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I am not really all that great with reviews of equipment. So rather than write a review I thought I would just comment on my experience with this DAC.
I have been through many DACs in the last few years trying to find something to settle down with. I thought I reached that with the PS Audio Perfectwave II and while it was very nice, seemed quite inferior to the Marantz NA-113. The PS audio seemed to have a constricted soundstage wheras the Matrantz opened up, with larger sized vocals as one may experience with Vinyl playback. I suspect that the issue was more to do with the PS audio being long in the tooth, the rate of change of progress with DACs being what they are.
Prior to this i have owned and listened to the Schiit Bifrost and Gungnir, both of which were superb performers for the price, as well as the Teac UD501 and Micromega MyDac. I have auditioned the latest Cary DAC which was probably the worst sounding of all that has passed through my system.
Ever since I heard the MSB, I just couldnt get over its ease of performance. It has a very natural (to my ears) sound, full of bloom and an image that is both very wide and very deep. It is the digital component that makes me question why I invested in Vinyl. Not because its necessarily better but because I can listen to the DAC for hours without fatigue, where I dont try and figure out how it can be better and all critical listening is suspended and I am allowed into the performance.
This was an expensive DAC (Analog DAC and powerbase). But it is by far one of the best bits of Hi-Fi I have ever bought.
navman
Follow Ups:
Could you please briefly comment on the Teac UD501 and Micromega MyDac?
Never trust an Atom, they Make Up everything!
The Teac was nice but I sensed a veil in the upper frequncies. Wasnt harsh or brittle, but there seemed to be a glassiness to the sound. More "Hi-Fi" than what I would have liked. In comparason the Schiit gear had a more darkerpresentation that I prefer.
The MyDac was put in my secondary system. It really did sound decent but lacked the overall musicality of the shit gear. It seems tyo be doing well in a headphone setup I have at present.
Hope that helps.
navman
.
Never trust an Atom, they Make Up everything!
I have two of these, one untouched and one modded by Modwright and they both sound very good indeed :)
Here ye be :) Unit and power supply...
This is the one I have
navman
..two of these (presumably MSB).
Does the modded unit sound better than 'very good indeed'? (Do you know what was modded).
In your experience, whats the next best DAC (the one you liked until you heard the MSB)?
The lst unit has the following upgrades: Original owner had these done:--24/96 upgrade installed by MSB, engaged by a switch on the rear of the chassis, indicated by an LED on the front panel (cost $259)--Channel Islands Audio analog section upgrade (cost $199), includes cap and Burr-Brown op amp upgrades. Very, very good power supply. Oversized toroids, high quality circuit boards with audiophile-grade diodes, caps, etc. Power switch and cables are on the back of the unit. The front of the unit has one green LED to indicate that the power supply is switched on.--Removed relay at the RCA outs and installed small wire jumpers in its place--which got the relay contacts out of the signal path.
Unit 2 has modified by Dan Wright. This is one of the initial products that Dan Wright began modifying, before establishing ModWright Instruments as a premier maker of high performance amps and preamps. Dan said "We upgraded op-amps, power supplies, capacitors, resistors and simplified and re-designed portions of the analog stage for improved sound. They are great units!"
AFAIK, the MSB Analogue DAC is relatively new. I don't think "24/96 upgrade installed by MSB" has been required/ offered. Moreover, the Analogue DAC was released well after the establishment of ModWright, IIRC.
Cheers.
“As long as we have any intention to be right… we should be wary. So long as words have the slightest ego attachment, they are dishonest.” Charlotte Joko Beck
I think he has older MSB units, the Analog DAC is hardly a year old.
navman
The Analog DAC does not lend itself for easy modification. The parts are potted in a very tight enclosure. The Desktop Power Supply could be worked on, but the Analog Power Base would also be extremely difficult to modify.
.
“As long as we have any intention to be right… we should be wary. So long as words have the slightest ego attachment, they are dishonest.” Charlotte Joko Beck
Thanks v much for a full reply.
everything as he seems to be pretty approachable about his "old" projects :)
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