[Wino]

   
I can't think of a better birthday present.  Happy birthday!

I can… A new Ferrari w/ an Yggy on the passenger seat, haha !

 

[purrin]

Over at another pc audio forum, this poster rated the MSB analog dac above the Ygg.

 
FWIW, I can definitely see people preferring the MSB Analog DAC over the Yggy. There is a reason why people like Hans and I are still keeping NOS or tube old-school R2R DACs around. A more intentionally forgiving and relaxing sound is nice sometimes.

 

[Wino]

   
FWIW, I can definitely see people preferring the MSB Analog DAC over the Yggy. There is a reason why people like Hans and I are still keeping NOS or tube old-school R2R DACs around. A more intentionally forgiving and relaxing sound is nice sometimes.

You make a great point-
 
I will tell you, in Barr's system & more so in mine… the MSB Analog DAC imo, does NOT give up any detail to the Yggy… it just offers up a slightly less crystalline way of doing so-  Also a bit more analog flow and 'meat on the bones'...
 
Keep in mind, this is also w/ the NEW Quad Rate USB module that is being raved about… itself a 1600.00 add on...
 
I suspect that the Yggy may also benefit from 400+ hrs of break-in, like my buddy found on the Bifrost..
 
David

 

[lojay]

FWIW, I can definitely see people preferring the MSB Analog DAC over the Yggy. There is a reason why people like Hans and I are still keeping NOS or tube old-school R2R DACs around. A more intentionally forgiving and relaxing sound is nice sometimes.

Indeed, Purrin's recommendation to me a while ago was to keep both the Yggy and the Analog. There is this smooth seductive quality in the Analog which the Yggy doesn't have. Some might say that the Yggy is more of a truth teller and MSB is more like music, but that might be over simplifying things as it depends on how one likes his music.

For now, with only the Yggy here, I don't think I am missing much. In fact I feel (subjectively with dated audio memory) that the Yggy's stage feels more spacious and is more detail oriented. Wino thinks the MSB is equal in detail but you might need to listen harder- I can't quarrel with that but honestly, the Yggy is very darn revealing.

I didn't have the Quad USB by the way so YMMV.

 

[jfoxvol]

I want my DAC to sound like nothing. I want it to just give me the data and let my amps and headphones do the coloring. I have several amps and cans that I can swap out. I just want a DAC to give the waveforms.

 

[Wino]

Indeed, Purrin's recommendation to me a while ago was to keep both the Yggy and the Analog. There is this smooth seductive quality in the Analog which the Yggy doesn't have. Some might say that the Yggy is more of a truth teller and MSB is more like music, but that might be over simplifying things as it depends on how one likes his music.

For now, with only the Yggy here, I don't think I am missing much. In fact I feel (subjectively with dated audio memory) that the Yggy's stage feels more spacious and is more detail oriented. Wino thinks the MSB is equal in detail but you might need to listen harder- I can't quarrel with that but honestly, the Yggy is very darn revealing.

I didn't have the Quad USB by the way so YMMV.

Great points indeed !
 
I will tell you, I'll bet when you do side-by-sides, you'll concur w/ me, haha...
 
Something I didn't mention before…. I'm 'cheating', giving Yggy the benefit of a better cable…  I'm taking my AQ Diamond USB & swapping between DACs, then switching inputs & JRiver DAC choice… BUT… the Yggy is getting my usual High Fidelity Ultimate RCA ($4900 per meter) & the Analog DAC 'only' the Enhanced (one level lower at $2800 per meter)...
 
David

 

[evillamer]

Speaking of which, the MSB's digital filter runs at 32x, supports up to 27bits DAC and is only 6000taps, with Mu-metal shielding for clock:
 
http://www.msbtech.com/products/32xdf.php?Page=dac4

 

[Wino]

  Speaking of which, the MSB's digital filter runs at 32x, supports up to 27bits DAC and is only 6000taps, with Mu-metal shielding for clock:
 
http://www.msbtech.com/products/32xdf.php?Page=dac4

That page/item is not pertaining to the Analog..  here's more info.. http://www.msbtech.com/products/analogDac.php?Page=platinumHome  more on the Quad Rate USB module- http://www.msbtech.com/products/analogDacUSB.php?Page=analogDac

 

[evillamer]

 

  Speaking of which, the MSB's digital filter runs at 32x, supports up to 27bits DAC and is only 6000taps, with Mu-metal shielding for clock:
 
http://www.msbtech.com/products/32xdf.php?Page=dac4

That page/item is not pertaining to the Analog..  here's more info.. http://www.msbtech.com/products/analogDac.php?Page=platinumHome  more on the Quad Rate USB module- http://www.msbtech.com/products/analogDacUSB.php?Page=analogDac

 
Analog is also using a standard 32x filter:
http://www.msbtech.com/products/dac5comp.php?Page=dac5home

 

[NoPants]

MSB burns so much money in the machining finish it's almost criminal
 
iirc all MSB filters are baked in-house. Probably not the closed-form stuff

 

[skeptic]

I understand the aesthetic appeal of using such thin chassis, but uh, how exactly does MSB fit in all the caps that should be included in the psu in a 5 figure piece of audio equipment?  ARC's reference DAC, for example, has a row of teflons (although these are presumably signal caps in the output stage), various film caps and a whole battery of fat electrolytics.  

 

[Wino]

  I understand the aesthetic appeal of using such thin chassis, but uh, how exactly does MSB fit in all the caps that should be included in the psu in a 5 figure piece of audio equipment?  ARC's reference DAC, for example, has a row of teflons (although these are presumably signal caps in the output stage), various film caps and a whole battery of fat electrolytics.  

Please read more… The Sig. Power Base is a separate unit… All MSB components are made in house.. 
 
http://www.msbtech.com/products/analogDac.php?Page=platinumHome
 
You may be interested to note, someone earlier mentioned that they put their ARC Reference DAC up for sale after receiving his Yggy...
 
David

 

[NoPants]

They properly decouple everything close to the chips like they should, there's no issue with that. The machining expense is mostly coming from doing a unibody chassis, not to mention all the mounting protrusions for their transformers. It probably performs better but at what cost

 

[skeptic]

  Please read more… The Sig. Power Base is a separate unit… All MSB components are made in house.. 
 
http://www.msbtech.com/products/analogDac.php?Page=platinumHome
 
You may be interested to note, someone earlier mentioned that they put their ARC Reference DAC up for sale after receiving his Yggy...
 
David

 
Read more of what precisely?  The "upgaded power base" is exactly the same chassis size as the dac, and my first ebay dac had more apparent capacitance in its psu than the standard analog power supply depicted in the link you provided.
 

 
   That said, nopants knows his stuff, and I'll take him at his word if he says it is a non-issue.  

 

[NoPants]

As a loose guideline decoupling/bypass matters more closer to the devices/chips you're powering, than the crazy amounts of capacitance (relatively) further away at the PSU section.
 
I'll let you decide what kind of decoupling/bypass capacitors sound the best, etc. etc.
 
Ex: if you look at the Yggdrasil's innards you can spot the various caps on each mezzanine board, from the bulk electrolytics to the SMD stuff littered around the digital boards. Similar deal for the analog boards, electrolytics and wimas