I think is a good general rule of thumb, but there are some very transparent passive pre-amps out there. Only hifi shops and shows hear and there. Thanks for the suggestions Wisnon. Rori Click to expand. And I've learned to be careful and not generalize how a component will sound based on show conditions or other systems. How r they comparing to the MSB Select 2 and Trinity? For the most part, I used this input and for a quick comparison one of the optical inputs. However, there are two inputs for external PSUs and a little doodad/adapter that allows the use of one external PSU. By clicking links on our site, we may earn affiliate commission, but our editorial remains entirely independent and unbiased. definitely up there with the best dacs in the world. It is on kind loan from a member and costs US $14,000. 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. Regular readers will appreciate all that is taken from the MSB website and I make no apologies for not really understanding the electronics. I wanted to know for anyone who has heard it have you also heard a DAC that approached it in sonic performance? I hope you understand. Complete electrical isolation And I make Best DAC Quality Ranking list. Were constantly improving digital input modules to stay at the forefront of the high-end audio industry, ensuring youre always equipped with the most current digital file formats and interfaces. It is my name after all! I may need to reset expectations a bit lower: This is an update to some old DAVE vibration control posts. Equipment used: - Roon - 3-in 1-out XLR switchbox - Goldpoint SA2X Attenuator - Benchmark AHB2 Amplifier - Hifiman Susvara headphones (Also used Arya and HD800S but for the most part susvara) Video review of DAVE + Mscaler here: comes down to knowing what you are actually trying to achieve in a high end JavaScript is disabled. I think my DAVE sounds great with everything. 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). A modular I/O card keeps even the discrete DAC flexible, repairable, and upgradeable. 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. 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. Like the rest of the DACs in the MSB range, the Select DAC is modular in its architecture with each of the modules being produced in house, as outlined above. Dealer's should be required to state they're a dealer every time they post or have a disclaimer in their username. has 20 hours on it. November 11, 2020 in Digital Sources, DACs, and Computer Audio. But then we have to apply the law of diminishing returns. Oppo Modwright BDP-205 full mod. The lo-res display also makes menu ]set-up fiddly because it doesn't have enough space to display words. To each their own, but I think Chord sounds cold and artificial. I agree price is necessarily indicative of quality or performance. For the most part, I listened to the MSB through our LAB12 and Krell KST100 amps and TotalDAC D100 speakers. and this is borne out in the sound that this DAC brings to the party. 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. The video cannot be shown. ISOAcoustics Oreas footers. 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. 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 . JavaScript is disabled. Paired with performance increases, our modular design ethos increases flexibility for future updates and product support, guaranteeing a long-term product investment. It is just as important as the DAC itself. 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. but with digital things change quickly, and a month ago I got a new server, the SGM Extreme. I wired it all up and the unit lit up but I could get no sound out of it whatsoever. What I do know is that the MSB brings an excellent level of performance by way of neutrality to a system that allows other parts of the system to do their thing its sort of the digital equivalent of a very (very) good cartridge. It's my understanding that the Wavedream only It may not display this or other websites correctly. The MSB Renderer was developed using an in-house hardware design running an ultra low noise A5 processor for optimal audio playback performance. MSB Discrete Dac with one additional basic power supply. I suppose what Im saying (badly) is that the Discrete was true to the file it was being fed and I did enjoy hearing it allowed me to pull small details out of the mix Jazz at the Pawn Shop (DSD128) felt more lifelike and in the room than I am used to and raw tracks such as Phutures Acid Trax did sound rougher and really basically recorded. the Select II pushes the analog to be its best. I just heard DAVE directly connected to MacBook Pro via USB without any expensive cables, headphone amplifier, power conditioner. 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. 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 a lot of people that absolutely love the M-scaler. You might want to consider adding one of Chord's Upscalers, either Hugo M scaler , or the Blu Mk. 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. Thank you all for your answers. This unit came with two power supplies and Ill be playing with the DAC with one and with two to compare and contrast. I have heard a lot of top DACs at shows or other systems but not in my own. As you pursue higher levels of playback, an MSB upgrade path is always available to help drive your own desire for innovation. You are using an out of date browser. The SQ is amazingly good. DAVE is perfect for headphone system because you can save space and money of headphone amplifier. in this forum and they are all very good dacs. I havent heard the Rockna. Everyone hears differentlyI heard the Dave with the Blu and I prefer it without it. 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. The Discrete Power Supply feeds the DAC with dual low-noise power streams that are linear and independent. I hope to also have an opportunity to listen to a T+A DAC8 (for DSD512) and a Chord Dave (DSD256) in my system soon (with HQPlayer). The end users ears are the only ears that count. Of course this DAC is super pricey and out of the reach of many (including me). I also looked at the MSB Discrete DAC but everything thing was an extra cost option (USB, AES/EBU, power supply, etc.,) and expensive. The clock can be seen as being the heart of the DAC and once again the clocks are made in-house. retail client forgets that most audio stores and audio distribution companies With the MSB there has been a great deal of attention paid to ensuring the signal stays as pure as possible and is not affected by other parts of the DAC or outside sources; modular construction, dual power supplies, isolation of USB etc. You are using an out of date browser. Too many DACs> Too many amps> Too many headphones. When you get the chance to hear Chord DAVE, try playing files bit perfect instead of upsampling them to DSD256 with HQPlayer. I believe it comes down to 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. It will kick your ass. Ultimately, reducing noise in a system or improving room acoustics can have a bigger effect. It's easy! Specifications: Type: Digital to analogue converter with volume control. At MSB, we believe excellence is a promise worth keeping. Sonically, it is akin to the old straight wire with gain only in the digital realm. And the Jeff Rowland Aeris DAC with new PSU. Although I would like to keep this as close to $10-12K as possible. Founded in 2010 Whats Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. As a matter of fact, I'd appreciate getting your impressions. Ok, I looked a prat but it proves that the separate PSUs are actually doing something rather than being there for show, though they do look rather cool in themselves. The PSUs are available to match. I've yet to see a system with direct connections eliminating the preamp which wasn't improved by a adding a good preamp back into the mix! Stuart Smith finds out. See what the reviews are saying. There hasn't been any direct comparison of them with Select II, Trinity DAC, CH D1/C1, Totaldac D12 etc in Hong Kong yet. The remainder 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. Fully agree that it could come down to personal preference @RoriHope you have arranged auditions. 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. September 6, 2016 in DAC - Digital to Analog Conversion. Congratulations on the upgrade and enjoy it in good health. Well build a personalized offer for your existing MSB products that count towards a new DAC or amplifier. Once complete there are measurements and functional tests before the final products are inspected, cleaned, and packed up ready to be shipped, but not before a white glove inspection by either Jonathan or Daniel. 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 . and our ears are completely different. It's embarrassing. Thanks. Sound Media Group Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved. @smodtactical I would not take price as any arbitrator of quality, especially nowadays. This leaner and cleaner edge has the effect of adding a level of perceived detail to the listening experience. 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. state his/her experience and preferences. This would help to take your digital playback upa few levels. This is disabled if you are outputting to a preamplifier. I think people buy what they like. Hmm.. EAR FILLERS HiFi Pig Playlists on Qobuz, Transatlantic Dispatches: A New World Disorder, Astell&Kern Launch Three New Products At High End Munich 2022. 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. Going by the performance of the Mola Mola Makua (pre with dac module) it will be extremely good. They're very back ordered and are a pro unit with balanced only outputs and no remote but oh my do they sound spectacular. I know it is a standard talking point by some to suggest that Chord DACs aren't as good with DSD as PCM. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Have you thought about hooking up a Blu2 to Dave? I don't want to waste hifi shops time too much knowing I'll be going second hand either. Not sure why you would spend so much on a DAC when the Crane Song Solaris is available at $1,949. auditioned the Rockna Wavedream Edition DAC. I did have the BADA Ref in my system for a short audition, and the Trinity And CH Precision C1 for a longer stay during a previous iteration of my system. Since this forum is mainly USA based and we are in the UK, I have very little to gain business wise here. It is bested easily by DACs at $150. The dCS Bartok was also interesting but, based on my research, I kept coming back to Bricasti. Mind you, I have chipless DSD with 1 bit processing, so the bar is set VERY high for me. Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator, https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/absolute-top-tier-dac-for-standard-res-redbook-cd. 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. Unfortunately not, I'm going the second hand route as I've done with most of my setup. 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. It's too damn expensive, full stop. Like the Lab12. 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. which make some people prefer this one to MSB Select II Point 85 Chord Dave and Mscaler (or Blue II transport) This one give transparent and 3D soundstage with excellent details. You could try some of the newer dacs that has gotten good reviews. Mola Mola dac and the Total dac. Always use!! 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. 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. Any specific reason you wanna replace the Dave? Price 9k in the U.K. 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. prefer to keep our test results among ourselves. Analogue Volume Control 1dB from 0 to 106 Deactivable by menu, Dimensions ChassisWidth : 432 mmDepth: 305 mmHeight without feet: 51 mm. Regardless if the buyer has never auditioned the unit, and found it corresponding to, Simaudio Moon Neo 260 DT CD Transport / Empirical Audio reclocking system: Synchro-Mesh Reclocker driven by Dynamo Linear Power Supply, 2 x Reference BNC digital cable / Schiit Yggdrasil Less is More (LIM) DAC / Octave HP 700 preamp / Octave RE 320 stereo amp with Super Black Box / Reference 3A Reflector monitors, on Sound Anchors Signature stands / dual JL Audio Fathom 112 v2 subwoofers / Cables: ZenWave Audio D4 interconnects, ZenWave SMSG speaker cables / Diverse Herbie's Audio Lab footers / Acoustic treatment: Tri-panels, window plugs, ceiling diffusers (all ASC), diverse carpets chosen for acoustic properties (wool, polypropylene basketweave), Sure absolutely agree that paying that much money without auditioning (preferably in my house, with my own equipment, in my room) does not make much sense. sounds like a more transparent Chord Dave to my ears. @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. Up to 32 bit 768kHz In terms of sound quality, it's the best digital front end I . 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. JavaScript is disabled. 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. 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. It's pretty funny how everyone gives their personal pet recommendation with the utmost confidence that the buyer will like it. and the MSB Select II has a huge advantage over other dacs with its modularity and in-house development which promotes, in a very timely way, keeping the product at the very tip top cutting edge of digital interface developments. @ricred1, I would like to suggest you take a look at the Mola Mola Tambaqui when it arrives later this month I understand. Watts is avidly not reading this in anticipation of the video version he won't watch.

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