Toggle signature. 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. Please specify coaxial S/PDiF or optical S/PDiF. Triangle Magellan Concerto 2< AQEverest< Vitus Audio SS-010 Mk2< AQDragon High Current< AQWELXLR< ChordQutestDAC w UpTone JS-2 & AQ Dragon Source < AQDiamond USB< InnuosPhoenix USBwAQ Dragon Source< AurenderN100H & AQ Dragon Source< NetGear GS105GESwitch w UpTone LPS1.2< Supra CAT8 Ethernet Chord Dave Black New The Prime DAC With two prime DACs, MSB yields an unprecedented level of detail, reproducing the musicality, soundstage, and texture of an original performance, bringing the artist to you Ps Audio Directstream Dac Vs Auralic Vega Founded in 2004, Games for Change is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that empowers game creators and . 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. What ice cream do you prefer? 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. Cheers @Stereophilus Would love to hear your opinions of which was better and why? In my assessment the Makua offered a more open and spacious sound. Up to 4X DSD http://www.computeraudiophile.com/members/mikejazz/, funded this campain: http://igg.me/at/geekpulseaudio/x/5216671. @smodtactical I would not take price as any arbitrator of quality, especially nowadays. Can it output a Low or High Voltage on a single pin in a bitstream? definitely up there with the best dacs in the world. MSB Technology Premier Digital-to-Analog Converter 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. To my ears it makes music sound unnatural. To be 100% honest we have A/B tested most of the dacs mentioned If you send me a dave i will happily be your 4th friend who also owns a dave. See what the reviews are saying. In my assessment the Makua offered a more open and spacious sound. a year ago I got the new Renderer V2 which was a step up over USB. I havent heard the Rockna. ), 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. Did you audition all of them in the same place with the same system? 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. The only true way for the end user to know what they prefer is through listening in their own system. By clicking links on our site, we may earn affiliate commission, but our editorial remains entirely independent and unbiased. 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 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. Chord Dave vs Mola Mola Makua/Tambaqui vs Emm Labs Dac2x vs Rockna The headamp is powerful but not involving. Since this forum is mainly USA based and we are in the UK, I have very little to gain business wise here. The BADA Ref is a great DAC and I understand the new version takes it to even another level. The only thing that I'd really like to see added here is an Aries Cerat. Click to expand. Strangely from this company is lack of any anti-aliasing on the text causing pixels to not be seen in the fonts chosen! Always use!! Does anyone have formula for that? That is not to say that a preamp doesn't produce value with respect to other sound quality characteristics that may affect the personal appeal of the musical reproduction (e.g., soundstage), or that the extra transparency won't reveal system issues, but there is no question that transparency is higher when going straight to the amps. Our digital testing has been done over the last 20 + years 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. 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. By Search: Msb Discrete Dac Vs Chord Dave. Its weighty, it feels perfect, its not overly ostentatious and its perfect! September 6, 2016 in DAC - Digital to Analog Conversion. 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. 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. When you get the chance to hear Chord DAVE, try playing files bit perfect instead of upsampling them to DSD256 with HQPlayer. By At MSB, we believe excellence is a promise worth keeping. I'm looking for suggestions between $10K - $12K. Wavedream only has a couple hours on it, but from the first note it My first serious audio system was Garrard turntable, Fisher Int(SS), ADS bookspeaker bought on 1978. 2 DAC | Audionet Pre G2 preamp | Audionet Max mono blocks | Vivid Audio Giya G2 Series 2 | 4 JL Audio Fathoms | Echole ICs /SCs / Siltech Classic 550L jumpers, Shunyata PCs / Eth. Perhaps you should consider the Accuphase DC-37 currently for sale in the classifieds? Elegant yet commanding, our finishes are available in a matte silver or matte black anodize. Thanks. What else should one expect? Also; recently MSB introduced a new interface that optimizes USB and adds fibre to reduce noise, the MSB Pro USB. This unit came with two power supplies and Ill be playing with the DAC with one and with two to compare and contrast. The MSB Discrete, as I mentioned, came with two power supplies but you can operate it with just one with the supplied doodad. MSB Technology's Discrete DAC was the best DAC I'd heard in my systemuntil the MSB Premier showed up. 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. Im sure it does have a flavour of its own, but from my standpoint, it sounds like a very neutral and transparent DAC. Chord Msb Dac Dave Vs Discrete [FZ8OTP] - amministrato.to.it As I said, its an odd one to describe but you do hear it as it brings a sense of rightness to rhythm tracks. I'm looking for suggestions on DACs I should listen to as possible replacement of my Chord Dave. We have what I consider to be a pretty resolving system, but we also listen to music a fair old bit for pure pleasure and so theres a valve amp currently feeding our chosen reference loudspeakers though thats not to say this system isnt highly resolving in its own right. Sound Media Group Pty Ltd Some silly sausage plugged a white power cable into a black device. So true jr, the discrete R2R Multibit dacs like the Terminator the Holo, MSB, Total ect ect have a life and a boogie factor to the music that DS dacs lack, and yes they do show up bad recordings. Sound Media Group Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Like a true audiophile with "issues", I'm saying to myself, if at $8300 I'm really anxious to hear more opinions about this DAC and noticed that DAVE hasn't got a thread of its own (only together with Mojo). Superior conversion begins with clean and stable low-noise power. Astrostar here, said it completely blew away any dac he had before, and mind you, he has the entry level AC model. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. 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. If you have a turntable, for instance, the Discrete will have to act as a standalone DAC and go into a preamplifier/integrated amplifier which will then add its own flavour to the mix. It doesnt get too hot to touch. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Actually the ChordHugo M Scaler and the Blu Mk. I'm looking for suggestions between $10K - $12K. dac at a reasonable price. Our publication is supported by its audience. There is no such thing as a "FPGA DAC"! - Up to 32 bit - 768kHz. November 11, 2020 in Digital Sources, DACs, and Computer Audio. I don't want to waste hifi shops time too much knowing I'll be going second hand either. Was it a speaker setup or headphone setup? The Premier DAC Features - MSB Technology Thank you, Mike. Elegant design. Complete electrical isolation The Discrete is around 11,000 whilst the Select is 120,750 with its power base. 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. The Discrete DAC Features - MSB Technology The Discrete DAC Refined sound. that it is difficult to say you have the best in regard to dacs but Rockna is And differences at that level can be good. The other issue is preference. Playing Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jacksons Your Daddy Loves You from the Winter in America album gave me the same impression of a reach-out-and-touch soundscape with incredibly well-defined positions in the mix and a whole load of detail the over-driven sound of the electric piano at around a minute forty really stood out as being faithful to the recording; a case of high-fidelity highlighting a low-fidelity artefact? Ill go through the modules included in the Discrete DAC and explain a little about each. When connecting to the MScaler, Dual-BNC was used on the chord dacs with shawline digital BNC cables. Compared to some other similarly priced DACs ($10 - $15k MSRP) I prefer the Discrete with 2 Discrete PS. About Chord Vs Dac Discrete Msb Dave . The AC modules are fully balanced at every stage, have no buffers, IV converters, or transistors in the signal path, and have no active devices used in the conversion process at all. The other stand out dacs that we like are the This is a dealers email comment to me about comparisons he did. In that price range, you would be mad not to addthe MSB Premier DAC to your list as well. Ultimately, reducing noise in a system or improving room acoustics can have a bigger effect. This effect was evident on track after track but didnt feel like it was overly exaggerated. Or arm yourself with a nice bottle of red and pay a visit to@Stereophilus. He liked the Mola Mola Tambaqui over these others listed below. There are some tonal differences too, but what you prefer will depend on your other equipment and the music you like. Sent from my SM-G928V using Computer Audiophile mobile app. When we set out to make the MSB remote, the design was built from the ground up. 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. This is disabled if you are outputting to a preamplifier. the Select II pushes the analog to be its best. 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. Watts is avidly not reading this in anticipation of the video version he won't watch. You must log in or register to reply here. Audiogon Discussion Forum sounds like a more transparent Chord Dave to my ears. I don't have that kind of money. But in the specific case of the BADA and PM2, if you wish for me to be more precise, then taking into account that I only had the BADA ref for a very short time, the bottom line was that I didn't feel at the time that the difference between the PM2 in my system was significant enough to make it worth the energy to change components or the potential financial loss involved in a trade. So I personally prefer to listen to different DACs just like I prefer to listen to analog as well as digital. Your web browser does not support iFrames. And thinking more about it, the differences at the time could have been small because the noise level in my system at the time of the comparison were relatively higher than they are now. Stuart Smith finds out. I believe it comes down to digital front ends. Thank you for posting! Much appreciated. With a better matched preamp presence may be acceptable. personal preference." I'm also a very patient person and can wait for the right bit of kit at the right price to come up secondhand. Wherever I read I see unanimous praise for the MSB Select II. 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 have had Dave in my system. Thanks. MSB Discrete Dac with one additional basic power supply. Didn't like it at all. There are separate optimal PCM and DSD modes for playbacks and bit perfect playback is how DAVE performs optimally as the FPGA up samples and noise shapes everything to 104MHz 5-bit. 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 Roon Endpoint This gives us lots of headroom for future sample rates and audio formats.. I like Aqua Formula xHD and Totaldac Six. Too many DACs> Too many amps> Too many headphones. It seems to me that manufacturers are jacking up the price for the perception of quality. 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. digital 149728-117859 MSB select II vs all dacs ? But of course, I love window shopping and perusing top tier systems including illustrious more familiar gear like Lampi, TD, MSB, Ares Cerat, Aqua. Amplification: Cyrus Mono x300Signatures. it just complimented my system better than those other two. Price 9k in the U.K. SoundLab A1Px's, ARC REF40, VTL Siegfired II, cj GAT2, cj ART, DCS Vivaldi 2.0 stack, Taiko Audio SGM Extreme, TechDas AF1+ , Graham Phamtom III, Sumiko Palo Santos, vdH Black Beauty, ARC Phono 3, Studer A80, Crystal Dreamline, Transparent Audio Ref XL digital and Ref Gen V power cables, CenterStage footers, Nordost Qkore6' s and QB8's! The next module is the display which is a cool and easy-to-read LED that is slaved to the audio clock. Once you start playing a tune the DAC works out the sample rate and chooses the correct playback clock. It is a manual step which I forgot. The bottom line for me is that great DACs can make a difference over good DACs. 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! Guess what I am trying to say is: preamps are important. Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator, https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/absolute-top-tier-dac-for-standard-res-redbook-cd. I called the distributor and we went through everything again. Then we have the Integrated Clock module and Im starting to get the whole modular approach to the design of the MSB DAC. 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). Still, it's the way I prefer at this stage. The USB module is completely electrically isolated and is again a standalone module capable of 32 bit#768kHz, MQA decoding and 8X DSD. Is this what passes for high end? Do diamonds shine on the dark side of the moon? MSB Discrete DAC - What's Best Forum IMHO an audio recommendation in a forum is just an advice on what is worth listening and the reason why we think so. 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. It would only sound like sales so we You already have a very top tier DAC. list the Rockna Wavedream Edition sounds this good, how good does their For example, the chassis for the products are made from North American-sourced metals, and then that is machined using Haas CNC machines that are built in California. 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. 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. T&A Dac8 (for DSD512) or Lampi Atlantic for any native rate DSD playback. But dont take our word for it. I wish you would have had the Totaldac D1 Seven to try. will every hear. 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). The modular nature of MSB products allows you to have the bits you want and leave out those you dont, The display is a bit basic but it does what it needs to and you can see it from the other side of the room, Detail and transparency are the main features, Allows a real insight into the makeup of a track, Brings a sense of timing being bang on the money, Detail isnt a result of the higher frequencies being artificially pushed, Both PSUs are not absolutely necessary but once you remove one you want to put the other back in. 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 . DAVE is the most advanced DAC Chord Electronics has ever made. 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. 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 . How does the PS Audio DirectStream DAC compare to the Chord DAC? I wanted to know for anyone who has heard it have you also heard a DAC that approached it in sonic performance? 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. JavaScript is disabled. MQA decoding The more observant of you will have read this and noticed that there is no mains inlet. Best DAC you ever heard? | Steve Hoffman Music Forums home system and listening for that end result. 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. Best DACs comparison test result [[My Subjective Opinion]] the North American distributors for Rockna so I thought I would jump in on this 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. However, to get this level of separation and detail within the soundscape the DAC is clearly having a very important role to play. Specifications: Type: Digital to analogue converter with volume control. Thank me laterLoL. The remainder For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. . The other thing I've learned about the Chord Dave is it can sound very different depending on the interconnect and/or power cord used. those surpass any other digital choice. 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. 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. There is no dark magic involved. Less experience with Dave on DSD, plus Rob claims to no longer decimate. I have personally not observed this - with either the DAVE or my Mojo. Although I would like to keep this as close to $10-12K as possible. As a contented Qutest user, I would have hoped for "improved", performance from the Dave. It is a pretty DAC but usability is left behind. 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. 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. But digital, potentially, can change things. I expected a lot better. One of the things I jotted down in my notes during this time was the sense of scale the Discrete brought to the music I was listening to big music sounded BIG and more intimate recordings had their own scale too. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/, Check the true bit-depth of your files and audio engine, Guide to Subwoofer Calibration and Bass Preferences, Know your limits (Sound Exposure Safety Chart), Topping DX7 Pro+ vs Chord DAVE measurements (Cosmos ADC) - DAVE is better in some areas (surprise! I've sometimes heard people say that DAVE is too bright or analytical for them. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. I would have loved if you heard them in the same system for a direct comparison. Since opening our doors in 1986, weve been driven by one goal: to craft an unrivaled listening experience for music lovers across the globe. 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 DAC we have here is the baby of the four DACs MSB produces, with the top-of-the-range Select DAC boldly proclaiming to be the worlds finest DAC. has 20 hours on it. Set up is key, cables are super important, server is also Snookered into the Chord Electronics Hugo TT2? - A Review 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. 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. 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. Moving away from the actual sound of the music, one of my main takeaways from listening to the Discrete was the sense of timing it brought to music. Any MSB fans here ? - Page 3 - DAC - Digital to Analog Conversion Check out the awards + accolades. conversation. 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. Looks like your budget goes up to ~$20k? When I have done the comparison with other DACs I have had at the same time - Ayre QX5-Twenty, EAR Dac 4, exasound e32 - often the immediate impression is that DAVE/Blu 2 is not quite as good - a bit dryer sounding, not quite as smooth, not as airy or three dimensional And yet, over the longer term, it is deeply satisfying at a musical level in a way that the other DACs are not. I did try with just the one power supply and the Discrete remained a very strong performer with the differences being a very slight loss in the sense of separation and definition when listening intently. I suppose that the vast majority of people who listen for pleasure at home are looking for a balance between the two, and whilst I still maintain we are most likely to hear the biggest effect in a system by changing transducers, every element in the chain of sound will affect the final sound and, in a digital system, I think the DAC you choose can have a huge effect on the final sound. Then just stay with the basic Premier unit, and the power supply that comes with it. Would I pay extra for the second supply? Subjective grading of DACs that I had heard during last one year period Over the air updates will ensure that your renderer always has the latest capabilities and ultimate convenience. It seems to take in zeros and ones and then somehow make sense of these and just convert them into faithful reproductions of the recording though me not being at the recording of any of the records I listened to, thats my assumption coming into play. First let me preface my comments by stating that I have not heard a lot of high end DACs in my system. That's just too money for the performance. Click here to download your copy, At 11000 plus taxes as tested the Lampizator Big 7 is certainly no budget DAC, but does it deliver on sonic ability? I say take what everyone post when a grain of salt, because an individual's preference may be different than yours. Point 75 EmmLab Dac2 I paid 9K$ for this on 2010. I do however like the i2S connection better than any other DAVE is perfect for headphone system because you can save space and money of headphone amplifier. This one has similar sound signature to MSB Premier But it is half notch below MSB Premier on dynamics, details, soundstage. It would be absolute suicide for an audio distributor to ISOAcoustics Oreas footers. I hear the new Ayre QX-5 Twenty gives the DAVE a run for its money at $8950 but that is just hearsay. 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. Up to 8X DSD That statement makes sense in an analog paradigm. Chord DAVE Review (DAC & HP Amp) Any owners around here?
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