Alma Audio - Wilson Alexia 2 introduction - MQA on MSB Reference DAC!
- Thread starter asiufy
- Start date
We're going to have Peter McGrath of Wilson Audio present, playing some of his recordings (MQA included!) through the MSB Reference DAC!
MSB's Vince Galbo will also be on hand to answer questions about the digital.
MSB's Vince Galbo will also be on hand to answer questions about the digital.
Hi,
The store will hold regular hours tomorrow (from 11am), but the presentations will occur between 5 and 8pm.
Of course, you're welcome to stop by any time
Peter and Vince will likely be around the store all day.
thanks,
alex
The store will hold regular hours tomorrow (from 11am), but the presentations will occur between 5 and 8pm.
Of course, you're welcome to stop by any time
Peter and Vince will likely be around the store all day.thanks,
alex
Alex,
How is the Reference Dac configured? Duel power base and femto 33? Are you using a pre or direct to amps? I guess I'm trying to determine how close a loaded Reference gets to the Select II. Enjoy the event, I'm sure it will sound amazing.
Dave
How is the Reference Dac configured? Duel power base and femto 33? Are you using a pre or direct to amps? I guess I'm trying to determine how close a loaded Reference gets to the Select II. Enjoy the event, I'm sure it will sound amazing.
Dave
MSB Ref has 1 power supply and Femto 77, and SELECT II has Femto 33 and mono (2) power supplies. Not a fair fight by any means
We're using both direct to amps.
We're using both direct to amps.
Set up day, and as expected, I got a masterclass from Peter on how to set up speakers.
If you're the area tomorrow, come say hi and check the system out!
cheers,
alex
Looking forward to hearing this system tomorrow. Hopefully Peter will tell us the differences between the new Alexia v2 and the older model. ( which i thought was a superb speaker). BTW, what are the giant oil ( air??) filters next to the gear?
May I ask what are the dimensions of this room? Have fun and looking forward to hearing feedback on this system. Many thanks
Thanks!
The room is about 14 meters in total length and about 5 meters wide.
cheers,
alex
I can't remember seeing wilsons out into the room as you have. No doubt the wilson folks have them sounding good, just not common to see them as shown. How does the GS150 play in this setup?
I attended the Alma meet last night...thank you to the very gracious hosts...Alex and Fabio.
For anyone wondering how the Alexia V2's sound, all I can say is that they are the real deal!!
Superb in their ability to throw a large soundstage, plumb the depths ( and with ease) and the highs from the new silk dome is now something that never calls attention to itself. Peter played a number of very interesting and great sounding tracks...all from the MSB Select DAC. This DAC is truly a great piece and last night stood as the center piece of the whole system.
Towards the end of the night, Peter brought out his MQA tracks......
Ladies and Gents, MQA is such a huge improvement over standard up sampling that I think any DAC that cannot support it needs to be traded in immediately! The difference between the MQA version and the standard version is not some subtle anomaly...instead it is a huge step forward in SQ!! So much so that the entire presentation takes on a much greater "palpability". The bass becomes much more defined, the mids are smoothed out and they flow into the room much more as they do with the 'real'...and the highs are now far more defined and accurate. ( Timbre and Tempo and immediately improved). This was the first time I, and I suspect the same for many others in the group, had heard MQA in a demo...and it's now making me think that digital has the real possibility of competing and maybe even some day surpassing analog!! Without exception, everyone in the room was amazed at the not subtle differences between the MQA file and the standard file...
Great evening and a eye opening experience....well done ALMA!!
For anyone wondering how the Alexia V2's sound, all I can say is that they are the real deal!!
Superb in their ability to throw a large soundstage, plumb the depths ( and with ease) and the highs from the new silk dome is now something that never calls attention to itself. Peter played a number of very interesting and great sounding tracks...all from the MSB Select DAC. This DAC is truly a great piece and last night stood as the center piece of the whole system.
Towards the end of the night, Peter brought out his MQA tracks......
Ladies and Gents, MQA is such a huge improvement over standard up sampling that I think any DAC that cannot support it needs to be traded in immediately! The difference between the MQA version and the standard version is not some subtle anomaly...instead it is a huge step forward in SQ!! So much so that the entire presentation takes on a much greater "palpability". The bass becomes much more defined, the mids are smoothed out and they flow into the room much more as they do with the 'real'...and the highs are now far more defined and accurate. ( Timbre and Tempo and immediately improved). This was the first time I, and I suspect the same for many others in the group, had heard MQA in a demo...and it's now making me think that digital has the real possibility of competing and maybe even some day surpassing analog!! Without exception, everyone in the room was amazed at the not subtle differences between the MQA file and the standard file...
Great evening and a eye opening experience....well done ALMA!!
We had a blast last night, with a full house, great sound, and fantastic music!
Thanks for stopping by, Dave! The DAC we used was actually the MSB Reference with one power supply, not the SELECT. So there's even more to be had We'll have the SELECT back in the system soon enough...
People also commented on the performance of the MSB 204 amps. Given Peter's preference for playing loud (that I also share!), a class A amp might not've been the right choice, but THOSE amps were perfect! Loud or quiet, they were unstoppable on the Alexia 2s. They do get warm, though, as you'd expect them to...
Peter's recordings and MQA demos is one of the reasons I'm a believer now. If you dig through the MQA stuff on Tidal, there's plenty of incredible stuff out there, both analog and digital recordings, and with just about every major label backing MQA, I'll have to agree with Dave that it'd be silly to get a DAC today that is not MQA compatible or at least modular enough that it could be upgraded in the future.
I have some pics and commentary here:
https://almaaudio.com/blogs/news/8-22-wilson-audio-alexia-2-launch-event
thanks,
alex
Thanks for stopping by, Dave! The DAC we used was actually the MSB Reference with one power supply, not the SELECT. So there's even more to be had
We'll have the SELECT back in the system soon enough...People also commented on the performance of the MSB 204 amps. Given Peter's preference for playing loud (that I also share!), a class A amp might not've been the right choice, but THOSE amps were perfect! Loud or quiet, they were unstoppable on the Alexia 2s. They do get warm, though, as you'd expect them to...
Peter's recordings and MQA demos is one of the reasons I'm a believer now. If you dig through the MQA stuff on Tidal, there's plenty of incredible stuff out there, both analog and digital recordings, and with just about every major label backing MQA, I'll have to agree with Dave that it'd be silly to get a DAC today that is not MQA compatible or at least modular enough that it could be upgraded in the future.
I have some pics and commentary here:
https://almaaudio.com/blogs/news/8-22-wilson-audio-alexia-2-launch-event
thanks,
alex
Attachments
Congratulations Alex!
What are exactly from a technical point of view "Peter MQA tracks"? What is the origin and current bit rate of these files?
What are exactly from a technical point of view "Peter MQA tracks"? What is the origin and current bit rate of these files?
Francisco,
These are (digital) recordings that Peter McGrath has engineered over many years/decades. They are usually done natively at 24/88.2, and that's what he's used for many, many years on his presentations for Wilson Audio. They are widely known for their quality, both sound as well as performances. Of course, since they are not released commercially, they come with warts and all, but that's part of the charm.
Peter sent some of those files (WAV) to the folks at MQA, and what he got back was stunning. These are recordings that Peter knows intimately,and yet he was floored by how much MORE information was hidden in there.
These are (digital) recordings that Peter McGrath has engineered over many years/decades. They are usually done natively at 24/88.2, and that's what he's used for many, many years on his presentations for Wilson Audio. They are widely known for their quality, both sound as well as performances. Of course, since they are not released commercially, they come with warts and all, but that's part of the charm.
Peter sent some of those files (WAV) to the folks at MQA, and what he got back was stunning. These are recordings that Peter knows intimately,and yet he was floored by how much MORE information was hidden in there.
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