This weekend I had the opportunity to audition a MSB Discrete with 2 power supplies connected via ethernet to my PC running Roon, vs my Aurender A20. I'm posting this just in case anyone is ever interested down the line. I am a big fan of the MSB Reference and Premier, but had never had the opportunity to compare them or audition them in my home setup. Cutting to the chase, I am so impressed with the DAC in the A20. The low end was so much more pronounced than the Discrete and has the depth and detail to match as well. The Discrete just sounded very "soft" in comparison.
I am very happy with the A20, but I got the chance to toy around with Roon and I really like it. Unfortunately, there seems to be no plans for the A series to be compatible with it, so I may have to look at the Premier down the road. Anyhow, hope this is useful for someone down the road looking to compare systems.
I am very happy with the A20, but I got the chance to toy around with Roon and I really like it. Unfortunately, there seems to be no plans for the A series to be compatible with it, so I may have to look at the Premier down the road. Anyhow, hope this is useful for someone down the road looking to compare systems.