MSB Technology's New Super Expensive Electrostatic Headphone Amp

[astrostar59]

  Listened today SR-009 with MSB electrostatic amp about 15 minutes.This combo was quite warm sounding and neutral with average soundstage and air.  Stax own amps are slightly better when used with excellent DAC.

Oh dear, how much is the MSB amp for Stats? This is looking bad real bad.....

 

[Mython]

MSB certainly seem to know how to charge more than their competitors.
 
But are their products really better than their competitors?

 

[isquirrel]

Hopefully we will start to see some feedback from the London CanJam soon. MSB are sending the same headphone amp over to yours truly for a coupe of weeks, I will do a write on Headphone Guru about it. I am trying to organise a BHSE for the comparison, if anyone knows someone in OZ who can help please PM me. Many thanks.

 

[astrostar59]

  Hopefully we will start to see some feedback from the London CanJam soon. MSB are sending the same headphone amp over to yours truly for a coupe of weeks, I will do a write on Headphone Guru about it. I am trying to organise a BHSE for the comparison, if anyone knows someone in OZ who can help please PM me. Many thanks.

If you compare to the BHSE try and use NOS Mullards as that will ensure the BHSE performs at it's best. Will you use the 007s and 009s?

 

[bigfatpaulie]

  Hopefully we will start to see some feedback from the London CanJam soon. MSB are sending the same headphone amp over to yours truly for a coupe of weeks, I will do a write on Headphone Guru about it. I am trying to organise a BHSE for the comparison, if anyone knows someone in OZ who can help please PM me. Many thanks.

 
Great to see you around!  I'm looking forward to what surely will be an amazing review!

 

[isquirrel]

  If you compare to the BHSE try and use NOS Mullards as that will ensure the BHSE performs at it's best. Will you use the 007s and 009s?

Not that familiar with the BHSE, what type of tube and where about are they used? I have some NOS Mullard's, hopefully however I hook up with will have gone the tube rolling route as well. I plan on comparing the two Stax Electrostatic systems & will use both 007's & 009's and then compare the best of that to my Woo 234's with NOS valves and 3 TOTL Planners (Abyss, LCD-4, HE-1000) and hopefully a Dynamic HP (Focal). 

 

[isquirrel]

   
Great to see you around!  I'm looking forward to what surely will be an amazing review!

Thanks, its good to be back on my feet. Worth keeping an eye out on Stereo & Mono over the next few weeks, you might see something you recognise.

 

[astrostar59]

 
Not that familiar with the BHSE, what type of tube and where about are they used?

From talking with owners who have (and hearing) the BHSE the NOS Mullards XF1/2/4s 1960s seem to suit it best. Others may chime in, but try to avoid testing it with stock re-issue Mulalrds, it won't be at it's best.

 

[nepherte]

Having heard the SR009 on both the MSB headphone amplifier and the BHSE at Canjam London, I would easily take the BHSE - even with stock tubes - over the MSB. While it wasn't a side by side comparison, I heard the BHSE right before and right after the MSB to get the best optimal conditions I could get at a meet like this. Not sure what MSB expects to accomplish besides having the "most expensive headphone amplifier in the world". At best, you'll get the sound of the SR009 and there's no way you need $37950 for that.
 
I'm also not sure about the whole "you must get the best tubes" discussion here. The stock Mullards are very reliable and sound pretty good. While NOS xf2/xf3/xf4 might provide a minimal improvement, swapping out stock tubes would be the very last thing to do to improve your system.

 

[Klonk]

 
Thanks, its good to be back on my feet. Worth keeping an eye out on Stereo & Mono over the next few weeks, you might see something you recognise.

I see there is also a Chord Dave in the picture of I assume your system on Stereo&Mono. I hope you will compare the Dave against the MSB stack as well.

 

[astrostar59]

  I'm also not sure about the whole "you must get the best tubes" discussion here. The stock Mullards are very reliable and sound pretty good. While NOS xf2/xf3/xf4 might provide a minimal improvement, swapping out stock tubes would be the very last thing to do to improve your system.

Best ask some BHSE owners for a low down on that. I know what I heard. It is great on stock re-issue Mullards but goes a big jump up on NOS Mullards. If the BHSE beat the MSB amp with those tubes, then I am happy about that. It goes to show how good that amp design is.

 

[nepherte]

  Best ask some BHSE owners for a low down on that. I know what I heard. It is great on stock re-issue Mullards but goes a big jump up on NOS Mullards. If the BHSE beat the MSB amp with those tubes, then I am happy about that. It goes to show how good that amp design is.

Let me clarify my post. I am very much aware of the posts here on tube rolling with the BHSE. I agree that there are indeed some subtle (but small) differences to be heard when swapping out tubes on the BHSE. However, in my opinion, these reported differences (for the better or worse) are very much exaggerated. Also note that the amp only uses tubes in the output stage. It is not even designed for tube rolling.
 
On these forums, I read too often things like "wow this 2000$ cable makes so much of a difference with this 1500$ cable".  When I try to spot the differences - if at all possible - it sure as hell takes the fun out of the audition. Things are way over exaggerated and might confuse the unaware buyers that we're talking about very minor differences.
 
I hope this goes without saying: this is simply my opinion. I am not questioning what you heard and how you perceive that.

 

[astrostar59]

 
Let me clarify my post. I am very much aware of the posts here on tube rolling with the BHSE. I agree that there are indeed some subtle (but small) differences to be heard when swapping out tubes on the BHSE. However, in my opinion, these reported differences (for the better or worse) are very much exaggerated. Also note that the amp only uses tubes in the output stage. It is not even designed for tube rolling.

I would do some more listening and talk to owners of the amp. You may change your mind. I heard a great amp go to being truly special with better tubes. It has the tubes on the last stage, but the effect of those tubes is bigger than one might think. 

 

[nepherte]

I would do some more listening and talk to owners of the amp. You may change your mind. I heard a great amp go to being truly special with better tubes. It has the tubes on the last stage, but the effect of those tubes is bigger than one might think. 

Even better, I actually listened to these setups on several occasions... And will be an owner in the near future. I stick to my opinion: the differences are over exaggerated and misleading to newcomers.

 

[astrostar59]

[Quote deleted by Mod]
Oops.
 
I am going to get a demo on an MSB stack in a couple of weeks, probably the current Diamond as the Platinum is no longer in production. I want to see how they stand, and also how my Audio Note DAC 5 Special (old tech) shapes up. Should be interesting as coming from a totally different design strategy. I'll take my 009s and Carbon and some favourite tracks but stick to Redbook res.
 
Right now my attention if I bought another DAC is on the Lampizator Golden Gate which obviously has DHTs but now DSD engine (chipless) and a discrete PCM board which I believe is the Soekris board with mods? Unless the MSB blows my socks off.
 
Thing is I like tubes in a DAC so I can tweak the sound....