My next Dac & Renderer Advice

[Pidge22]

Hi all I have had a Linn Klimax DS or DSM for the last seventeen years & currently have a Klimax DSM/2 (Katalyst).I saw my natural progression as a Klimax DSM/3 Utopik Next Gen however having had one in my system for a couple of weeks it wasn't a massive step from my current DSM & I found it to be fatiguing & the ADC from the analogue inputs poor .

So I need to get out of my comfy Linn slippers & consider other options also to add I am not a Roon user as only have 700 or so CD's ripped to my NAS & most of my listening is throuh Qobuz Studio.
I have narrowed it down to two trains of thought & would appreciate and advice :
Used or X dem MSB Reference with powerbase & the Renderer V2 module,this would allow me to put all my 28K (GBP) into the Dac but I have read that the RendererV2 is not in keeping with the level of the DAC.Also I am not sure as well how the Preamp section would compare to my Tron Seven GT spec linestage & because a lot of my listening is vinyl how my Tube phono would be through the single ended analogue inputs I could use the DAC as source only & keep my present pre if required.
My second option is to go with a used or ex dem Pink Faun 2.16 ultra but with a lesser used or ex dem15k (GBP) Dac. As my listening is 50's/60'70's Jazz,Clasical (mainly piano) female vocals & acoustic the noted strengths of the Pink Faun in these areas appeal to me.
Any advice would be appreciated because as I am buying used or Ex dem any home demo is difficult so you have to rely on forums,reviews (most of which I take with a pinch of salt) & you tube.

 

[flkin]

Cant give you comparative advice as I dont have experience with the MSB Ref or modules. But I have used Pink Faun's 2.16x streamer for many years with good results. If you explore this path, check the number of OCXO clocks in the set you are getting and reserve some funds for the bridge card as this is one key part of the sound. Their USB Ultra bridge is SOTA but pricy. Their i2S bridge is reputed as the top in it's class as well. One further point about the Ultra is that old units running under Euphony/Stylus software is about to get a bump in sound with the new PF OS. Recently completed, it will be rolled out to existing users next year. The OS works with Roon and promises to be a good step up exceeding the current Stylus but allowing the excellent interface of Roon should you eventually go that way.

 

[shawnf]

Hi all I have had a Linn Klimax DS or DSM for the last seventeen years & currently have a Klimax DSM/2 (Katalyst).I saw my natural progression as a Klimax DSM/3 Utopik Next Gen however having had one in my system for a couple of weeks it wasn't a massive step from my current DSM & I found it to be fatiguing & the ADC from the analogue inputs poor .

So I need to get out of my comfy Linn slippers & consider other options also to add I am not a Roon user as only have 700 or so CD's ripped to my NAS & most of my listening is throuh Qobuz Studio.
I have narrowed it down to two trains of thought & would appreciate and advice :
Used or X dem MSB Reference with powerbase & the Renderer V2 module,this would allow me to put all my 28K (GBP) into the Dac but I have read that the RendererV2 is not in keeping with the level of the DAC.Also I am not sure as well how the Preamp section would compare to my Tron Seven GT spec linestage & because a lot of my listening is vinyl how my Tube phono would be through the single ended analogue inputs I could use the DAC as source only & keep my present pre if required.
My second option is to go with a used or ex dem Pink Faun 2.16 ultra but with a lesser used or ex dem15k (GBP) Dac. As my listening is 50's/60'70's Jazz,Clasical (mainly piano) female vocals & acoustic the noted strengths of the Pink Faun in these areas appeal to me.
Any advice would be appreciated because as I am buying used or Ex dem any home demo is difficult so you have to rely on forums,reviews (most of which I take with a pinch of salt) & you tube.

As a MSB Premier DAC owner, my experience is that Pro ISL sounds better than the Renderer V2. Total isolation from Transport to DAC.

With the launch of the MSB Cascade, the MSB Reference DAC is going to be a unicorn soon. So if you can get for a good price, I'd say go for it. But you'd need a pretty good transport as well to bring out the best.

Apart from the high end Taiko and Pink Faun owners, there are quite a few mid-end MSB owners rocking Aurender and Antipodes transports who claim to have good synergy with MSB DACs.

 

[Pidge22]

Thanks for the replies re my post I think I will probably end up with an MSB reference Dac as I have read so many good things about this DAC & nothing derogotory.I will probably start with the Renderer V2 in the short term & then when funds allow move to an Antipodes Oladra through the Pro IS to complete my end game Digital front end...

 

[Arewethereyet]

I have the MSB Reference DAC with both the Pro ISL and the Renderer V2 modules. With the Pro ISL module fed by a Rose 150B streamer and an AQ Coffee USB cable into the Pro ISL, I much prefer the sound resolution via the Renderer V2 over the Pro ISL path. My Rose 150B may be the choke point in the path with the Pro ISL, not sure. But the difference is not subtle. Please share your thoughts on the Reference if that is the direction you go.

 

[exupgh12]

I have the MSB Reference DAC with both the Pro ISL and the Renderer V2 modules. With the Pro ISL module fed by a Rose 150B streamer and an AQ Coffee USB cable into the Pro ISL, I much prefer the sound resolution via the Renderer V2 over the Pro ISL path. My Rose 150B may be the choke point in the path with the Pro ISL, not sure. But the difference is not subtle. Please share your thoughts on the Reference if that is the direction you go.

I have an MSB Premier DAC equipped with both Pro ISL and Renderer V2 modules. My preference for the Pro ISL's sound quality is understandable, as it offers superior performance characteristics. The Pro ISL connection to my Melco N1ZH via a Cardas Clear USB cable, Melco's USB implementation is highly regarded. The Pro ISL's ability to prevent noise from the source entering the DAC likely contributes to the improved sound quality.

 

[matthias]

Any advice would be appreciated because as I am buying used or Ex dem any home demo is difficult so you have to rely on forums,reviews (most of which I take with a pinch of salt) & you tube.

I would consider the new Taiko Olympus with the new XDMI analogue output. You get a TOTL server/DAC combo in one box which should be superior to nearly all server/DAC combos on the market. The next generation of the Taiko DAC will most certainly get an analogue input too, so you don't need a preamp anymore.