power supply. Regular readers will appreciate all that is taken from the MSB website and I make no apologies for not really understanding the electronics. MSB Technology [Select DAC II Full Option] Chord [Dave] Myek [Manhattan II] I had A-B test about 2 months. The BADA Ref is a great DAC and I understand the new version takes it to even another level. Anyone make that comparison? The end users ears are the only ears that count. JavaScript is disabled. You are using an out of date browser. 2 DAC | Audionet Pre G2 preamp | Audionet Max mono blocks | Vivid Audio Giya G2 Series 2 | 4 JL Audio Fathoms | Echole ICs /SCs / Siltech Classic 550L jumpers, Shunyata PCs / Eth. Chord Dave Black New The Prime DAC With two prime DACs, MSB yields an unprecedented level of detail, reproducing the musicality, soundstage, and texture of an original performance, bringing the artist to you Ps Audio Directstream Dac Vs Auralic Vega Founded in 2004, Games for Change is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that empowers game creators and . Sound Media Group Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved. And in the case of a great DAC with great amps in a system with very low noise, going direct to the amps can be magical. I wanted to know for anyone who has heard it have you also heard a DAC that approached it in sonic performance? The Discrete DAC Features - MSB Technology The Discrete DAC Refined sound. . There are a lot of people that absolutely love the M-scaler. All rights reserved. I've had many world class DACS in my studio over the years and the Crane Song is as good as any no matter the cost. Actual auditioning of the unit prior to purchase is paramount. And if I had to guess (given I haven't heard both), I'd guess it outperforms the Tambaqui. The USB module is completely electrically isolated and is again a standalone module capable of 32 bit#768kHz, MQA decoding and 8X DSD. Up to 8X DSD This one has similar sound signature to MSB Premier But it is half notch below MSB Premier on dynamics, details, soundstage. Digital Audio Forum: DAC, Transports, Digital Processing Forum, 4x20A circuits | Audioquest Niagara 3000 | Paul Hynes SR4T + HDPlex HD500 PSUs -> Music PC w/JCAT XE nic, HQPlayer, Roon, Tidal / Qobuz | HDPlex HD100 PSU -> OCX clock + EtherRegen | Aqua Acoustic Quality LinQ streamer | Aqua Acoustic Quality Formula xHD Rev. In my listening tests, I could detect no attribute that made it sound special. auditioned the Rockna Wavedream Edition DAC. I hear the new Ayre QX-5 Twenty gives the DAVE a run for its money at $8950 but that is just hearsay. CHORD Dave could be the most expensive deeply design DAC in the world and if you find it not your taste there is the best off the shelf DACs like akm4499 in Topping D90 for 699$ that could be even better than Dave. turns out that with the Extreme USB slightly pulls ahead of the Ethernet with the Renderer, then adding the Pro USB there is now a significant step up over the Renderer. MQA decoding It may not display this or other websites correctly. I hope you understand. Right now my favorite DACs in my system are the Pacific Microsonics Model 2 (for PCM), Phasure NOS1a (for PCM), Meridian Ultra (for MQA), and the Playback Designs MPS5 (for DSD128). If you currently have an MSB DAC or amplifier that you lovebut are looking to experience more from your systemplease reach out to your local dealer. Also, it is worth noting I heard the v1 DAC 2X, not the v2. Yes, definitely, as it is those extra tiny little bits of detail that adds the cherry on top of an already rather splendid slice of musical cake brought out on tracks like the audio show mainstay Keith Dont Go from Acoustic Live by Nils Lofgren. I can only comment on the Emm labs, if u can get a DA2 I think you will be happy "An audiophile is only done when they go to the great brick and mortar store in the sky" Ron Resnick Mola Mola is another well built great sounding CH Precision mono dac with clock and 3 power supplies (7 boxes)----its more spendy---$150k, Merging Technologies NADAC w/power supply and clock---much better now with the clock and power supply upgrades than my previous experience.----around $60k. The only true way for the end user to know what they prefer is through listening in their own system.. and our ears are completely different. comparing top dacs directly is a bit challenging, even if you have them both together. Copyright Hifi Pig and Hifi Pig Magazine, Big Pig Media LLP. Unfortunately not, I'm going the second hand route as I've done with most of my setup. If I want to build a complicated system, I won't consider DAVE because for the position of DAC, I can choose from other brands (Totaldac, NADAC, Rockna, Prismsound 8XR etc) at the same price. There are so. So this was headphones straight out of the DAVE? Id imagine that upscaling refers to increasing bit-depth (like from 16 to 24 bits) which adds "vertical" resolution to the waveform in theory, improving amplitude resolution making subtle low-level detail more natural and audible (among other things) if done correctly. I have personally not observed this - with either the DAVE or my Mojo. will every hear. Many of these were already in a shootout on Audiogon with the same requirements - has to sound stellar on 16/44.1 tracks: I agree that the DAVE plus Blu 2 is spectacular, but not in a "hi fi" sense. Does anyone have formula for that? A Chord DAC converts to analog via Chord's "Pulse Array DAC" which is a discrete circuit, similar to the discrete circuit used in the MSB DACs (but not the same). in this forum and they are all very good dacs. Sonically, it is akin to the old straight wire with gain only in the digital realm. See what the reviews are saying. 2. There is no such thing as a "FPGA DAC"! Wavedream only has a couple hours on it, but from the first note it Supported Formats (Depending on Input) 44.1 kHz to 3.072kHz PCM up to 32 bits 1xDSD, 2xDSD, 4xDSD, 8xDSD Accepts DSD via DoP on all inputs, Digital Inputs 1x RCA Coaxial 1x XLR 1x Word-Sync Out 2x Toslink 2x Isolated slots for optional modules, XLR Outputs Voltage: 3.57 Vrms Maximum Impedance 300 High Gain setting Impedance 150 Low Gain setting. The SQ from DAC headphone output is lower than the best headphone amplifier but that kind of amplifier costs close to DAVE itself. ), Chord Hugo 2 Review (Portable DAC & HP Amp), DAC Noise Modulation: Chord DAVE vs Topping DX7 Pro+, Digital To Analog (DAC) Reviews and Discussion, Amplifiers, Phono preamp, and Analog Audio Review. Compared to some other similarly priced DACs ($10 - $15k MSRP) I prefer the Discrete with 2 Discrete PS. The demo model came in brushed aluminium but you can also get black. The headamp is powerful but not involving. Funny how Rob Watts drones on and on about noise modulation, and then we see his product performing like this.. now one might not exactly call this noise modulation, but it definitely something to avoid, especially given the price tag. The modular nature of MSB products allows you to have the bits you want and leave out those you dont, The display is a bit basic but it does what it needs to and you can see it from the other side of the room, Detail and transparency are the main features, Allows a real insight into the makeup of a track, Brings a sense of timing being bang on the money, Detail isnt a result of the higher frequencies being artificially pushed, Both PSUs are not absolutely necessary but once you remove one you want to put the other back in. Did I mention the remote is perfect? Theres just a sense that with the MSB in the line that everything is timed correctly and rock solid. Thats not allthe CNC unibody aluminum chassis provides the discrete power supply with optimal thermal performance and an elegant design aesthetic. The other thing I've learned about the Chord Dave is it can sound very different depending on the interconnect and/or power cord used. It matches Chord Dave and Mscaler on dynamics with slightly more bass slam. Get a Lampi Golden Gate Dac and match it with the RK5u4g rectifier and PX25 DHTs or the RK242 DHT. The best upgrade for Dave easy. This is how MSB describe these modules: Its best to think of our DAC modules as a black box: the modules take the raw digital data in and output a continuous voltage. A fully balanced, ultra-high precision, discrete ladder DAC architecture ensures each note tells a story. To my ears it makes music sound unnatural. fake by any means necessary jacket. None, despite working back as I always do if theres an issue! The PM2 is very special. The MSB Renderer was developed using an in-house hardware design running an ultra low noise A5 processor for optimal audio playback performance. MSBs top-level DAC is 121K and there are other brands out there offering very expensive options, but the truth is that the vast majority of people will never feel the need to spend that kind of money (even if they could) to eek out that last-minute bit of detail. Hifi Pig is part of the Big Pig Media LLP group of companies. Like a true audiophile with "issues", I'm saying to myself, if at $8300 The evolution of the original irreverent and irrelevant and non-authoritative site for headphone measurements, i.e. I called the distributor and we went through everything again. frequency response graphs, CSD waterfall plots, subjective gear reviews. They both use FPGA for their decoding. Strangely from this company is lack of any anti-aliasing on the text causing pixels to not be seen in the fonts chosen! The only thing that I'd really like to see added here is an Aries Cerat. The PSUs are available to match. The formats that is used in comparison test is all 16bit / 44.1KHz, not DSD The Result : 1st : Select DAC II Full Option - 100% 2nd : Trinity DAC - 90% Stainless steel buttons arrayed around an elegant volume wheel to optimize performance and response. Over the air updates will ensure that your renderer always has the latest capabilities and ultimate convenience. I don't want to waste hifi shops time too much knowing I'll be going second hand either. Perhaps thats a bit of an odd example for me to use as its a bit World Music but you are also made aware of the rightness of timing on percussive techno tracks. The dCS Bartok was also interesting but, based on my research, I kept coming back to Bricasti. It's UPDATE VIDEO THREE for the Chord Electronics DAVE DAC REVIEW I have spent a lot more time with the DAVE Dac, still using. Much appreciated. This DAC is 11,000 and as such, it is a considerable investment to make, but I would suggest that this is not stupid money for the kind of transparency and clarity it brings. Even at very low listening levels, it was clear that the MSB was delivering a clean analogue output to the ampand Im aware that sounds a bit vague. DAC Comparison Reference DAC Modules 4x Hybrid DAC Clock The Femto 33 Digital Inputs 4x User Replaceable Input Slots Optical and Coaxial input module Included Analog Outputs Preamp XLR Output Module - 150 Impedance RCA output available with external adapter Analog Inputs XLR Analog Expansion Modules RCA or XLR Input RCA or XLR Output