Ghasley

You didn't specify so I'm going to ask a couple of questions. Are you using the USB-X box for the usb interface? Did you read the manual and properly download the driver and load it properly?

Chris, welcome back! I was pleased and not surprised to see DCS using a Mac with Pure Music. Of considerable interest to most of us here would be to know if they were using Snow Leopard or Lion? Additionally, if they were using Snow Leopard, were they using integer mode? I think it is pretty relevant to know. Thanks.

Short answer, absolutely without question! It is the highest quality form of digital recording available today. While there is little to no commercially available music available to download, I use it to archive vinyl. I am currently listening to Wes Montgomery "This is Wes Montgomery" recorded from vinyl ($4.99 from Amoeba Music used bin in LA). I cleaned it on my Okki Nokki record cleaning machine, recorded it in 5.6mhz DSD on a Korg MR2000s DSD digital recorder, imported the tracks to iTunes and play it back through my Playback Designs MPD-3 in DSD via a USB cable. It sounds so much like analog that I believe we will see commercial DSD releases available for download increase exponentially over the coming years. More gear to play it on will only help and I assure you, once you hear for yourself, it will shut down virtually all of the "analog is better than digital" debates. The only ones who will still argue their side of that argument will belong in the following categories: 1) they have a vested interest in 1 format versus the other 2) they have not heard either/or on a well set up system 3) they are pretty sure the same people that brought us "the fake moon walk" are now bringing us DSD. I have not owned a SACD player in about 5 years because I got tired of the spotty recording quality. I sold my SACD's to Amoeba and purchased some high quality vinyl. I think we can all agree that that exists and that some SACD's were actually resampled redbook. HDTracks is even discovering that some of their hirez offerings were upsampled from redbook, unbeknowst to them. They have been very responsive, immediately pulling a title they discover is not as advertised. I know it is a stretch but can anyone here imagine a record company would do something like that? So much profit is generated by reissues that it would boggle the mind.....which is the big answer to the big question: why don't record companies want to sell pure DSD to the end consumer? because they would only get to sell it once! Anyway, please go find a way to hear a well set up system with DSD playback and see what all the fuss is about. It is really good.....I have found that I enjoy the version of vinyl that I have recorded in DSD and then converted to 16/44 MORE than my original redbook version of the same album. YMMV At the end of the day, all audiophile record companies will eventually sell DSD downloads because they serve a niche market and we are that market.....even Pierre at Mapleshade will too although he may want to use HDTracks or someone who has already perfected the payment/dowload/archiving part of the supply chain. The major labels will resist and between Apple on one end and the niche providers on the other, what little that remains of their market share will continue to dwindle. If I were a proven artist today, i would find it difficult to sign with one of the major labels when you could go striaght to the market and bypass them, increasing my profit per sale 10 fold!

Point of clarification. The MPS-5 utilizes the external box you describe, the MPD-3 is plug and play with no additional box. Plug in the USB cable and configure the driver, thats it. Not trying to pick nits, just there are so many model numbers flying around I didn't want anyone to think there is an additonal box required, which is not the case. Regards..... Chris.....NO window shopping in Amsterdam!!!

Decide on your speakers first and then purchase appropriate amplification. There are darn few amps that will drive Maggies well and also maximize the Sonus Faber Liuto's performance. You dont need a ton of power for the Sonus Fabers to sound great but it should be very high quality. You do need some watts to enjoy Maggies if you like any sort of quasi-realistic dynamics. I have owned several different Maggies and some time ago owned and enjoyed the origiginal SF Amatis. Both brands do different things very well. You really cant go wrong but they are very different. Which one you prefer is personal. You can mix tube pre/ss amp and vice versa but you are getting the cart before the orse. Determine the speakers that are right for you, then the amplification. Describe your room and your preferences so we can focus our input. The wavelength DACs are great and you will acquire a little touch of tube warmth with the brick. That may or may not be enough for you.

Check out the 47 Labs Model 4733. It is a USB Dac, a headphone amp, a preamp with a coax digital input and 2 analog inputs as well as a flea powered amp section. I have one for my office and it is an amazing little piece of gear. Depending on your needs and with the right speakers, this could be the centerpiece of a really excellent system. Get one and connect it to your Dynaudios.....probably not enough juice At 2wpc from the amp if you listen loud or your room is not small but it is totally a cool, well thought out product. Read up on the 47 Labs philosophy and see if that coincides with your requirements. Audio Arts in NYC is a dealer and he sells this unit with the Rethm Treshna and just can't believe how good it sounds. Good luck!

Hey, cut Chris a break! <br /> <br /> He was only stating what he heard regarding the Playback Designs unit at that time. While I believe the MPD-3 is a phenominal sounding DAC in my system, it is brand new and he probably hasn't heard it. <br /> <br /> We can all admit that the USB implementation prior to the introduction of the external box was likely less than optimal on the MPS-5 SACD player/DAC. I chose the MPD-3 because it seemed to me to be a clean sheet, computer audio optimized DAC. The USB implementation is fantastic.<br /> <br /> Other DACs I have owned, in order of most recent:<br /> Berekley Alpha DAC<br /> Audio Research DAC8<br /> NAIM<br /> Wadia 581i<br /> Mcintosh MDA1000<br /> CARY 306SACD<br /> Benchmark<br /> <br /> In my system, the Playback Designs MPD-3 is the best digital I have heard (analog like in its delivery) but I am also positive the Meitner is a fantastic DAC as well. Horses for courses as they say.<br /> <br /> I will again reiterate that we are ALL very fortunate that even marginal products these days are terrific! Sound quality in the sub-$1,000 DAC arena rivals ANYTHING you could purchase 10 years ago.<br /> <br /> Keep up the great work Chris!

Jason, I certainly mean no disrespect and I see in your signature that you own a Bryston BDA-1. It is an excellent DAC, enjoy it. My point s that this site is not and never will be a democracy. Chris determines what is or isn't relevant. The review of your BDA-1 is still on this site and when you google the review, it clearly states it was added to the cash list. The fact that you point people to this site is consistent with my experience and that of many others. It is a terrific repository of information. However, this site is equally relevant today as it was the day before your DAC was removed from the list. Alot of us have equipment that isn't on the CASH list.......it is Chris's list, not the final word. Use it for what it is, a list of gear Chris has personally reviewed and deemed currently worthy of addition to his list. In other words, like all reviews, it is arbitrary and subjective......we just all happen to believe Chris is less arbitrary and subjective than most others out there. Enjoy the music and Chris, keep up the great work.....and remove another piece of equipment from the list just to wake up the populace!

Ok, here are my file sizes of Miles Davis Kind of Blue. Since everyone on the planet owns this recording, it should be easy to compare. These sizes are for the 5 original tracks and does NOT include the alternate take of Flamenco Sketches, which was included on my redbook cd version. Redbook File Size 300 MB Apple lossless Kind of Blue recorded from vinyl at 5.6 mhz DSD, then stripped to the below sample rates. 16/44 - 486 MB 24/96 - 1588 MB 24/192 - 3176 MB 2.8 DSD - 1946 MB 5.6 DSD - 3892 MB Hope this helps.

Chris, Welcome to the world of vested interests! LOL. My recommendation is to keep the list relevant in your opinion....period! Part of what makes your web site meaningful is that while you are obviously a commercial site, you seem to maintain an appropriate separation that adds credibility to your reviews. You will hear from people who own the Bryston or the Benchmark and bemoan its removal as an immediate monetary depreciation of their DAC from a resale point of view. Your reviews of each piece will remain and any reader will see at the conclusion of your writeup where it was added to the CASH list, at the time of your review. If you capitulate and add removed components back to your list, or create a new "old" CASH list of "used to be state of the art for the money" components that would be unfortunate. To make certain you satisfy all of your loyal members, make sure and check everyone's system signature and place all components found on your CASH list....oh yeah and make sure that you list that each of those components will hold their value into perpetuity. You run a great site, stick to your principles. Nothing stays Stereophile class A forever and the CASH list should be a list that is fresh and meaningful.

My DAC journey over the years has covered some miles! Benchmark (ugh), the DAC section of two Cary CD players (306-200, 306 SACD), Wadia 581i, McIntosh MDA-1000, Audio Research DAC8, and most recently the Berkeley Alpha DAC. All were good at the time and were improved upon in the order I listed them although to my ears the DAC8 and the Berkeley were a toss up but very different flavors, different apples. I replaced the Berkeley with the Playback Designs MPD-3 and the improvement is not subtle. Since this isn't a review, i'll leave it there but it is a significant step up. Is the MPD-3 the best DAC? Absolutely not! Since it slots in under the Playback Designs MPD-5 I will assume it is better. Regardless of what DAC any of us have, the middle of the road DAC's today would have been state of the art 12 years ago when i started using my computer as a transport. Aren't we all fortunate to be enjoying this sort of sound quality? Who knew there was more music buried in those bits? peace.

I'm listening to my digitized version of the remastered 180g vinyl release of London Calling by The Clash. Sounds pretty good. Most of my vinyl that I've digitized is much more enjoyable to me than the redbook version of the same tracks. An important point made in an earlier post is the method utilized by pure vinyl which is to record digitally the unequalized music and then to allow the utilization of pure vinyl's RIAA equalizer. I really like my phono stage with my NOS Mullards so......and the higher resolution i get by recording to DSD.

Where are you located? I know there are several of us who are already doing this. If you are nearby, i am sure someone will help.

although I LOVE Art Blakey and he trained more youngsters in the craft. Copland over Gershwin too since that was left hanging earlier. Here's freaky looking obscure chick singers for ya'.....Annabella Barbarosa or Jane Child?

Ted, agreed. I use Audiogate to manipulate DSD data. Meaning, i will record a side of a vinyl album and then go back in after the fact, add track marks and then strip into individual DSD tracks in their native resolutions. It appears all of us early adopters are blazing some trails....enjoy the DSD, it is truly amazing.