EMM Labs DAC2X vs Playback Designs MPD-5

[michael123]

Off topic I know but for most your electronics are not the limiting factor, the noise floor of your room is.

Yes, it is 36db.. but we can hear some 5dbs (?) below that.. Masking (?).. similar to that as in the plane cabin we can talk to each other regardless of the engines' sound


Guys
Anybody can tell me if PCM high-rez was evaluated somehow for MPS-5/MPD-5 against other gear (e.g. EMM, Weiss)?

 

[Bruce B]

That I don't know is how good it is in high-rez PCM. Is it as good as Weiss 202?
I did not see anywhere Playback's measurements except for stereophile, and that's a bit bothers me.

The only DAC I have heard equal, but not surpass, in hi-rez PCM up to 384kHz is the MSB Tech Diamond DAC with Diamond Base and Femto clock at $50k....

 

[asiufy]

A friend brought his MPD-5 here the other day, and we compared it to my MSB Diamond.
He agreed the MSB was better over all, with more detail, more subtlety and just generally more nuanced.
With that said, the differences weren't huge, and the MPD-5 was quite good.
Oh, btw, we only used regular CDs for the comparison.


alexandre

 

[MylesBAstor]

A friend brought his MPD-5 here the other day, and we compared it to my MSB Diamond.
He agreed the MSB was better over all, with more detail, more subtlety and just generally more nuanced.
With that said, the differences weren't huge, and the MPD-5 was quite good.
Oh, btw, we only used regular CDs for the comparison.


alexandre

And what is the price differential Alex?

 

[asiufy]

Huge
Don't know how much the MPD costs, but the MSB is $50k.
So yeah, the law of diminishing returns is in full effect here.


alexandre

 

[Frank750]

I believe the MPD 5 is $13k and the MPS 5 is $17k

 

[Mike Lavigne]

A friend brought his MPD-5 here the other day, and we compared it to my MSB Diamond.
He agreed the MSB was better over all, with more detail, more subtlety and just generally more nuanced.
With that said, the differences weren't huge, and the MPD-5 was quite good.
Oh, btw, we only used regular CDs for the comparison.


alexandre

did the MPD-5 have the latest software upgrade? (release #21 to #23).

it's not a night and day difference but it is a nice improvment.

 

[asiufy]

My apologies, it was the MPS-5, not the D.
And I don't know if it had the latest upgrades, as the unit wasn't mine...


alexandre

 

[michael123]

Do you know guys what are these 'service packs' to MPD-5 about?
PD do not publish any release notes..

 

[MylesBAstor]

Huge
Don't know how much the MPD costs, but the MSB is $50k.
So yeah, the law of diminishing returns is in full effect here.


alexandre

Alex:

One problem that I find is that digital needs to be plugged in and turned on for at least 24 hrs before listening (even if broken in). So it would have been interesting to hear the results if you had given the PD more time to warm up.

 

[JackD201]

They are the only pieces of gear I leave on permanently.

 

[asiufy]

Alex:

One problem that I find is that digital needs to be plugged in and turned on for at least 24 hrs before listening (even if broken in). So it would have been interesting to hear the results if you had given the PD more time to warm up.

That's interesting, I've never heard that before!
I turn off my MSB stuff at the end of the day as well, but leave it on throughout the day. I was never able to find a difference. My darTZeel gear also warms up pretty quickly, in 5 minutes or so it's good to go.
I forgot to mention in my original post that I found more similarities than differences between the MSB and Playback Designs. So I'm guessing they're using similar architectures.

alexandre