Hi Johnthomas and hiroshige,
I would like to know more about the MSB S200 poweramp.
What is its sonic character? Is it powerful enough for the TAD Ref1?
I am using a Magico S5 and looking for a poweramp for it.
Many thanks!
MSB Diamond DAC, UMT Plus, Diamond Power Supply has arrived !!
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Hi Johnthomas and hiroshige,
I would like to know more about the MSB S200 poweramp.
What is its sonic character? Is it powerful enough for the TAD Ref1?
I am using a Magico S5 and looking for a poweramp for it.
Many thanks!
I haven't tried the F4, but you are a second person that recommends it ... need to try it.
BTW - how did you like the Ethernet connection via the UMT Plus transport vs USB input ? My dealer swears by going the Ethernet route as the best sounding one.
I asked the same question a few weeks ago, because I was contemplating going the Ethernet streaming via UMT plus, and rsorren kindly did a shootout. If I recall correctly, it was too close to call (i.e. express a clear preference), which for me means the incumbent (USB server) stays, and the UMT plus project was ditched.
I will need to settle it myself then
Always recommended to find out for yourself. I am not expecting night and day difference so when it was reported there was none, I lost interest and feel no need to try it myself. If your experience suggests otherwise this may rekindle my interest. I am also interested in running Dirac on my server, which would rule out the UMT plus streaming approach.
Note that Vince @ MSB sais you need a dedicated PB for the audio section to get the best results. This makes sense, so you could get the $600 standard brick to power your video section, and use the diamond PB for your UMT plus audio section. Better still would be getting dedicated PB for UMT plus audio section, but expensive proposition.
The Diamond Plus DACs do not have any ventilation holes anymore. They went with a heatpipe system to get rid of the heat from the DAC modules. The copper heatpips are connected to the left heatsink.
Its interesting when we talk about the feature of Msb, as my wife and some of my audiophiles said they really dont like the look of Msb, they think the products look cheap but price is very expensive - not equally. Thats why dcs vivaldi stack looks awesome, truly beautiful and also sound wonderful according to my ears.
I sent the msb signature plus stack back to my dealer friend and still wondering is it worth to take the the full diamond line plus. There are several contenders out there at the moment like wadia 9 or stahl tek. I cant reach the 4 boxes vivaldi at the moment with the list price and brand new made for me so I'll leave them alone. The Stahl Tek seems a very very good choice because I see their vekian/opus look better than both wadia 9 and msb.
I dont see many Stahl tek users around, so could anyone please let me know how they sound compared to the msb diamond plus? Someone told me, his ears and taste decide the vekian combo is the best ever - he's not yet listened to the top Opus. Although this is his personal statement but I quite trust his ears. He's not listened to the msb diamond so he cant give me the comparison.
I'm sorry if I am spoiling the topic, but if any of you could answer my question and not want to post here please pm me. Many thanks and best regards, T
I sent the msb signature plus stack back to my dealer friend and still wondering is it worth to take the the full diamond line plus. There are several contenders out there at the moment like wadia 9 or stahl tek. I cant reach the 4 boxes vivaldi at the moment with the list price and brand new made for me so I'll leave them alone. The Stahl Tek seems a very very good choice because I see their vekian/opus look better than both wadia 9 and msb.
I dont see many Stahl tek users around, so could anyone please let me know how they sound compared to the msb diamond plus? Someone told me, his ears and taste decide the vekian combo is the best ever - he's not yet listened to the top Opus. Although this is his personal statement but I quite trust his ears. He's not listened to the msb diamond so he cant give me the comparison.
I'm sorry if I am spoiling the topic, but if any of you could answer my question and not want to post here please pm me. Many thanks and best regards, T
Adam,
Cool, good to know.
sonrock,
Even though I too think the MSB looks cheap, I bought it, as I listen to the music with my ears, not with my eyes And the MSB was clearly superior, to my ears, than the dCS. Visually it's another story, as you know...
Don't have any experience with the Stahl Tek or Wadia. But you might want to avoid the Wadia, since the company is not supporting it anymore, and has no plans for more hi-end DACs.
As you found out from your friend, most people that have a "best DAC ever" never heard an MSB. And those that did hear one, consider it (the MSB) the "best DAC ever"
alexandre
Cool, good to know.
sonrock,
Even though I too think the MSB looks cheap, I bought it, as I listen to the music with my ears, not with my eyes
And the MSB was clearly superior, to my ears, than the dCS. Visually it's another story, as you know...Don't have any experience with the Stahl Tek or Wadia. But you might want to avoid the Wadia, since the company is not supporting it anymore, and has no plans for more hi-end DACs.
As you found out from your friend, most people that have a "best DAC ever" never heard an MSB. And those that did hear one, consider it (the MSB) the "best DAC ever"
alexandre
I have heard the original Vekian...full stack. Excellent and tremendous clarity. If you go for it, use PAD power cable as I think there is strong voicing between the 2...they are, in effect, co-owned as Mike Stahl is Jim Aud's son-in-law. One of the first digital stacks to [nearly] tempt me away from the Zanden. I have not heard the Opus...I have heard excellent things about it. Some are averse to the S-D technology of the STahl-Teks...maybe that is why I did not go for it in the end...cannot say. But it sure was impressive.
I have no problem with the look of the msb, my wife and some do. But honestly I prefer the msb looks better than the current shape now. I did listen to the msb diamond stack - not plus - as I stated several times before but was not totally convinced. Its pity that my dealer friend doesnt have his full diamond plus here for home demo, thats why I had to try the signature plus stack and also not totally convinced.
I see the msb did something special with my CDs, especially ones which I dont like the sound quality and normally put them in the cdp. But the bottom end as I reported, the signature plus stack didnt satisfy me as my beloved s7i before in the same tracks. I'll take your advice Sir as I see Wadia is out of business now. But the dealer told me they still support for repairing or fixing any issues. At the level of wadia 9, the possibility is very small while the offer is very good.
Its interesting as I couldnt work and just completed reading the full 8 pages regarding new Trinity dac. We're all different that the reason why our reference/best is not also the same. I respect that and have no question about it. My experience so far is msb dacs dont completely satisfy my ears in every aspect despite the fact that they are very very smooth, relax, warm and musical. If they had the bottom end of wadia, everything is done for me and I will purchase the brand new diamond plus without a single question.
On the other hand, I listened to quite numbers of best digital systems out there including the vivaldi, but never heard the Stahl Tek. I believe the wadia 9 still have the wadia virtues while lifting up another level. I've never listened to them but I'm familiar with wadia sound, that gives me confidence when thinking about the 4 boxes.
In my very opinion, when you burn that amount of money on audio equipment, sound quality comes first but also the look is also very very important. You dont want to keep looking at a cheapo box and wondering why you spent mega money on this one while there are something out there could sound similar and a lots better looking. That is just my very own opinion!
I see the msb did something special with my CDs, especially ones which I dont like the sound quality and normally put them in the cdp. But the bottom end as I reported, the signature plus stack didnt satisfy me as my beloved s7i before in the same tracks. I'll take your advice Sir as I see Wadia is out of business now. But the dealer told me they still support for repairing or fixing any issues. At the level of wadia 9, the possibility is very small while the offer is very good.
Its interesting as I couldnt work and just completed reading the full 8 pages regarding new Trinity dac. We're all different that the reason why our reference/best is not also the same. I respect that and have no question about it. My experience so far is msb dacs dont completely satisfy my ears in every aspect despite the fact that they are very very smooth, relax, warm and musical. If they had the bottom end of wadia, everything is done for me and I will purchase the brand new diamond plus without a single question.
On the other hand, I listened to quite numbers of best digital systems out there including the vivaldi, but never heard the Stahl Tek. I believe the wadia 9 still have the wadia virtues while lifting up another level. I've never listened to them but I'm familiar with wadia sound, that gives me confidence when thinking about the 4 boxes.
In my very opinion, when you burn that amount of money on audio equipment, sound quality comes first but also the look is also very very important. You dont want to keep looking at a cheapo box and wondering why you spent mega money on this one while there are something out there could sound similar and a lots better looking
. That is just my very own opinion!I haven't tried the F4 either but I will this week. I took my pictures down since they were to grainy and my foot was in one of them. Alcohol and picture taken aren't a good combo.
It has more than enough power to drive the R1's. Sonically to my ear there isn't one it just sounds crystal clear.
In my very opinion, when you burn that amount of money on audio equipment, sound quality comes first but also the look is also very very important. You dont want to keep looking at a cheapo box and wondering why you spent mega money on this one while there are something out there could sound similar and a lots better looking
Hi sonrock,
I concur with you that if spending that much of money, the look of the dac is important (though not to the extent of very very important).
IMHO Trinity DAC is ugly.
Its list price in HK is USD50k. Why not using maybe 2k to give it a better chassis?
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I've used F4 for a while, and I noticed it smooths things out, so it's good for particularly edgy recordings. Upsampling adds another level of smoothing, but I found it dulls the transient attacks a little bit, so for classical and heavy dynamic music, I just turn upsampling off.
And F4+Upsampling ON is smooth central
By default I keeep at F1+Upsampling ON (with Upsampling Method 1).
Now, did anyone notice a difference between the two upsampling methods?
alexandre
And F4+Upsampling ON is smooth central
By default I keeep at F1+Upsampling ON (with Upsampling Method 1).
Now, did anyone notice a difference between the two upsampling methods?
alexandre
The build quality is excellent - the DAC is milled from a single block of aluminium (much like Ayre components for example). It is much heavier that the picture suggests and the quality of exectution is very good IMO.
The problem is, thay have hired a lousy industrial designer !
Hi Adam,
The round push buttons with blue-ring LED light of Trinity DAC are very common in China-made cheap electrical appliances.
They are less than US$1 per piece! haha
Elberoth, edorr, I did the comparison a few weeks ago between streaming and the USB input. Too close to call for me. I want to stress that the results I got were using an Audioquest Diamond USB cable and I think anyone using the USB input should invest in a high quality USB cable. The cable forum post here has an excellent explanation as to why there is an improvement. Great articles. http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?12169-High-End-USB-Cable/page2.
Yeah I noticed the foot in your pictures but was giving you a break! C'mon man! Alcohol and picture taking not a good combo. Very funny. Let us know what you think of F4 filter.
Thanks for your comments related to F4. I'm liking F4 in combination with up-sampling for "redbook" only. I wonder if my preference for up-sampling and F4 has anything to do with the fact that I still have Watt/Puppy 8 that can get a bit bright in the treble range; "Smooth Central" to use your words. I have tried Up-sampler 2 for a short time. No solid conclusions yet. My initial thought was that it had the effect of moving the performance forward toward the listener as opposed to the performance coming from slightly behind the speakers.I've used F4 for a while, and I noticed it smooths things out, so it's good for particularly edgy recordings. Upsampling adds another level of smoothing, but I found it dulls the transient attacks a little bit, so for classical and heavy dynamic music, I just turn upsampling off.
And F4+Upsampling ON is smooth central
By default I keeep at F1+Upsampling ON (with Upsampling Method 1).
Now, did anyone notice a difference between the two upsampling methods?
alexandre
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