Reference DAC ordered / MSB Service

brodricj said:
What happens if by accident you sit on the iPad, do you get a Vol+ runaway and blow up a speaker?

I'm paranoid about that happening after previous misadventure. The only way I control volume is to rotate the volume knob on the pre-amp by hand.
Click to expand...

There is a maximum volume setting in the Roon Interface that prevents just this sort of catastrophe. I set mine at a very safe level.

Ken
 
Alpinist said:
Congrats Bill on the new Reference DAC! I bet it sounds wonderful with the S202 amplifier. Are you still using the Roon Nucleus + with the Renderer V2 digital input module and are you planning on continuing to do so?

I think of switching to the Pro USB module every so often but my current setup sounds so good, works so well and allows me to control the volume from my IPad, that I don’t really want to change it.

Ken
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Hello Ken,
Have you tried the Pro USB-ISL to your Select II with your Nucleus+? Your MSB Transport is already using the Pro ISL already?
Thanks.
MK
 
Hi MK,

No, I have not tried the Pro USB digital input module with my Select II DAC, as I am quite satisfied with the Roon Nucleus Plus/Renderer V2 network solution. My transport uses the previous Pro I2S connection, not the Pro ISL utilized with the Select and Reference transports.

Ken
 
Alpinist said:
Hi MK,

No, I have not tried the Pro USB digital input module with my Select II DAC, as I am quite satisfied with the Roon Nucleus Plus/Renderer V2 network solution. My transport uses the previous Pro I2S connection, not the Pro ISL utilized with the Select and Reference transports.

Ken
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Thanks Ken,
I am using a dedicated NUC11 with Roon Core server to MSB Reference DAC's Pro USB-ISL modules input. I am wondering how much performance improvement can be had with an expensive Server/Player with USB output to the Pro USB-ISL interface? The USB data stream from a server will anyway be processed by the Pro USB module and converted to optical signal which will be clocked and Synchronised with the Femto 33 clock in the DAC for transmission to the ProISL input.
I will soon try to audition an Antipodes K21 or K50 server and compare the sound quality improvements.

MK
 
MusangKing said:
Thanks Ken,
I am using a dedicated NUC11 with Roon Core server to MSB Reference DAC's Pro USB-ISL modules input. I am wondering how much performance improvement can be had with an expensive Server/Player with USB output to the Pro USB-ISL interface? The USB data stream from a server will anyway be processed by the Pro USB module and converted to optical signal which will be clocked and Synchronised with the Femto 33 clock in the DAC for transmission to the ProISL input.
I will soon try to audition an Antipodes K21 or K50 server and compare the sound quality improvements.

MK
Click to expand...

Some of the USB output audiophile servers are most impressive (e.g. Aurender N20, N30SA and Taiko Extreme). However, they are exponentially more expensive than my Roon Nucleus Plus.

Ken
 
Yes, the Taiko Extreme, Aurender N20, Antipodes Oladra or K50, Wadax Reference Streamers/Servers are expensive and may not justify the incremental improvements over a Roon Nucleus Plus or dedicated NUC with Roon Core when used with a MSB Pro USB-ISL interface. With the other digital inputs like AES, it may prove more significant improvements.
 
MusangKing said:
Yes, the Taiko Extreme, Aurender N20, Antipodes Oladra or K50, Wadax Reference Streamers/Servers are expensive and may not justify the incremental improvements over a Roon Nucleus Plus or dedicated NUC with Roon Core when used with a MSB Pro USB-ISL interface. With the other digital inputs like AES, it may prove more significant improvements.
Click to expand...

Hi MK,

The preferred connection between Aurender N20, N30SA, W20SE and Taiko Extreme, and MSB Select II and Reference is Pro USB/Pro ISL. However, MSB’s new Digital Director significantly levels the playing field between the various connections. Dual AES is the preferred connection between these audiophile servers and DCS DACs.

Ken
 
Alpinist said:
No, I’m quite satisfied with the sound quality of my current setup.

Ken
Click to expand...

Hi Ken,
Glad to hear that. That’s what really matters. Not how much money you spend or if you have the flavor of the month. It’s a very personal hobby and as long as you get full satisfaction out of your system every time you turn it on, one needs not answer to anybody.

I must say though that your system is endgame system for most audiophiles.
 
Alpinist said:
Hi MK,

The preferred connection between Aurender N20, N30SA, W20SE and Taiko Extreme, and MSB Select II and Reference is Pro USB/Pro ISL. However, MSB’s new Digital Director significantly levels the playing field between the various connections. Dual AES is the preferred connection between these audiophile servers and DCS DACs.

Ken
Click to expand...

Ken

How do u know the DD levels the playing field between various connections?

Have u heard the DD? As far as I can ascertain no one outside of MSB has heard it......
 
Kingsrule said:
Ken

How do u know the DD levels the playing field between various connections?

Have u heard the DD? As far as I can ascertain no one outside of MSB has heard it......
Click to expand...

I should have wrote according to MSB. Good catch.

Ken
 
have been hesitating for months to try the grounding of my Reference Dac/Powerbase because there is no grounding terminal on the Vitus SIA-030 amplifier. Finally, a friend tested the screws on the back panel of the amplifier to see which screw is grounded to the chassis. The screws of the covers for the optional DAC/Streamer and Phono preamp modules are grounded to the chassis. So I connected the grounding cable from the "Amp Ground" terminal on the Powerbase to the screw on the SIA-030 amplifier.
I was really shocked to hear the significant improvement in the sound quality on the very first song I listened to - Jealous Guy by John Lennon. Much less harshness and it sounds very quiet and smooth as if the volume level has been lowered by a couple of dB. Vocal is very smooth and airy. I listened to 5 more songs that I am very familiar with, and they all sound much better with better focus and details.
Apparently there is an internal local ground shield for the Analog power supply in the MSB Powerbase unit which supplies the power to the analog sections in the DAC unit. Grounding this local ground shield of the analog power supply to the amplifier's chassis ground instead of grounding to the Powerbase's chassis has basically reduced the noise coming from the PSU. According to MSB's website: "While connecting the internal shield ground to the chassis ground is a good configuration for many systems, some improvement in noise reduction may be achieved by providing a dedicated star ground connection from the most critical point (the amplifier)"
All MSB DAC owners must try this grounding connection in their systems
 
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