Yes, you read that right, the Select DAC is the best part of 121,000! us, over a 2 day test period come to the exact same conclusion. This is a review, detailed measurements and listening tests of CHORD DAVE combination DAC and headphone amplifier. fake by any means necessary jacket. I havent heard the Rockna. As you mentioned imaging better, incredible PRaT with MSB. Audiogon Discussion Forum Thank you for posting! and this is borne out in the sound that this DAC brings to the party. The MSB DAC comes with one external PSU as standard. First I want to say that I fully agree that the hobby is 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. The in-house discrete design is then constructed into its own shielded CNC pocket for optimal isolation. 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. 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. Euphony Summus, EtherRegen, MSB Discrete. 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. I don't have that kind of money. 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. lastly; what I compare my MSB Select II to every day is my top level vinyl and top level reel to reel tape. 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. @yyzsantabarbara, your dealer quote is interesting, I suspected that the Mola Mola was that good. I expected a lot better. 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 . Great Dac but for me a NOS DAC (Metrum Adagio) won the contest over all the others Dacs I have tried so far. Thanks. 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. Talking of cool lets talk about this remote. MSB Discrete DAC - What's Best Forum There seemed to be a little more separation of instruments in the mix of whatever I was listening to than with the LAB12 DAC and Pre in the signal path and a slightly leaner edge to the music more clearly etched, perhaps? As it stands, the Discrete offers a very good solution should you be a music lover that plays only digital files and you can go straight into a power amp. I thought the DAVE was just as stunning with DSD as PCM. The Discrete Power Supply feeds the DAC with dual low-noise power streams that are linear and independent. I believe it comes down to All rights reserved. Theyre not limited by audio formats, sample rates, or even speed. At $20,000 I recommend the MSB Premier DAC with two power supplies (KeithRs system). I have personally not observed this - with either the DAVE or my Mojo. We feel Some very good advice here. The LED display, slaved to the audio clock, is refreshed between data processing to drastically reduce electrical interference. Many competing DACs will have a more comprehensive display at this price and, more commonly still, an app designed for intuitive access via smartphone and/or tablets. very important and our preference connection is an i2S connection. definitely up there with the best dacs in the world. If you send me a dave i will happily be your 4th friend who also owns a dave. 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! The Base module has two outputs (high and low) depending on whether you are outputting to a preamplifier or directly to a power amplifier. You are using an out of date browser. have had the opportunity to A/B many more pieces of equipment than any consumer Anyway, the little bit of extra detail on the strings, the attack, and decay are all there to be heard and its a marvelous thing to listen to. But dont take our word for it. Thirdly, having suggested that the brightness issue may lay elsewhere, I will shortly post a suggested tweak directly to both HMS and DAVE - that I have found to increase the "weight", "solidity" and "analogueness" of the resulting sound. This is a dealers email comment to me about comparisons he did. There are so. https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis9eh61-lampizator-pacific-da-converters, https://positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/lampizator-pacific-dac/, https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/subjective-grading-of-dac-that-i-had-heard-during-last-one-year-period. The jump from Six to Seven is rather large. Over the air updates will ensure that your renderer always has the latest capabilities and ultimate convenience. I have heard the Dave and EMM Labs DAC2x up against aMakua that I subsequently purchased. MSB Technology Discrete Modular DAC Page 2. Only hifi shops and shows hear and there. This would help to take your digital playback upa few levels. Our publication is supported by its audience. Sources: Hiby R6, Fiio x3II, Fiio x5II DACs: Dave, Yggdrasil, Hugo, Hugo TT, U12. 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. Digital inputs : RCA coax, AES/EBU XLR, 2x Toslink optical, 2x module slots, word . It is on kind loan from a member and costs US $14,000. Regular readers will appreciate all that is taken from the MSB website and I make no apologies for not really understanding the electronics. California crafted in-house from an aluminum billet, the enclosure feels solid yet refined. Auction bid 7 150 25 . 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. Now to include the HMS. Get a Lampi Golden Gate Dac and match it with the RK5u4g rectifier and PX25 DHTs or the RK242 DHT. He liked the Mola Mola Tambaqui over these others listed below. Any owners around here? Were honored to be recognized by the industry for bringing you the most lifelike sound we can. Chord DAVE - DAC - Digital to Analog Conversion - Audiophile Style 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. Given your appreciation of the Pacific Microsonics DAC, I hope you'll get a chance to hear the Berkeley in your system as well. MSB Technology Premier Digital-to-Analog Converter 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. I've had some excellent preamps in my system (Dartzeel, Absolare, Robert Koda, Kondo). I can leave my hand on it as long as I want to. digital front ends. Gbel High End [Divin Noblesse], [Divin Marquis], ([Epoque Aeon Fine]). Complete electrical isolation 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). Like others said, I'd try first an MScaler with DAVE. 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. Concluding that there is some kind of problem with using an FPGA vs. what MSB does is not technically supportable. Hope to try different formats on both DACs to see what works best in my system. Links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Hifi Pig and Big Pig Media with appropriate and specific direction (link) to the original content. Just go for an internal Asus card to fit in a PCI slot you should be able to get bit perfect optical output thanks for confirming suitability of current setup. At this kind of price, it puts Chord DAVE as being direct competition and I said that DAVE was the best DAC Id heard back in 2018. I don't understand why Chord DACs have to be so damn ugly! 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. Mind you, I have chipless DSD with 1 bit processing, so the bar is set VERY high for me. Perhaps you should consider the Accuphase DC-37 currently for sale in the classifieds? 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. Of course this DAC is super pricey and out of the reach of many (including me). 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. I called the distributor and we went through everything again. Point 75 EmmLab Dac2 I paid 9K$ for this on 2010. 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. Can I ask how you procured all those DACs? You go off people's opinions and hope it'll match your equipment and system when you put the hard earned down. Price 9k in the U.K. Anyone make that comparison? To build a simple and good system). Subjective grading of DACs that I had heard during last one year period The PM2 is very special. Elevator Pitch Review: Built in America, the MSB Discrete is a modular DAC that also acts as a preamplfier, though, as supplied, it has no analogue inputs. It is worth every penny. 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% Both DACs connected directly to power amp using each DACs volume controle. Have you thought about hooking up a Blu2 to Dave? 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, I have heard the Dave and EMM Labs DAC2x up against aMakua that I subsequently purchased. Thats why were thrilled to offer up to 100% trade-in value for existing MSB products when upgrading to a higher performing series. It is not hard to audition these DACs in Melbourneand this is your best way to work out your own preference. Roon/Jriver 22 -> Ayre QX-5 Twenty -> Ayre AX-5 Twenty -> B&W N802D (Transparent Cables). - MQA decoding. StereoNET (Australia) is part of an international network of publications owned wholly by Sound Media Group (Australia). 5 other people who only have 2 things in common with our system. 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. I haven't heard MSB or theDenafrips DAC. Sonically it is very much as its name suggests and converts files faithfully and without loss or (importantly) embellishment. Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers, A healthy approach to understanding measurements, After being asked for the 308th time, Merv lists top 5 headphones, $1000 to the first to design a headamp using discrete components with better measurements than Magni 3+, http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f6-dac-digital-analog-conversion/chord-dave-29757/#post579518, (You must log in or sign up to reply here.). They're very back ordered and are a pro unit with balanced only outputs and no remote but oh my do they sound spectacular. It will kick your ass. The more observant of you will have read this and noticed that there is no mains inlet. 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 might want to consider adding one of Chord's Upscalers, either Hugo M scaler , or the Blu Mk. Firstly, that was a very impressive list of high end components you have listened to. Toggle signature. but with digital things change quickly, and a month ago I got a new server, the SGM Extreme. The only true way for the end user to know what they prefer is through listening in their own system.. - Roon Endpoint. Chord Dave vs Mola Mola Makua/Tambaqui vs Emm Labs Dac2x vs Rockna Over the air updates will ensure that your renderer always has the latest capabilities and ultimate convenience. Up to 8X DSD Whats Best Forum is THE forum for high end audio, product reviews, advice and sharing experiences on the best of everything else. Digital: Jay's Audio CDT2 MK2 CD transport, Modified MHDT Labs Balanced Pagoda 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. Up to 32 bit 768kHz 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. The world's largest high-end audio community. Audiogon Discussion Forum 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. Im participating to both learn and make suggestions where I have experience that may help. Founded in 2010 Whats Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. 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. The main reason we took on Rockna was because their The Dave is VERY lovely on PCM, and pretty decent on DSD, but DSD is not its raison d'etre. I've sometimes heard people say that DAVE is too bright or analytical for them. You could try some of the newer dacs that has gotten good reviews. Snookered into the Chord Electronics Hugo TT2? - A Review @ricred1, youre right to point that out. Elegant design. It's my understanding that the Wavedream only When a dealer post something you have to take it with a enormous grain of salt. You must log in or register to reply here. Stuart Smith finds out. Best DAC you ever heard? | Steve Hoffman Music Forums Also, it is worth noting I heard the v1 DAC 2X, not the v2. 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 I'm looking for suggestions between $10K - $12K. It is a pretty DAC but usability is left behind. 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. Others might disagree but these are my findings. Yeah, you and me both- the look I got wasn't as funny as the one I got from the Sennheiser stand when I asked if they had any HD600 or HD650, instead of all those Momentums and so forth, but still. digital 149728-117859 MSB select II vs all dacs ? The clock can be seen as being the heart of the DAC and once again the clocks are made in-house. By home system and listening for that end result. My wife said it Of course this DAC is super pricey and out of the reach of many (including me). its that good. 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. It may not display this or other websites correctly. It's better than the MSB Analog I listened to. There is the option to add a streaming module to the Discrete and if I was in the market for a digital streaming solution, then this is where I would be going. 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! $16K Signature DAC sound? 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! And now that my system is much more resolving, it's possible that the differences could be larger and my preferences could change. 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. And this is where I had a problem with this DAC, though mostly the problem was of my own making. Others might disagree but these are my findings. The other stand out dacs that we like are the 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. MSB DACs also use a processing chip to handle oversampling and digital filtering (not sure if this chip is an FPGA or other type processing chip, but it is a high speed digital processing chip). Cheers @Stereophilus In my assessment the Makua offered a more open and spacious sound. Like the Lab12. The next module is the display which is a cool and easy-to-read LED that is slaved to the audio clock.
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