Recent content by shawnf

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    Upgrading from Vitus RI-101 mkII with TAD speakers

    A friend of mine also recently used a Benchmark HPA-4 as a preamp for his MSB Discrete DAC. According to him, when he listened to this setup, he felt the MSB lost some of its 'romance' compared to the built-in preamp. Given what MSB say about the quality of their DAC's preamps, I'm wondering...
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    Upgrading from Vitus RI-101 mkII with TAD speakers

    My experience in my system is that the MSB Pro ISL/USB module sounds better than the Network Renderer V2. Yes, I had the opportunity to extensively demo both and easily preferred the Pro USB. The next thing is finding a good USB-based transport to partner with. Having had the good fortune to...
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    MSB Discrete DAC Power Supply Placement

    The supplied umbilicals are less than 1.2m in length - so not very long.
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    MSB Discrete DAC Power Supply Placement

    I don't either. I have 2 Discrete PSUs and I place them below on a separate platform.
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    Upgrading from Vitus RI-101 mkII with TAD speakers

    Thanks for the feedback. In Singapore the main MSB dealer/distributor also carries Vitus and Marten and YG Acoustics speakers. So I agree with this assessment. With a MSB, Vitus and Marten setup, highs are amazing but that mid bass punch is missing. With YG Acoustics, mid bass presence and punch...
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    MSB Discrete to Premier

    Well at least the price is for a pair...... Doesn't say if there is a version for Discrete or Premier DACs.
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    MSB Discrete to Premier

    Found this on X. Synergistic Research umbilical cord for MSB DAC. Not sure if this is for MSB’s entire DAC lineup - the picture shows the cord plugged into what looks like a Reference DAC.
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    Benchmark AHB2 Amplifier

    Hi! I am an AHB2 owner and was thinking of purchasing another unit to run in bridged mono. Then I saw your post about biamping. Can you share and advise how you managed to achieve this? Like how to set up the connections, components used, etc? FYI I have an MSB Premier DAC and using the...
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    Passive Pre between MSB Premier and MSB S202 amp?

    Yes - I'd be keen to know too. My headphone setup consists of plugging my Premier DAC direct to a Benchmark AHB2 and using the DAC's preamp and attenuator for volume control. It's a very powerful solution, especially if you use certain Hifiman headphone modules. But I am keen to also see how...
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    MSB Discrete to Premier

    Thanks for sharing. The Powerbase upgrade is a major investment. You could get a really good music transport or server for that money. If I had a very resolving system and budget, I would definitely consider the Powerbase upgrade. As it is, my current setup offers a very good in-between...
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    MSB Discrete to Premier

    In my setup, Premier has: - slightly better micro details - fleshes out the vocals a bit better - more coherent sounding in extremely busy passages I find that for PRAT and rhythm and tempo, both are similar with a muscular propulsive low end. Bass is a definite strength of MSB DACs based from...
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    MSB Discrete to Premier

    Premier owner here using 2 Discrete PSUs with my DAC. Mine is a rare unit bought from the time when MSB allowed purchase of Premier DACs with Discrete PSUs. I also have a Discrete DAC which is now loaned to a friend, also with a dual PSU configuration. As I dont have a Powerbase, I can only...
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    Melco C1 SFP+ Direct Attach Cable : the first in audiophile market

    For owners of the current crop of MSB DACs that use the Pro ISL and Pro USB interface, some users from Japan have swapped out the fiber optic transceiver modules and experimented with direct-attached-copper. One Japanese owner said he still preferred the sound with the original fiber optic...
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    Upgrading from Vitus RI-101 mkII with TAD speakers

    Nice system. I have a MSB Premier DAC myself but use it solely for headphone listening. How would you describe your system overall, especially in terms of PRAT?
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    The Initial Impact of the K22 & K41 On My Life

    Antipodes CX owner here. Yes - my experience matches yours. Initially I was streaming from either Tidal or my NAS using squeeze for both server and playback. Thought it sounded pretty good, certainly better than UPNP or Roon. Then I got around to buying an SSD and started ripping my CDs and...
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