Nice and long interview with the two MSB owners, Daniel and Jonathan:
http://www.monoandstereo.com/2018/02/an-exclusive-interview-with-msb.html
http://www.monoandstereo.com/2018/02/an-exclusive-interview-with-msb.html
Good read. I wonder whether their products are really worth that much, seeing as how I've never actually listened to an MSB product.
Good read. I wonder whether their products are really worth that much, seeing as how I've never actually listened to an MSB product.
(...) if you are looking at $3k to $5k dacs, no dac will be worth $90k to you. it's just not relevant. but if you want a dac that challenges better turntables, arms, cartridges and phono stages, then a $90k dac now becomes relevant. and when start figuring out acquisition of media, it can end up even more cost effective relatively.
the MSB Select II does do just that. if 'that' is important.
IMHO "challenges" is not the best word, as it is mainly a question of preference. Curious that the MSB people explicitly tell something I wrote when adressing a specific DSD recording - detail and soundtage. https://www.alia-vox.com/en/catalogue/les-rutes-de-lesclavatge/ or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBKj_5nUXVwhttp:// . BTW, I am still waiting for a reference to a recording of equivalent sound quality and complexity carried and available in analog.
Quoting from http://www.monoandstereo.com/2018/02/an-exclusive-interview-with-msb.html
Question What is your take on the endless debate of analog vs digital?
Answer What sounds better? It always depends on personal preference. We’ve seen digital surpass analog for soundstage and detail, but it will remain subjective. A favorite vinyl will always sound best if it’s your favorite. If you care more about the perfect sound, digital can do one better for reproduction.
Sadly, I had all of two hours with my new Reference a couple of weeks ago before I had one of my 501's fail. (I am now painfully waiting for its return from Switzerland.) However, in that two hours with a DAC (which was obviously not burned in) I was most floored by the sound stage. I have had many novice listeners in my room ask "where exactly are all the speakers in the front walls" when listening to my analog set up which images exceptionally well IMO. The Reference was on a level I have not experienced before from digital in this regard. Could I ultimately prefer it to my analog? I am skeptical, but can not wait to find out.
"where exactly are all the speakers in the front walls": A friend of mine (non-audiophile) once asked me if my middle tube trap column on the front wall (now covered by an acoustic panel) was a speaker, because she was confused about where all that sound came from. She thought the singer was right in front of her. That was with my old Berkeley Alpha 2 DAC (standard, not Reference). So I don't think a soundstage with great imaging (and depth) should be so special, but then perhaps I am used to monitor/sub systems that image well easily. With large speakers it may be different; I even have heard a digital AES/EBU cable make a profound difference in such a system with regard to size and focus of center image (a solo violin).
Sorry to hear about your 501 mishap. Being fed up with amp failures (which I hope I will not have with my new Octave amp, but you never know) I have now bought a Schiit Vidar as a second amp to still being able to make some music in case. Amazing little (and heavy ) thing for $ 700. Still musically very enjoyable, and quite impressive, even though of course no match for my main amp.
A spare is a great idea......
If nothing else, I commend turn for the modular design. Whether I'll ever get to hear their products is another thing. Also, I think it would be beneficial for them too outsource the design to some other company.
I believe that when you're paying that much for your stuff, top notch design should be included as well, something like Wilson Audio offers.
Yes, it's actually finish that I'm talking about in this context. I'm not talking about the shape, because that's more subjective. If you don't think I should have used Wilson as an example, take Dan D'Agostino. Very nice products as well.and which part of Wilson Audio is the industrial design that you are saying is one to admire? I don't see it at all. Magico? yes. Sonus Fabre? certainly.
i'm not really saying Wilson speakers are ugly, but at best they are functional and very well finished. top flight materials as far as I can see. elegant? no. powerful and ominous? maybe. art they are most definitely not.....by any stretch of the imagination. only that pointing to MSB as wanting, and then holding up Wilson as the target, is messed up.
I would agree that the previous generations of MSB looked lowfi to me, at best midfi. but the current MSB Select II and Reference Dacs are pretty nice industrial design, and their 'milled from solid billet' build quality exceeds all the competition.
Absolutely, it could be a potential downfall for them, but I've seen other companies started applying this approach more and more. Aqua Audio and their Formula DAC is also user upgradable.Modular sounds good in theory, but has a high risk factor for being a limiting circumstance because of space. I hope to see them be able to continually use it, we'll see how good they predicted the feature.
Do you really think they don't have good design? I have not thought that. Could they look better? I guess it depends on whom you ask.
Yes, it's actually finish that I'm talking about in this context. I'm not talking about the shape, because that's more subjective. If you don't think I should have used Wilson as an example, take Dan D'Agostino. Very nice products as well.
Furthermore, let's take one step into the lower priced territory. A Japanese company called Airtight, nice sounding stuff, fit and finish to match.
https://goo.gl/images/H8jnNY
So why can't we have this level of visual design sophistication in $100K products, when we can have it in way lower priced products? In the worst case scenario, they could have hired Airtight to do the design for them and maybe spend 5% of their revenue on that.
This is not unheard of, Samsung makes iPhone displays for Apple. Also, have you seen Steinway-Lyngdorf products? Nothing wrong with that mutual exchange of ideas for mutual profit.
I've only seen the newest all white body once at a show but not heard how they sound. Like I said, taste is subjective, but you will have a much easier time incorporating something like AT into a neo-Victorian or contemporary Italian living room, than the white boxes offered by MSB.have you actually seen an MSB Select II in person? touched it? picked it up?
there is nothing finished like it. period. it is rounded and anodized and does not photograph particularly well. but it really 'pops' visually in person. you want to touch it. and once you hear it you want to own it. it walks it's talk.
obviously I have the three box MSB Select II here in person, with the top of line darTZeel and Lamm gear, Tripoint Elite and Troy Sig, and Studer A-820 too, and it holds it's own in that rarified air.
I guess we simply have different tastes.
Airtight? it's folded sheet steel boxes with pretty grey paint, but nothing to write home about. I do like the look of Airtight; and it photographs well. but build quality nothing even remotely on the level of any of the gear sitting in my room. but taste is personal.
and really; nothing touches the Mark Levinson gear from the late 90's I use to own in terms of elegance. No.33 mono blocks are still the ne plus ultra all time hifi industrial design champs. but it's just 'meh' these days in performance. and Airtight is quite colored in today's vernacular of performance. it's not really competitive with better choices (other than the cartridges). so why do we buy stuff? what are our priorities? maybe it's all WAF and having a cohesive look. just not how I look at things.
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