[tdx]

congrat thomas! i wish they have a demo in store close to my area. how can u compare it with the holo stack? u listen to this with sus or speaker?

Think our posts got crossed, I just posted a brief Holo/MSB comparison. If you have other questions pls let me know I'll gladly answer. I'm a HP only guy (small apartment) so it's Susvara only for now. But as I was saying I got other equipment that might be incoming, including a Stax X9000/T2 combo that I've heard might take the whole chain even higher. I'll report on that too.

 

[Bones13]

The MSB Premier DAC has endured about 100 hours so far. Far and away better than the Bricasti M12. (and the Lavry Black, ANK DAC 4.1, Bryston BDA3, and the Holo Audio Spring KTE (first one). Even the wife, a music lover, but non-audiophile, says its better than previous units.

Clarity, Low End, and Holographic, super good, and very $$$. But worth it.

 

[Whazzzup]

The MSB Premier DAC has endured about 100 hours so far. Far and away better than the Bricasti M12. (and the Lavry Black, ANK DAC 4.1, Bryston BDA3, and the Holo Audio Spring KTE (first one). Even the wife, a music lover, but non-audiophile, says its better than previous units.

Clarity, Low End, and Holographic, super good, and very $$$. But worth it.

Do you use usb? And what’s the usb pro add on with isl adapter?

 

[Bones13]

I got the Renderer v2 with my DAC - I use Roon pretty exclusively for files and Qobuz playback. I am using TOSLink for Video sound playback. I have played with Coax input via a Wyred4Sound modded Sonos Port. I did not get either of the USB input implementations. My Roon system involves a fanless NUC running ROCK on a different floor, in a closet. Control by Mac, or iPad, or iPhone. I use an etherRegen from network optical fiber to the MSB on the clean side.

They have a standard module with a USB port, and the ISL iteration with a puck with USB on one end, and network optical fiber on the other end. The optical fiber is then fed into a new module that fills an input port on the MSB. Electrical isolation, and the ability to really distance the USB source physically from the DAC is possible with optical cable. One does lose the ability of Roon (and other control programs) to control the volume control on the MSB via the ISL link.

If I ever want to do serious USB input, the ISL version is the one to use. If I just want to get the utility for PC use, I would probably get the simple one.

 

[OnlySoMany]

So a bit of an update. I did end up getting the Sean Jacobs DC4/ARC6 PSU for my Dave/Blu setup. It has only been about a month and from what I have read, it takes a few months to settle due to slow-burning Mundorf caps, but it is an improvement. Hard to say how exactly, but everything seems to have more clarity, punch, and detail. At first I have to admit I didn't hear a whole lot of difference, and this could just be my ears justifying a $10k expense, but something is obviously different now. I have to say, it's pretty great.

I really wish there were more Hifi stores near me where I could hear the difference between DACs and other high-end gear. May have to plan a special trip within the next year or so.

What I would like to hear is:

Nagra HD DAC X
Thrax Maximinus mk3
MSB Technology Select II
Viva Audio Numerico DAC

and see how they all compare. I'd love to hear anyone's feedback who has heard any of these and read your impressions.

 

[ClicketEKlack]

Before you spend another dime -- or ten thousand dimes -- why don't you buy a $900 SMSL SU-10 (I don't have one, so I'm not flogging it; it's simply the best measuring DAC available). Have a friend come over and switch it out with the Chord DAVE. If you can't tell the difference, sell the DAVE, the Sean Jacobs, and enjoy the music and influx of cash.

 

[REXNFX]

So a bit of an update. I did end up getting the Sean Jacobs DC4/ARC6 PSU for my Dave/Blu setup. It has only been about a month and from what I have read, it takes a few months to settle due to slow-burning Mundorf caps, but it is an improvement. Hard to say how exactly, but everything seems to have more clarity, punch, and detail. At first I have to admit I didn't hear a whole lot of difference, and this could just be my ears justifying a $10k expense, but something is obviously different now. I have to say, it's pretty great.

I really wish there were more Hifi stores near me where I could hear the difference between DACs and other high-end gear. May have to plan a special trip within the next year or so.

What I would like to hear is:

Nagra HD DAC X
Thrax Maximinus mk3
MSB Technology Select II
Viva Audio Numerico DAC

and see how they all compare. I'd love to hear anyone's feedback who has heard any of these and read your impressions.

Grimm MU2 blew his Dave away:

 

[chesebert]

Grimm MU2 blew his Dave away:

Pass. I could be wrong, but the dac looks like a raspberry pi + a PWM DAC with variable duty cycle and variable PWM width that's running at 2x DSD. The attention to detail in noise reduction is meh IMO. At a minimum, they should have separated the power supply and raspberry pi board in their own Faraday cages. Also the PCB doesn't look high end and build is like a $3k dac.

For high end dacs, stick with dCS, MSB, Emm Labs, PBD and Linn.

 

[REXNFX]

Pass. I could be wrong, but the dac looks like a raspberry pi + a PWM DAC with variable duty cycle and variable PWM width that's running at 2x DSD. The attention to detail in noise reduction is meh IMO. At a minimum, they should have separated the power supply and raspberry pi board in their own Faraday cages. Also the PCB doesn't look high end and build is like a $3k dac.

For high end dacs, stick with dCS, MSB, Emm Labs, PBD and Linn.

DCS?? You're joking, right?

 

[tdx]

Food for thought

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/msb-premier-dac.26834/reviews#review-32161

 

[RHMMMM]

I absolutely love my MSB Reference with ProUSB optical. I also have the Ethernet Renderer. The next upgrade is a house. Then the MSB Digital Director.

I’ve had the Ref since mid 2020. Previously I had the MSB Premier. Before the Premier, I had a Meitner Ma-1.

MSB has an upgrade policy where they allow you to trade up - they give you what you paid for your current unit in credit towards the upgrade to the next tier. Company is very responsive and personable. I can’t recommend them enough.

 

[dsyzling]

Grimm MU2 blew his Dave away:

"It is difficult to hear the difference at first"

I'm going to interpret that as a subtle difference and not blown away, but hey let's stick with the hifi hyperbole cliches.

 

[George Hincapie]

Before you spend another dime -- or ten thousand dimes -- why don't you buy a $900 SMSL SU-10 (I don't have one, so I'm not flogging it; it's simply the best measuring DAC available). Have a friend come over and switch it out with the Chord DAVE. If you can't tell the difference, sell the DAVE, the Sean Jacobs, and enjoy the music and influx of cash.

Because people want to feel proud about owning stupidly expensive components, even if there's no performance difference.

 

[OnlySoMany]

Anyone heard any other TOTL dacs lately?

 

[Vincent_Amsterdam]

I recently switched from the Cen.grand DSDAC 1.0 Deluxe (performing way above its price point at approx. 6K EUR imo) to the APL DSD MR SE.. I previously owned the Mola Mola Tambaqui, HoloAudio Spring 3 - level 3 and also compared the APL to the Ideon Audio ION DAC and all I can say: the APL cannot be compared to all of these. It had this sense of emotional connection that is unheard of. 1001% agreeing to the post of Chris @Audiophilestyle.

Just another ‘bla bla’ post one would say. But you know it when you hear it.