MSB Cascade DAC arrives at Suncoast Audio
- Thread starter Mike
- Start date
- Thread Author
- #22
Well, since they get 100% of their money back going from the Cascade to the Sentinel, why wait?
You can’t beat MSB’s trade in, trade up program.
We are in double digit Cascade units sold since June and 2-3 of those have verbally committed to the Sentinel.
Kingrex
Active member
Cascading SPD is the best defense against lightning. 3 levels of MOV is required to knock the initial jolt to under 40 volts. One at the service, one at a subpanel and one in a power strip.
And yes yes yes on the protection on the data network. Optical is excellent protection. Data ground wire is bonded at the point the main service is bonded. If its not isolated, lightning will go through the power supply to your data connected equipment, through the equipment and out the data ground cable. You have to use an IsoMax on coax at a minimum but optical is better. I had a IsoMax blow from a lightning strike. Saved my gear.
And yes yes yes on the protection on the data network. Optical is excellent protection. Data ground wire is bonded at the point the main service is bonded. If its not isolated, lightning will go through the power supply to your data connected equipment, through the equipment and out the data ground cable. You have to use an IsoMax on coax at a minimum but optical is better. I had a IsoMax blow from a lightning strike. Saved my gear.
Kingrex
Active member
Is a server required with a digital director or is the director the streamer also. What aboit stored files. Does the director search a NAS for music?
Bones13
Active member
Digital Director has the standard modular design as the DACs, but has no built in digital receiver of any kind, just the 2 optical connections to the DAC. You have to choose an input module - Renderer v2 for streaming from a NAS or the like (I have a NUC running ROCK). There are of course other modules for USB and SPDIF digital inputs. The Digital Director replaces processing, on a better processor, inactivating the processor that lives in the DAC.
While I’m more than happy with the Premier stack, I lust for the analog inputs on the Cascade.
While I’m more than happy with the Premier stack, I lust for the analog inputs on the Cascade.
bryans
New member
Hmm I thought this when I first purchased MSB. Three months after upgrading to the Reference MSB killed the trade in value. But no need to rehash old news.
Michaels HiFi
Well-known member
Hi - I understand it as you get 100% of what you paid for it as a trade in. I may be wrong though but that's how it was explained to me.
If I understand it correctly I'm not sure how any trade in value could be "killed"?
bryans
New member
This was the case until MSB came out with the Cascade. When this happened MSB cut the trade in value for the Reference and Select. You can search the forums if you like to read all of the discussions on this.
Sounds like if you go from a Cascade to the upcoming Sentinel they are back to 100% trade in, which is great.
- Thread Author
- #29
It’s amazing that they’re offering anything on trade for a previous gen series. Cascade and Sentinel are part of the new series and architecture. People can still easily upgrade from discrete to premier.
I don’t know of too many other companies let alone digital focused companies that do that.
bryans
New member
I agree. The 100% trade up policy was the deciding factor for me getting into MSB. It provided me an excellent opportunity to move up the line, and it allowed MSB to keep it customers.
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Solecky
Member
Any updated cascade impressions? No “official” reviews out yet
- Thread Author
- #32
Definitely a step up from the Select 2, which is hard to believe. Clients report it as “more complete, more dynamic, more musical, even smoother.”
Solecky
Member
Thx!
Solecky
Member
Solecky
Member
Thx
Before I received my Cascade, Mike lent me an Esoteric all in one so I could continue to enjoy music. During that time, Hurricane Helene came to town and a lightning bolt from that storm struck a tree outside my house. The tree had a lightning arrestor that funneled the voltage into the ground where it did all kinds of damage to landscape lighting, fountain pumps, assorted GFI outlets, electronics throughout the house and unfortunately, the ethernet circuitry on Mike's Esoteric box. In addition to adding even more potent whole house suppressors, I put individual ones on many of my ethernet ports to protect the gear. One of these was installed in my music room upstream of the MSB Cascade when it arrived. Initial listening impressions were very favorable but it appeared to me that much break-in was required. As time progressed I became more and more anxious as the soundstage depth and width were not what I expected from MSB and had experienced previously from my Select II. Something had to be wrong. I played with cables, grounding and the files which were hosted on a remote iMac. A few days ago, I rerouted the ethernet connection around the surge suppressor direct into my home network. Holy Cow. Now it was ll there. The wide soundstage, the incredible depth, the saturated mids, precise holographic images. Everything I knew the Cascade could do. Big sigh of relief.....A picture of the culprit is shown below. I'm sure it is a fine product, just not appropriate for my application. Lesson learned.
Rnrmf
Member
I'm glad you figured it out.
Hypothetically, if one has fiber at some point in the ethernet chain, can such damage still occur to the end component?
I had a Reiki Audio optical bridge in the chain and it did not help. My plan now is to use a USB connection from the Pink Faun to a MSB ProISL device which converts that USB to optical for insertion in the Cascade. I will also store all files locally on the server to take Ethernet out of the signal chain.
Bones13
Active member
If there is copper Ethernet cable plugged into a streaming DAC, even with an optical segment removing contaminants from the internet connection, whatever powered box is on the other end of the copper cable from the DAC can inject overwhelming current from its overloaded power supply to damage circuitry in the DAC during the lightning strike..
With that in mind, an optical cable directly into the streaming DAC would prevent that attack. I’m hoping a potential (hinted at) MSB Renderer v4 has an SFP cage for input. People could the choose copper vs optical, and it would allow for interface upgrades over time.
With that in mind, an optical cable directly into the streaming DAC would prevent that attack. I’m hoping a potential (hinted at) MSB Renderer v4 has an SFP cage for input. People could the choose copper vs optical, and it would allow for interface upgrades over time.