[skids929]

I remember a video where the guy from Audio Note says their DAC measures like a "bag of nails" but sounds awesome for music. I respect that.

Yeah they don't measure well at all, but I'll let the ASR weirdos figure that out.

 

[skids929]

I’m still waiting to find out more about the Grimm Audio MU2. Great reviews but don’t look like there are many in the wild.

Listen to a Tambaqui with a MU1 and you will know exactly how it sounds since thats all the MU2 is.

 

[chesebert]

Anyone here bought the Merlot on Agon? CFA3 + Merlot is a beautiful combo with great synergy and a bargain for sub $10k.

 

[rjc1845]

I’m still waiting to find out more about the Grimm Audio MU2. Great reviews but don’t look like there are many in the wild.

After waiting 3 months my MU2 finally arrived last week. Very impressed with it right out of the box.

 

[Whazzzup]

so, at some point ill look into a dac upgrade, maybe something will break and opportunity will knock. mpd8 looks very intriguing as well as msb premier up at similar price points. any thoughts by officianados about these....

 

[IanB52]

so, at some point ill look into a dac upgrade, maybe something will break and opportunity will knock. mpd8 looks very intriguing as well as msb premier up at similar price points. any thoughts by officianados about these....

Not an exact comparison, but I had an EMM Labs DA2, which is very similar to the MPD-8 save for power supply, output sample rate, and the exact upsampling algorithm, next to an MSB Discrete. The DSD DACs are faster and smoother, and have a bigger soundstage. The MSB is warmer, richer, and "chunkier".

The best example I can describe is a steel string guitar strum. On the the EMM you hear each string in seperate time, like the timing is disected to the micro-level, and all the strings sound slightly rounded. Timbre is neutral. Feel is very fluid and unrestricted.

With MSB you hear the entire strum at once, as a single musical event, and with a digital sharp edge, but the timbre is very warm, weighty, and analog. Feel is weighty and propulsive, but also restrained compared to the DSD dacs. Sort of a midrange euphoric "gooey" quality, where with EMM everything is seperate and set free.

 

[chesebert]

Not an exact comparison, but I had an EMM Labs DA2, which is very similar to the MPD-8 save for power supply, output sample rate, and the exact upsampling algorithm, next to an MSB Discrete. The DSD DACs are faster and smoother, and have a bigger soundstage. The MSB is warmer, richer, and "chunkier".

The best example I can describe is a steel string guitar strum. On the the EMM you hear each string in seperate time, like the timing is disected to the micro-level, and all the strings sound slightly rounded. Timbre is neutral. Feel is very fluid and unrestricted.

With MSB you hear the entire strum at once, as a single musical event, and with a digital sharp edge, but the timbre is very warm, weighty, and analog. Feel is weighty and propulsive, but also restrained compared to the DSD dacs. Sort of a midrange euphoric "gooey" quality, where with EMM everything is seperate and set free.

I think that's directionally true. I have 1 PBD and 2 EMM Labs and they sound different in different systems and are on the spectrum of analog, weighty, warm, rich to separate (hi-fi), neutral, expansive sounding. What remain the same are neutral timbre, fluid and no digital sharp edge. I have different streamer/transports and different amps. They all sound great but different.

 

[IanB52]

I think that's directionally true. I have 1 PBD and 2 EMM Labs and they sound different in different systems and are on the spectrum of analog, weighty, warm, rich to separate (hi-fi), neutral, expansive sounding. What remain the same are neutral timbre, fluid and no digital sharp edge. I have different streamer/transports and different amps. They all sound great but different.

Not everyone does, but I definitely prefer this presentation because the bass just sounds right to me, low ear-fatigue, and that transient-accurate fast and fluid sound.

 

[Whazzzup]

yup mpd 8 next year, i hope..........

 

[chesebert]

I will be able to get MPD8 when I consolidate my 2 identical systems into one .... in 5 years In the mean time, Merlot is the next best thing. I have heard from others that MPD6 is more forward sounding than either Merlot or MPD8 so in my mind MPD8 is the only upgrade path from Merlot. Merlot is very very good already - especially for headphone use.

 

[chesebert]

Hot take on Mass Kobo and Meitner MA3. Only spent 30min so impressions are not final. Spent some time with Mass Kobo 465 and Meitner MA3. To be honest I am a bit disappointed based on my initial impression. MA3 was less harmonically rich, dense and dynamic than my dac2xv2. I think Merlot also sounded better to me than MA3 and definitely more musical. Well, that's strike 1 against MA and Mass Kobo 465. Two more chances for MA3 and Mass Kobo 465 to prove themselves

 

[skids929]

Hot take on Mass Kobo and Meitner MA3. Only spent 30min so impressions are not final. Spent some time with Mass Kobo 465 and Meitner MA3. To be honest I am a bit disappointed based on my initial impression. MA3 was less harmonically rich, dense and dynamic than my dac2xv2. I think Merlot also sounded better to me than MA3 and definitely more musical. Well, that's strike 1 against MA and Mass Kobo 465. Two more chances for MA3 to prove itself

I have the Total DAC D1 Unity in here now and the Aqua La Scala...Doing the same thing. Thought highly of the LS (La Scala) at first but upon extensively listening it lack bass in my system, like really lacks bass. The Total DAC is mind blowingly good in every possible way. End game DAC for sure.

 

[IanB52]

Hot take on Mass Kobo and Meitner MA3. Only spent 30min so impressions are not final. Spent some time with Mass Kobo 465 and Meitner MA3. To be honest I am a bit disappointed based on my initial impression. MA3 was less harmonically rich, dense and dynamic than my dac2xv2. I think Merlot also sounded better to me than MA3 and definitely more musical. Well, that's strike 1 against MA and Mass Kobo 465. Two more chances for MA3 and Mass Kobo 465 to prove themselves

I haven't heard the the Mass Kobo 465, and don't know how the MA2 and MA3 stack up, but I suspect the issue with MA3 is the internal noise from having a network card. I think even the DA2/DV2 suffer from this somewhat despite being superior from previous generations in other ways, by virtue of having a USB input. Even as DAC design improved, they keep adding noisy inputs and processor cards.

 

[chesebert]

I haven't heard the the Mass Kobo 465, and don't know how the MA2 and MA3 stack up, but I suspect the issue with MA3 is the internal noise from having a network card. I think even the DA2/DV2 suffer from this somewhat despite being superior from previous generations in other ways, by virtue of having a USB input. Even as DAC design improved, they keep adding noisy inputs and processor cards.

I added a galvanic isolator in front of the USB input but I actually use the SPDIF input. I am also contemplating getting the latest Berkeley Alpha USB 2 to see if I can get the best out of USB. So the chain will be USB source —> ifi igalvanic -> iUSB 3 with upgraded PSU and separate USB cable for 5v line -> Berkeley Alpha USB2 -> Spdif input into emm labs.

That looks like a lot of pieces to clean up USB

 

[IanB52]

I added a galvanic isolator in front of the USB input but I actually use the SPDIF input. I am also contemplating getting the latest Berkeley Alpha USB 2 to see if I can get the best out of USB. So the chain will be USB source —> ifi igalvanic -> iUSB 3 with upgraded PSU and separate USB cable for 5v line -> Berkeley Alpha USB2 -> Spdif input into emm labs.

That looks like a lot of pieces to clean up USB

I use the Optilink connection with my DA2, which is about the best you can do for electrical isolation. Streaming via ethernet is the noisiest but, I think simply having the processors inside the DAC for ethernet, and to a lesser extent USB, probably generates noise.