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

bryans

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What is that?
The ProISL module into the Director with the ProUSB module. The module that you referenced in post #56 with the Taiko Extreme. If one gets the Director you place your input modules into the Director.

Where you joking when you said "What is that?"
 

matthias

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The ProISL module into the Director with the ProUSB module. The module that you referenced in post #56 with the Taiko Extreme. If one gets the Director you place your input modules into the Director.

Where you joking when you said "What is that?"
We all know the existing ProUSB.

In my understanduing with the Director we have different input modules, like the Renderer V2 or certainly a USB module. The connection between Director and DAC is ProISL.

So for USB we have either the USB module of the Director or (without Director) the ProUSB into the DAC.

So far there is no statement from MSB that ProUSB is inferior to a Director with USB module,

That is my point.

Matt

The new MSB Pro USB interface | What's Best Audio and Video Forum. The Best High End Audio Forum on the planet! (whatsbestforum.com)
 
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bryans

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We all know the existing ProUSB.

In my understanduing with the Director we have different input modules, like the Renderer V2 or certainly a USB module. The connection between Director and DAC is ProISL.

So for USB we have either the USB module of the Director or (without Director) the ProUSB into the DAC.

So far there is no statement from MSB that ProUSB is inferior to a Director with USB module,

That is my point.

Matt
OK now I understand. I was under the impression when MSB said you put your digital input modules into the Director that included the ProISL.

I based this on info from their site regarding the Digital Director:
"This advanced isolation technology elevates the performance of all digital audio sources, along with increased processing power ensures our digital filtering algorithms achieve a new level of realistic and accurate analog reproduction."

Also in post#46 DMSB stated:
"All of the DACs current input modules are removed and installed in the Digital Director."

Maybe MSB can confirm/deny.

Thanks
 

matthias

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OK now I understand. I was under the impression when MSB said you put your digital input modules into the Director that included the ProISL.

I based this on info from their site regarding the Digital Director:
"This advanced isolation technology elevates the performance of all digital audio sources, along with increased processing power ensures our digital filtering algorithms achieve a new level of realistic and accurate analog reproduction."

Also in post#46 DMSB stated:
"All of the DACs current input modules are removed and installed in the Digital Director."

Maybe MSB can confirm/deny.

Thanks
The existing ProUSB is Vbus powered from the source. It doesn't make sense to have a Vbus powered USB module for the Director since the Director has its own PS and can supply the USB module with power.

Matt
 

bryans

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The existing ProUSB is Vbus powered from the source. It doesn't make sense to have a Vbus powered USB module for the Director since the Director has its own PS and can supply the USB module with power.

Matt
The source would still power the USB module. The ISL module in the Director would get the extra stuff from the Director.

Hey maybe I'm wrong but to me it doesn't make a lot of sense to think one wouldn't get any benefit from the Director with the ProISL/ProUSB combo.

Again I could be wrong.
 
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divertiti

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If the Digital Director upgrade elevates ALL digital input sources (including the Network Renderer V2) to the level of MSB's Pro-USB/Pro-ISL combination AND improves on the already stellar sonic performance of the company's DACs (without increasing the gear footprint for those who stack the chassis) then that is quite an achievement. Is that hypothetical gain worth a good portion of an ultra-high end music server's asking price? Only the end user can say.

My understanding is that the sonic performance of digital audio (excluding the DAC itself, clock and analog output stage, where relevant) relates to: 1. isolation from electrical noise (network traffic, switching power supplies, etc.); 2. data integrity (bit-perfect data stream), and 3. digital signal processing/digital filters. If the first two are fully taken care of by the introduction of the Digital Director, why would the sound not be VERY similar between the MSB Network Renderer V2 and a Taiko Extreme (as an example)?

Yes, looks like it does elevate all other digital inputs to the level of the ProUSB, which is great for the subset of customers who use multiple inputs, however for us ProUSB users, the question remains how much improvement the added processing power and new filter brings.

Another interesting consideration is Premier level DD is $15K that comes with a switching power supply, wouldn't that mean you are shifting processing from a linear power supply on the Premier power base to a switching supply on the DD, on paper that seems like a step back.

To answer your last question, the Renderer and Taiko are entirely two different types of devices, it's in the name, renderer vs. server. The MSB Renderer still needs a Roon Core to be running somewhere else on another computer, the sound quality is very much beholden to the quality of that Roon core and the connection in between. A large part of Taiko's sound quality comes from the painstaking management of computer resources across the dual Xeon 12 core CPUs, thread management, ECC ram, and overbuilt linear power supply, none of which exists on the Renderer.
 

divertiti

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The source would still power the USB module. The ISL module in the Director would get the extra stuff from the Director.

Hey maybe I'm wrong but to me it doesn't make a lot of sense to think one wouldn't get any benefit from the Director with the ProISL/ProUSB combo.

Again I could be wrong.
Sounds like digital processing and filtering would be offloaded to the DD with increased capabilities and newly written filters, if that's the case, that will change the sonic performance regardless of input and isolation.
 

bryans

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Sounds like digital processing and filtering would be offloaded to the DD with increased capabilities and newly written filters, if that's the case, that will change the sonic performance regardless of input and isolation.
Yes for the additional $14,500 - $27,500 it better change the sonic performance in a good/great way!
 
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pleroma

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We all know the existing ProUSB.

In my understanduing with the Director we have different input modules, like the Renderer V2 or certainly a USB module. The connection between Director and DAC is ProISL.

So for USB we have either the USB module of the Director or (without Director) the ProUSB into the DAC.

So far there is no statement from MSB that ProUSB is inferior to a Director with USB module,

That is my point.

Matt

The new MSB Pro USB interface | What's Best Audio and Video Forum. The Best High End Audio Forum on the planet! (whatsbestforum.com)

This was also my assumption, that those using ProUSB would leave the DAC Pro-ISL input module where it is, and add a new USB input module to the DD. Seems like initial emphasis is on Ethernet input (as the promo photos show), so I would want to know about the above comparson too.

I learned of this several weeks ago (no better way to guarantee circulation than to preface with a gag order ;)) when I was hoping for a Pro-ISL PCIe card from Pink Faun (which I understand is available, but with limitations).
 

divertiti

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Jan 12, 2021
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This was also my assumption, that those using ProUSB would leave the DAC Pro-ISL input module where it is, and add a new USB input module to the DD. Seems like initial emphasis is on Ethernet input (as the promo photos show), so I would want to know about the above comparson too.

I learned of this several weeks ago (no better way to guarantee circulation than to preface with a gag order ;)) when I was hoping for a Pro-ISL PCIe card from Pink Faun (which I understand is available, but with limitations).
I wonder if the Digital Director inputs are the same older quad is module and renderer V2 or are they new ones
 

bryans

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This was also my assumption, that those using ProUSB would leave the DAC Pro-ISL input module where it is, and add a new USB input module to the DD. Seems like initial emphasis is on Ethernet input (as the promo photos show), so I would want to know about the above comparson too.

I learned of this several weeks ago (no better way to guarantee circulation than to preface with a gag order ;)) when I was hoping for a Pro-ISL PCIe card from Pink Faun (which I understand is available, but with limitations).
I have a different thought. Based on the information posted in the topic by MSB, you put your digital inputs in the Director. The Director not only provides noise isolation but also provides processing power for the digital inputs leaving the DAC to do the analog conversion.

Now this is just my thoughts as I have zero inside knowledge of this. For me why would one not want to utilize the ProISL/ProUSB combo in the Director? I thought the initial promo photo was just showing a digital input. I didn't take it to mean a special emphasis on the Ethernet input.

I guess time will tell.
 

CKKeung

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MSB Digital Directors are Jeff Fritz's hot take on High End 2022 :
https://www.soundstageglobal.com/in...ch-germany/1015-high-end-2022-jeffs-hot-takes



WBF members who had been to the Show please share with us your views.
Thanks!
 

CKKeung

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Armsan

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I´ve been there and, I think it was one of the best sounding rooms of all show. Very balanced. With a better server, it would be outstanding and, maybe the Estelon didn´t make justice to MSB gear, IMHO.
 
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bryans

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I´ve been there and, I think it was one of the best sounding rooms of all show. Very balanced. With a better server, it would be outstanding and, maybe the Estelon didn´t make justice to MSB gear, IMHO.
What server did they use?
 
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matthias

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I´ve been there and, I think it was one of the best sounding rooms of all show. Very balanced. With a better server, it would be outstanding and, maybe the Estelon didn´t make justice to MSB gear, IMHO.
The sound signature was pure, clean, high resolution with a lot of details but for my taste a little bit lean and lightweight, lacking some body and flesh.

Matt
 
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Armsan

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What server did they use?
Not sure exactly. It looked like a Roon Nucleus v1 but, for sure, modified, because as Jonathan referred, it was connected to the Digital Director by fiber.
 

pleroma

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I asked a friend from Switzerland, who goes regularly, to check out the MSB setup. He's a dCS owner, but I've found him to have a great sense for the nuances of audio gear. Unfortunately he doesn't tell us much (having been in 2019, I found it hard to hear anything with all that going on inside the place):

"Yes, but integrated in a system, I can't tell you much about it except throughout the rooms where there were MSB DACs, they appeared to share a recognizable smoothness and treble reproduction that I liked. Interestingly in all the rooms where they used Wadax, the sound suffered from the exact same linear-sounding dynamic compression, so much so that in those rooms where the playback alternated with vinyl, it bordered on the ridiculous. Bottom line, best digital playback throughout multiple rooms were Lampizator Horizon, dCS Apex and MSB, each brand portraying its own specific 'sound'."
 
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matthias

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Not sure exactly. It looked like a Roon Nucleus v1 but, for sure, modified, because as Jonathan referred, it was connected to the Digital Director by fiber.
In the context of a MSB setup with Director a fiber connection UPSTREAM to the Director makes no sense, IMO.

Matt
 

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