MSB Analog DAC vs Totaldac d1
- Thread starter mauidan
- Start date
Now you have just to ask Vincent to send you the D1....I think you will be impressed. If you like details (as I can understand by your system) you will be amazed by the D1.
Hi,
I am a Frenchman and I have just discovered this thread about these two DAC which are exactly the two last DAC I auditioned at home at the same time at the beginning of December 2013. I take this opportunity to give you my personal opinion about this two DAC IN MY AUDIO SYSTEM.
The most important characteristics I was looking for were :
- a natural sound with realistic timbres (tone colors) at any listening level. The tone colors are a permanent quest for most musicians. Some of them are ready to pay a fortune to a famous instrument maker to get "THE SOUND" ;
- a real presence of the sound in my listening room at any listening level ;
I am a former jazzman and a concert-goer (jazz and classical) so it's easy for me to have present the sound of a live instrument.
Even though they are not much played in jazz (double bass excepted), I find acoustic instruments such as violin, cello, harpsichord, organ, double bass...more difficult to reproduce...just as choirs and chorus. Hence my selection of recordings for the tests :
1. Malher/Symphony n°8/Finale - Chorus mysticus
2. Malher/Symphony n°5/Adagietto (violins)
3. Alexander Glaznov/Violin concerto in A minor Op. 82/Allegro
4. Igor Stravinsky/The Rite Of Spring/The Augurs of Spring
5. Gabriel Fauré/Requiem Op. 48
6. George Gershwin/Rhapsody in Blue
7. Bill Evans/Affinity(featuring Toots Thielemans on harmonica (difficult to reproduce)
8. Carla Bley/Fleur carnivore/Healin Power
9. Etc...Etc...Mostly in jazz since I am a jazz fan
The tested DAC were :
- MSB Analog DAC with optional Analog Power Base
- Totaldac d1-single (not tube)
The Analog DAC sounded fluid, detailed, with a real presence of the sound, even at low level. However, I found the sound a bit harsh, not warm enough, for my taste. I suspected either the digital reproductions (CD or files) to be the cause of this cold sound or my Spectral amplifiers.
The d1-single sounded fluid as well but above all, MORE DETAILED than the Analog DAC. Hence a sound warmer than with the Analog DAC. I was really impressed because the sound was more natural and more musical with the d1-single. Yet, both DAC use the same technology (R2R Ladder) but they don't sound the same way.
Going back to the Analog DAC confirmed it was less detailed and less musical with my selection of recordings. For me, it was so obvious that I would have been able to identify the tested DAC in a blind test. Also, I found all the other characteristics (sound stage, etc...) of the two DAC very, very similar in my audio system.
As you can imagine, I chose and bought the Totaldac d1-single. The next stage will be to test the Totaldac reclocker d1-digital to improve my listening results.
Enjoy the music !
I am a Frenchman and I have just discovered this thread about these two DAC which are exactly the two last DAC I auditioned at home at the same time at the beginning of December 2013. I take this opportunity to give you my personal opinion about this two DAC IN MY AUDIO SYSTEM.
The most important characteristics I was looking for were :
- a natural sound with realistic timbres (tone colors) at any listening level. The tone colors are a permanent quest for most musicians. Some of them are ready to pay a fortune to a famous instrument maker to get "THE SOUND" ;
- a real presence of the sound in my listening room at any listening level ;
I am a former jazzman and a concert-goer (jazz and classical) so it's easy for me to have present the sound of a live instrument.
Even though they are not much played in jazz (double bass excepted), I find acoustic instruments such as violin, cello, harpsichord, organ, double bass...more difficult to reproduce...just as choirs and chorus. Hence my selection of recordings for the tests :
1. Malher/Symphony n°8/Finale - Chorus mysticus
2. Malher/Symphony n°5/Adagietto (violins)
3. Alexander Glaznov/Violin concerto in A minor Op. 82/Allegro
4. Igor Stravinsky/The Rite Of Spring/The Augurs of Spring
5. Gabriel Fauré/Requiem Op. 48
6. George Gershwin/Rhapsody in Blue
7. Bill Evans/Affinity(featuring Toots Thielemans on harmonica (difficult to reproduce)
8. Carla Bley/Fleur carnivore/Healin Power
9. Etc...Etc...Mostly in jazz since I am a jazz fan
The tested DAC were :
- MSB Analog DAC with optional Analog Power Base
- Totaldac d1-single (not tube)
The Analog DAC sounded fluid, detailed, with a real presence of the sound, even at low level. However, I found the sound a bit harsh, not warm enough, for my taste. I suspected either the digital reproductions (CD or files) to be the cause of this cold sound or my Spectral amplifiers.
The d1-single sounded fluid as well but above all, MORE DETAILED than the Analog DAC. Hence a sound warmer than with the Analog DAC. I was really impressed because the sound was more natural and more musical with the d1-single. Yet, both DAC use the same technology (R2R Ladder) but they don't sound the same way.
Going back to the Analog DAC confirmed it was less detailed and less musical with my selection of recordings. For me, it was so obvious that I would have been able to identify the tested DAC in a blind test. Also, I found all the other characteristics (sound stage, etc...) of the two DAC very, very similar in my audio system.
As you can imagine, I chose and bought the Totaldac d1-single. The next stage will be to test the Totaldac reclocker d1-digital to improve my listening results.
Enjoy the music !
Awesome review Philly! I read a few others with the totaldac single paired well with the spectral gear. I bet it would make Keith Johnson proud considering he really favors the ladder/PCM approach.
Have you tried any other DACs?
Have you tried any other DACs?
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It appears from your list of gear you are running the DAC straight into the Spectral poweramps. Can you confirm?
Hello and welcome to the WBF, Philly. That was a great and informative contribution to the forum for an introductory post! 
Tom
Tom
Hi and thank you for your welcome and comments.
Hi dallasjustice :
Of course I did for almost two years. Mostly very high end DAC and CD players but, until last July, I used a vintage Mark Levinson combo (ML29 amplifier + ML26 preamp). Unfortunatly, this combo was not detailed enough to be able to appreciate all the qualities of a very good DAC. That's why I decided to buy a Spectral Audio combo (DMA 360S2 monoblocks + DMC20 preamp). For me, regarding the resolution and the sound stage, Spectral Audio is really impressive.
Hi edorr :
That's right : the d1-single is connected directly to the Spectral power amps. The very low output impedance of the d1-single makes possible to drive the Spectral amplifiers directly. In fact, I am waiting to become familiar with the new sound of my audio system with the d1-single. Then I will add my Spectral preamp for testing and for deciding whether I keep the preamp or I don't.
Happy New Year to everybody.
Hi dallasjustice :
Of course I did for almost two years. Mostly very high end DAC and CD players but, until last July, I used a vintage Mark Levinson combo (ML29 amplifier + ML26 preamp). Unfortunatly, this combo was not detailed enough to be able to appreciate all the qualities of a very good DAC. That's why I decided to buy a Spectral Audio combo (DMA 360S2 monoblocks + DMC20 preamp). For me, regarding the resolution and the sound stage, Spectral Audio is really impressive.
Hi edorr :
That's right : the d1-single is connected directly to the Spectral power amps. The very low output impedance of the d1-single makes possible to drive the Spectral amplifiers directly. In fact, I am waiting to become familiar with the new sound of my audio system with the d1-single. Then I will add my Spectral preamp for testing and for deciding whether I keep the preamp or I don't.
Happy New Year to everybody.
Seems like a Spectral preamp, a pair of interconnect and power cable are coming up for sale soon, join the club
I compared MSB and DCS to Totaldac and also preferred the Totaldac but then compared to the CH Precision C1 and ultimately chose the CH. CH had the same musicality but more linear with finer resolution and flow. It just sounded more like real music and more effortless. Totaldac is cheaper though - but if you can afford more then it's worth listening to the CH Precision...
Hi redsquare, do you tested the totaldac alone or together with the reclocker?
In my opinion they have to work together, a lot of trouble is usually coming from the pc trannfer process..
A good friend of mine and a very skilled and experienced audiolover, was recently by Brian at the totaldacdac factory, for hearing the full reference system, monodacs plus reclocker/server plus 300b amps plus a full horn system, build by brian itself. My friend was very very impressed, hi said me he have never heard such an fluid, detailed, musical sound by a digital medium. ( and he is a guy with full kondo/yamamura/ audio teknè etc systems at his home.. )
In my opinion they have to work together, a lot of trouble is usually coming from the pc trannfer process..
A good friend of mine and a very skilled and experienced audiolover, was recently by Brian at the totaldacdac factory, for hearing the full reference system, monodacs plus reclocker/server plus 300b amps plus a full horn system, build by brian itself. My friend was very very impressed, hi said me he have never heard such an fluid, detailed, musical sound by a digital medium. ( and he is a guy with full kondo/yamamura/ audio teknè etc systems at his home.. )
Adding the Reclocker gives more natural and relaxed enphasis to the entire music messages. I confirm which the setting of TOTALDAC combo added to a very revealing system, can create a very amazing result.
Now I have introduced on the chain, the Vincent 's USB cable/filter too. So the combo is complete and the result is great. It replaces the much more priced Ridge Street Design Alethias.
Philly, or anybody else, have you ever compared those three(or any of those) to a real analog rig? If yes, then what was the analog rig used(i.e. tt, arm, cartridge etc.) and how did it compare?
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