I can see the problem with this unit. Out of all of the DACs I've But of course, I love window shopping and perusing top tier systems including illustrious more familiar gear like Lampi, TD, MSB, Ares Cerat, Aqua. Euphony Summus, EtherRegen, MSB Discrete. It is worth every penny. The MSB Renderer was developed using an in-house hardware design running an ultra low noise A5 processor for optimal audio playback performance. Yeah, im thinking a post lock-down GTG is in order. You might want to consideradding oneof Chord's Upscalers, either HugoM scaler, or the Blu Mk. Looks like your budget goes up to ~$20k? Still, it's the way I prefer at this stage. The MSB simply sounded more real to my ears and offered a more convincing soundstage and tonality and all the tiny informations in the music where integrated in the musical flow whereas the DAVE simply sounded flat and not realistic to my ears and even lacked those tiny informations. Strangely from this company is lack of any anti-aliasing on the text causing pixels to not be seen in the fonts chosen! Would I pay extra for the second supply? Many competing DACs will have a more comprehensive display at this price and, more commonly still, an app designed for intuitive access via smartphone and/or tablets. Too objective for subjectivists; too subjective for objectivsts. Dedicated Line DSD/DXD | Audirvana+ | iFi iDSD Nano | SET Tube Amp | Totem Mites, Surround: VLC | M-Audio FastTrack Pro | Mac Opt | Panasonic SA-HE100 | Logitech Z623, DIY: SET Tube Amp | Low-Noise Linear Regulated Power Supply | USB, Power, Speaker Cables | Speaker Stands | Acoustic Panels, You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. Digital: Sonore opticalModule > Uptone EtherRegen > Shunyata Sigma Ethernet >Antipodes K30> Shunyata Omega USB> Gustard X26pro DAC < Mutec REF10 SE120, Amp& Speakers: Spectral DMA-150mk2 >Aerial 10T, Foundation: Stillpoints Ultra,ShunyataDenali v1 andTyphon power conditioners,Shunyata Delta v2 and QSA Lanedri Gamma power cords, QSA Lanedri GammaRevelationinterconnect,Shunyata SigmaEthernet,MIT Matrix HD60speaker cables, ASC isothermal tube traps, Stillpoints Aperture panels. But it need good system matching. 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. ), 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. 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. Mola Mola dac and the Total dac. This would help to take your digital playback upa few levels. There are some tonal differences too, but what you prefer will depend on your other equipment and the music you like. Unless they have the exact same components as the end user, it's impossible to tell that customer how component X will sound in their system. He liked the Mola Mola Tambaqui over these others listed below. 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. The other issue is preference. Well, you may not have heard a lot of high-end DAC's in your system, but the one's you've listed are pretty darned good. I submit dealers use the statement "component X competes against much more expensive components" far too often. As a contented Qutest user, I would have hoped for "improved", performance from the Dave. will every hear. It is just as important as the DAC itself. Can I ask how you procured all those DACs? The demo model came in brushed aluminium but you can also get black. By Different songs will sound better with different sources - Different horses for different courses. Sent from my SM-G928V using Computer Audiophile mobile app. personal preference. It may not display this or other websites correctly. We await Phase 2 where all DACs are assessed using upsampled data via your Lumin U1 to establish ranking and the preferred format through each. CH Precision C1 DAC. Thats why were thrilled to offer up to 100% trade-in value for existing MSB products when upgrading to a higher performing series. Good points by all. Australian Business Number 38 650 151 296, Digital Sources, DACs, and Computer Audio, Chord Dave vs Mola Mola Makua/Tambaqui vs Emm Labs Dac2x vs Rockna Wavedream. In my listening tests, I could detect no attribute that made it sound special. I've had some excellent preamps in my system (Dartzeel, Absolare, Robert Koda, Kondo). Auction bid 7 150 25 . See what the reviews are saying. Up to 32 bit 768kHz I think my DAVE sounds great with everything. It's too damn expensive, full stop. You'll be shocked by how much you lose by going through a separate preamp. So yes it's a question of being polite, but it's also about acknowledging the limitations inherent in making absolute pronouncements about differences between high performing components. The output modules are where the converted digital signals are output to analogue signals that our amplifiers can make use of and MSB make two flavours of the output module. However, there are two inputs for external PSUs and a little doodad/adapter that allows the use of one external PSU. There's 340 pages packed with HiFi Reviews, Industry Interviews and much more. Is it better than the Chord DAVE that I raved about a few years ago? It is on kind loan from a member and costs US $14,000. As I listen to this tune a few times it strikes me that the Discrete is just that (discrete), it doesnt seem to add a great deal of itself to the file it is playing. 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 But DAVE also seems to me to highlight the original recording so if the recording is flat, the playback sounds flat (still with great accurate timbre) but if the recording really showcase the soundstage and the 3-dimensionality of the instruments and vocals, DAVE really portrays that well. The main reason we took on Rockna was because their There is no such thing as a "FPGA DAC"! Amplification: Cyrus Mono x300Signatures. My first serious audio system was Garrard turntable, Fisher Int(SS), ADS bookspeaker bought on 1978. The Discrete DAC Features - MSB Technology The Discrete DAC Refined sound. And this is where I had a problem with this DAC, though mostly the problem was of my own making. had if for 2 years now. We can operate our current DAC modules at up to 6 MHz for PCM and up to 50 MHz for DSD. With two prime DACs, the MSB Discrete yields an unprecedented level of detail that reproduces the musicality, soundstage and texture of an original performance, bringing the artist to you. The bottom line for me is that great DACs can make a difference over good DACs. The MSB DAC comes with one external PSU as standard. 1 - MSB Discrete 2 - dCS Bartok 3 - Mola Mola Tambaqui 4 - Chord DAVE (add the M Scaler later) 5 - Keep my Ayre QX-5 Twenty, do nothing Thanks! Thank you all for your answers. $16K Signature DAC sound? I don't want to waste hifi shops time too much knowing I'll be going second hand either. There is the option to add a streaming module to the Discrete and if I was in the market for a digital streaming solution, then this is where I would be going. The DAC comes equipped with a single power supply, but can be augmented with a second discrete power supply to enable optimized power isolation between all major components. And this is what separates the very good from the excellent piece of audio equipment. MSB Technology Discrete Modular DAC Page 2. Some silly sausage plugged a white power cable into a black device. 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. I still did not found better audio source. The world's largest high-end audio community. For such a high entry price I wouldn't take the gamble to go on some recommendation by a stranger whose tastes I don't know. To each their own, but I think Chord sounds cold and artificial. So I saw the DAC lighting up and it looked fully functional, right down displaying the bit rate etc of the file playing, but no music. Up to 1km lossless transmission. the Select II pushes the analog to be its best. Mola Mola is another well built great sounding Mind you, I have chipless DSD with 1 bit processing, so the bar is set VERY high for me. Specifications: Type: Digital to analogue converter with volume control. I hope you understand. 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. I had the DAVE for 3years, it is an amazing DAC. Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile. Its weighty, it feels perfect, its not overly ostentatious and its perfect! Jon Hopkins Music For Psychedelic Therapy was a beautifully enveloping experience, made all the more so as sounds come and go in the soundstage in a somewhat more solid way than without the usual DAC. @ricred1, youre right to point that out. 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. That's the negative to going my route I guess. state his/her experience and preferences. From beginners to life-long hobbyists to industry professionals, we enjoy learning about new things and meeting new people, and participating in spirited debates. 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. Hmm.. for instance, the Select II is modular (customers can easily change modules in seconds)so it has the ability to quickly modify its inputs to allow for optimization of various interfaces. The clock can be seen as being the heart of the DAC and once again the clocks are made in-house. Tailored for both the transport and the DACs daily use, our remote brings you closer to the music you love. However, there are also products that manage to straddle both sides of the electric fence (whilst being careful not to electrocute their nether regions) and give us a tremendously enjoyable reproduction of a recording whilst remaining true to the source material. For the most part, I listened to the MSB through our LAB12 and Krell KST100 amps and TotalDAC D100 speakers. However, its also very nice to listen to in this system, though I would say it is more accurate/true to the original DAC than our LAB12 DAC or perhaps our Lampizator BIG 7. Although I would like to keep this as close to $10-12K as possible. Thank you for posting! and as I said earlier there is no "best" when it comes to dacs or johndoe21ro After a year of listening to various components I'm content. Personally we have A/B 76 different digital front ends.. 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. While it's an easy setup to wrangle at a show, it does seem like it wasn't doing either component any favours! Then we have the Integrated Clock module and Im starting to get the whole modular approach to the design of the MSB DAC. Always use!! 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. Only hifi shops and shows hear and there. this was how I originally decided to purchase the Select II as I was trying to hear another dac at shows that could do what I heard the Select II doing at a lower price. Gbel High End [Divin Noblesse], [Divin Marquis], ([Epoque Aeon Fine]). One name that was thrown around by a few people I know is the Rockna Wavedream. As it stands, the Discrete offers a very good solution should you be a music lover that plays only digital files and you can go straight into a power amp. Sound Media Group Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved. California crafted in-house from an aluminum billet, the enclosure feels solid yet refined. I'm looking for suggestions on DACs I should listen to as possible replacement of my Chord Dave. https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis9eh61-lampizator-pacific-da-converters, https://positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/lampizator-pacific-dac/, https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/subjective-grading-of-dac-that-i-had-heard-during-last-one-year-period.