Trinity - hype or is it a real deal ?

[caliaripaolo]

That, plus said new PCB material and aluminium enclosure are the only differencies. Price increase: from $4500 to $16.000. 4 fold !

Come on Adam,
this contradicts what you said so far concerning the developments of the Trinity Pre, which I've never listened to, but reading the rave opinions, has to be great.
Looking at the Trinity's old and the new Pre, they seems similar, but I am sure they are not, and, contrary, you belittle a new card in berkeley that instead could be the real improvement, digital filters, as you suppose to be, are the elements that can make the difference.

 

[Elberoth]

To be fair the MSB select 2014 & esp 2015 casing is superb . I would said better than Trinity

The only difference between the 2014 Select DAC and the DAC IV Diamond Plus I had are different style heatsinks. So the same problems with fit & finish I described earlier, the cheap box, cheap remote, cheap umbilical power cord with flimsy DIN plugs, still apply.

It was a great DAC with great sound quality, lots of features, upgradeability etc, it is only they didn't seem to care much about fit & finish at that time. I also had another fit & finish problem with my Signature DAC I had before the Diamond. After installing the Galaxy Femto Clock, I was not able to completely close the top cover, as the supplied clock was 1-2mm to high. I didn't have this problem with the 140 clock module, as that one was half the height, but Galaxy always made fitting the top cover completely flush impossible. As a result, I had a bulge (!) in the middle of the top cover. How embarrasing is that ?

When the Diamond DAC came, with a brand new Galaxy clock, the top cover fit perfectly flush (at least after I had frozen it in the freezer to make it fit). My understanding is they changed either the clock height, or the clock socket on the MoBo at some point to resolve this issue.

The 2015 Select is a totally different design though. Much better made. I wouldn't say fit & finish is better than Trinity (they are comparable now IMO), but certainly looks will be considered more atractive by many.

 

[Elberoth]

Come on Adam,
this contradicts what you said so far concerning the developments of the Trinity Pre, which I've never listened to, but reading the rave opinions, has to be great.
Looking at the Trinity's old and the new Pre, they seems similar, but I am sure they are not, and, contrary, you belittle a new card in berkeley that instead could be the real improvement, digital filters, as you suppose to be, are the elements that can make the difference.

My understanding is that the new pre has a different boards (it is simply a different design).

 

[bonzo75]

Where did you have a chance to compare the Trinity to Berkeley or MSB Select ?

From his past posts, his impressions of Totaldac and MSB seem to have come from Munich - not really a comparison. Correct me if I am wrong Simone

 

[Elberoth]

From his past posts, his impressions of Totaldac and MSB seem to have come from Munich - not really a comparison. Correct me if I am wrong Simone

Well, I have heard the new 2015 MSB Select DAC 3 or 4 times already, but if you look at my previous posts, I have never claimed that I know how it sounds (although many people have asked). Such a demo, in a system I do not know, without any known references, have no value to me.

 

[audioblazer]

The only difference between the 2014 Select DAC and the DAC IV Diamond Plus I had are different style heatsinks. So the same problems with fit & finish I described earlier, the cheap box, cheap remote, cheap umbilical power cord with flimsy DIN plugs, still apply.


,


Definitely not cheap looking casing & neither is the umbilical cord or DIN plugs flimsy ... If u have seen both . I have DAC IV 1 month before Select 2014 was announced ... Shitty biz practice .

 

[bonzo75]

Well, I have heard the new 2015 MSB Select DAC 3 or 4 times already, but if you look at my previous posts, I have never claimed that I know how it sounds (although many people have asked). Such a demo, in a system I do not know, without any known references, have no value to me.

Agreed, anyway, that's the impression I got from Simone's previous posts, so he is free to correct me if he has actually compared them to each other in the same system

 

[Simone Leroy]

Bonzo You are perfectly right! I specified, in some my previous posts somewhere else on this Forum, that I had the occasion to listen to "different systems with different DACs" and in my first post in this thread, concerning MSB Select DAC, I pointed out how I couldn't evaluate a single component in a unkwon system. But when you know speakers and amplifiers, without having the claim to make definitive judjements, you can recollect some impressions on the source, in our case on the DAC.
So I hadn't the occasion to compare all those DACs in the same audio system and in the same room.
Neverthless I had some impressions, which were positive for Trinity DAC, TotalDac and Berkeley Reference, less postive for MSB Select and DCS Vivaldi. And that's all....which probably is a poor thing for Elberoth, but it's enough for me ....
But, besides all these inquiries on my listening sessions, Elberoth didn't answer to my simple question: Have you already had the occasion to listen to Berkeley Refernce and, if yes, what were your first impressions (even in an unknown system)?

 

[Simone Leroy]

Elberoth I ask you this matter only bacause I Have read a lot of your posts and articles and I think that you are a great expert in audio systems. Let me thank you, because I have an USB Berkley only because you wrote about it, with a lot of positive words...

 

[bonzo75]

Elberoth I ask you this matter only bacause I Have read a lot of your posts and articles and I think that you are a great expert in audio systems. Let me thank you, because I have an USB Berkley only because you wrote about it, with a lot of positive words...

You should PM Joeinid on audioshark as he bought both BADA and Lampi 7 for his impressions. Also a couple of other BADA users there now have Lampi, check with them.

 

[Elberoth]

You should PM Joeinid on audioshark as he bought both BADA and Lampi 7 for his impressions. Also a couple of other BADA users there now have Lampi, check with them.

I believe Jod is still waiting for his BADA Reference. It has already been like 7 months.

 

[Elberoth]

Elberoth I ask you this matter only bacause I Have read a lot of your posts and articles and I think that you are a great expert in audio systems. Let me thank you, because I have an USB Berkley only because you wrote about it, with a lot of positive words...

No I didn't, which is exactly why your saying that you had compared those DACs picked my interest.

 

[Elberoth]

Definitely not cheap looking casing & neither is the umbilical cord or DIN plugs flimsy ... If u have seen both . I have DAC IV 1 month before Select 2014 was announced ... Shitty biz practice .

Then I need to take back my words about flimsy DIN unbilical. They must have changed that along with the heatsinks on the 2014 Select. It was certainly true on my Signature and Diamond DAC IVs.

 

[bonzo75]

I believe Jod is still waiting for his BADA Reference. It has already been like 7 months.

Yes but I chatted with him on impressions of the two, so those wanting to do their research, should check with him

 

[asiufy]

Then I need to take back my words about flimsy DIN unbilical. They must have changed that along with the heatsinks on the 2014 Select. It was certainly true on my Signature and Diamond DAC IVs.

Thank you. As I've been saying all along, your impressions are at least 2 generations removed from an actual, shipping MSB product.

And, of course, the Lampizator cult invades another thread...

alex.

 

[bonzo75]

Thank you. As I've been saying all along, your impressions are at least 2 generations removed from an actual, shipping MSB product.

And, of course, the Lampizator cult invades another thread...

alex.

Apologies, but I had steered cleared when this was a trinity thread.

 

[Simone Leroy]

Thanks a lot for your answer Elberoth. I'm looking forward to know your impressions as soon as you listen to a BADA Reference.
Berkeley was in delay of 6 months with my order, and I was lucky enough to get one of the very first devices, the first one sent to Europe for sure. Thanks again also for your advice, your threads and your reviews here and on Computer Audiophile last few months....

 

[audioblazer]

Then I need to take back my words about flimsy DIN unbilical It was certainly true on my Signature and Diamond DAC IVs.

You are right about the shitty umbilical cord on DAC IV

 

[wisnon]

Thanks a lot for your answer Elberoth. I'm looking forward to know your impressions as soon as you listen to a BADA Reference.
Berkeley was in delay of 6 months with my order, and I was lucky enough to get one of the very first devices, the first one sent to Europe for sure. Thanks again also for your advice, your threads and your reviews here and on Computer Audiophile last few months....

I thought they were not going to sell in Europe. I have heard that the PCM is very good and of course they dont do DSD.

This thread rally racked up the post count in the last 2 days!

 

[Simone Leroy]

I ordered my Berkeley Reference DAC from the Swiss Official Distributor ( Swisseerland trchnicall is not Europe....but is very near to Italy).
A very well organized Distributor, very serious. So I got one of the very first devices produced by Berkeley and...yes, the PCM sound is fantastic! Also simply using Red Book files....