Playback Designs MPS-X - any user impressions?

[rhyno]

wondering if i can sell my Aurender W20se and stream Qobuz directly from my switch using 3rd party app linked to the PD MPS-X (i know manual says yes, but Hi Fi Advise says it didn't work).

Have the Edelweiss dac. Love the thing

 

[Rumpole]

How do you like the synergy of the PBD MPS-8 with the AGD amps? I have the PBD Streamer-IF that I am using with the Benchmark DAC3B via SPDIF. When I get the Dream DAC I will use the fibre optic of the Streamer-IF. What streamer are you using? This streamer even using SPDIF is in the class of the Lumin X1 and Sonore OpticalRendu (both via fibre optic).

Replying here to the conversation about the PBD in the CODA thread.

The system is still fairly new, and I'm still breaking in the Duet monoblock amps. I have the PBD MPS-8 with variable volume controls using Mogami copper XLR interconnects to the new AGD Duet monoblocks, and YG Hailey 2.2 speakers with Acoutsic Zen Satori shotgun cables. These are all new to me, within the last few weeks, so I'm still getting used to them (previously Sonus Faber EA3 speakers with Pass INT-25 amp and an Accustic Arts CDP). I very briefly had the Boulder 866 amp instead of the Duets, and will switch that back in at some point to compare to the Duets. It's difficult to say right now how much of the difference is the speakers vs the amps vs the new MPS-8. I'll post more after the system settles. But I am curious how adding a preamp, maybe a tube preamp, might work with this system. I'm not yet streaming but will add the MPS-X streamer at some point.

I previously had tube amps and preamps with Sonus Faber speakers, and the Pass INT-25 was a good transition from tubes for the SF speakers. Taking the next step now with the YG speakers, there are major improvements in bass, imaging detail, clarity. The AGD amps have been described as having a warm sound, and I think that combined with Playback Designs DAC, I'm not really missing the warmth of Sonus Faber and tubes, although I'm still curious what effect introducing a tube preamp might have.