[FredA]

Hi, could someone tell if there is a visual difference between DA7 v1 and v2? Just received v2 boards but can't notice any difference...
Thanks for help

I can't see any difference from the pictures. I thought the layout was different before today. It seems like the same pcb.

Some parameters have changed (invisible) and some of the hw is different. Maybe the switching chips, see the writings on them.

Could be underneath as well.

 

[Chopin75]

I've never listened to the Yggy2, only the original. It has a seductive tonality, colored, pleasant but not accurate.

It is my opinion that all high-end equipment should be accurate and neutral, which is why I don't put the Yggy in the same league as neither the R7 nor Terminator. OTOH the Terminator was slightly colder than neutral, not in a sterile way, more in a refreshing way.

If we are talking about MSB DACs, which, at one stage I thought they were the "king of the hill" DACs, at least a lot of people do. They have 4 DACs, Discrete, Premier, Reference, Select.

I would put the Terminator between the Premier and Reference (closer to Reference) and the R7 above the Reference, but as I have never listened to MSB's TOTL Select DAC, I can't comment how close it is to it. The Yggy would be well below the MSB Discrete DAC.

Did I read this wrong? MSB Reference is $39000, and R7 beats it ? How did it beat this super expensive R2R DAC with separate LPS ??

 

[Jabba]

I owned both the Iggy v1 and MSB Analog DAC. Sounded thin and dry in my system but vocals were great. The Analog DAC had a similar sound character as the Iggy v1 but more low-level resolution. Much preferred the old M7's dynamic presentation and ample bass!

The Iggy v1's mute relays on sampling rate changes drove me crazy (hated and loathed). Plus the excessively l-o-n-g warm up period. And the single ended outputs did not sound as good as XLR. Other than USB interfaces MSB's technology hasn't been improved upon in years (but haven't checked in quite a while).

Interesting info, I never heard yggy1, only yggy a2.
If the msb analog and yggy 1 sound thin is not positive.
Since the yggy a2 is said to be warmer and less dry.
Then I think yggy 1 and msb analog may be to dry and thin for me since I didn't want a dryer and thinner sounding dac than yggy 2.

 

[FredA]

Did I read this wrong? MSB Reference is $39000, and R7 beats it ? How did it beat this super expensive R2R DAC with separate LPS ??

Could it be that it is a bit dated and somewhat overpriced? Just my 2 cents...

 

[Jackula]

Did I read this wrong? MSB Reference is $39000, and R7 beats it ? How did it beat this super expensive R2R DAC with separate LPS ??

I know one of the designers of the MSB DACs (well not personally), if they were to sell their products at 25% of the retail price, they would still make a profit. The reason is they are selling them as luxury items, you are not buying just a DAC but the brand name as well.
Now 25% is still a lot, and it's mostly due to the way these DACs are built - the manufacturing process that goes into them is much more expensive than Audio-GD's products, if you put them side by side, even someone who isn't an audiophile will see that the MSB is the better looking product, the build quality is much better - but, "build" doesn't correlate to sound quality.

On the other hand, Kingwa's margins are much lower, he doesn't factor his R&D costs into his products and let's admit - his products are not the best looking.

 

[FredA]

Another observation about the sound of the HE. Although the resolution step from my original r2r-7 is there, it is well integrated. Nothing is forced, it is not trying to show off. Just a clearer version of the same sound, only smoother.

 

[Jabba]

I heard several r2r dac's from last century that sounds very good and better than all other dac's I heard so far regardless of price except the yggy a2.
So age is not necessary a negative factor,
USB tech could be a big influenser though (I use a Gustard u16 with toslink to my "vintage" dac).
The r7 could be much better than all dac's I heard of course, that I don't know.
And I really hope so since I'm thinking of buying one.
.

 

[Chopin75]

Could it be that it is a bit dated and somewhat overpriced? Just my 2 cents...

No, the website still states same price:

http://www.msbtechnology.com/dacs/

Even if they were to drop the price
can't be any much cheaper if already at $39000

 

[DACLadder]

Hi, could someone tell if there is a visual difference between DA7 v1 and v2? Just received v2 boards but can't notice any difference...Thanks for help

That's a good question. The V2's had better looking to cover plates with matching screws versus my V1 boards. I did not see any board markings that stated V2 or V1. Anyone know definitively how to identify the V2 boards?

 

[Chopin75]

Has anyone tried such filter cable ? :

https://www.digikey.com/product-det...c/IF13-SE-H05-3100-WF-200/817-2295-ND/9450878

I tried one of these and it really makes a great difference in SQ! Much more organic, less grain, and better sound stage, more analogue, reduced harshness/hardness

I put it in R2R7 and also in my PC. It helps in both situation.

I was testing with NOS1, and NOS2.
The hardness/harshness sometimes with NOS1 is lessened. and it smoothened NOS2 quite a bit too.

 

[davidnow]

Thank you for your answers @FredA and @DACLadder

Kingwa kindly answered to my question :
"From the outside, you can look at the ladder resistors, the V2 most with 203 and 103 resistors .
The V1 most with 103 and 4991 resistors.
This is the obvious different on them.
Others layout different is diffcult to see from outside."

When you look at V1 boards, the resisturs in the middle row are labelled 4991 and on the V2 they are labelled 1002 (or 2001)

 

[DACLadder]

@davidnow Thanks for the information. I checked my V1 modules and they have 1002 and 4991 resistors. The value changes look correct as the last number is the number of '0's to add to state the resistor value: 1002 = 103 = 10000 ohms/ 10K ohms. 4991 = 4990 ohms = 4.99K ohms. The V2 modules have 1002 in the middle flanked by 2002 = 20K ohm on each side.

 

[DACLadder]

The V2 DAC modules installed 2 months ago are still maturing. Sounding better (smoother, less grainy) on the loudest, hardest hitting musical passages. Slowly evolving...

 

[DACLadder]

My third set of Accusilicon XOs arrive today from Audio GD. Destined for my old, old Master 7 (2013) with Singularity digital board (2017) that I will make ready to sell to some lucky person. Will probably change the analog boards op amps as well. My other PCM1704 DAC (S7) is the desert island DAC and a keeper.

The internal Singxer F1 IN6 and SU-6 IN5 HDMI I2S were compared using TDA Asy DAC firmaware. The SU-6 is touch more transparent. Slight vagueness with the F1 that you can notice in vocal sibilance, note attack (cymbals), and narrower soundstage. The F1 sounds very good though but R7 is so revealing that it is easy to spot the differences.

The Gustard U16 and Singxer SU-6 HDMI I2S are kings of the DDCs. Both sound great with the modded R7! I'm still using the $12.50 SU-6 switching power supply. I see no reason to swap at this time.

 

[FredA]

My third set of Accusilicon XOs arrive today from Audio GD. Destined for my old, old Master 7 (2013) with Singularity digital board (2017) that I will make ready to sell to some lucky person. Will probably change the analog boards op amps as well. My other PCM1704 DAC (S7) is the desert island DAC and a keeper.

The internal Singxer F1 IN6 and SU-6 IN5 HDMI I2S were compared using TDA Asy DAC firmaware. The SU-6 is touch more transparent. Slight vagueness with the F1 that you can notice in vocal sibilance, note attack (cymbals), and narrower soundstage. The F1 sounds very good though but R7 is so revealing that it is easy to spot the differences.

The Gustard U16 and Singxer SU-6 HDMI I2S are kings of the DDCs. Both sound great with the modded R7! I'm still using the $12.50 SU-6 switching power supply. I see no reason to swap at this time.

This is to say you prefer the pcm1704 sound uiltimately?