MSB Select II arrival

CKKeung

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Jun 17, 2011
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According to the manual, there are supposed to be one main fuse and one unused fuse (in each power base presumably).

I bought a brimar fuse last year and was trying to swap it in, but the local dealer convinced me not to do so, claiming that the original fuse was most balanced. I may yet try again sometime later.

No, I don't care about the waranty. I swapped in a brimar fuse for my dago momentum s250 earlier, and it sounds glorious.

Cheers
I like Brimar fuses too!

BTW that Select DAC owner friend warned me that opening the Powerbase for fuse change was easy, but never to open the DAC chassis.
It's because the r2r modules inside can be dislodged easily.
:D
 

koalakoala

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Aug 10, 2017
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I like Brimar fuses too!

BTW that Select DAC owner friend warned me that opening the Powerbase for fuse change was easy, but never to open the DAC chassis.
It's because the r2r modules inside can be dislodged easily.
:D
Brimar was supposed to be the stellar one last year, but then came the Zero, and Graphene?, and whatnot...not even sure which one is best now...
 

nonesup

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Feb 15, 2017
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Hello fellow Select DAC owners,

A Select DAC owner in HK told me that there were 2 internal fuses per Mono Powerbase and he had changed them to Synergistic Research Black fuses with very good result.

Have you performed similar tweaks?
Or not willing to do so because of warranty worry?

Please share.
Thanks!
If he has noticed difference with black SR, tell him to try SR blue. You will probably be surprised
 
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Mike Lavigne

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Apr 25, 2010
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based on feedback from Esotar on the SGM Extreme thread, i just ordered the Audio Magic Beeswax Ultimate fuse for my Extreme.

https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/taiko-audio-sgm-extreme-the-crème-de-la-crème.27433/page-29#post-582415

which got me thinking.........is there a proven step up for changing the fuses in my Select II power bases? i did read comments related to a caution to not open the dac case, and also that maybe the stock fuse in the Powerbase's are most balanced. so i have a question for fellow MSB Select II owners:

have any of you actually tried other fuses inside a powerbase and what has been your experience?

thank you in advance for any feedback. not sure i want to dive in blindly to this issue.....although i've done my share of lonely discovery. :eek:

added note; i will first check with MSB to insure i don't have any warranty problem by changing fuses. our precious Select II's do have an exceptional warranty which does/should make us much more concerned about this issue than other gear's warranties.
 
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QuadDiffuser

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Vince Galbo speaks for 45 minutes on AudioStream. The only part which I didn’t know already (and questioned) was on the topic of output impedance heard exactly midway in the interview - the simplest DAC having an "output impedance of 400 Ohms". I believe that it should instead be 300 Ohms for the Discrete DAC, halving to 150 Ohms in the Premiere/Reference DACs, and finally to 75 Ohms in the Select II DAC.
https://www.audiostream.com/content...1B0zVsrKY24MDyvaHgHIStlxWeSDVG-5drVZ0sTnpqoFk
 
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CKKeung

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80598885_2918409208226012_4607138580068827136_n.jpg

The ProUSB is a must for using Select DAC for CAS!
:cool:
 

CKKeung

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BTW it's 21st Dec today and another year is nearly past.

But IMO the Select DAC is still on the throne of DAC, still the best in the market!
:cool:
 
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spiritofmusic

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Jun 13, 2013
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CK, the AE crowd are worshipping the Wadax Ref. The buzz seems to be that the Wadax really nails analogue mids density better than anything out there. Now I'm not sure if any of these listeners has also experienced the 3-box Select 2, and thus maybe things are not definitive.

I wonder if there'll ever be a Select 2 versus Wadax Ref compare. Or are these uber dacs destined for the top systems, never to meet.
 

CKKeung

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CK, the AE crowd are worshipping the Wadax Ref. The buzz seems to be that the Wadax really nails analogue mids density better than anything out there. Now I'm not sure if any of these listeners has also experienced the 3-box Select 2, and thus maybe things are not definitive.
I wonder if there'll ever be a Select 2 versus Wadax Ref compare. Or are these uber dacs destined for the top systems, never to meet.

That "Comparison of the Century" is nearly impossible to happen.
So many difficulties : diff dealers, too heavy, need settling time, need matching with other components ...etc.
And not to ignore : so sensitive!

I did audition the Ref DAC once, in a frd's home.
(#162 https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/new-wadax-atlantis-reference-dac.27860/page-9)
However it was new at that time, might be only in use for 10 hours.
Shall go for another audition for sure!
May be until then, I will have another opinion?
Haha
 

spiritofmusic

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Well CK, there are of course no facts...
In addition to there being nr zero chance of an Msb Select v Wadax Ref compare, it seems there will never be a compare of Extreme v uber disc transport (JMF, Wadax Atlantis, Msb Select).
I remain mystified that this latter compare is never happening. Are audiophiles really SO sure that transports dont have the edge, even at the level of compare to Extreme?
 

CKKeung

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Jun 17, 2011
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Well CK, there are of course no facts...
In addition to there being nr zero chance of an Msb Select v Wadax Ref compare, it seems there will never be a compare of Extreme v uber disc transport (JMF, Wadax Atlantis, Msb Select).
I remain mystified that this latter compare is never happening. Are audiophiles really SO sure that transports dont have the edge, even at the level of compare to Extreme?
If you look at the photo on #162, you will notice that the latter comparison is possible!

But let my frd & I do it after the Ref DAC has fully burned-in first.
;)
 

spiritofmusic

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CK, I'm not seeing any photo on Post 162.
 

CKKeung

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spiritofmusic

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Aha! Was running back thru this Select 2 thread. Got that now.

CK, I would really be interested in what you hear re Wadax Ref on the Atlantis disc transport and Extreme.

The Extreme looks like a true landmark coming of age statement product for streaming. Has it truly leapfrogged a technology nearly four decades established?
 

adyc

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CK, the AE crowd are worshipping the Wadax Ref. The buzz seems to be that the Wadax really nails analogue mids density better than anything out there. Now I'm not sure if any of these listeners has also experienced the 3-box Select 2, and thus maybe things are not definitive.

I wonder if there'll ever be a Select 2 versus Wadax Ref compare. Or are these uber dacs destined for the top systems, never to meet.

I will not take AE crowds’ opinions seriously. They worship everything AE carries. They have best of best every month. They used to say Trinity DAC is the best of the best. Now Trinity and AE have fallen out. They need to find another DAC to be worshippe.
 

CKKeung

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I will not take AE crowds’ opinions seriously. They worship everything AE carries. They have best of best every month. They used to say Trinity DAC is the best of the best. Now Trinity and AE have fallen out. They need to find another DAC to be worshippe.
Yes, got to listen with our own ears!
 

spiritofmusic

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My impression of AE is that as a brand you don't so much fall out w them, you get dumped like a bad date.

There are some early morning sugar rushes that last longer than AE dealer/customers' brand loyalty attention spans.
 

Stereophonic

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Jun 9, 2013
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My impression of AE is that as a brand you don't so much fall out w them, you get dumped like a bad date.

There are some early morning sugar rushes that last longer than AE dealer/customers' brand loyalty attention spans.

Hi Spirit.
You have the blood too hot.
Count to 10 until write...:);)
As i see, nobody here has any idea why Trinity has fallen from AE portfolio. Until i know is the only brand has done it....
I know the reasons and they are surrealistic from Dietmar’s position and AE reacted honestly....
I understand this can be viewed wrongly because it hasn’t be explained.
On other way, Trinity was AE reference Dac until Wadax Atlantis was launched.
Now Wadax Atlantis Reference Dac is a new “tour de force” on ultra-high end world.
Not only on AE.
 

Stereophonic

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I will not take AE crowds’ opinions seriously. They worship everything AE carries. They have best of best every month. They used to say Trinity DAC is the best of the best. Now Trinity and AE have fallen out. They need to find another DAC to be worshippe.
As i said to Spirit, maybe you don’t know the true about Dietmar personal integrity....
WBF is always finding new stuff to be promoted with doubtful honesty and nobody says anything...
 

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