[GuiltyRocker]

Playback Designs MPD8 - only $22k, the cost of tweaks for Dave.

Playback designs is nice, good Ol' Andreas Koch, I can't argue on this one as I've not listened to it, Andreas is respected so I Can see where you're coming from. Hopefully I get to listen to it at some point.

 

[chesebert]

It seems as if you are on a mission to save people from the Dave.

Honestly $21k for an upsampler + linear PSU is kind of stupid, when you can buy the best dac from Playback Designs (it comes with a nice integrated analogue preamp) for the same money - don't you agree?

 

[GuiltyRocker]

Honestly $21k for an upsampler + linear PSU is kind of stupid, when you can buy the best dac from Playback Designs (it comes with a nice integrated analogue preamp) for the same money - don't you agree?

For what it's worth Rob does insist in not changing the power supply, people just don't listen

 

[GuiltyRocker]

I just read the literature of the Playback designs DAC, I am very surprised he is using an apodizing filter, wow. Usually those apodizing filters sound like dirt, now I have to listen to this thing

 

[GryphonGuy]

The word envy comes to mind when all recommendations are not published as owned by the recommender. He never recommends his own gear so he must be deeply unsatisfied with it and by inference seems to want others to be the same about their gear.

So sad.

 

[ardbeg1975]

No, but I have run 768k pggb files on mojo and mojo 2 with amazing results. I have run H2 to mscaler and it was better than without.

Ok, well I’m going to conduct this experiment on Friday out of pure curiosity. I’ll report back results.

 

[chesebert]

I just read the literature of the Playback designs DAC, I am very surprised he is using an apodizing filter, wow. Usually those apodizing filters sound like dirt, now I have to listen to this thing

Playback converts to 16x DSD in 2 steps and they uses a windowed function for one of the conversions. The reconstruction filter at the end of the chain should be a simple LPF. You are thinking about minimum phase filter specifically.

MScaler also uses a windowed function in the digital filter. Except Playback is not charging you for a separate box for that step 1 of the conversion.

 

[GuiltyRocker]

Playback converts to 16x DSD in 2 steps and they uses a windowed function for one of the conversions. The reconstruction filter at the end of the chain should be a simple LPF. You are thinking about minimum phase filter specifically.

MScaler also uses a windowed function in the digital filter. Except Playback is not charging you for a separate box for that step 1 of the conversion.

M Scaler using a windowing function as part of Sinc function, because we don't have infinity to wait for the perfect implementation of sinc function. But yes, I get what you're saying. It is interesting for sure hopefully I can find a dealer around to listen to it. PS Audio does a very similar process of upscaling DSD from all sources and then processing that to analog. Very similar stuff.

 

[chesebert]

M Scaler using a windowing function as part of Sinc function, because we don't have infinity to wait for the perfect implementation of sinc function. But yes, I get what you're saying. It is interesting for sure hopefully I can find a dealer around to listen to it. PS Audio does a very similar process of upscaling DSD from all sources and then processing that to analog. Very similar stuff.

Yes, PS Audio, Emm Labs and PBD all do similar things in broad strokes but the devil is in the details and analog/clock implementation. If you have access to Emm Labs at a dealer (I don’t know if there is any dealer with Emm Labs gear in the US because I always deal with the company directly) you can also try DV2 (but it has a digital volume control which in theory is not as good as an analog preamp).

 

[GuiltyRocker]

Yes, PS Audio, Emm Labs and PBD all do similar things in broad strokes but the devil is in the details and analog/clock implementation. If you have access to Emm Labs at a dealer (I don’t know if there is any dealer with Emm Labs gear in the US because I always deal with the company directly) you can also try DV2 (but it has a digital volume control which in theory is not as good as an analog preamp).

Nice, I'll check.

 

[Meridian7]

...

There's a 2nd hand market so mere regular people can hear the same advantages if they truly wish, I bought HTT2 + MS for 7k and a LiFePO4 batt for MS, end game done. I don't care this dead beaten msrp hate mission and your "rocks work as well" bs reveals your true face, if that wasn't plain carpet acid p*ssing, it's incompetency, or both.

 

[GuiltyRocker]

I'm going to try a battery pack/power bank for the M scaler. What do you guys recommend?

 

[FunkyBassMan]

No, but I have run 768k pggb files on mojo and mojo 2 with amazing results. I have run H2 to mscaler and it was better than without.

H2 to MScaler is really something. I actually prefer it to MDave (though I recognize it's not quite as pure). Boy does it punch.

 

[Reactcore]

I'm going to try a battery pack/power bank for the M scaler. What do you guys recommend?

Try the one Rob now uses..
Its unregulated and switching noise free from one of the outputs.

So I have now tested the Bixpower BP90-12v against the Krisdonia NJF-2 and my very old Poweradd Pilot Pro 2.

Firstly I fully charged it, and ran it into a Hugo M scaler using the 12v unregulated OPs. This gave nearly 10 hours usage (against the Krisdonia of just over 5 hours). This is better than the quoted 100W/hr. Incidentally, I am worried it might get confiscated by airport security as the label says 100W/hr and the limit is 100W/hr. Whether the limit is greater than 100W/hr or includes 100W/hr is unclear. I have printed off Amazon spec sheet which states 99.6 W/hr just in case I get into an argument. Anyway, I won't need to worry about re-charging the powerbank on very long flights now. Incidentally, you can charge and use the 12v OP at the same time.

Listening tests - I ran the listening tests with a Hugo 2 in battery mode, in order to replicate my flights, which is the usage mode of the powerbank.

Against the Krsidonia, the Bixpower was the clear winner - better instrument separation and focus, better depth, and a warmer sound quality.

Against the Poweradd pilot pro 2 it was very much less clear cut. The Poweradd on some tracks made little or no difference against the Bixpower. On other tracks the Bixpower was slightly better, sounding slightly warmer with better depth.

So it's clear to me that the problem is with the Krisdonia, in that it's not got a quality voltage to voltage converter - unlike the Poweradd Pilot pro 2. Unfortunately, the Poweradd is not available any more.

The best solution for flying with the Hugo M scaler is the Bixpower BP90-12v - but it's expensive as it cost, including VAT, shipping and customs some £256 to import it into the UK. I just hope I doesn't get confiscated by an overzealous security guard!

 

[GuiltyRocker]

Try the one Rob now uses..
Its unregulated and switching noise free from one of the outputs.

Interesting...