MSB Diamond DAC IV Reviewed By Stereophile

[joaovieira]

Edorr I have the Zuma since January. It is connected to my MPD-3 dac throught USB directly. I had the Berkeley Alpha USB, but after the Zuma with Sotm card it was no longer necessary. The direct usb connection sounds better.
My next step will be taking the Red Wine battery power supply on a next trip to US.

 

[edorr]

Edorr I have the Zuma since January. It is connected to my MPD-3 dac throught USB directly. I had the Berkeley Alpha USB, but after the Zuma with Sotm card it was no longer necessary. The direct usb connection sounds better.
My next step will be taking the Red Wine battery power supply on a next trip to US.

I also ditched my Offramp 5 USB converter, using a CAPS 2.0 into MSB DAC via USB directly.

 

[CKKeung]

Anybody tried the PCIe USB3.0 card made by Paul Pang of PPA Studio?


Paul says that it's better than the SOtM USB card. haha

 

[sonrock]

Sirs, reading 23 pages so I dont see many of you mention about the transport but mostly computer files. I am wondering between dcs scarlatti stack and msb diamond iv plus stack. With the msb, I am wondering if the transport could do the job properly or I need to get a better one, let say scarlatti transport to use with msb dac, haha.

I will travel this weekend to listen to the scarlatti transport + paganini dac etc to have an idea how they sound. Fortunately the shop allows me to bring my wadia s7i with to compare directly with the dcs and find the differences. Hopefully the msb signature stack will arrive my place soon for comparing with my s7i. unfortunately there is no diamond stack for me to try at home, even I have to repeat last year the diamond stack did not move me with huge atc300 speakers.

you Sirs drive my nuts, cant work today but just reading this thread from the beginning to here. I cant imagine of this journey in the next 32 years when I am exactly 60. alas!

 

[Priaptor]

The MSB is excellent.

 

[Elberoth]

The MSB DAC IV Diamond (and Signature) is the best DAC I've heard. I'm an ex Scarlatti owner, so this is first hand experience.

 

[asiufy]

And the MSB transports are excellent as well. I used the dCS Paganini transport on the MSB DAC, and the MSB Signature Transport was (considerably) better, while also being much cheaper.



alexandre

 

[Elberoth]

And the MSB transports are excellent as well. I used the dCS Paganini transport on the MSB DAC, and the MSB Signature Transport was (considerably) better, while also being much cheaper.

Agreed. The only downside is that the MSB transport is not as lavishly built as the dCS one.

 

[CKKeung]

Sirs, reading 23 pages so I dont see many of you mention about the transport but mostly computer files. I am wondering between dcs scarlatti stack and msb diamond iv plus stack. With the msb, I am wondering if the transport could do the job properly or I need to get a better one, let say scarlatti transport to use with msb dac, haha.

I will travel this weekend to listen to the scarlatti transport + paganini dac etc to have an idea how they sound. Fortunately the shop allows me to bring my wadia s7i with to compare directly with the dcs and find the differences. Hopefully the msb signature stack will arrive my place soon for comparing with my s7i. unfortunately there is no diamond stack for me to try at home, even I have to repeat last year the diamond stack did not move me with huge atc300 speakers.

you Sirs drive my nuts, cant work today but just reading this thread from the beginning to here. I cant imagine of this journey in the next 32 years when I am exactly 60. alas!

Hi Sonrock,

Has dCS found a way to let Scarletti dac to be able to decode DSD files?
A friend of mine that owns Paganini dac & upsampler called dCS last month and was informed that Paganini & Scarletti could not decode DSD files and only Vivaldi & Debussy could do so.

 

[Elberoth]

Hi Sonrock,

Has dCS found a way to let Scarletti dac to be able to decode DSD files?
A friend of mine that owns Paganini dac & upsampler called dCS last month and was informed that Paganini & Scarletti could not decode DSD files and only Vivaldi & Debussy could do so.

I was told by dCS that they will enable this feature via the Scarlatti and Paganini clocks, which double as USB/SPDIF converters.

Debussy, Paganini and Scarlatti all share the very same control board that can be easily reprogrammed.

 

[microstrip]

The MSB DAC IV Diamond (and Signature) is the best DAC I've heard. I'm an ex Scarlatti owner, so this is first hand experience.

When will you listen to the Vivaldi stack?

 

[Elberoth]

When will you listen to the Vivaldi stack?

That is the plan ...

Initailly I was to borrow one from a friend of mine, but he has been waiting for the one in black for over 6 months or so ... and still no gear. Then I was to borrow one (in silver - those are available) from my dealer, but just didn't have the time for a 4h car trip to bring it home. Hopefully it will happen this month.

 

[sonrock]

Sirs

Reading msb website tells me that I can use the diamond power base which supply for the dac with the signature transport, but this type of connection is 12v trigger only. Although the manufacturer says it doesnt affect the sound, but has any of you compared the transport connected to the diamond base by 12v trigger and the transport connected to its own signature power base? Is there any differences Sir?

Because if I take another signature power base for the transport, the cost will increase about nearly £5k. So a wise choice is critical here and I need your feedback Sirs.

 

[asiufy]

I went straight for the Transport Power Base, for my UMT. I figured there'd be a difference in using the same Power Base for both DAC and Transport, but since I got a good deal with the importer, I went for the separate Power Base.
Why don't you go without the separate Power Base for now, and if you like the MSB sound, you can always upgrade later, and not lose anything?


alexandre

 

[sonrock]

I am working out on price and finance Sir, its not easy for me to handle everything now as my premium target is a different thing, hifi comes far behind. But as an insane audiophile, I am trying to work out with dealers about financial solutions, let say paying installments for 24-36 months.

I will also have to listen to the scarlatti then decide Sir and hopefully the shop will do financial solution too. I just hope, otherwise I will go nuts.

 

[CKKeung]

Sirs

Reading msb website tells me that I can use the diamond power base which supply for the dac with the signature transport, but this type of connection is 12v trigger only. Although the manufacturer says it doesnt affect the sound, but has any of you compared the transport connected to the diamond base by 12v trigger and the transport connected to its own signature power base? Is there any differences Sir?

Because if I take another signature power base for the transport, the cost will increase about nearly £5k. So a wise choice is critical here and I need your feedback Sirs.

Hi Sonrock,

There is a significant audible difference! I compared the two ways before.

It's because no matter what grade the PowerBase is (Standard/Signature/Diamond), their internal powersupply modules for the DC output to Data transport or UMT are switching mode psu only!
On the other hand, the Signature Transport PowerBase for Data IV transport/UMT is a linear powersupply.

Please look at the internal photos here. The black boxes at the left lower corner is the switching mode powersupply module that I mentioned :
http://www.msbtech.com/products/power_base_comp.php?Page=platinumHome

The Signature Transport PowerBase is rather expensive. Many MSB user friends of mine DIY a linear psu instead. This is not too difficult but the current capacity has to be at least 7 amp of 12V. These DIY linear psu are sonically better than the switching mode psu inside the original PowerBases.

 

[sonrock]

Thank you very much Sir for your feedback, I am thinking seriously to go for the 4 boxes now. My dealer is working out with the payment by installments and I think he can help. I bought my magico q5 and many things from him before so should be ok. This time I wont burn the whole money on once payment like I did with the q5 but slowly.

Out of curiosity, has any of you use the pre between the dac and power amp Sirs? or you simply using the digital volume from the dac? In my case, I see when adding Einstein pre in between, the differences and improvement are tremendous. Even my wife can spot these immediately when I take the pre away but only using the digital vol from my s7i.

 

[asiufy]

There are reports that the volume control of the MSB Diamond is very good, and can replace a proper preamp. But since I already had a very good pre (darTZeel NHB-18NS), I didn't order my DAC with the volume control, to save some $$$...

The MSB can be configured with analog inputs, so even if you have a turntable and phono preamp, you can use the MSB as a full preamp.

alexandre

 

[edorr]

Thank you very much Sir for your feedback, I am thinking seriously to go for the 4 boxes now. My dealer is working out with the payment by installments and I think he can help. I bought my magico q5 and many things from him before so should be ok. This time I wont burn the whole money on once payment like I did with the q5 but slowly.

Out of curiosity, has any of you use the pre between the dac and power amp Sirs? or you simply using the digital volume from the dac? In my case, I see when adding Einstein pre in between, the differences and improvement are tremendous. Even my wife can spot these immediately when I take the pre away but only using the digital vol from my s7i.

I initially used the MSB build in volume control, and just for kicks tried a ARC Ref5SE. With preamp it sounds a lot better, but you need a very high grade preamp. The Einstein probably will do the trick.

 

[sonrock]

thank you Sir, even with the pre, I still prefer to use with vol control, more flexible for me I believe. As you are also having the vol control and the pre, how do you set up the vol at msb dac Sir? can the dac allow you to by pass the signal to the pre? or you have to crank up its vol to maximum - I have to do this way with my s7i connected to the einstein - to use with the msb?

I am on my way of bringing the latest pre from Einstein called The Preamp home, and mods specifically to use here in the UK. There is a review about the pre from positive feedback. I cant wait until trying it home in my own system. should be awesome. I compared myself the koda k10 with my einstein pre in my system, and according to my ears and taste, the einstein is the clear winner. This is the only pre for me so far, especially when I change all the tubes to suite my taste - I posted about the tubes in a different thread regarding magico q5.