The Digital Director - A new MSB product improving everything from the source to the output

[bryans]

Hello,

Have you had the chance to compare the DD without the taiko in the mix? So DD + roon vs DD + taiko running roon. Do you have an opinion where the greatest return on investment is between the DD and the taiko.

thanks

In the non-Taiko mix what are you running Roon on? I would think that would make a huge difference. For example Roon on a Nucleus vs Roon on a high-end server, etc. Lots and lots of variables.....

 

[tomas329]

In the non-Taiko mix what are you running Roon on? I would think that would make a huge difference. For example Roon on a Nucleus vs Roon on a high-end server, etc. Lots and lots of variables.....

Im using a Roon nucleus. I guess the general question is where should you spend your money, on the DD or a high end server or both.

From what I was told, the DD would kind of level the playing field for all sources due to its filtering. so I was originally assuming Roon from anything should sound about the same whether it’s from a mac, pc, nucleus or taiko. But if the taiko makes a big difference over a nucleus I’d likely get the DD and Taiko

 

[bryans]

Im using a Roon nucleus. I guess the general question is where should you spend your money, on the DD or a high end server or both.

From what I was told, the DD would kind of level the playing field for all sources due to its filtering. so I was originally assuming Roon from anything should sound about the same whether it’s from a mac, pc, nucleus or taiko. But if the taiko makes a big difference over a nucleus I’d likely get the DD and Taiko

My advice is try and get all the gear in your home for a listen/demo. I think all of the different combinations will sound different. Not sure about better but I know it will be different.

 

[Alpinist]

Happy New Year everyone! Just wanted to let you know that I dropped the price on my mint condition MSB Technology Select II DAC to $60,000 + shipping. For the money saved purchasing my Select II DAC, you could purchase a new Digital Director too. See the Classified Section for further details.

Thanks,
Ken

 

[Armsan]

Im using a Roon nucleus. I guess the general question is where should you spend your money, on the DD or a high end server or both.

From what I was told, the DD would kind of level the playing field for all sources due to its filtering. so I was originally assuming Roon from anything should sound about the same whether it’s from a mac, pc, nucleus or taiko. But if the taiko makes a big difference over a nucleus I’d likely get the DD and Taiko

Which MSB DAC do you have and are you using Pro USB module?

 

[tomas329]

Which MSB DAC do you have and are you using Pro USB module?

I have the select II and both the renderer and pro usb. I’ve been using the renderer with a gigafoil as I’ve been having an issue getting native dsd from my nucleus’ usb. I should have a DD to demo in mid January. The issue is getting a taiko to demo seems impossible as no one wants to ship out the 100lb beast.

 

[Armsan]

I have the select II and both the renderer and pro usb. I’ve been using the renderer with a gigafoil as I’ve been having an issue getting native dsd from my nucleus’ usb. I should have a DD to demo in mid January. The issue is getting a taiko to demo seems impossible as no one wants to ship out the 100lb beast.

I believe we will get the most step up from the DD, in the Renderer V2. I hope to share soon here my findings. Although, if you have a Quad Rate USB, it may be a pleaser surprise. This module won’t suck the power from the server anymore, if I understood Johnathan’s explanation correctly, but from the DD PSU. Of course I will try the Pro USB through the DD but I’m not to much confident that it will make a difference. I may be wrong.
Regarding the server, pardon my honesty, but you‘re not taking the full potential of your DAC. Hope you can demo the Extreme or just dive in, like I did, coming from a Pink Faun. With all the step ups Taiko will offer along this year it will be un audiophile’s dream, so our pockets can support it…

 

[tomas329]

I believe we will get the most step up from the DD, in the Renderer V2. I hope to share soon here my findings. Although, if you have a Quad Rate USB, it may be a pleaser surprise. This module won’t suck the power from the server anymore, if I understood Johnathan’s explanation correctly, but from the DD PSU. Of course I will try the Pro USB through the DD but I’m not to much confident that it will make a difference. I may be wrong.
Regarding the server, pardon my honesty, but you‘re not taking the full potential of your DAC. Hope you can demo the Extreme or just dive in, like I did, coming from a Pink Faun. With all the step ups Taiko will offer along this year it will be un audiophile’s dream, so our pockets can support it…

Thank you for the advice. I would have pulled the trigger on the taiko a while ago but Vince from MSB told me waiting for the DD with the nucleus might be a better option. so now i'm just waiting to see if anyone who has both a streamer and DD can offer their insight as well. I'm sure the DD will add to my current setup but would it be a waste to get both a streamer and DD. It sounds like there is an uptick when adding the DD to the taiko as erickl pointed out. so it may just be time to bite the bullet and plunge in as you said.

 

[Alpinist]

Thank you for the advice. I would have pulled the trigger on the taiko a while ago but Vince from MSB told me waiting for the DD with the nucleus might be a better option. so now i'm just waiting to see if anyone who has both a streamer and DD can offer their insight as well. I'm sure the DD will add to my current setup but would it be a waste to get both a streamer and DD. It sounds like there is an uptick when adding the DD to the taiko as erickl pointed out. so it may just be time to bite the bullet and plunge in as you said.

It isn’t the Taiko Extreme or nothing. The Aurender N20, W20SE and N30SA also offer outstanding performance.

 

[Armsan]

Thank you for the advice. I would have pulled the trigger on the taiko a while ago but Vince from MSB told me waiting for the DD with the nucleus might be a better option. so now i'm just waiting to see if anyone who has both a streamer and DD can offer their insight as well. I'm sure the DD will add to my current setup but would it be a waste to get both a streamer and DD. It sounds like there is an uptick when adding the DD to the taiko as erickl pointed out. so it may just be time to bite the bullet and plunge in as you said.

One last info Tomas, that you can read more details about in the Taiko thread: Emile has already talked with MSB and they will incorporate in the DD the future TACDD interface that will replace USB.

 

[MarkusBarkus]

...I think perhaps the MSB adoption, if it happens, would be in the ProUSB/ISL converter module, wouldn't it? Also, it is not my impression acceptance is imminent, FWIW.

 

[Jeffy]

It isn’t the Taiko Extreme or nothing. The Aurender N20, W20SE and N30SA also offer outstanding performance.

I thought you loved MSB? What are you buying instead?

 

[bryans]

It isn’t the Taiko Extreme or nothing. The Aurender N20, W20SE and N30SA also offer outstanding performance.

Totally agree, there are a ton of great options. The best advice I can give anyone is to listen for themself and go with what sounds best.

 

[Alpinist]

I thought you loved MSB? What are you buying instead?

I do love MSB. I need to significantly downsize my system for my retirement townhome in Colorado.

Ken

 

[bryans]

I do love MSB. I need to significantly downsize my system for my retirement townhome in Colorado.

Ken

I hope your MSB sells fast. It is an incredible deal. I have the "little" premier and can only dream of owning a Select II.

 

[Armsan]

...I think perhaps the MSB adoption, if it happens, would be in the ProUSB/ISL converter module, wouldn't it? Also, it is not my impression acceptance is imminent, FWIW.

I’m not trying to guess exactly what the technical solution will be between Taiko and MSB because, as Emile said today, they accepted but there is still a lot of work and road ahed. My point is only to testify that I trust Taiko and MSB as innovating companies and that our investment will evolve with time.
Agreed that regarding MSB this future interface will connect through a ISL module. I don’t mind if the new interface will take 1 ou 2 years to come out. I’m waiting for the DD for 7 months.
But, as a reminder, these were the exacts words from Emile, and I quote:
“
…”So we took it upon us to embark on a very ambitious project of designing an entire new interface not hindered by the limitations of either the USB or AES/SPDIF/I2S interfaces. This project involves coding a whole new driver stack with corresponding software from scratch and a whole new hardware interface. We have not thought of a name for it yet but internally we refer to it as: TACDA and TACDD for Taiko Audio CPU Direct to Analogue and Taiko Audio CPU Direct to Digital.

The first product we have using this technology is actually close to release already, being a PCIe card with analogue RCA outputs, SPDIF RCA and BNC, and toslink, not that I expect anybody to be using toslink but it costs virtually nothing extra, maybe useful to hookup an A/V receiver?

We have talked to @Lukasz "Lampizator" Fikus who is open to incorporating this new interface into his DACs, to Jonathan Gullman of MSB who is willing to port this to their PRO/ISL interface, and have just approached Vincent Brient of Totaldac which would be a very nice next phase of this project …”

 

[Erikl]

Hello,

Have you had the chance to compare the DD without the taiko in the mix? So DD + roon vs DD + taiko running roon. Do you have an opinion where the greatest return on investment is between the DD and the taiko.

thanks

I have no streamer at hand, so I am not able to test this or to form an opinion on what gives the greatest return on investment, the DD or the Taiko. However, I believe that the DD is not immune to the upstream signal processing, and that the Select together with the DD (as well as any other DAC) will benefit hugely from the Taiko server, Taiko's new switch and network card (which I have ordered) and the upcoming router and the TACDD interface between Taiko and MSB and, last, but not the least, future upgrades of XDMS.

 

[QuadDiffuser]

I have the Select DAC with Pro USB connected to the Taiko Extreme with the extreme USB output and the MSB M500s.

When I connected the DAC to my new Select Director (which now has been burning in for a week), I immediately felt that a part of the sound was missing but soon realised that the "missing" part was noise that I had become used to. The Director provides a material uptick in SQ well worth the investment. The noise floor has been reduced drastically and the presentation seems significantly more true the source, less processed and more analogue-like with less digital artifacts.

It is impossible to unring the bell and I would have had a hard time going back to the the Select without the Director. In short, I regard the Director as a major step forward in the processing of digital sound.

Erikl,
Curious... assuming that USB is your choice of connector from the Taiko Extreme to the MSB DD/DAC, do you connect the USB cable directly to the DD's USB input board? I'm wondering whether bypassing the external ProUSB dongle results in superior performance, as eliminating one extra "electrical to optical" conversion seems favorable. The MSB website is still not very clear on which combination of connectors are best for USB-connection source material. Perhaps one day, the "electrical" USB connection will be eliminated altogether, in favor of I2S or Taiko's upcoming proprietary connector.

 

[Erikl]

Erikl,
Curious... assuming that USB is your choice of connector from the Taiko Extreme to the MSB DD/DAC, do you connect the USB cable directly to the DD's USB input board? I'm wondering whether bypassing the external ProUSB dongle results in superior performance, as eliminating one extra "electrical to optical" conversion seems favorable. The MSB website is still not very clear on which combination of connectors are best for USB-connection source material. Perhaps one day, the "electrical" USB connection will be eliminated altogether, in favor of I2S or Taiko's upcoming proprietary connector.

My Taiko is connected to the Pro USB Adapter - MSB Technology which is connected to the DD. I believe this is the recommended connection between Taiko and the DD.

 

[QuadDiffuser]

My Taiko is connected to the Pro USB Adapter - MSB Technology which is connected to the DD. I believe this is the recommended connection between Taiko and the DD.

I wonder why that combo would be the recommended one? I too have the ProUSB/ProISL modules for my USB source connection to my Select II DAC and would have thought that going “direct” through the electrical USB input board on one of the slots on the DD would have been the way to go.