It's easy! Each clock is made up of two independent clocks but only one is used at any given time so as not to add unwanted noise to the circuit. I have listened to MSB Analog DAC and Diamond DAC IV but not in the same setup as DAVE. Well this is going to set the cat amongst the pigeons for sure. I called the distributor and we went through everything again. Right now my favorite music player is from the same manufacturer of the Phasure NOS1a DAC: Stealth LPS running XXHighEnd software; again with the same caveat that I haven't heard a lot of the other highly regarded music players in my system. As it stands, the Discrete offers a very good solution should you be a music lover that plays only digital files and you can go straight into a power amp. The Discrete Power Supply feeds the DAC with dual low-noise power streams that are linear and independent. When you get the chance to hear Chord DAVE, try playing files bit perfect instead of upsampling them to DSD256 with HQPlayer. Aurender N10 is still not a USB only dedicated streamer so you will not hear what USB audio is fully capable off through Ms/Dave. Btw, my MSB friend and I used the internal analog preamp for MSB and built-in digital preamp for DAVE. Wavedream only has a couple hours on it, but from the first note it Price 9k in the U.K. Triangle Magellan Concerto 2< AQEverest< Vitus Audio SS-010 Mk2< AQDragon High Current< AQWELXLR< ChordQutestDAC w UpTone JS-2 & AQ Dragon Source < AQDiamond USB< InnuosPhoenix USBwAQ Dragon Source< AurenderN100H & AQ Dragon Source< NetGear GS105GESwitch w UpTone LPS1.2< Supra CAT8 Ethernet components, Isoacoustics -> speakers + subs | Adona Eris II rack on Herbie's titanium footers | Fully treated and dedicated 2 channel room. dCS Bartok>Chord DAVE>MSB discrete discreteR2R R2R DAVE BartokdCSBartok The MSB Discrete DAC is an American made Digital to Analogue Converter costing 11,000 plus an extra 1650 for the second external power supply. 2 DAC | Audionet Pre G2 preamp | Audionet Max mono blocks | Vivid Audio Giya G2 Series 2 | 4 JL Audio Fathoms | Echole ICs /SCs / Siltech Classic 550L jumpers, Shunyata PCs / Eth. Too many DACs> Too many amps> Too many headphones. The sonic signature is detailed and yet easy to listen to, with the Discrete bringing a sense of the recordings scale (big or small) to the listening experience. As I listen to this tune a few times it strikes me that the Discrete is just that (discrete), it doesnt seem to add a great deal of itself to the file it is playing. As the noise in my system keeps getting lower, the PM2 keeps reaching deeper to find even more musical engagement and purity in standard 16/44 files. CHORD Dave could be the most expensive deeply design DAC in the world and if you find it not your taste there is the best off the shelf DACs like akm4499 in Topping D90 for 699$ that could be even better than Dave. Does anyone have formula for that? Perhaps you should consider the Accuphase DC-37 currently for sale in the classifieds? For sure with Hugo and Qutenot even debatable. You are using an out of date browser. The Premier is a super-high-resolution, completely silent, utterly dynamic component that lets music flow through it less hindered than through anything else I've heard. Elevator Pitch Review: Built in America, the MSB Discrete is a modular DAC that also acts as a preamplfier, though, as supplied, it has no analogue inputs. Yes, you read that right, the Select DAC is the best part of 121,000! Look, says I theres obviously a fault with this unit as its lighting up, I can see it on the network and I can send tunes to it via the Stack streamer and Roon! We went through everything and I was getting ready to pack it up and send it back when I reached around the back of one of the PSUs and switched it on MUSIC!!! Mind you, I have chipless DSD with 1 bit processing, so the bar is set VERY high for me. The Discrete is a genuine high fidelity DAC and a fabulously built one to boot, add in the modular input flexibility and you have a pretty stunning product with excellent future proofing. Mola Mola is another well built great sounding Right now my favorite DACs in my system are the Pacific Microsonics Model 2 (for PCM), Phasure NOS1a (for PCM), Meridian Ultra (for MQA), and the Playback Designs MPS5 (for DSD128). Ok, I looked a prat but it proves that the separate PSUs are actually doing something rather than being there for show, though they do look rather cool in themselves. The world's largest high-end audio community. Once you add the second discrete PS, and a module or two for it to work, the price goes over $23-24K. We have what I consider to be a pretty resolving system, but we also listen to music a fair old bit for pure pleasure and so theres a valve amp currently feeding our chosen reference loudspeakers though thats not to say this system isnt highly resolving in its own right. https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-rothschild-70aab85/, Headphones and Personal Audio with Pitch Perfect Service. For some folk, a highly resolving and accurate system may well be described as being over-analytical, and on the other side of the audio fence, some will suggest that some systems sound nice but flawed. MSB DACs also use a processing chip to handle oversampling and digital filtering (not sure if this chip is an FPGA or other type processing chip, but it is a high speed digital processing chip). MQA decoding I'm super happy with my Esoteric N-01, which is a noticeable step up in quality/musicality from the DAVE - as yes the DAVE sounds a bit "thin" (though extraordinarily detailed). Thanks for the interesting reply, cmarin. The MSB simply sounded more real to my ears and offered a more convincing soundstage and tonality and all the tiny informations in the music where integrated in the musical flow whereas the DAVE simply sounded flat and not realistic to my ears and even lacked those tiny informations. Auction bid 7 150 25 . The clock can be seen as being the heart of the DAC and once again the clocks are made in-house. Theyre not limited by audio formats, sample rates, or even speed. How is Chord Dave? | Super Best Audio Friends Yeah, im thinking a post lock-down GTG is in order. I expected a lot better. With a better matched preamp presence may be acceptable. You're very polite about how you describe your preferences, cmarin. list the Rockna Wavedream Edition sounds this good, how good does their If I want to build a complicated system, I won't consider DAVE because for the position of DAC, I can choose from other brands (Totaldac, NADAC, Rockna, Prismsound 8XR etc) at the same price. Good points by all. If you go reference you will never look back. Still, it's the way I prefer at this stage. Height with feet: 68 mm Weight: 8.2 kg, Accessories included: Manual Remote control Aluminum MSB USB charging cable 4 X Spikes and Cups 4 X plastic inserts Power connector splitter, MERASON FRROT DAC REVIEW The Merason Frrot DAC costing 995 isn't the first thing that comes to mind when we think of Switzerland. Cs | Critical Mass CS2s -> components, Isoacoustics -> speakers + subs | Adona Eris II rack on Herbie's titanium footers | Fully treated and dedicated 2 channel room. 2 are upscalers , not upsamplers. Put simply, your DAC is ready for the future. Personally we have A/B 76 different digital front ends.. Your web browser does not support iFrames. I was upgrading it in this order and still could not believe every time it sounded better. This is a company that is All American and fiercely proud of that fact. I don't like Dave with or without upsampler but I do like Auralic G2 with their upsampler and clock. Copyright Hifi Pig and Hifi Pig Magazine, Big Pig Media LLP. Powered by Invision Community. I've had many world class DACS in my studio over the years and the Crane Song is as good as any no matter the cost. I recently bought a DAC with a digital volume control precisely to bypass the preamp, but when I compared the two approaches there was very little between them. I hope to also have an opportunity to listen to a T+A DAC8 (for DSD512) and a Chord Dave (DSD256) in my system soon (with HQPlayer). I've sometimes heard people say that DAVE is too bright or analytical for them. For example, the chassis for the products are made from North American-sourced metals, and then that is machined using Haas CNC machines that are built in California. In that price range, you would be mad not to add the MSB Premier DAC to your list as well. Never use!! At $20,000 I recommend the MSB Premier DAC with two power supplies (KeithRs system). The Premier DAC Features - MSB Technology Didn't like it at all. The SQ from DAC headphone output is lower than the best headphone amplifier but that kind of amplifier costs close to DAVE itself. msb discrete dac vs chord dave - 1click3d.com It features the very best conversion technology available, using proprietary techniques never seen before, making DAVE the most advanced DAC/preamp amplifier in the world. Snookered into the Chord Electronics Hugo TT2? - A Review For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. This kind of sound really appeals to me and was really excellent to experience on lots of tunes, but was especially evident on tracks from Rumours with every part of the mix being identifiable as unique. You are using an out of date browser. At this kind of price, it puts Chord DAVE as being direct competition and I said that DAVE was the best DAC Id heard back in 2018. The next module is the display which is a cool and easy-to-read LED that is slaved to the audio clock. It is an unassuming but very nicely put together component that has had a great deal of thought put into the architecture of the parts that make it up. Dave gets a "thumbs up" overall from me though. You must log in or register to reply here. I have a PS Audio DSD ATM and it is also on the warm side which is good, but I'm thinking I need something more neutral due to my speakers being fairly warm and full bodied in their own right to take my system to the next level. the Extreme has some special optimization for USB. had if for 2 years now. Additionally, MSBs robust in-house design enables the finest quality playback of PCM and native DSD, while our low impedance circuitry drives your amplification directly without adding coloration or buffering noise. I havent heard the Rockna. An FPGA does not have analog output, in the Chord DACs, the FPGA handles digital processing only, not conversion from digital to analog. 5 other people who only have 2 things in common with our system. The BADA Ref is a great DAC and I understand the new version takes it to even another level. MSB Technology Discrete Modular DAC Page 2 | Hi-Fi News MSB thrives off the innovation required to meet consumer demands. Impedance 100 Low Gain setting. JavaScript is disabled. it just complimented my system better than those other two. Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers, A healthy approach to understanding measurements, After being asked for the 308th time, Merv lists top 5 headphones, $1000 to the first to design a headamp using discrete components with better measurements than Magni 3+, http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f6-dac-digital-analog-conversion/chord-dave-29757/#post579518, (You must log in or sign up to reply here.). More sharing . Too objective for subjectivists; too subjective for objectivsts. and as I said earlier there is no "best" when it comes to dacs or Audiogon Discussion Forum Complete electrical isolation Digital inputs : RCA coax, AES/EBU XLR, 2x Toslink optical, 2x module slots, word . Click here to download your copy, At 11000 plus taxes as tested the Lampizator Big 7 is certainly no budget DAC, but does it deliver on sonic ability? It is not hard to audition these DACs in Melbourneand this is your best way to work out your own preference. The other stand out dacs that we like are the I actually like the simplicity of this and it is very intuitive to use when you get into setting up and menu diving, though diving is over-egging it a bit as the Discrete is a doddle to set upif you do it right, but more on that in a while. This latter recording gets played to death at shows, but that doesnt detract from it being a very good tune and a very good recording, though I have been known to take the piss a bit when it gets played for the tenth time in a day at audio events. It is not hard to audition these DACs in Melbourneand this is your best way to work out your own preference. The lo-res display also makes menu ]set-up fiddly because it doesn't have enough space to display words. Thirdly, having suggested that the brightness issue may lay elsewhere, I will shortly post a suggested tweak directly to both HMS and DAVE - that I have found to increase the "weight", "solidity" and "analogueness" of the resulting sound. We await Phase 2 where all DACs are assessed using upsampled data via your Lumin U1 to establish ranking and the preferred format through each. connection to the dac chip. Chord Msb Dac Dave Vs Discrete [FZ8OTP] - amministrato.to.it I still did not found better audio source. Lots of time it However, there are also products that manage to straddle both sides of the electric fence (whilst being careful not to electrocute their nether regions) and give us a tremendously enjoyable reproduction of a recording whilst remaining true to the source material. Can it output a Low or High Voltage on a single pin in a bitstream? Personally, I think that both these standpoints have their merits and its going to be a case of you paying your money and you taking your choice. Specifications: Type: Digital to analogue converter with volume control. The Discrete DAC Features - MSB Technology But even with great preamps, a great DAC in a low noise environment, will produce a more transparent sound going direct to the amps than through the preamp. What ice cream do you prefer? It has the option for two PSUs and once you hear with both it becomes a necessity to have both. Sign up for a new account in our community. This latter track is a good track for me to play when listening to new kit as it is basically a drum machine and an acid box and this latter did sound just like a 303 there in the room. MSB Technology's Discrete DAC was the best DAC I'd heard in my systemuntil the MSB Premier showed up. there are others I know about but Ive not heard them recently. Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile. Over the air updates will ensure that your renderer always has the latest capabilities and ultimate convenience. I have enjoyed my time with the MSB Discrete DAC a great deal. frequency response graphs, CSD waterfall plots, subjective gear reviews. digital front ends. Along with an integrated clock, changing this card allows switching between single-ended and balanced outputs. Anyone make that comparison? I did try with just the one power supply and the Discrete remained a very strong performer with the differences being a very slight loss in the sense of separation and definition when listening intently. Since opening our doors in 1986, weve been driven by one goal: to craft an unrivaled listening experience for music lovers across the globe. Get a Lampi Golden Gate Dac and match it with the RK5u4g rectifier and PX25 DHTs or the RK242 DHT. Funny how Rob Watts drones on and on about noise modulation, and then we see his product performing like this.. now one might not exactly call this noise modulation, but it definitely something to avoid, especially given the price tag. Please specify coaxial S/PDiF or optical S/PDiF. I haven't yet come across one DAC that is best and will completely dominate other great DACs across all audio evaluation parameters. "OK, it would be. for instance, the Select II is modular (customers can easily change modules in seconds)so it has the ability to quickly modify its inputs to allow for optimization of various interfaces. This ranking is just my subjective thinking. This effect was evident on track after track but didnt feel like it was overly exaggerated. CHORD ELECTRONICS DAVE | Page 934 - Head-Fi.org Some very good advice here. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by mtoc, Jun 9, 2016. About Chord Vs Dac Discrete Msb Dave . My first serious audio system was Garrard turntable, Fisher Int(SS), ADS bookspeaker bought on 1978. Is this what passes for high end? No matter what ice cream you prefer, I prefer something else. They're very back ordered and are a pro unit with balanced only outputs and no remote but oh my do they sound spectacular. Im sure it does have a flavour of its own, but from my standpoint, it sounds like a very neutral and transparent DAC. Im getting a bit away from the review proper, but Im sure you can see why I have added that little diversion. auditioned the Rockna Wavedream Edition DAC. Both DACs connected directly to power amp using each DACs volume controle. I believe it comes down to Have you thought about hooking up a Blu2 to Dave? There is no such thing as a "FPGA DAC"! I'm also a very patient person and can wait for the right bit of kit at the right price to come up secondhand.