Up to 32 bit 768kHz dCS Bartok>Chord DAVE>MSB discrete discreteR2R R2R DAVE BartokdCSBartok https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-rothschild-70aab85/, Headphones and Personal Audio with Pitch Perfect Service. After a year of listening to various components I'm content. Ultimately, reducing noise in a system or improving room acoustics can have a bigger effect. MQA decoding You must log in or register to reply here. And if I had to guess (given I haven't heard both), I'd guess it outperforms the Tambaqui. This is a very odd one to describe but came to the fore on tracks like Pan Eros from World Of Drums and Percussion. With the Bartok now quite a few $$$ more, the Tambaqui represents a fantastic price v performance ratio that would be at home in most highly resolving systems. as far as direct comparison with other dacs the closest Ive done is listening to the Select II at shows and then listening to other top dacs in other systems at shows. its that good. This is a dealers email comment to me about comparisons he did. While were committed to long lasting products that hold their value, we realize audio systems are always evolving. Chord states "DAVE is the most advanced DAC we have ever made. Thanks for the suggestions Wisnon. Congratulations on the upgrade and enjoy it in good health. http://www.computeraudiophile.com/members/mikejazz/, funded this campain: http://igg.me/at/geekpulseaudio/x/5216671. retail client forgets that most audio stores and audio distribution companies You're very polite about how you describe your preferences, cmarin. There are so. There is no dark magic involved. Guess what I am trying to say is: preamps are important. I have enjoyed my time with the MSB Discrete DAC a great deal. The SQ from DAC headphone output is lower than the best headphone amplifier but that kind of amplifier costs close to DAVE itself. 2. November 11, 2020 in Digital Sources, DACs, and Computer Audio. Your web browser does not support iFrames. No matter what ice cream you prefer, I prefer something else. The DAC has two modes; multi-bit PCM and single-bit discrete DSD mode. Actually the ChordHugo M Scaler and the Blu Mk. The world's largest high-end audio community. Thank you for posting! Since this forum is mainly USA based and we are in the UK, I have very little to gain business wise here. Up to 4X DSD This unit came with two power supplies and Ill be playing with the DAC with one and with two to compare and contrast. Over the air updates will ensure that your renderer always has the latest capabilities and ultimate convenience. I wired it all up and the unit lit up but I could get no sound out of it whatsoever. This very pleasant sound I was experiencing, it could be argued, was to a large degree down to the choice of amplifier and what that added to the mix, and I do think this is a valid argument. Couldn't agree more. If you go reference you will never look back. This gives us lots of headroom for future sample rates and audio formats.. digital front ends. The only other items in the chain were the Stack streamer and a pretty well-sorted network setup. Copyright Hifi Pig and Hifi Pig Magazine, Big Pig Media LLP. I believe it comes down to 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. @shkong78 Thanks for sharing your listening impressions of the Lampizator Pacific vs the MSB DACs as well as what you miss about the Pacific vs your Chord combo. Fair enough if you know some of the posters here and their listening preferences. It is my name after all! 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. I don't like Dave with or without upsampler but I do like Auralic G2 with their upsampler and clock. I mean is it audibly noticeable? MSB Technology Discrete Modular DAC Page 2. Still would like to listen to the Soulution 760 DAC, Mola Mola DAC, Trinity DAC, MSB Select DAC, and maybe the Light Harmonic Da Vinci DAC, Gryphon Kalliope DAC, TotalDAC of some kind, Phasure NOS1A DAC, Esoteric Grandioso DAC, TAD DA1000 DAC, Audionet DAC, Chord Dave DAC . the Extreme has some special optimization for USB. I did try with just the one power supply and the Discrete remained a very strong performer with the differences being a very slight loss in the sense of separation and definition when listening intently. Looking forward to the your additions to the list. When we set out to make the MSB remote, the design was built from the ground up. The lo-res display also makes menu ]set-up fiddly because it doesn't have enough space to display words. And yes, you can improve it more by adding nice power source and cable. The PM2 is very special. Elegant yet commanding, our finishes are available in a matte silver or matte black anodize. Personally we have A/B 76 different digital front ends. It is not hard to audition these DACs in Melbourneand this is your best way to work out your own preference. CH Precision C1 DAC. The Chord Qutest DAC has the same DAC architecture and filters as the Chord Hugo 2. MSB Technology [Select DAC II Full Option] Chord [Dave] Myek [Manhattan II] I had A-B test about 2 months. Or arm yourself with a nice bottle of red and pay a visit to@Stereophilus. Point 75 EmmLab Dac2 I paid 9K$ for this on 2010. had if for 2 years now. There is no such thing as a "FPGA DAC"! 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. 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. You are using an out of date browser. Anyone make that comparison? Astrostar here, said it completely blew away any dac he had before, and mind you, he has the entry level AC model. This latter track is a good track for me to play when listening to new kit as it is basically a drum machine and an acid box and this latter did sound just like a 303 there in the room. The Prime DAC Module. The Base module is used on the two lower DACs (including this one) and then the Preamp Output Stage for the top two DACs in the range. Thats why were thrilled to offer up to 100% trade-in value for existing MSB products when upgrading to a higher performing series. MQA decoding I don't have that kind of money. One name that was thrown around by a few people I know is the Rockna Wavedream. Everyone hears differentlyI heard the Dave with the Blu and I prefer it without it. It could sound analytical or hot coupled with bright combination of speaker and amplifier. For the most part, I used this input and for a quick comparison one of the optical inputs. Also, it is worth noting I heard the v1 DAC 2X, not the v2. About Chord Vs Dac Discrete Msb Dave . You'll be shocked by how much you lose by going through a separate preamp. So this was headphones straight out of the DAVE? Was it a speaker setup or headphone setup? You absolutely can say that you prefer other DAC's to the Berkeley Alpha Reference. There is no such thing as a "FPGA DAC"! Sound Media Group Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved. I could easily live with any of these. Since opening our doors in 1986, weve been driven by one goal: to craft an unrivaled listening experience for music lovers across the globe. "OK, it would be. other dacs I have enjoyedin no particular order; I would not call this second tier; but I prefer what hear from my Select II to what Ive heard from these. Its weighty, it feels perfect, its not overly ostentatious and its perfect! Like the rest of the main body of the DAC and the PSUs, the remote is hewn from a block of aluminium. It seems to take in zeros and ones and then somehow make sense of these and just convert them into faithful reproductions of the recording though me not being at the recording of any of the records I listened to, thats my assumption coming into play. UPnP Protocol EAR FILLERS HiFi Pig Playlists on Qobuz, Transatlantic Dispatches: A New World Disorder, Astell&Kern Launch Three New Products At High End Munich 2022. us, over a 2 day test period come to the exact same conclusion. JavaScript is disabled. 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. I wish you would have had the Totaldac D1 Seven to try. 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. And I make Best DAC Quality Ranking list. But MSB Select 2 is regarded by many as the best thats why for something 1/10 of the price to compete in anyones eyes is quite an accomplishment. 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. And this is where I had a problem with this DAC, though mostly the problem was of my own making. Aurender N10 is still not a USB only dedicated streamer so you will not hear what USB audio is fully capable off through Ms/Dave. After that you are GOLDEN. You go off people's opinions and hope it'll match your equipment and system when you put the hard earned down. You already have a very top tier DAC. Its headphone amplifier is good but no match for higher powered units. and as I said earlier there is no "best" when it comes to dacs or Much appreciated. T&A Dac8 (for DSD512) or Lampi Atlantic for any native rate DSD playback. Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator. Ps Audio Directstream Dac Vs Auralic Vega Founded in 2004, Games for Change is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that empowers game creators and social innovators to drive real-world impact through games and immersive media Here is the list : Trinity Designs [Trinity DAC] TotalDAC [d1-Six] Aqua Acoustic Quality [Formula xHD] MSB Technology [Select DAC II Full Option . Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material (in part or in full) without express and written permission from this websites author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. In that time, weve pushed the industry forward with each product weve built, redefining whats possible. 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). With two prime DACs, we yield an unprecedented level of detail, reproducing the musicality, soundstage, and texture of an original performance, bringing the artist to you. The more observant of you will have read this and noticed that there is no mains inlet. It's not just a matter of being polite, it's also about acknowledging that what we hear and what we prefer is uncertain and changes; that the comparisons were made at different points in time wherein my system had varying levels of resolution/ noise; the fact that making a change requires greater energy and usually more money than staying with what you have; and that sometimes the differences between components are not significant or actionable. My wife said it The bottom line for me is that great DACs can make a difference over good DACs. I have great synergy in my system and see no reason to listen to every new DAC out there. I've sometimes heard people say that DAVE is too bright or analytical for them. The Premier is a super-high-resolution, completely silent, utterly dynamic component that lets music flow through it less hindered than through anything else I've heard. 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. The Chord DAVE was also on my list, but I decided to pass (my Chord retailer was very 'pushy' and not helpful). And what streamer are you using to feed the DAC? Others might disagree but these are my findings. The DACs are individually shielded and thermally-bonded and multiple units are used per channel, which MSB tells us increases performance and lowers output impedance. Over the air updates will ensure that your renderer always has the latest capabilities and ultimate convenience. The Pro USB was developed to offer a multi part USB solution that features complete electrical isolation and all the performance of MSBs proprietary Pro ISL input. I have a PS Audio DSD ATM and it is also on the warm side which is good, but I'm thinking I need something more neutral due to my speakers being fairly warm and full bodied in their own right to take my system to the next level. Up to 8X DSD Anyway, the MSB Discrete is a machine that I consider to be highly resolving and a true HiFi product with regard to the definition I quoted above. more might come to mind and I will add them. I have Chord Dave and Blu2 too. My friend who owns the Diamond DAC IV prefers the MSB. Dave gets a "thumbs up" overall from me though. I can see the problem with this unit. Personally we have A/B 76 different digital front ends.. 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. While it's an easy setup to wrangle at a show, it does seem like it wasn't doing either component any favours! How does it compare? Of those, I've only heard the DAVE. It's pretty funny how everyone gives their personal pet recommendation with the utmost confidence that the buyer will like it. sounds like a more transparent Chord Dave to my ears. This is disabled if you are outputting to a preamplifier. Concluding that there is some kind of problem with using an FPGA vs. what MSB does is not technically supportable. Since the Topping D70s SINAD is ~120 dB and it costs ~$650, then given that "money is power" (as opposed to amplitude), I would expect the Chord DAVE SINAD to be at least 120 + 10*log($14,000 / $650) = 133.3 dB. In terms of sound quality, it's the best digital front end I .