I've had many world class DACS in my studio over the years and the Crane Song is as good as any no matter the cost. Each clock is made up of two independent clocks but only one is used at any given time so as not to add unwanted noise to the circuit. of the 5 systems are completely different, our rooms are completely different Stuart Smith finds out. Its an interesting setup with everything from design through to milling the chassis to building the circuit boards being done in-house. It doesnt get too hot to touch. I believe it comes down to 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. But dont take our word for it. Equipped with high-visibility and a wide viewing angle, the display is both easy-to-read and stunning, exhibiting our love for intuitive features. 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. 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. Do diamonds shine on the dark side of the moon? and our ears are completely different. Im getting a bit away from the review proper, but Im sure you can see why I have added that little diversion. The MSB Renderer was developed using an in-house hardware design running an ultra low noise A5 processor for optimal audio playback performance. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites. there are others I know about but Ive not heard them recently. Did I mention the remote is perfect? I don't understand why Chord DACs have to be so damn ugly! 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 Discrete DAC Features - MSB Technology The Discrete DAC Refined sound. 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. The demo model came in brushed aluminium but you can also get black. Roon/Jriver 22 -> Ayre QX-5 Twenty -> Ayre AX-5 Twenty -> B&W N802D (Transparent Cables). I have had Dave in my system. Stuart Smith finds out. ), 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. You already have a very top tier DAC. To my ears it makes music sound unnatural. I would,however, like to say we are highly selective over the brands we represent and believe they are excellent value. Since opening our doors in 1986, weve been driven by one goal: to craft an unrivaled listening experience for music lovers across the globe. My first serious audio system was Garrard turntable, Fisher Int(SS), ADS bookspeaker bought on 1978. 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. prefer to keep our test results among ourselves. I don't want to waste hifi shops time too much knowing I'll be going second hand either. what Im saying is that comparing dacs also must take into account of all the interface advantages of each particular dac. very important and our preference connection is an i2S connection. I know it is a standard talking point by some to suggest that Chord DACs aren't as good with DSD as PCM. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. 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. It seems to me that manufacturers are jacking up the price for the perception of quality. 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. StereoNET (Australia) is part of an international network of publications owned wholly by Sound Media Group (Australia). Nice. I'm super happy with my Esoteric N-01, which is a noticeable step up in quality/musicality from the DAVE - as yes the DAVE sounds a bit "thin" (though extraordinarily detailed). 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. The evolution of the original irreverent and irrelevant and non-authoritative site for headphone measurements, i.e. in this forum and they are all very good dacs. Thanks for the suggestions Wisnon. Additionally, MSBs robust in-house design enables the finest quality playback of PCM and native DSD, while our low impedance circuitry drives your amplification directly without adding coloration or buffering noise. 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). By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies. 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. the North American distributors for Rockna so I thought I would jump in on this Digital inputs : RCA coax, AES/EBU XLR, 2x Toslink optical, 2x module slots, word . CH Precision C1 DAC. We are While it's an easy setup to wrangle at a show, it does seem like it wasn't doing either component any favours! As the topic suggests, looking for comparisons on the above Dacs from people who have atleast heard and compared 2 of these dacs. They're very back ordered and are a pro unit with balanced only outputs and no remote but oh my do they sound spectacular. The only thing that I'd really like to see added here is an Aries Cerat. As you mentioned imaging better, incredible PRaT with MSB. "To be 100% honest we have A/B tested most of the dacs mentioned The bottom line for me is that great DACs can make a difference over good DACs. To cut a long story short: A burnt in MSB Analog DAC with Power Base demoed side to side to a burnt in DAVE was no challenge for the MSB. I listen mostly to classical music, particularly with symphonic work, I prefer DAVE to MSB. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. 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? 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. Along with an integrated clock, changing this card allows switching between single-ended and balanced outputs. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Cs | Critical Mass CS2s -> components, Isoacoustics -> speakers + subs | Adona Eris II rack on Herbie's titanium footers | Fully treated and dedicated 2 channel room. He liked the Mola Mola Tambaqui over these others listed below. The video cannot be shown. 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. 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. Founded in 2010 Whats Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. Put simply, your DAC is ready for the future. Personally we have A/B 76 different digital front ends.. I wanted to know for anyone who has heard it have you also heard a DAC that approached it in sonic performance? You might want to consider adding one of Chord's Upscalers, either Hugo M scaler , or the Blu Mk. The PM2 is very special. EAR FILLERS HiFi Pig Playlists on Qobuz, Transatlantic Dispatches: A New World Disorder, Astell&Kern Launch Three New Products At High End Munich 2022. its that good. 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. johndoe21ro UPnP Protocol 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. There is no dark magic involved. Elegant yet commanding, our finishes are available in a matte silver or matte black anodize. Search: Msb Discrete Dac Vs Chord Dave. Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile. Now, this is an important and quite a cool lesson in what is going on with the two PSUs. I have enjoyed my time with the MSB Discrete DAC a great deal. It would be absolute suicide for an audio distributor to A modular I/O card keeps even the discrete DAC flexible, repairable, and upgradeable. This is purely speculation based on browsing the internet over the years and internalising pro/con reviews from users. Fully agree that it could come down to personal preference @RoriHope you have arranged auditions. @smodtactical I would not take price as any arbitrator of quality, especially nowadays. Some very good advice here. Actual auditioning of the unit prior to purchase is paramount. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Sign up for a new account in our community. Yes, you read that right, the Select DAC is the best part of 121,000! I could not so, after 2 years of trying, I bought it. If you send me a dave i will happily be your 4th friend who also owns a dave. 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. There ain't no Coupe deVille hiding at the bottom of a Cracker Jack Box. digital front ends. Thats why were thrilled to offer up to 100% trade-in value for existing MSB products when upgrading to a higher performing series. Looking forward to the your additions to the list. I agree with what you are saying but "far too often" the personal preference." But even with great preamps, a great DAC in a low noise environment, will produce a more transparent sound going direct to the amps than through the preamp. There are some tonal differences too, but what you prefer will depend on your other equipment and the music you like. Rori CHORD Dave could be the most expensive deeply design DAC in the world and if you find it not your taste there is the best off the shelf DACs like akm4499 in Topping D90 for 699$ that could be even better than Dave. As the noise in my system keeps getting lower, the PM2 keeps reaching deeper to find even more musical engagement and purity in standard 16/44 files. You could spend less and get close to the sound of this DAC, for sure. In that time, weve pushed the industry forward with each product weve built, redefining whats possible. 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. heard, I could easily live with the Aeris, Dave, or Wavedream. Too objective for subjectivists; too subjective for objectivsts. Sonically it is very much as its name suggests and converts files faithfully and without loss or (importantly) embellishment. connection because it eliminates some parts and gets you closer to a direct By clicking links on our site, we may earn affiliate commission, but our editorial remains entirely independent and unbiased. Hmm.. dac at a reasonable price. This unit came with two power supplies and Ill be playing with the DAC with one and with two to compare and contrast. Thanks. Up to 32 bit 768kHz 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. It may not display this or other websites correctly. 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. There is no such thing as a "FPGA DAC"! It's just more financially viable to me for the performance and price ratio. 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 . 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: DAVE is the most advanced DAC Chord Electronics has ever made. This all-American theme is continued in the companys PCB Shop where they use circuit boards produced for them in Silicon Valley, which are then made ready for the automated adding of the smaller components and hand-fitting bulkier components before washing and inspection. I hear the new Ayre QX-5 Twenty gives the DAVE a run for its money at $8950 but that is just hearsay. The world's largest high-end audio community. I wanted to know for anyone who has heard it have you also heard a DAC that approached it in sonic performance? However, there are two inputs for external PSUs and a little doodad/adapter that allows the use of one external PSU. Putting price aside, what are your thoughts about the Hugo TT as an integrated DAC+amp? Anyway, I switched out the valve power amplifier and put in its place the Krell KST100 (all fully fettled and brought up to a better than new spec by Krell in the States) with my intention being to see what effect was the DAC and what was down to the amp basically isolating the effect to a component. 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. 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. The Discrete DAC uses two of these modules per unit. 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. And differences at that level can be good. 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. The other stand out dacs that we like are the 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. Of those, I've only heard the DAVE. This is the main advantage of DAVE (i.e. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The Discrete is around 11,000 whilst the Select is 120,750 with its power base. It may not display this or other websites correctly. I've had some excellent preamps in my system (Dartzeel, Absolare, Robert Koda, Kondo). However, the extra PSU does add to the cost considerably! I think people buy what they like. The only true way for the end user to know what they prefer is through listening in their own system. You are using an out of date browser. dCS Bartok>Chord DAVE>MSB discrete discreteR2R R2R DAVE BartokdCSBartok Over the air updates will ensure that your renderer always has the latest capabilities and ultimate convenience. It is a pretty DAC but usability is left behind. 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 effect was evident on track after track but didnt feel like it was overly exaggerated. Still, it's the way I prefer at this stage. And the Jeff Rowland Aeris DAC with new PSU. It's my understanding that the Wavedream only There are a lot of people that absolutely love the M-scaler. 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. 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. Toggle signature. Others might disagree but these are my findings. Price 9k in the U.K. They both use FPGA for their decoding. Since opening our doors in 1986, weve been driven by one goal: to craft an unrivaled listening experience for music lovers across the globe. Fixed. Edited November 11, 2020 by seadog. Didn't like it at all. Is this what passes for high end? But of course, I love window shopping and perusing top tier systems including illustrious more familiar gear like Lampi, TD, MSB, Ares Cerat, Aqua. Thanks for the interesting reply, cmarin. Right now my favorite music player is from the same manufacturer of the Phasure NOS1a DAC: Stealth LPS running XXHighEnd software; again with the same caveat that I haven't heard a lot of the other highly regarded music players in my system. In that time, weve pushed the industry forward with each product weve built, redefining whats possible. I do however like the i2S connection better than any other The DAVE DAC does not perform anywhere near where it should. The MSB Renderer was developed using an in-house hardware design running an ultra low noise A5 processor for optimal audio playback performance. Pass Labs INT-60. Up to 1km lossless transmission. 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'll take a look, however I've heard they're on the warm side? I just heard DAVE directly connected to MacBook Pro via USB without any expensive cables, headphone amplifier, power conditioner. The in-house discrete design is then constructed into its own shielded CNC pocket for optimal isolation. Our products include our in-house designed viton feet, but any audiophile M6X1 foot can be installed to personalize your system. 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. 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. What is available on models higher up the MSB food chain is the ability to add an analogue module so that you can use the unit as a true preamplifier and DAC. I havent heard the Rockna. Many of these were already in a shootout on Audiogon with the same requirements - has to sound stellar on 16/44.1 tracks: I agree that the DAVE plus Blu 2 is spectacular, but not in a "hi fi" sense. At MSB, we believe excellence is a promise worth keeping. I say take what everyone post when a grain of salt, because an individual's preference may be different than yours. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Digital: Jay's Audio CDT2 MK2 CD transport, Modified MHDT Labs Balanced Pagoda DAC. Mind you, I have chipless DSD with 1 bit processing, so the bar is set VERY high for me. Of course this DAC is super pricey and out of the reach of many (including me). Its weighty, it feels perfect, its not overly ostentatious and its perfect! Talking of cool lets talk about this remote. Thats not allthe CNC unibody aluminum chassis provides the discrete power supply with optimal thermal performance and an elegant design aesthetic. Check out the awards + accolades. state his/her experience and preferences. I haven't yet come across one DAC that is best and will completely dominate other great DACs across all audio evaluation parameters. How does the PS Audio DirectStream DAC compare to the Chord DAC? Out of all of the DACs I've The headamp is powerful but not involving. but with digital things change quickly, and a month ago I got a new server, the SGM Extreme. The lo-res display also makes menu ]set-up fiddly because it doesn't have enough space to display words. lastly; what I compare my MSB Select II to every day is my top level vinyl and top level reel to reel tape. I agree price is necessarily indicative of quality or performance. 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. 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. Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator. 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. Chord states "DAVE is the most advanced DAC we have ever made. I havent heard the Rockna. Auction bid 7 150 25 . This is a review, detailed measurements and listening tests of CHORD DAVE combination DAC and headphone amplifier. "OK, it would be. Watts is avidly not reading this in anticipation of the video version he won't watch. I'm looking for suggestions between $10K - $12K. other dacs I have enjoyedin no particular order; I would not call this second tier; but I prefer what hear from my Select II to what Ive heard from these. Paired with performance increases, our modular design ethos increases flexibility for future updates and product support, guaranteeing a long-term product investment. 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. The Discrete Power Supply feeds the DAC with dual low-noise power streams that are linear and independent. Gbel High End [Divin Noblesse], [Divin Marquis], ([Epoque Aeon Fine]). Great Dac but for me a NOS DAC (Metrum Adagio) won the contest over all the others Dacs I have tried so far. There are some tonal differences too, but what you prefer will depend on your other equipment and the music you like. Almost all gear I hear is pretty good and some are great but the most expensive ones are not universally the best to my ears. I haven't heard MSB or theDenafrips DAC. I wish you would have had the Totaldac D1 Seven to try. Since this forum is mainly USA based and we are in the UK, I have very little to gain business wise here. If you currently have an MSB DAC or amplifier that you lovebut are looking to experience more from your systemplease reach out to your local dealer. list the Rockna Wavedream Edition sounds this good, how good does their 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. Search: Msb Discrete Dac Vs Chord Dave. MQA decoding Thanks. 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. Thanks. The more observant of you will have read this and noticed that there is no mains inlet. The Discrete DAC, The Premier DAC, The Reference DAC, The Select DAC II, Theater Master. 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! 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. Like x 5 List And yes, you can improve it more by adding nice power source and cable. Strangely from this company is lack of any anti-aliasing on the text causing pixels to not be seen in the fonts chosen! 5 other people who only have 2 things in common with our system. The LED display, slaved to the audio clock, is refreshed between data processing to drastically reduce electrical interference. Strangely, this new review is not displayed when you select the review folder on the homepage. I'd also look at the Mola-Mola Tambaqui and the new dCS Bartok. 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.

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