Hi gds, can I further ask that in times when your digital sounded better than vinyl, were you playing physical discs, or ripped files or just streaming Tidal/quobuz? Regards
I typically stream Qobuz (which I slightly prefer over Tidal) through the Cascade, and even that can be mesmerizing. That said, when I spin CDs on the transport, they consistently take things a step further - more natural, more musical, and closer to the feel of real instruments in space. I still need to add a linear power supply to my router and switch, so I expect streaming quality may improve even more. But even as it stands, Qobuz streaming has become truly compelling - I can easily listen for hours.
I typically stream Qobuz (which I slightly prefer over Tidal) through the Cascade, and even that can be mesmerizing. That said, when I spin CDs on the transport, they consistently take things a step further - more natural, more musical, and closer to the feel of real instruments in space. I still need to add a linear power supply to my router and switch, so I expect streaming quality may improve even more. But even as it stands, Qobuz streaming has become truly compelling - I can easily listen for hours.
There is a reason why on my speaker system I still haven't picked up streaming but keep relying on physical CD playback. Streaming can be great, but I don't (yet) want to go to the expense and/or effort to make it so on my system. As you say, CD playback tends to have an easier time to sound natural and musical.
I did say something to the effect this was the most significant upgrade I have experienced, not only in sound but the impact to my wallet might have been implied as well. Open for interpretation…
There is a reason why on my speaker system I still haven't picked up streaming but keep relying on physical CD playback. Streaming can be great, but I don't (yet) want to go to the expense and/or effort to make it so on my system. As you say, CD playback tends to have an easier time to sound natural and musical.
Spot on. Streaming via the Network Renderer module in my MSB Reference Digital Director feeding the Reference DAC sounds more than “good enough” for hours of musical enjoyment and discovery via Roon (Nucleus Plus located elsewhere on my home network). No expensive gadgets or filters used anywhere. Which is why my next digital purchase would most likely be a CEC TL2N transport for physical media (hooked up asynchronously to the Digital Director). Call it a digital performance yardstick. My expectation? There will be no discernible sonic difference compared to my streaming setup (thanks to the Digital Director’s isolation). We shall see.
I still have lots of CDs, some digital music isn’t available via streaming services, and I couldn’t be bothered ripping my disc collection for the umpteenth time to yet another music server product.
For all of my other listening I have an extremely capable vinyl source, including dedicated mono playback. Does vinyl drive my nuts sometimes with noisey and/or off-centre pressings and extremely high cost to get LPs into Australia? Absolutely! That is why I am so satisfied with almost unlimited digital music at my fingertips and at such a high level of performance.
Spot on. Streaming via the Network Renderer module in my MSB Reference Digital Director feeding the Reference DAC sounds more than “good enough” for hours of musical enjoyment and discovery via Roon (Nucleus Plus located elsewhere on my home network). No expensive gadgets or filters used anywhere. Which is why my next digital purchase would most likely be a CEC TL2N transport for physical media (hooked up asynchronously to the Digital Director). Call it a digital performance yardstick. My expectation? There will be no discernible sonic difference compared to my streaming setup (thanks to the Digital Director’s isolation). We shall see.
I still have lots of CDs, some digital music isn’t available via streaming services, and I couldn’t be bothered ripping my disc collection for the umpteenth time to yet another music server product.
For all of my other listening I have an extremely capable vinyl source, including dedicated mono playback. Does vinyl drive my nuts sometimes with noisey and/or off-centre pressings and extremely high cost to get LPs into Australia? Absolutely! That is why I am so satisfied with almost unlimited digital music at my fingertips and at such a high level of performance.
Spot on. Streaming via the Network Renderer module in my MSB Reference Digital Director feeding the Reference DAC sounds more than “good enough” for hours of musical enjoyment and discovery via Roon (Nucleus Plus located elsewhere on my home network). No expensive gadgets or filters used anywhere. Which is why my next digital purchase would most likely be a CEC TL2N transport for physical media (hooked up asynchronously to the Digital Director). Call it a digital performance yardstick. My expectation? There will be no discernible sonic difference compared to my streaming setup (thanks to the Digital Director’s isolation). We shall see.
I still have lots of CDs, some digital music isn’t available via streaming services, and I couldn’t be bothered ripping my disc collection for the umpteenth time to yet another music server product.
For all of my other listening I have an extremely capable vinyl source, including dedicated mono playback. Does vinyl drive my nuts sometimes with noisey and/or off-centre pressings and extremely high cost to get LPs into Australia? Absolutely! That is why I am so satisfied with almost unlimited digital music at my fingertips and at such a high level of performance.
When I was still using the Reference + Director via the Renderer I found that $3,500 for a SwitchX network switch made an enormous difference. I was surprised by the delta. Adding filters and swapping cables, etc., made only minor differences after that.
When I was still using the Reference + Director via the Renderer I found that $3,500 for a SwitchX network switch made an enormous difference. I was surprised by the delta. Adding filters and swapping cables, etc., made only minor differences after that.
Not disputing your subjective observations but the white paper for this particular audiophile network switch, and similar products, is totally unconvincing from a technical standpoint. Sure, it has a quiet linear power supply but that isn’t innovative or even difficult for any electrical engineer to design.
I don’t see how these things act as a switch and a “filter” at the same time? They seem to be mutually exclusive concepts. I wonder how these switches differ from “filtering” products from Aardvark or CAD?
Happy to try such a product in front of my Renderer module in the Digital Director with zero expectation or commitment but I wouldn’t gamble 3,500 USD or more on the outcome. Sadly, in-home trials of such products is non-existent in Australia.
My expectation is that investing MSB Reference DAC + Director money, let alone Cascade DAC money, ought to ensure that tweaks and add-ons are unnecessary for high fidelity music playback.
My expectation is that investing MSB Reference DAC + Director money, let alone Cascade DAC money, ought to ensure that tweaks and add-ins are unnecessary for high fidelity music playback.
That is a reasonable expectation -- from MSB's website: "By outsourcing digital input modules to the Digital Director, the DAC becomes a dedicated conversion engine while the Digital Director manages and isolates all incoming noise. Plus, our proprietary ProISL laser fiber optic connection eliminates noise coupling into the DAC, elevating all digital audio sources to new heights."
While my modest (in relative terms) digital front-end does benefit by further isolation, I would have thought the DD is all the isolation needed, at least in terms of noise coming via the network. My working assumption is that noise also travels via the ground connections and that needs attention. Are the MSB power bases the only ground noise mitigation needed for their DACs?
Not disputing your subjective observations but the white paper for this particular audiophile network switch, and similar products, is totally unconvincing from a technical standpoint. Sure, it has a quiet linear power supply but that isn’t innovative or even difficult for any electrical engineer to design.
I don’t see how these things act as a switch and a “filter” at the same time? They seem to be mutually exclusive concepts. I wonder how these switches differ from “filtering” products from Aardvark or CAD?
Happy to try such a product in front of my Renderer module in the Digital Director with zero expectation or commitment but I wouldn’t gamble 3,500 USD or more on the outcome. Sadly, in-home trials of such products is non-existent in Australia.
My expectation is that investing MSB Reference DAC + Director money, let alone Cascade DAC money, ought to ensure that tweaks and add-ons are unnecessary for high fidelity music playback.
I’ve got a background in electrical engineering and machine level programming, so I get your skepticism. I don’t know the mechanism by which it makes such a large difference, but it does, at least in my system.
I’ve got a background in electrical engineering and machine level programming, so I get your skepticism. I don’t know the mechanism by which it makes such a large difference, but it does, at least in my system.
Good to read about your pragmatic approach. There are too many network/electrical variables to generalize a solution. That leaves us with experimentation. As long as we live in an area where we can get access to in-home demos, then the whole endeavor can be enjoyable (as well as frustrating at times).
Jonathan generously switched to an earlier flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong to personally replace a defective toroidal transformer in my MSB Select II DAC analog powerbase, just in time for my audiophile friends' Thursday afternoon audition, coinciding with their visit to Hong Kong for the High End show. Thank you so much for your exceptional dedication and service!
Jonathan was extremely generous and gracious to have caught an earlier flight than his original itinerary, to rush to Hong Kong in time to personally replace a defective toroidal transformer in my MSB Select II DAC analog powerbase in time, before my audiophile friends visited on Thu afternoon to audition my system coinciding with their arrival in Hong Kong for the High End show
If you have a Cascade setup with the I2s module going to a PS Audio CD/ SACD transport, will it play the SACD level through the Cascade system with Director? I know if using PS Audio system it will play it.
If you have a Cascade setup with the I2s module going to a PS Audio CD/ SACD transport, will it play the SACD level through the Cascade system with Director? I know if using PS Audio system it will play it.
