My wife and I recently purchased a retirement townhouse in Colorado and I will need to significantly downsize my audio system to fit in the new place. The Select II DAC is the finest audiophile component I have owned by a long shot in 30 years of enjoying high end audio.
Ken
I am going to make a shameless plug here. The money you save purchasing my mint condition MSB Select II DAC from the Seller Forum here on WBF will cover the cost of the Select Digital Director and still leave you money left over. I will hand deliver to anyone within a 400 mile radius of New York...
Happy New Year everyone! Just wanted to let you know that I dropped the price on my mint condition MSB Technology Select II DAC to $60,000 + shipping. For the money saved purchasing my Select II DAC, you could purchase a new Digital Director too. See the Classified Section for further details...
Same system and same music files in the same format that have different sampling and/or bit rates. Very easy to compare. Listen to one file and then to the other. You’re over complicating it.
Congrats on your new pair of Magnepan 20.7’s. I too have always felt they were the best deal in high-end audio. I have listened to both the 20.7’s and 30.7’s many times and I greatly prefer the 20.7’s due to their superior cohesiveness.
Ken
Congrats on your new A5’s! I hope they give you many years of enjoyment.
Magico says the recommended power is 50 - 1,000 watts and the speaker impedance is 4 ohms. You should follow those specifications and not exceed them. I know of one Magico owner who blew his S5 Mk2’s with a high powered...
I ended up purchasing the AudioQuest Diamond Ethernet Cables for my network and the results were nothing short of stunning. In fact, the MSB Renderer V2 sounds so good with them, I have never found the need to switch to the Pro USB.
Ken
Hi Markus,
All MSB modules including Pro USB are connected to the Digital Director inputs exactly the same way they are connected to the Select II DAC inputs.
From the output of the Digital Director, one Pro ISL module and one new DAC Control module to the Select II DAC inputs.
Ken
Congrats PK on your purchase of the Digital Director! It should be an amazing addition to a phenomenal DAC. What digital input module are planning on using, Pro USB?
Ken
Hi Mike,
A couple points.
PK never said he preferred the sound quality of the Wadax over the MSB. “But, I was ready to buy any of these and if the Wadax had been noticeably stronger I would have bought it.”
You stated “when PK selected the MSB over the Wadax, he had already purchased the...
Hi Koegz,
Congratulations on your Select II DAC purchase! I think you will love it. In 30 years of owning high-end audio equipment, the Select II is hands down my favorite component. Every time I listen to it, I am consistently stunned by the lifelike quality of the music it reproduces. And its...
Thank you so much for that in-depth review. I greatly enjoyed reading it. Congratulations on your MSB Select II DAC. I hope it brings you many years of enjoyment. If you decide to step up to MSB’s Digital Director, please post a review with your thoughts. MSB says it provides a significant...
Hi Ron,
I wasn’t referring to the Apex, which is new and I haven’t listened to yet. But I have listened to many DCS Stacks over the years and I stand by my comments.
Ken
Well I listened to the Wadax Reference System with a good friend whose ears I also trust and we both agreed that its sonics left us flat. I realize that sonics are a subjective thing and some may really like its sound. But the truth is the Wadax Reference sounds just like DCS, which...
These statements are all slanderous lies and I agree with others that you are nothing but a troll with zero credibility. How is it MSB’s fault if the DAC used in the shootout was a used European one that eventually made its way back to the USA and may have potentially developed an issue during...
You are incorrect. What I did was bring to light some information that many were not aware of that may have impacted the results of Mike’s DAC shootout. I didn’t create this information out of thin air, it was brought to my attention by several individuals. I thought it was important to bring it...
Great sound from a component and great sound from that component in their room at an audio show shouldn’t be mutually exclusive. I purchased my Select II DAC three years ago from my favorable experience listening to it at two different audio shows. And that decision was a bullseye. Now I have...
Hi Mike,
Sorry if I struck a nerve. It was not my intention. I do think it was a fair question though considering the history of the unit. Best of luck with your Wadax Reference System, I hope it gives you many years of enjoyment.
Ken
Hi Mike,
I am in no position to dispute the findings of you and your friends in your head-to-head comparison of the Wadax Reference DAC and MSB Select II DAC. I’m sure you know what you heard.
I just have one last question and I’ll let this rest. Did you ever send the Select II DAC...
Fair enough Mike. I’m just still having trouble reconciling your listening experience with the Wadax Reference System to mine, especially since we were in such strong agreement about the amazing sonics of the Select II DAC.
Ken
Hi Mike,
Didn’t you used to say that the MSB Select II DAC was very close to your best vinyl pressings? I remember reading this numerous times with your posts on your MSB thread. If that’s the case, then what conclusion are we to draw about the Wadax Reference DAC?
Ken
You’re welcome, she is magnificent! There are four wonderful songs from Carmen on her album “Habanera”. A terrific recording too.
I was fortunate to see her at the Met as Carmen with Roberto Alagna as Don Jose. Breathtaking!
Ken
All of Elina Garanca’s Deutsche Grammophon albums are outstanding and top quality recordings. The resonance and purity of her voice and vocal control are unparalleled. She made her name singing the lead in Carmen, so the Bizet songs are extra special.
Ken
Hi Mike,
Do you own Elina Garanca’s “Habanera”? It is a wonderful Deutsche Grammophon CD. She is the best mezzo soprano in the world. I have seen her live at the Met a number of times as well as soprano Anna Netrebko. Definitely give it a listen if you haven’t already.
Best,
Ken