msb discrete dac vs chord dave

I don't like Dave with or without upsampler but I do like Auralic G2 with their upsampler and clock. 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. DAVE stands for 'Digital to Analogue Veritas in Extremis', a moniker that best reflects the product's . And I make Best DAC Quality Ranking list. sounds just like the Dave. I wired it all up and the unit lit up but I could get no sound out of it whatsoever. Pass Labs INT-60. 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. My friend who owns the Diamond DAC IV prefers the MSB. retail client forgets that most audio stores and audio distribution companies How does the PS Audio DirectStream DAC compare to the Chord DAC? For the most part, I used this input and for a quick comparison one of the optical inputs. Up to 1km lossless transmission. To build a simple and good system). Sign up for a new account in our community. There is no such thing as a "FPGA DAC"! Much appreciated. About Chord Vs Dac Discrete Msb Dave . Click to expand. - Roon Endpoint. connection because it eliminates some parts and gets you closer to a direct The demo model came in brushed aluminium but you can also get black. Less experience with Dave on DSD, plus Rob claims to no longer decimate. He liked the Mola Mola Tambaqui over these others listed below. 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 . sounds like a more transparent Chord Dave to my ears. 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. Personally we have A/B 76 different digital front ends.. They both use FPGA for their decoding. The Premier DAC Features - MSB Technology 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). The lo-res display also makes menu ]set-up fiddly because it doesn't have enough space to display words. 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. 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. 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). Thank you, Mike. This is disabled if you are outputting to a preamplifier. home system and listening for that end result. Its not bombarding you with information, but it is a notably more defined sound with regards to the spatial information and the way that elements sit in the mix a tad more solidity and more of a sense of the stereo image being wider and deeper and with instruments and sounds occupying a definite space of their own. The Discrete is around 11,000 whilst the Select is 120,750 with its power base. Some very good advice here. There is a real sense of spectacle and scale when the MSB is in the system. 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. It seems to me that manufacturers are jacking up the price for the perception of quality. Compared to some other similarly priced DACs ($10 - $15k MSRP) I prefer the Discrete with 2 Discrete PS. It has the option for two PSUs and once you hear with both it becomes a necessity to have both. Its headphone amplifier is good but no match for higher powered units. The bottom line for me is that great DACs can make a difference over good DACs. In that time, weve pushed the industry forward with each product weve built, redefining whats possible. Once you start playing a tune the DAC works out the sample rate and chooses the correct playback clock. The Copyright Hifi Pig and Hifi Pig Magazine, Big Pig Media LLP. My wife said it Over the air updates will ensure that your renderer always has the latest capabilities and ultimate convenience. 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. For the most part, I listened to the MSB through our LAB12 and Krell KST100 amps and TotalDAC D100 speakers. Thanks for the suggestions Wisnon. I listen mostly to classical music, particularly with symphonic work, I prefer DAVE to MSB. This is a review, detailed measurements and listening tests of CHORD DAVE combination DAC and headphone amplifier. Best DACs comparison test result [[My Subjective Opinion]] I say take what everyone post when a grain of salt, because an individual's preference may be different than yours. The best upgrade for Dave easy. Audiogon Discussion Forum And I've learned to be careful and not generalize how a component will sound based on show conditions or other systems. lastly; what I compare my MSB Select II to every day is my top level vinyl and top level reel to reel tape. Never use!! It's better than the MSB Analog I listened to. will every hear. As the topic suggests, looking for comparisons on the above Dacs from people who have atleast heard and compared 2 of these dacs. In my assessment the Makua offered a more open and spacious sound. Although I would like to keep this as close to $10-12K as possible. Sound Media Group Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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 Discrete Dac with one additional basic power supply. It doesnt get too hot to touch. Is it too hot to touch? 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. If so I'd recommend the Aqua Formula xHD and the TotalDAC d1-Seven. Fixed. Everyone hears differentlyI heard the Dave with the Blu and I prefer it without it. This gives us lots of headroom for future sample rates and audio formats.. I don't think any of us have heard the Dave, and we don't have any interest. You could spend less and get close to the sound of this DAC, for sure. Focusing on our network renderer and USB input, your audio tech will be on the cutting edge. Ill go through the modules included in the Discrete DAC and explain a little about each. I would have loved if you heard them in the same system for a direct comparison. The Discrete DAC, the successor and highly improved replacement to the now-famous Analog DAC is the MSB DAC that everyone has been waiting for. 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). the Select II pushes the analog to be its best. Did you audition all of them in the same place with the same system? The next module is the display which is a cool and easy-to-read LED that is slaved to the audio clock. 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. This unit came with two power supplies and Ill be playing with the DAC with one and with two to compare and contrast. 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. @ricred1, youre right to point that out. Still, it's the way I prefer at this stage. 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. 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? 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. Lots of time it it just complimented my system better than those other two. MSB discrete DAC, dCS Bartok, Chord DAVE - Innocent Key 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 . I havent heard the Rockna. But dont take our word for it. Msb discrete dac vs dcs bartok - wfi.pizzeria-kandel.de 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. so these are less preferred. We can operate our current DAC modules at up to 6 MHz for PCM and up to 50 MHz for DSD. Any owners around here? Out of all of the DACs I've If you send me a dave i will happily be your 4th friend who also owns a dave. 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. The other stand out dacs that we like are the I wish you would have had the Totaldac D1 Seven to try. 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. Conversely, you could spend a lot more and not gain a great deal in real terms. 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. We await Phase 2 where all DACs are assessed using upsampled data via your Lumin U1 to establish ranking and the preferred format through each. I'm looking for suggestions between $10K - $12K. Besides that the MSB looks so much better. I can only comment on the Emm labs, if u can get a DA2 I think you will be happy "An audiophile is only done when they go to the great brick and mortar store in the sky" Ron Resnick I have listened to MSB Analog DAC and Diamond DAC IV but not in the same setup as DAVE. So this was headphones straight out of the DAVE? comes down to knowing what you are actually trying to achieve in a high end 2. 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. Our products include our in-house designed viton feet, but any audiophile M6X1 foot can be installed to personalize your system. 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! CHORD ELECTRONICS DAVE | Page 887 - Head-Fi Cs | Critical Mass CS2s -> components, Isoacoustics -> speakers + subs | Adona Eris II rack on Herbie's titanium footers | Fully treated and dedicated 2 channel room. 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. Putting price aside, what are your thoughts about the Hugo TT as an integrated DAC+amp? digital 149728-117859 MSB select II vs all dacs ? 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. We are You might want to consideradding oneof Chord's Upscalers, either HugoM scaler, or the Blu Mk. 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. As I said, its an odd one to describe but you do hear it as it brings a sense of rightness to rhythm tracks. Others might disagree but these are my findings. Firstly, that was a very impressive list of high end components you have listened to. Whether its a software update or a leading-edge modular component, were here to help the most valued aspect of MSBour customers. MSB thrives off the innovation required to meet consumer demands. 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 Discrete DAC uses two of these modules per unit. Best DACs comparison test result [[My Subjective Opinion]] As I listen to this tune a few times it strikes me that the Discrete is just that (discrete), it doesnt seem to add a great deal of itself to the file it is playing. MSBs top-level DAC is 121K and there are other brands out there offering very expensive options, but the truth is that the vast majority of people will never feel the need to spend that kind of money (even if they could) to eek out that last-minute bit of detail. And if I had to guess (given I haven't heard both), I'd guess it outperforms the Tambaqui. It's easy! fake by any means necessary jacket. Watts is avidly not reading this in anticipation of the video version he won't watch. Thats why were thrilled to offer up to 100% trade-in value for existing MSB products when upgrading to a higher performing series. In terms of sound quality, it's the best digital front end I . Looking forward to the your additions to the list. 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 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.