I wanted to know for anyone who has heard it have you also heard a DAC that approached it in sonic performance? ), Chord Hugo 2 Review (Portable DAC & HP Amp), DAC Noise Modulation: Chord DAVE vs Topping DX7 Pro+, Digital To Analog (DAC) Reviews and Discussion, Amplifiers, Phono preamp, and Analog Audio Review. Dealer's should be required to state they're a dealer every time they post or have a disclaimer in their username. http://www.computeraudiophile.com/members/mikejazz/, funded this campain: http://igg.me/at/geekpulseaudio/x/5216671. I believe it comes down to Both DACs connected directly to power amp using each DACs volume controle. Is it better than the Chord DAVE that I raved about a few years ago? Looks like your budget goes up to ~$20k? DAVE is the most advanced DAC Chord Electronics has ever made. I hope you understand. The Discrete DAC uses two of these modules per unit. Aurender N10 is still not a USB only dedicated streamer so you will not hear what USB audio is fully capable off through Ms/Dave. There is no such thing as a "FPGA DAC"! Roon/Jriver 22 -> Ayre QX-5 Twenty -> Ayre AX-5 Twenty -> B&W N802D (Transparent Cables). In my assessment the Makua offered a more open and spacious sound. It is on kind loan from a member and costs US $14,000. Looking forward to the your additions to the list. $16K Signature DAC sound? Whatever, the Discrete is a superb bit of kit that Id really love to take up residence in the system on a permanent basis, but thats not going to happen. Sonically, it is akin to the old straight wire with gain only in the digital realm. Chord states "DAVE is the most advanced DAC we have ever made. He liked the Mola Mola Tambaqui over these others listed below. Thanks guys! Btw, my MSB friend and I used the internal analog preamp for MSB and built-in digital preamp for DAVE. list the Rockna Wavedream Edition sounds this good, how good does their I can only comment on the Emm labs, if u can get a DA2 I think you will be happy "An audiophile is only done when they go to the great brick and mortar store in the sky" Ron Resnick Well, you may not have heard a lot of high-end DAC's in your system, but the one's you've listed are pretty darned good. It is not hard to audition these DACs in Melbourneand this is your best way to work out your own preference. By - Up to 32 bit - 768kHz. 5 other people who only have 2 things in common with our system. Euphony Summus, EtherRegen, MSB Discrete. The clock can be seen as being the heart of the DAC and once again the clocks are made in-house. Anyone make that comparison? Great Dac but for me a NOS DAC (Metrum Adagio) won the contest over all the others Dacs I have tried so far. Jon Hopkins Music For Psychedelic Therapy was a beautifully enveloping experience, made all the more so as sounds come and go in the soundstage in a somewhat more solid way than without the usual DAC. If you take a look at their website you will see that the machining shop is a fully equipped facility designed to meet the needs of a company producing high-quality cases in which the electronics will be fitted no off the shelf or cheap bent metal cases here! This unit came with two power supplies and Ill be playing with the DAC with one and with two to compare and contrast. But if you don't, what is your reference point? Have you thought about hooking up a Blu2 to Dave? Mola Mola is another well built great sounding Roon Endpoint This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. I had the DAVE for 3years, it is an amazing DAC. The world's largest high-end audio community. let me know when it's on, I'll make my way down if I can. November 11, 2020 in Digital Sources, DACs, and Computer Audio. Lots of time it An FPGA does not have analog output, in the Chord DACs, the FPGA handles digital processing only, not conversion from digital to analog. I just heard DAVE directly connected to MacBook Pro via USB without any expensive cables, headphone amplifier, power conditioner. I've sometimes heard people say that DAVE is too bright or analytical for them. Since opening our doors in 1986, weve been driven by one goal: to craft an unrivaled listening experience for music lovers across the globe. Not sure why you would spend so much on a DAC when the Crane Song Solaris is available at $1,949. And differences at that level can be good. Since this forum is mainly USA based and we are in the UK, I have very little to gain business wise here. I cant help with comparisons of two of these DACs, but I did hear the Tambaqui up against the dCS Bartok and it was a pretty close call, but ultimately the dCS sounded more analogue and more immersive, I have heard the Dave and EMM Labs DAC2x up against aMakua that I subsequently purchased. The Prime DAC Module. It's better than the MSB Analog I listened to. Ill go through the modules included in the Discrete DAC and explain a little about each. Ps Audio Directstream Dac Vs Auralic Vega Founded in 2004, Games for Change is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that empowers game creators and social innovators to drive real-world impact through games and immersive media Here is the list : Trinity Designs [Trinity DAC] TotalDAC [d1-Six] Aqua Acoustic Quality [Formula xHD] MSB Technology [Select DAC II Full Option . I do however like the i2S connection better than any other Anyway, the MSB Discrete is a machine that I consider to be highly resolving and a true HiFi product with regard to the definition I quoted above. The Discrete is around 11,000 whilst the Select is 120,750 with its power base. It is bested easily by DACs at $150. From beginners to life-long hobbyists to industry professionals, we enjoy learning about new things and meeting new people, and participating in spirited debates. So this was headphones straight out of the DAVE? RCA outputs with the optional output module Voltage: 3.57 Vrms Maximum Impedance > 600 High Gain setting. Sounds shrill on my workstation and work laptop. I don't want to waste hifi shops time too much knowing I'll be going second hand either. Thank you, Mike. Thanks for the suggestions Wisnon. CH Precision mono dac with clock and 3 power supplies (7 boxes)----its more spendy---$150k, Merging Technologies NADAC w/power supply and clock---much better now with the clock and power supply upgrades than my previous experience.----around $60k. Still, it's the way I prefer at this stage. Thank you for posting! More sharing . This is purely speculation based on browsing the internet over the years and internalising pro/con reviews from users. retail client forgets that most audio stores and audio distribution companies Thanks. The only true way for the end user to know what they prefer is through listening in their own system. I agree with what you are saying but "far too often" the Bespoke Audio Ultimate Silver TVC passive preamp, Totaldac xlr version D1-Drivers x2, Eisteddfod 340 & 840 amps, Magico S5 speaker, MSB Select DAC, MSB Select Transport, Nakamichi 700 XLE cassette deck, Taiko Audio Extreme Server, Tripoint Troy Signature NG groundbox, PLiXiR Elite 1500 isolation transformers. Elevator Pitch Review: Built in America, the MSB Discrete is a modular DAC that also acts as a preamplfier, though, as supplied, it has no analogue inputs. At $20,000 I recommend the MSB Premier DAC with two power supplies (KeithRs system). As the noise in my system keeps getting lower, the PM2 keeps reaching deeper to find even more musical engagement and purity in standard 16/44 files. It's easy! Rori is definitely welcome. There's 340 pages packed with HiFi Reviews, Industry Interviews and much more. 2. Will do. Can I ask how you procured all those DACs? Hope to try different formats on both DACs to see what works best in my system. I still did not found better audio source. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/, Check the true bit-depth of your files and audio engine, Guide to Subwoofer Calibration and Bass Preferences, Know your limits (Sound Exposure Safety Chart), Topping DX7 Pro+ vs Chord DAVE measurements (Cosmos ADC) - DAVE is better in some areas (surprise! The main reason we took on Rockna was because their Since the Topping D70s SINAD is ~120 dB and it costs ~$650, then given that "money is power" (as opposed to amplitude), I would expect the Chord DAVE SINAD to be at least 120 + 10*log($14,000 / $650) = 133.3 dB. Just go for an internal Asus card to fit in a PCI slot you should be able to get bit perfect optical output thanks for confirming suitability of current setup. Even at very low listening levels, it was clear that the MSB was delivering a clean analogue output to the ampand Im aware that sounds a bit vague. You are using an out of date browser. It could sound analytical or hot coupled with bright combination of speaker and amplifier. Search: Msb Discrete Dac Vs Chord Dave. But digital, potentially, can change things. @ricred1, youre right to point that out. The in-house discrete design is then constructed into its own shielded CNC pocket for optimal isolation. IMHO an audio recommendation in a forum is just an advice on what is worth listening and the reason why we think so. those surpass any other digital choice. Sablon Audio King/Prince power cords throughout. Pass Labs INT-60. Thats not allthe CNC unibody aluminum chassis provides the discrete power supply with optimal thermal performance and an elegant design aesthetic. So take it for what it is. You're very polite about how you describe your preferences, cmarin. Complete electrical isolation Never say never, but I reckon 99.9% of folk would get to the Discretes level of performance and not be able to justify another 110K to achieve, what I am guessing would be marginal gains though I have not experienced the Select and so cannot say for sure that this would be the case and it may be a total revelation is sonic engineering. The end result is a digital experience defying expectations. Any owners around here? Would I pay extra for the second supply? and our ears are completely different. Auction bid 7 150 25 . 1 - MSB Discrete 2 - dCS Bartok 3 - Mola Mola Tambaqui 4 - Chord DAVE (add the M Scaler later) 5 - Keep my Ayre QX-5 Twenty, do nothing Thanks! Additionally, MSBs robust in-house design enables the finest quality playback of PCM and native DSD, while our low impedance circuitry drives your amplification directly without adding coloration or buffering noise. connection to the dac chip. Cs | Critical Mass CS2s -> components, Isoacoustics -> speakers + subs | Adona Eris II rack on Herbie's titanium footers | Fully treated and dedicated 2 channel room. what Im saying is that comparing dacs also must take into account of all the interface advantages of each particular dac. Theyre not limited by audio formats, sample rates, or even speed. When a dealer post something you have to take it with a enormous grain of salt. The dCS Bartok was also interesting but, based on my research, I kept coming back to Bricasti. This kind of sound really appeals to me and was really excellent to experience on lots of tunes, but was especially evident on tracks from Rumours with every part of the mix being identifiable as unique. Elegant design. With the Bartok now quite a few $$$ more, the Tambaqui represents a fantastic price v performance ratio that would be at home in most highly resolving systems. It's too damn expensive, full stop. I thought the DAVE was just as stunning with DSD as PCM. Does anyone have formula for that? But DAVE also seems to me to highlight the original recording so if the recording is flat, the playback sounds flat (still with great accurate timbre) but if the recording really showcase the soundstage and the 3-dimensionality of the instruments and vocals, DAVE really portrays that well. Amplification: Cyrus Mono x300Signatures. Of the ones you mentioned I'd be most tempted by the Emm Labs DAC 2x though if you can get a used higher-end Esoteric, you should jump on it. You must log in or register to reply here. Yeah, you and me both- the look I got wasn't as funny as the one I got from the Sennheiser stand when I asked if they had any HD600 or HD650, instead of all those Momentums and so forth, but still. The AC modules are fully balanced at every stage, have no buffers, IV converters, or transistors in the signal path, and have no active devices used in the conversion process at all. https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/a-dac-that-crushes-price-vs-performance-ratio. 2. @shkong78 Thanks for sharing your listening impressions of the Lampizator Pacific vs the MSB DACs as well as what you miss about the Pacific vs your Chord combo. You might want to consider adding one of Chord's Upscalers, either Hugo M scaler , or the Blu Mk. I wanted to know for anyone who has heard it have you also heard a DAC that approached it in sonic performance? I'm doing this off the top of my head. Others might disagree but these are my findings. As I listen to this tune a few times it strikes me that the Discrete is just that (discrete), it doesnt seem to add a great deal of itself to the file it is playing. Fully agree that it could come down to personal preference @RoriHope you have arranged auditions. Links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Hifi Pig and Big Pig Media with appropriate and specific direction (link) to the original content. Couldn't agree more. Copyright Hifi Pig and Hifi Pig Magazine, Big Pig Media LLP. What is available on models higher up the MSB food chain is the ability to add an analogue module so that you can use the unit as a true preamplifier and DAC. Elegant yet commanding, our finishes are available in a matte silver or matte black anodize. Funny how Rob Watts drones on and on about noise modulation, and then we see his product performing like this.. now one might not exactly call this noise modulation, but it definitely something to avoid, especially given the price tag. The DAC comes equipped with a single power supply, but can be augmented with a second discrete power supply to enable optimized power isolation between all major components. Taiko Audio Extreme > Sablon Audio Reserva Elite USB2022/Sablon Audio Reserva Ethernet2020> Aqua Formula XHDV2 > Sablon Audio King Sablon Interconnects > LDR pre > PuLSar45 DC SE amp > Sablon Audio Reserva speaker cables (pigtailed) > Avantgarde Duo Omega( Duelund xover). JavaScript is disabled. You must log in or register to reply here. I have a PS Audio DSD ATM and it is also on the warm side which is good, but I'm thinking I need something more neutral due to my speakers being fairly warm and full bodied in their own right to take my system to the next level. All rights reserved. Sources: Hiby R6, Fiio x3II, Fiio x5II DACs: Dave, Yggdrasil, Hugo, Hugo TT, U12. But of course, I love window shopping and perusing top tier systems including illustrious more familiar gear like Lampi, TD, MSB, Ares Cerat, Aqua. This would help to take your digital playback upa few levels. However, the extra PSU does add to the cost considerably! Please specify coaxial S/PDiF or optical S/PDiF. I cant help with comparisons of two of these DACs, but I did hear the Tambaqui up against the dCS Bartok and it was a pretty close call, but ultimately the dCS sounded more analogue and more immersive.However, this was at a time when both units were a similar price. For such a high entry price I wouldn't take the gamble to go on some recommendation by a stranger whose tastes I don't know. I have heard a lot of top DACs at shows or other systems but not in my own. I have great synergy in my system and see no reason to listen to every new DAC out there. This puts it up against some serious competition! September 6, 2016 in DAC - Digital to Analog Conversion. MSB Technology Discrete Modular DAC Page 2. Put simply, your DAC is ready for the future. Vega DAC 6/10 As dynamic as the Weiss, but a little too edgy in sound emphasised presence made female voices a bit hard on the ear. Ultimately, reducing noise in a system or improving room acoustics can have a bigger effect. And thinking more about it, the differences at the time could have been small because the noise level in my system at the time of the comparison were relatively higher than they are now. Once complete there are measurements and functional tests before the final products are inspected, cleaned, and packed up ready to be shipped, but not before a white glove inspection by either Jonathan or Daniel. But MSB Select 2 is regarded by many as the best thats why for something 1/10 of the price to compete in anyones eyes is quite an accomplishment. Founded in 2010 Whats Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. In that price range, you would be mad not to add the MSB Premier DAC to your list as well. Search: Msb Discrete Dac Vs Chord Dave. . It is not hard to audition these DACs in Melbourneand this is your best way to work out your own preference. I agree price is necessarily indicative of quality or performance. Look, says I theres obviously a fault with this unit as its lighting up, I can see it on the network and I can send tunes to it via the Stack streamer and Roon! We went through everything and I was getting ready to pack it up and send it back when I reached around the back of one of the PSUs and switched it on MUSIC!!! When we set out to make the MSB remote, the design was built from the ground up. By clicking links on our site, we may earn affiliate commission, but our editorial remains entirely independent and unbiased. Our publication is supported by its audience. I think is a good general rule of thumb, but there are some very transparent passive pre-amps out there. The Chord DAVE was also on my list, but I decided to pass (my Chord retailer was very 'pushy' and not helpful). They're very back ordered and are a pro unit with balanced only outputs and no remote but oh my do they sound spectacular. We can operate our current DAC modules at up to 6 MHz for PCM and up to 50 MHz for DSD. The Discrete Power Supply feeds the DAC with dual low-noise power streams that are linear and independent. I'm looking for suggestions on DACs I should listen to as possible replacement of my Chord Dave. This latter track is a good track for me to play when listening to new kit as it is basically a drum machine and an acid box and this latter did sound just like a 303 there in the room. Thank you all for your answers. The lo-res display also makes menu ]set-up fiddly because it doesn't have enough space to display words. I'm also a very patient person and can wait for the right bit of kit at the right price to come up secondhand. I haven't yet come across one DAC that is best and will completely dominate other great DACs across all audio evaluation parameters. I'll take a look, however I've heard they're on the warm side? It would only sound like sales so we There is the option to add a streaming module to the Discrete and if I was in the market for a digital streaming solution, then this is where I would be going. The Hugo TT2 is intended to bridge the gap between the range topping DAVE and budget Qutest rack mounted offerings. How does it compare? The DAC has two modes; multi-bit PCM and single-bit discrete DSD mode. MQA decoding Not a bad idea Snoop! Paired with performance increases, our modular design ethos increases flexibility for future updates and product support, guaranteeing a long-term product investment. Still would like to listen to the Soulution 760 DAC, Mola Mola DAC, Trinity DAC, MSB Select DAC, and maybe the Light Harmonic Da Vinci DAC, Gryphon Kalliope DAC, TotalDAC of some kind, Phasure NOS1A DAC, Esoteric Grandioso DAC, TAD DA1000 DAC, Audionet DAC, Chord Dave DAC . This effect was evident on track after track but didnt feel like it was overly exaggerated. Digital Audio Forum: DAC, Transports, Digital Processing Forum, 4x20A circuits | Audioquest Niagara 3000 | Paul Hynes SR4T + HDPlex HD500 PSUs -> Music PC w/JCAT XE nic, HQPlayer, Roon, Tidal / Qobuz | HDPlex HD100 PSU -> OCX clock + EtherRegen | Aqua Acoustic Quality LinQ streamer | Aqua Acoustic Quality Formula xHD Rev. The jump from Six to Seven is rather large. What ice cream do you prefer? Im outputting directly to the LAB12 (and later a Krell KST100) power amp and so a digital volume algorithm is used where the digital volume control is left at a relatively high output so as not to encounter loss at lower volume levels. Although I would like to keep this as close to $10-12K as possible. Equipment used: - Roon - 3-in 1-out XLR switchbox - Goldpoint SA2X Attenuator - Benchmark AHB2 Amplifier - Hifiman Susvara headphones (Also used Arya and HD800S but for the most part susvara) Video review of DAVE + Mscaler here: personal preference." I believe it comes down to What effect does reconstruction filter have? Powered by Invision Community. state his/her experience and preferences. and as I said earlier there is no "best" when it comes to dacs or Rori There are some tonal differences too, but what you prefer will depend on your other equipment and the music you like. II cannot do anything but award this DAC our highest award, but that award goes with the caveats that it should be used directly into an amplifier and that Id like to have had the options for analogue inputs. It is a manual step which I forgot. This is a review, detailed measurements and listening tests of CHORD DAVE combination DAC and headphone amplifier. In that price range, you would be mad not to addthe MSB Premier DAC to your list as well. In that time, weve pushed the industry forward with each product weve built, redefining whats possible. To be 100% honest we have A/B tested most of the dacs mentioned I can see the problem with this unit. I have listened to MSB Analog DAC and Diamond DAC IV but not in the same setup as DAVE. Firstly, that was a very impressive list of high end components you have listened to. I agree with your statement. And this is where I had a problem with this DAC, though mostly the problem was of my own making. You might want to consideradding oneof Chord's Upscalers, either HugoM scaler, or the Blu Mk. I have heard the Dave and EMM Labs DAC2x up against aMakua that I subsequently purchased. Yeah, im thinking a post lock-down GTG is in order. Main Menu I haven't heard MSB or theDenafrips DAC. Like x 5 List Given your appreciation of the Pacific Microsonics DAC, I hope you'll get a chance to hear the Berkeley in your system as well. The PM2 is very special. SoundLab A1Px's, ARC REF40, VTL Siegfired II, cj GAT2, cj ART, DCS Vivaldi 2.0 stack, Taiko Audio SGM Extreme, TechDas AF1+ , Graham Phamtom III, Sumiko Palo Santos, vdH Black Beauty, ARC Phono 3, Studer A80, Crystal Dreamline, Transparent Audio Ref XL digital and Ref Gen V power cables, CenterStage footers, Nordost Qkore6' s and QB8's! So I saw the DAC lighting up and it looked fully functional, right down displaying the bit rate etc of the file playing, but no music. @smodtactical I would not take price as any arbitrator of quality, especially nowadays. To me, the instrumental timbre seems more accurate with DAVE than any other DACs I've heard. So true jr, the discrete R2R Multibit dacs like the Terminator the Holo, MSB, Total ect ect have a life and a boogie factor to the music that DS dacs lack, and yes they do show up bad recordings. Up to 32 bit 768kHz And in the case of a great DAC with great amps in a system with very low noise, going direct to the amps can be magical. JavaScript is disabled. Never use!! CH Precision C1 DAC. Did you audition all of them in the same place with the same system? This latter recording gets played to death at shows, but that doesnt detract from it being a very good tune and a very good recording, though I have been known to take the piss a bit when it gets played for the tenth time in a day at audio events. And the Jeff Rowland Aeris DAC with new PSU. Nothing was amiss. The Discrete DAC, The Premier DAC, The Reference DAC, The Select DAC II, Theater Master. Any specific reason you wanna replace the Dave? Good points by all. Would love to hear your opinions of which was better and why? I would just add budget and the other components in the system are major factors to consider. Superior conversion begins with clean and stable low-noise power. Some very good advice here. @yyzsantabarbara, your dealer quote is interesting, I suspected that the Mola Mola was that good. If I got a great $20K DAC for less, I would not object. The more observant of you will have read this and noticed that there is no mains inlet. I suppose that the vast majority of people who listen for pleasure at home are looking for a balance between the two, and whilst I still maintain we are most likely to hear the biggest effect in a system by changing transducers, every element in the chain of sound will affect the final sound and, in a digital system, I think the DAC you choose can have a huge effect on the final sound. I like all this attention to detail and the MSB website suggests a company that is massively proud of its American heritage and of the products they make. I hope to also have an opportunity to listen to a T+A DAC8 (for DSD512) and a Chord Dave (DSD256) in my system soon (with HQPlayer). It is a pretty DAC but usability is left behind. In terms of sound quality, it's the best digital front end I . I'm looking for suggestions between $10K - $12K. And this is what separates the very good from the excellent piece of audio equipment. Like the rest of the DACs in the MSB range, the Select DAC is modular in its architecture with each of the modules being produced in house, as outlined above. This is a company that is All American and fiercely proud of that fact. Digital: Sonore opticalModule > Uptone EtherRegen > Shunyata Sigma Ethernet >Antipodes K30> Shunyata Omega USB> Gustard X26pro DAC < Mutec REF10 SE120, Amp& Speakers: Spectral DMA-150mk2 >Aerial 10T, Foundation: Stillpoints Ultra,ShunyataDenali v1 andTyphon power conditioners,Shunyata Delta v2 and QSA Lanedri Gamma power cords, QSA Lanedri GammaRevelationinterconnect,Shunyata SigmaEthernet,MIT Matrix HD60speaker cables, ASC isothermal tube traps, Stillpoints Aperture panels. There are some tonal differences too, but what you prefer will depend on your other equipment and the music you like. This all-American theme is continued in the companys PCB Shop where they use circuit boards produced for them in Silicon Valley, which are then made ready for the automated adding of the smaller components and hand-fitting bulkier components before washing and inspection. It is just as important as the DAC itself. Now, this is an important and quite a cool lesson in what is going on with the two PSUs. A Chord DAC converts to analog via Chord's "Pulse Array DAC" which is a discrete circuit, similar to the discrete circuit used in the MSB DACs (but not the same). "Im not sure if there are algorithms that can add high-frequency information that wasnt captured in the original sampled result". How does the PS Audio DirectStream DAC compare to the Chord DAC? Whats Best Forum is THE forum for high end audio, product reviews, advice and sharing experiences on the best of everything else. With the MSB there has been a great deal of attention paid to ensuring the signal stays as pure as possible and is not affected by other parts of the DAC or outside sources; modular construction, dual power supplies, isolation of USB etc. turns out that with the Extreme USB slightly pulls ahead of the Ethernet with the Renderer, then adding the Pro USB there is now a significant step up over the Renderer. it just complimented my system better than those other two. MSB thrives off the innovation required to meet consumer demands. While were committed to long lasting products that hold their value, we realize audio systems are always evolving. which make some people prefer this one to MSB Select II Point 85 Chord Dave and Mscaler (or Blue II transport) This one give transparent and 3D soundstage with excellent details. To each their own, but I think Chord sounds cold and artificial. To my ears it makes music sound unnatural. There are separate optimal PCM and DSD modes for playbacks and bit perfect playback is how DAVE performs optimally as the FPGA up samples and noise shapes everything to 104MHz 5-bit. https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-rothschild-70aab85/, Headphones and Personal Audio with Pitch Perfect Service. I like Aqua Formula xHD and Totaldac Six. And I've learned to be careful and not generalize how a component will sound based on show conditions or other systems. None, despite working back as I always do if theres an issue! It would have been a different outcome though with the Cyrus pre-amp I previously owned, which cast a veil over everything. Once populated, the circuit boards are made into modules and then placed inside the casework. Im sure it does have a flavour of its own, but from my standpoint, it sounds like a very neutral and transparent DAC. One of the things I jotted down in my notes during this time was the sense of scale the Discrete brought to the music I was listening to big music sounded BIG and more intimate recordings had their own scale too. Concluding that there is some kind of problem with using an FPGA vs. what MSB does is not technically supportable.