MSB Reference DAC
- Thread starter Mike
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KeithR
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It would be interesting if you tried an Innuous Statement server and used it via ethernet vs. your Roon Nucleus. I have to imagine the robust power supply would indeed make a difference.
bzr
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MSB made their renderer to be the next step in the hand shake with their dac. They weren't the first to do a renderer, but when they do something... it's pretty good & you can at least know it'll go the distance. The model was based on what you feed it, once it gets to the renderer, it's in house & it doesn't get better. Of course the supply matters, especially files etc, we have all been there, power supply etc. you feed it crap, it's not magic. If you feed it something delivered from a specific designed piece of hardware with the said "good" software, we are knocking on pandora's for digital here, now with the advent of a proper designed renderer that can accept a signal & reproduce it with no added glare, bloom, or tone... Everything has a signature as far as components go, pick your tone/poison...but, I believe their doesn't need to be a toll for admittance
Kuoppis
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This corresponds with my own experience. Ethernet through an optimized network has always exceeded the performance of a disc spinner in my systems.
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Hi Keith,
I realize that some Innuous Statement owners would understandably be interested in this comparison, but no offense, I honestly am not. Unlike many audiophiles, when I strike oil, I stop drilling.
Best,
Ken
For MSB, having listened to both, I would agree with Mike that their Renderer Input Module and Select and Reference Transports, which are mechanically identical, are equal in performance. MSB’s Transports use a proprietary optical connection that surpasses in sound quality every other Transport I’ve ever listened to, in my opinion.
And as a side note, I wasn’t demeaning the performance of the the Esoteric Grandioso K1/G1 in my earlier post. It is a tremendously great sounding combo. My comments were directly comparing it to the Select II DAC plus Renderer Input Module only.
Best,
Ken
Be careful, it would all depend on the quality of the digital inputs on the D1X vs. the quality of the connection between the P1X and D1X. I always thought my Grandioso K1 sounded best when I was spinning discs. However, I was using the USB input on the K1 when I using it as a DAC.
Best,
Ken
Kuoppis
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On the same token, in my post, I was not demeaning anything.
What I actually said, was that in my experience Ethernet offers the superior connection to a DAC when played over a high quality local network. Error correction, mechanical and electrical decoupling between file server and DAC (I am using a wireless connection) etc. are factors.
I cannot speak to the MSB transport in a practical sense, as I have not used it. But technically I doubt what you say is correct, as the units are connected via some sort of cable (no decoupling).
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Kingrex
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Ken, did you get a chance to try the cat6 vs Cat8 alone. I did as such with Cat5 and Cat6. There was a notible improvement. I am wondering if I need to dump my Cat6 and upgrade. I hope Cat8 will work with the Belden connector tool. If you say the sound is notibly improved I will dig deeper.
Kingrex
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Hi Rex,
Yes, the Cat 8 cables are significantly better sounding than the Cat 6 that I replaced.
Ken
Kingrex
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How much is the optical isolator influencing the sound? Was that a big part of the uptick you hear with the Cat 8. Did you get the optical isolator because the Cat8 is shielded all the way through creating ground loops?
I heard a significant improvement in sound quality when I added the optical isolator with the Cat 6 cables and another substantial improvement when I added the Cat 8 cable between the optical isolator and the Select II DAC.
Ken
Ctsooner
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I was using two Cat 6 cables with the EMO medical filter (I liked it better in my system than the fully tricked out optical isolation set up with special LPS). I then switched to the WireWorld Platinum Cat 8 cables with said EMO....It was a large difference. Everything was better, not just different.
kzhtoo
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Interesting. Which model of EMO? And how do you use it? On the router side or DAC side or both?
Do you also have experience comparing CAT7 and CAT8?
Thanks in advance.
Ctsooner
New member
I’m out of the house now and would need to look to see which one I got. I know it was about $140. You go from router to device device to server. My deck is built into the server at the moment, however they are going to be pulling it out of the server and building a new toolbox unit that will be beefed up so we can compete with any deck on the market. We’ll see how that goes. As far as cat seven I’ve had many of the cat sevens in the house from various companies.
Are use only audio quest cords and cables in my system. My only interconnect that I need is there WEL top-of-the-line silver table. Or use hurricane power cords. For digital for some reason I find wire world is the best. Even their optical has been better for me in the system
Are use only audio quest cords and cables in my system. My only interconnect that I need is there WEL top-of-the-line silver table. Or use hurricane power cords. For digital for some reason I find wire world is the best. Even their optical has been better for me in the system
lostinla
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Ctsooner
New member
EMO Systems is the site. I got this one: [FONT=Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif]EN-70e. I have found that not all optical filters make the system sound better. They all change the sound. All seem to lower the noise floor, but I have heard a friends system that is well over 150k total sound terrible. The lowered noise floor opened up the can of worms on how poor things sounded together. It was eye opening as even he heard it and was very upset as you can imagine. He know what had just happened. The last veil was opened up. He don't do analog so he never [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif]heard this. [/FONT]
kzhtoo
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Thanks for the info. Probably not a too expensive tweak that’s worth trying out. I guess all you need is this filter device and another Ethernet cable.
