MSB Select Digital Director and Westminster Lab upgrade dc cables : The throne of MSB Select DAC secured!

[Popspin]

I will simply confirm what CK and QuadDiffuser have stated although stepped down to the Reference level. All the same elements are enhanced to present a significant improvement over the stock DC cable.
Combined with the AVAA active bass traps, the improvements are even more noticeable in my space.
I didn’t want to admit it when I first demoed the Westminster DC cable but there’s no denying it.

 

[VPN]

I auditioned a system in the Munich High End 2022 with the MSB Select II stack and a MSB director, with a stromtank S5000, and Estelons. The sound was excellent. The [MSB] person in that room said that the sound became substantially better after having the Stromtank feed the MSB stack.

 

[QuadDiffuser]

Angus kindly lent me a demo pair of the 1.2m Westminster Labs DC cables to audition and they were every bit as good as what others on this thread have heard/reported! My MSB Select II DAC's soundstage reproduction became much more expansive, dynamic, liquid, and natural. The stock 0.6m DC cables were constipated and starved, constraining my system's potential in a major way.

Accordingly, I've placed an order for the 1.2m pair, which allow for more flexibility in component placement and pin plug orientation options. As the cables are quite stiff, I wanted to avoid torquing them excessively in a variety of DAC + power supply placement (vertical, diagonal, and horizontal) configurations.

Given the complexity of the DC cable's construction (internal conductors’ positioning/spin and insulation overlays) there will inevitably be some natural variability in the final connector termination positions (relative to each other), offering potential for some pair-matching via natural selection, but not (I’m guessing) bespoke construction/customization. For buyers contemplating buying the shorter 0.6m pair, I’d advise confirming that all four of the cables’ connectors are oriented “in phase” (as closely as possible) with the DAC and PSs so that torquing can be minimized.

BTW, I've also placed an order for a quadruple-stack of brand-new DAC components. No need to guess what they might be. Why? Of course, the MSB Technology Select II DAC (my second triple-stack set) but this time, with my very first Select Digital Director!

My new home and its dedicated basement listening room won't be ready for at least 18 months, but I'm supremely confident that the MSB "QuadStack" is exactly what I want. Rhymes with my WBF moniker, QuadDiffuser, hehe!

Stock photos sourced from the Internet below, to whet your appetite:

MSB SELECT DAC & SELECT Digital Director 期間限定展示中！！

■　MSB Technology SELECT DAC *６月３０日まで期間限定定価：２０，１３０，０００（税込）売価：お問い合わせ下さい 代理店の製品紹介ページはこちらから 改めてSELECT DAC聴かせて頂きましたが、S/Nが良く情報量・解像度が凄くフォーカースも良いので楽器の位置が明確に分かり、ヴォーカルの口も小さく表現されております。解像度やフォーカスが良いと線が細くなってしまいそうですが、SELECT...

www.sisaudio.co.jp

View attachment 113192 View attachment 113193

Three weeks ago, I decided to halt my order for the MSB QuadStack; my rationale is explained here:

My dedicated audio room build - QuadDiffusor's Big Dig

Very interesting.. have you tried it out. Nice if pretty easy to get your head around ... quite expensive but may well be worth it. At a simpler level I see the amroc guys are developing a more " pro version " for sale .. will also be interesting to see how deep it dives Do you see yourself...

www.whatsbestforum.com

 

[CKKeung]

Westminster Lab launched the dc cable for MSB Select/Reference Transports just now.
There are users in Hong Kong already.




Angus, boss/designer of Westminster Lab told me that it can be applied to MSB Discrete and Premier DACs too.

 

[divertiti]

It would be interesting to compare the Westminster umbilical cords with Audio Sensibility ones, pure OCC silver conductors, carbon fiber spacer, made in Canada, 1/5 the price.

Power Cables (OCC copper) - Audio Sensibility

 

[CKKeung]

Yes, it will be interesting to do so but there isn't an Audio Sensitivity dealer in HK.

BTW I heard that all Westminster Lab dc cables for MSB had been sent to MSB for testing so the replacement is safe.

 

[divertiti]

Yes, it will be interesting to do so but there isn't an Audio Sensitivity dealer in HK.

BTW I heard that all Westminster Lab dc cables for MSB had been sent to MSB for testing so the replacement is safe.

I'm not in Canada either but I do believe Audio Sensibilty most definitely ships internationally. I don't know if they had sent the cable to MSB, but one of the biggest MSB dealers Suncoast Audio had officially picked their umbilical cables to go with both MSB and Lumin. Together with the various glowing reviews, bodes well for the credibility.

 

[CKKeung]

I'm not in Canada either but I do believe Audio Sensibilty most definitely ships internationally. I don't know if they had sent the cable to MSB, but one of the biggest MSB dealers Suncoast Audio had officially picked their umbilical cables to go with both MSB and Lumin. Together with the various glowing reviews, bodes well for the credibility.

Good info!

 

[luca.pelliccioli]

Any experience/comparison also with Revelation Audio Labs umbilicals for MSB DACs?

 

[Emorante]

sì, le rivelazioni audio sono buone ma il venditore è inaffidabile, bisogna avere pazienza.

 

[divertiti]

Any experience/comparison also with Revelation Audio Labs umbilicals for MSB DACs?

RAL's umbilical cords also look extremely good, 5N cryo silver, not OCC like Audio Sensibility but still polished, partial air dielectric, hand-wrapped shielding, all for $500 per 0.5M pair, incredible value.

 

[CKKeung]

What's inside this smallish box I received from Westminster Lab?



Yes, it's the Westminster Lab dc cable for my MSB Select Transport!

This is the original black colour dc cable included with my Select transport :


Here is the replacement dc cable made by Westminster Lab.
There is an external carbon fiber sheath for noise reduction & a metallic node for vibration modulation :


The 4 pins allow 2 rails of DC.


The dc cable is new so I had a brief listen with these two discs only :


However the sonic improvement was really intriguing even without any burn-in!


The soundstage got widened and deepened significantly.
The images within were more discrete, 3D & realistic.
The soundstage was filled with "more air".

Most importantly the sound was now more vivid and the PRaT was at a much higher yet natural level.

IMHO this Westminster Lab upgrade dc cable for MSB Select & Reference Transports is indispensable!
It's a Must-Buy and I'm writing the cheque now!

 

[gleeds]

Thanks, CK! Based upon what your telling me I may have to join you and Angus and buy an MSB for my personal use

For some it's hard to believe a cable in this mode of use (DC power) can make such a significant sonic difference. In my experience all WestminsterLab cables from power cords to interconnects, digital signal cables and speaker connections have a similar effect to what CK has described. Anyone with an interest in testing this cable or any other WL cables in their set-up should feel free to PM me.

In other MSB DAC enthusiast news:
Based upon inquiries from several WBF members, Angus and his team have just completed creating a dedicated DC cable for the MSB Discrete and Premier DACs. These will be somewhat more affordable than the Reference and Select DAC cables due to their less complex construction but will nevertheless offer similar rewards. Again, please feel free to PM me for pricing and availability for an in-home demo.

 

[gleeds]

Members, if any MSB Reference or Select II owners are interested, we have a client who has recently switched to a new DAC and asked for help finding a home for her mint Westminster Lab MSB DC cables at a great price! The length is 1.2 matters. Feel free to PM for more details.

 

[gleeds]

Members, a client of ours just switched from MSB Reference to a new DAC and asked for my help finding a new home for her Westminster Lab for MSB DC umbilical cables. This pair is in perfect condition and 1.2 meters in length. Please PM me if you would like more information.