Merlot DAC and Syrah Music Server
- Thread starter Bruce B
- Start date
Bruce - Do you know whether the new Merlot DAC is a replacement for their MPD-3 DAC? I ask since I believe they have the same retail price of $6,500. TIA!
No I do not know, but I would suspect that Andreas will be phasing out the MPD/S units for these sleeker/newer models.
steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
That's a question that I too would like to answer and I tried to call Andreas yesterday but he was out. The MPS-5 does 2X DSD whereas the Merlot does 4X DSD
I was interested as well that after Andreas comments that 2X DSD is where he feels things are right only to release a 4X DSD. I noticed Meitner has released a new player and DAC that does 8, 10 and 12X DSD
steve, if I could afford these pieces I would audition them in a heartbeat. especially the server!
that being said, I would implore all here not to shop based on numbers. what we are seeing here today
is a redux of the megapixel wars when digital cameras were all the rage.
andreas is absolutely spot on that DSD128 is the sweetspot. even Bruce cannot hear differences between 128 and 256. And neither can I.
there never will be, i repeat NEVER will be anything more than a handful of DSD256 releases yearly..and heck there are barely any 128 out there, and
none of it music you have ever heard of.
don't buy into the nonsense the audio press is selling. 99.9% of all remasters now and going forward will be and are PCM.
just kind some food for thought.
and a final thought..clearly Andreas, like the other high end designers, realize the computer is leaving the listening room..and thank god. SOTA sound is
never ever going to be possible with an off the assembly line computer, opitimized or not.
Line Level output?
I would seriously consider buying another PBD DAC. It is disappointing that DAC manufacturers are still producing DACs with "line level" outputs. IOW, 2v RMS is the old CD player standard output when everybody used a preamplifier between the CD player and the amplifier. The best DAC manufacturers these days know that's not still the case and many folks don't use a pre. IMO, a modern DAC should have about 6v RMS or 18 dbu max balanced output. Anything less isn't workable for me.
I would seriously consider buying another PBD DAC. It is disappointing that DAC manufacturers are still producing DACs with "line level" outputs. IOW, 2v RMS is the old CD player standard output when everybody used a preamplifier between the CD player and the amplifier. The best DAC manufacturers these days know that's not still the case and many folks don't use a pre. IMO, a modern DAC should have about 6v RMS or 18 dbu max balanced output. Anything less isn't workable for me.
Unfortunately due to the nature of our hobby your advices will fall on (pun intended) deaf ears...
+1
Except that I am not so sure that the differences in PC/music servers are as serious as you post. There is in my experience a plateau. Again due to audiophile psyche we will see more and more expensive music servers...
Last time we carried a poll at WBF more than 70% preferred using a preamplifier.
But I can not understand your wish. Typical amplifiers have 26db gain. What would we do with a 120V RMS output signal?
At less I have never listened to it, or read from someone reporting it with detail. But probably sometime in the future someone will create a device that is placed between the cheap computer and the DAC that really solves that real problem. But we risk it will cost more than a dedicated server ...
With regard to DAC output, the most important parts of the system are the speaker, room and distance the listener is from the speaker. One should take those factors into consideration.
Look at all the top DACs available. I can't think of one which is still line level out.
Even if that poll is accurate, there goes 30% of potential customers.
Since long the typical DACs outputs are not 2V RMS any more - even my Metronome is 2.85V RMS and ARCs have similar outputs. The Playback is 4V RMS. My objection was to fixed 6V RMS for everyone - fortunately most DACs with extra high output have switchable output levels. Wadia had it 30 years ago. The Theta's were fixed high output and were a nightmare to integrate in a typical system.
And yes, we agree, manufacturers should please all kinds of customers.
generalizations about 'all computers' in listening rooms don't serve the discussions. there are one's that work well and one's that are not ideal.
as far as DSD256 and whether that has value, I'd say that based on the almost 30 DSD256 albums I have so far there is a clear difference between the 10 native DSD256 mastered albums (all I could find to acquire) I have where my digital reference has been moved, and the other 25 Albums that are either analog tape sourced DSD256 or DSD64 sourced where the difference between DSD256 and DSD128 is marginal.
as far as Bruce's perceptions; I'm assuming it's not with Native DSD256 files, but I am just guessing as mastering original sources is what he does. maybe he has done some native DSD256 recordings?
until you have a chance to hear a number of native DSD256 files in the context of lots of DSD64 and DSD128 I'd recommend to keep your mind open.
I have one recording from Native DSD where the same mic feed is used for a dsd64, dsd128, and dsd256 file. it's a free download and I'd recommend it. it's not the best example of native dsd256 but the differences are easily heard. you do have to join as a member to get access to the free download but there is no cost to doing it.
I have another one, the Debussy Quad dsd solo piano recording which was also done in dsd128 and the difference is quite profound.
we are in a learning curve here.
a case can be made that the music likely to be found on native Quad dsd will be limited in genre for a time. but other than that I'm pretty excited about what I'm hearing and hungry for more.
as far as DSD256 and whether that has value, I'd say that based on the almost 30 DSD256 albums I have so far there is a clear difference between the 10 native DSD256 mastered albums (all I could find to acquire) I have where my digital reference has been moved, and the other 25 Albums that are either analog tape sourced DSD256 or DSD64 sourced where the difference between DSD256 and DSD128 is marginal.
as far as Bruce's perceptions; I'm assuming it's not with Native DSD256 files, but I am just guessing as mastering original sources is what he does. maybe he has done some native DSD256 recordings?
until you have a chance to hear a number of native DSD256 files in the context of lots of DSD64 and DSD128 I'd recommend to keep your mind open.
I have one recording from Native DSD where the same mic feed is used for a dsd64, dsd128, and dsd256 file. it's a free download and I'd recommend it. it's not the best example of native dsd256 but the differences are easily heard. you do have to join as a member to get access to the free download but there is no cost to doing it.
I have another one, the Debussy Quad dsd solo piano recording which was also done in dsd128 and the difference is quite profound.
we are in a learning curve here.
a case can be made that the music likely to be found on native Quad dsd will be limited in genre for a time. but other than that I'm pretty excited about what I'm hearing and hungry for more.
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All (?) of these implementations use a full blown computer running Linux inside them. So you are not getting away from a computer just because there is no separate box. All else being equal, I like to see that computer outside of the DAC than inside. Whatever ills a computer has, putting it inside the DAC magnifies it.
That said, the computers they use are lower speed so you may get lucky and have it less noisy but I would not bet on it.
You also have to worry about longer term support of these products. There is no economic engine to provide software updates and you could wind up with a door stop as far as its embedded computer.
The real reason to get one of these embedded computer solution is ease of use. If you need a turnkey solution that you don't have to mess with, then getting one of these solutions that has been heavily tested in the field to be reliable and compatible make sense. Getting it for sound quality based on it being a feature, is not wise.
steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Hi Mike
Mike agree about a learning curve. My question to you is whether there is an audible difference between DSD 64 files upsampled to DSD 256 vs native DSD 256
I ask this only because if there remains a paucity of native files and there is no audible difference why not just upsample our DSD64
And exactly how many artists, that anyone has ever heard of, are recording natively in DSD256?
And exactly how many artists, that anyone has ever heard of, are mastering natively in DSD256?
The number chasing and spec marketing is taking us right back to the digital camera era.
http://www.audiostream.com/content/...ion-digital-music-library#Q314AE7lF9b2LsA8.97
Steve, take a loo at the Melco product above. I am very tempted.
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