Stuart Smith finds out. The Base module has two outputs (high and low) depending on whether you are outputting to a preamplifier or directly to a power amplifier. I'll take a look, however I've heard they're on the warm side? Some silly sausage plugged a white power cable into a black device. 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. MQA decoding Analogue Volume Control 1dB from 0 to 106 Deactivable by menu, Dimensions ChassisWidth : 432 mmDepth: 305 mmHeight without feet: 51 mm. It may not display this or other websites correctly. I think my DAVE sounds great with everything. This unit came with two power supplies and Ill be playing with the DAC with one and with two to compare and contrast.
CHORD ELECTRONICS DAVE | Page 887 - Head-Fi HiFiMan Ananda, SR Orange fuses, Taiko Audio Daiza platforms, Startech FMC optical network link, Oyaide EE f/s2.0 V2 mains spurs, Akiko Audio tuning sticks, GIK Acoustic TriTraps/panels. I agree price is necessarily indicative of quality or performance. I don't want to waste hifi shops time too much knowing I'll be going second hand either. There is no such thing as a "FPGA DAC"! To be 100% honest we have A/B tested most of the dacs mentioned 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. The MSB Discrete DAC is an American made Digital to Analogue Converter costing 11,000 plus an extra 1650 for the second external power supply. I have had Dave in my system. But if you don't, what is your reference point? After reading that review, and remembering the reverence APL had back in the day, alongside the Stahl Tek and Trinity dacs that were the heavy hitters 10-15 yrs ago, I was just curious as to whether . Cs | Critical Mass CS2s -> components, Isoacoustics -> speakers + subs | Adona Eris II rack on Herbie's titanium footers | Fully treated and dedicated 2 channel room. Chord Dave vs Mola Mola Makua/Tambaqui vs Emm Labs Dac2x vs Rockna Wavedream IGNORED Chord Dave vs Mola Mola Makua/Tambaqui vs Emm Labs Dac2x vs Rockna Wavedream . There hasn't been any direct comparison of them with Select II, Trinity DAC, CH D1/C1, Totaldac D12 etc in Hong Kong yet.
Best DACs comparison test result [[My Subjective Opinion]] I have personally not observed this - with either the DAVE or my Mojo. 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. I was upgrading it in this order and still could not believe every time it sounded better. Fair enough if you know some of the posters here and their listening preferences. 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. More to follow. Ultimately, reducing noise in a system or improving room acoustics can have a bigger effect. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary tells me that the definition of high-fidelity (HiFi) is the reproduction of an effect (such as sound or an image) that is very faithful to the original and it would seem to be reasonable to assume that this is the goal of audiophiles around the world. Yeah, im thinking a post lock-down GTG is in order. But digital, potentially, can change things. This is a company that is All American and fiercely proud of that fact. It matches Chord Dave and Mscaler on dynamics with slightly more bass slam. Like the rest of the main body of the DAC and the PSUs, the remote is hewn from a block of aluminium. I submit dealers use the statement "component X competes against much more expensive components" far too often. You are using an out of date browser. 2001-2023 Head-Fi.org. Yes, you read that right, the Select DAC is the best part of 121,000! @yyzsantabarbara, your dealer quote is interesting, I suspected that the Mola Mola was that good. IMHO an audio recommendation in a forum is just an advice on what is worth listening and the reason why we think so. This ranking is just my subjective thinking. I dont know as that was years ago and I dont have one here to test against. 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. Thats not allthe CNC unibody aluminum chassis provides the discrete power supply with optimal thermal performance and an elegant design aesthetic. Whatever, the Discrete is a superb bit of kit that Id really love to take up residence in the system on a permanent basis, but thats not going to happen. Strangely, this new review is not displayed when you select the review folder on the homepage. in this forum and they are all very good dacs. In comparison to spdif which feels more 3D but relatively smaller sound stage, with better separation, vocals are more focused/accurate, everything sounds more evenly balanced. 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. There is no such thing as a "FPGA DAC"! I'm looking for suggestions on DACs I should listen to as possible replacement of my Chord Dave. 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. Would I pay extra for the second supply?
MSB Discrete DAC | Hifi Pig The end result is a digital experience defying expectations. and build quality is also excellent. 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. 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.
Founded in 2010 Whats Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. I would just add budget and the other components in the system are major factors to consider. Now, this is an important and quite a cool lesson in what is going on with the two PSUs. The Discrete Power Supply feeds the DAC with dual low-noise power streams that are linear and independent. Firstly, that was a very impressive list of high end components you have listened to. This puts it up against some serious competition! However, there are two inputs for external PSUs and a little doodad/adapter that allows the use of one external PSU. I have great synergy in my system and see no reason to listen to every new DAC out there. @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. All rights reserved. At some point you have to be content in this hobby. 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. I auditioned a DAVE (not deconstructed) and TT2 and found all Chord products lacked the musicality of MSB. A modular I/O card keeps even the discrete DAC flexible, repairable, and upgradeable. 2. The best upgrade for Dave easy. 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. Over the air updates will ensure that your renderer always has the latest capabilities and ultimate convenience. 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. Of those, I've only heard the DAVE. If you go reference you will never look back. As a contented Qutest user, I would have hoped for "improved", performance from the Dave. prefer to keep our test results among ourselves. 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. 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. First let me preface my comments by stating that I have not heard a lot of high end DACs in my system. Thanks guys! How does it compare?
MSB Discrete DAC - What's Best Forum DAVE is perfect for headphone system because you can save space and money of headphone amplifier. I expected a lot better. 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. There's 340 pages packed with HiFi Reviews, Industry Interviews and much more. I thought the DAVE was just as stunning with DSD as PCM. there are others I know about but Ive not heard them recently. It has the option for two PSUs and once you hear with both it becomes a necessity to have both. 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. as my Select II sits it would list for $116,450. 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. I also looked at the MSB Discrete DAC but everything thing was an extra cost option (USB, AES/EBU, power supply, etc.,) and expensive. That's just too money for the performance. EAR FILLERS HiFi Pig Playlists on Qobuz, Transatlantic Dispatches: A New World Disorder, Astell&Kern Launch Three New Products At High End Munich 2022. Thanks. 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.
I think people buy what they like. 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 Sent from my SM-G928V using Computer Audiophile mobile app. Since opening our doors in 1986, weve been driven by one goal: to craft an unrivaled listening experience for music lovers across the globe. Very resolving, tone is on the cold side of neutral but otherwise pretty free of digital nasties compared to the cheaper Chords, and the stage is flatter than Keira Knightley. what Im saying is that comparing dacs also must take into account of all the interface advantages of each particular dac. I wish you would have had the Totaldac D1 Seven to try. At $20,000 I recommend the MSB Premier DAC with two power supplies (KeithRs system). That statement makes sense in an analog paradigm. The sonic signature is detailed and yet easy to listen to, with the Discrete bringing a sense of the recordings scale (big or small) to the listening experience. MSB Technology Discrete Modular DAC Page 2. Ill go through the modules included in the Discrete DAC and explain a little about each. The jump from Six to Seven is rather large. "OK, it would be. Perhaps you should consider the Accuphase DC-37 currently for sale in the classifieds? I don't think any of us have heard the Dave, and we don't have any interest. You'd expect Audiosanctuary to understand what a gutless amp sounds like, and at least put a headphone amp in front of that DAVE, if they wanted to sell people either the DAVE or the headphones. Will do. T&A Dac8 (for DSD512) or Lampi Atlantic for any native rate DSD playback. 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. 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. I would,however, like to say we are highly selective over the brands we represent and believe they are excellent value. My first serious audio system was Garrard turntable, Fisher Int(SS), ADS bookspeaker bought on 1978.