In my assessment the Makua offered a more open and spacious sound. One name that was thrown around by a few people I know is the Rockna Wavedream. 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. I hear the new Ayre QX-5 Twenty gives the DAVE a run for its money at $8950 but that is just hearsay. Then we have the Integrated Clock module and Im starting to get the whole modular approach to the design of the MSB DAC. There ain't no Coupe deVille hiding at the bottom of a Cracker Jack Box. Hope to try different formats on both DACs to see what works best in my system. It matches Chord Dave and Mscaler on dynamics with slightly more bass slam. I think my DAVE sounds great with everything. I have listened to MSB Analog DAC and Diamond DAC IV but not in the same setup as DAVE. 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. Actually the ChordHugo M Scaler and the Blu Mk. 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. - Meat Loaf. 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 LED display, slaved to the audio clock, is refreshed between data processing to drastically reduce electrical interference. This latter recording gets played to death at shows, but that doesnt detract from it being a very good tune and a very good recording, though I have been known to take the piss a bit when it gets played for the tenth time in a day at audio events. You're very polite about how you describe your preferences, cmarin. I called the distributor and we went through everything again. I can see that in an A/B comparison, many other DACs sound more impressive than DAVE/Blu2. 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). 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. Compared to some other similarly priced DACs ($10 - $15k MSRP) I prefer the Discrete with 2 Discrete PS. How does the PS Audio DirectStream DAC compare to the Chord DAC? Hifi Pig is part of the Big Pig Media LLP group of companies. prefer to keep our test results among ourselves. There are some tonal differences too, but what you prefer will depend on your other equipment and the music you like. We used PCM (16/44,1 to 24/192) and DSD 64 and 128 for the comparioson. You already have a very top tier DAC. My first serious audio system was Garrard turntable, Fisher Int(SS), ADS bookspeaker bought on 1978. 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 mean is it audibly noticeable? Yes, you read that right, the Select DAC is the best part of 121,000! Our digital testing has been done over the last 20 + years The more observant of you will have read this and noticed that there is no mains inlet. Putting price aside, what are your thoughts about the Hugo TT as an integrated DAC+amp? Ill go through the modules included in the Discrete DAC and explain a little about each. Was it a speaker setup or headphone setup? The main reason we took on Rockna was because their Never use!! Never say never, but I reckon 99.9% of folk would get to the Discretes level of performance and not be able to justify another 110K to achieve, what I am guessing would be marginal gains though I have not experienced the Select and so cannot say for sure that this would be the case and it may be a total revelation is sonic engineering. I recently bought a DAC with a digital volume control precisely to bypass the preamp, but when I compared the two approaches there was very little between them. We are We feel The Chord DAVE was also on my list, but I decided to pass (my Chord retailer was very 'pushy' and not helpful). The MSB Renderer was developed using an in-house hardware design running an ultra low noise A5 processor for optimal audio playback performance. They are excellent pairing. Good points by all. However, there are two inputs for external PSUs and a little doodad/adapter that allows the use of one external PSU. The other stand out dacs that we like are the 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. There's 340 pages packed with HiFi Reviews, Industry Interviews and much more. There are so. The other issue is preference. Let us do the work of refurbishing and finding your current electronics a new hometheyll continue to be enjoyed for years to come. Everyone hears differentlyI heard the Dave with the Blu and I prefer it without it. and build quality is also excellent. This is because one PSU is supplying juice to modules including the screen and USB input etc but not to the output module. Once populated, the circuit boards are made into modules and then placed inside the casework. I have enjoyed my time with the MSB Discrete DAC a great deal. Now to include the HMS. At some point you have to be content in this hobby. Its an interesting setup with everything from design through to milling the chassis to building the circuit boards being done in-house. 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. The USB module is completely electrically isolated and is again a standalone module capable of 32 bit#768kHz, MQA decoding and 8X DSD. This unit came with two power supplies and Ill be playing with the DAC with one and with two to compare and contrast. Ill not get into the whole detail of this here but the MSB website does have an excellent (and interesting) explanation of jitter and why having a very low jitter clock is favourable to having a very accurate clock theres a link at the bottom of this review. more might come to mind and I will add them. I still did not found better audio source. Sound Media Group Pty Ltd I have great synergy in my system and see no reason to listen to every new DAC out there. And I've learned to be careful and not generalize how a component will sound based on show conditions or other systems. Others might disagree but these are my findings. 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. Like x 5 List Specifications: Type: Digital to analogue converter with volume control. Like others said, I'd try first an MScaler with DAVE. Strangely, this new review is not displayed when you select the review folder on the homepage. those surpass any other digital choice. Oppo Modwright BDP-205 full mod. I have Chord Dave and Blu2 too. But digital, potentially, can change things. Roon Endpoint the Select II pushes the analog to be its best. When I have done the comparison with other DACs I have had at the same time - Ayre QX5-Twenty, EAR Dac 4, exasound e32 - often the immediate impression is that DAVE/Blu 2 is not quite as good - a bit dryer sounding, not quite as smooth, not as airy or three dimensional And yet, over the longer term, it is deeply satisfying at a musical level in a way that the other DACs are not. "To be 100% honest we have A/B tested most of the dacs mentioned Click to expand. This kind of sound really appeals to me and was really excellent to experience on lots of tunes, but was especially evident on tracks from Rumours with every part of the mix being identifiable as unique. Roon/Jriver 22 -> Ayre QX-5 Twenty -> Ayre AX-5 Twenty -> B&W N802D (Transparent Cables). For the most part, I used this input and for a quick comparison one of the optical inputs. Of those, I've only heard the DAVE. I would have loved if you heard them in the same system for a direct comparison. I would say go for one of the other MSB ModelsThe Reference is half of the Select dac and the premier and discrete dacs are stunning performers for their price level Just in case it's not obvious, toetapaudio is a Mola Mola Dealer. I have the Berkeley Alpha Reference DAC, waiting for an upgrade. Get a Lampi Golden Gate Dac and match it with the RK5u4g rectifier and PX25 DHTs or the RK242 DHT. I think people buy what they like. September 6, 2016 in DAC - Digital to Analog Conversion. The world's largest high-end audio community. 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 . Of course this DAC is super pricey and out of the reach of many (including me). For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Euphony Summus, EtherRegen, MSB Discrete. The evolution of the original irreverent and irrelevant and non-authoritative site for headphone measurements, i.e. How does it compare? Talking of cool lets talk about this remote. The Discrete DAC Features - MSB Technology The Discrete DAC Refined sound. Main Menu Tailored for both the transport and the DACs daily use, our remote brings you closer to the music you love. This puts it up against some serious competition! For the most part, I listened to the MSB through our LAB12 and Krell KST100 amps and TotalDAC D100 speakers. As you mentioned imaging better, incredible PRaT with MSB. Or arm yourself with a nice bottle of red and pay a visit to@Stereophilus. EAR FILLERS HiFi Pig Playlists on Qobuz, Transatlantic Dispatches: A New World Disorder, Astell&Kern Launch Three New Products At High End Munich 2022. More sharing . Thanks for the suggestion ecwl. Sources: Hiby R6, Fiio x3II, Fiio x5II DACs: Dave, Yggdrasil, Hugo, Hugo TT, U12. You are using an out of date browser. MSB Discrete Dac with one additional basic power supply. 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. 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. The only other items in the chain were the Stack streamer and a pretty well-sorted network setup. But of course, I love window shopping and perusing top tier systems including illustrious more familiar gear like Lampi, TD, MSB, Ares Cerat, Aqua. It's too damn expensive, full stop. 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. Powered by Invision Community. It would be absolute suicide for an audio distributor to Like a true audiophile with "issues", I'm saying to myself, if at $8300 It is a pretty DAC but usability is left behind. will every hear. I cant help with comparisons of two of these DACs, but I did hear the Tambaqui up against the dCS Bartok and it was a pretty close call, but ultimately the dCS sounded more analogue and more immersive.However, this was at a time when both units were a similar price. It's pretty funny how everyone gives their personal pet recommendation with the utmost confidence that the buyer will like it. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. There is scale on bigger productions and intimacy on smaller-scale recordings and pieces, It wont make a pigs ear into a sows purse, but its majestic on really good recordings, Its very detailed but not harshly so actually, its a very easy component to fit in a system and live with, Its not cheap and you will want both PSUs once you compare with just one, No analogue inputs to make it the heart of a full system, You know that MSB have stuff that is out of reach financially and potentially better, Price: 11,000 plus 1,650 for a second power supply. 2. Copyright Hifi Pig and Hifi Pig Magazine, Big Pig Media LLP. DAVE is perfect for headphone system because you can save space and money of headphone amplifier. This gives us lots of headroom for future sample rates and audio formats.. 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% 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. 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. Chord Dave Replacement. It's just more financially viable to me for the performance and price ratio. You absolutely can say that you prefer other DAC's to the Berkeley Alpha Reference. The good DS (delta sigma) dacs that aren't hard or harsh, are a bit of a yawn, and lack bringing out the life (boogie factor) of the music, but in a .