Back to the DAC

I played around with it. It’s fun for a while and I love it but then it gets old. 
I still have around 2,000 CDs and a good collection of vinyl. I definitely don’t see myself going back to analog. I had a decent sounding setup though but it was a constant arms race between analog and digital and I ended up being neither here nor there. Sold the table, cartridge and phono stage. Focused on digital. Never looked back. 

CD transport, unless it’s the caliber of Audio Note or Jays Audio, is most likely a waste of money, time and space when you have N200 as a streamer with Bricasti M1S2 dac. You can rip CDs onto SSD and mount it inside the N200. And I would only do this with CDs that aren’t available for streaming and you can’t live without.  
 

Oh and one other thing…the N200 is optimized for USB so select a DAC with solid USB implementation. Berkley Alpha for example doesn’t even feature USB input. So just be aware and do your research. 

Bricasti is excellent. I grew out of love with the network card in the M3 using Roon with it. It was emotionless and bland. the Aurender n200 blew it away and I refrain from using such claims but in this case it was exactly that. As a DAC though I highly recommend Bricasti. 

@navyachts I had the M3. Using the PS Audio for time being but might be upgrading soon. The PS Audio DSD MkI is a really nice DAC as well.

@navyachts not sure yet what the next dac will be. Still thinking about it. Not in a hurry at the moment. 

Check hifishark sold items. I’m seeing most under $4000. It’s up to you. Not familiar with how easy it is to sell this DAC. You also have a few Bricasti M3 out there meaning you can potentially score a good deal. Yes the M3 is the starting point of their lineup but is one heck of a DAC.
I would also add Chord to your list. If you’re looking to stay within $4,000-$6,000 range you can get Hugo TT2 with MScaler or even DAVE if you’re lucky. 

If the price is right and it’s something that sells fast, I’d try it. But only under these circumstances. 

@navyachts one other thing I wanted to mention - for your next DAC don’t be afraid to push towards more resolution. With ML speakers choosing DAC that is on a warmer/too laid back side of neutral would be a less than ideal match. I’ve not heard Playback Designs but from what I read they are mellow and relaxed. Careful not to tip the balance too much. 

@navyachts considering you are running Aurender N200, I would stick with reputable DACs in the same retail price range or more. You’re looking at $6,0000 + DACs. This criteria eliminates a lot of sideways moves and somewhat eliminates most hyped DACs. Don’t waste your time and money.

@navyachts if you can swing the Bricasti, do it. It will be a good synergy and a solid DAC. What is LAIV? Looks like the next best shiny thing on YouTube…I don’t believe the hype sorry

That’s high for M1SE @navyachts   wait for a used one. Since you mentioned II it kind of threw me off into thinking it was M1S2. 

You won’t regret it. Leaves some funds for some nice USB and power cables. 

@tvad upgrade to 21 or 1S2 for $2500 if it has MDX? 

Agreed with @tvad 100%
mentioned earlier in my responses as well…competition is fierce on USAM with M3 now. Score one under $3500 all in. You can spend the rest of your dough later if M3 tires you out. Get one with remote if you can. Excellent DAC and a great match with N200. 

@navyachts you might not need network card but on a used dac it isn’t much if a price difference. Remote is an excellent option. Preamp is included no matter what. It’s an excellent preamp with properly implemented volume control that is defeated thru setup. 

Cool. Glad to be of help. Btw preamp is built into most DACs nowadays.  
MSB, Mola, Bricasti, Chord (above qutest), Playback Designs, PS Audio, T+A, DCS, Weiss. Some do it better than others. Berkeley doesn’t have volume control and they don’t have USB but they have MQA how awesome is that…LOL. Denafrips and Holo don’t have volume control if you want a chinese r2r dac. But I think you already have one. 

@navyachts fyi M3 all have mdx boards. Updating firmware has no impact on sound. 

home built Lampizator?

thought they were all home built…or was this one just built in a different home…

Well yes the M1SE with MDx board would be the way to go with a look on a M1S2 upgrade in a future. It’s a better option if the price is right. 
as to M3, the latest MDx updates include components for a new color display and the corresponding firmware update. Call Joe at Bricasti he’s going to explain it to you. 

Congrats @ervikingo ! Let us know if it stands up to the hype. I feel confident you can improve upon topping though with several DACs. Just look at the list of DACs Amir didn’t like and throw a dart. 

I aim to please. Lol

@navyachts few things to know…

1. All M3 DACs have MDx boards. Latest board includes processors for different color displays. Previous MDx versions had several firmware updates and Joe will tell you no sonic difference. But call and confirm 

2. Old M1 - no MDx board unless it was sent for that specific upgrade. Remote is old style with receiver that connects via umbilical cord. You really don’t care if it has it or not as you will upgrade it to M1S2 anyway. My goal would be to get one as cheap as possible

3. M1SE check for MDx board pretty sure most recent ones will be fine. Might have umbilical remote as well. Not sure

4. M1S2 will all have MDx. And I believe may all have new multi color display (I turn displays off on all my components) and have the latest remote, same as M3 without umbilical. 
 

If I misstated something anyone please feel free to jump in. 

TEAC I’m not familiar with. 
 

Steve’s a good dude. Knows what he’s taking about. However the comparisons in this review between the DACs within completely different system context is not a valid one. There’s nothing left of his system when he had the DAVE. You can’t possibly compare LAiV and Chord DAVE using two different systems one of which is in his auditory memory. I mean no disrespect to Steve but I call BS here. I have no reason to doubt what he heard from LAiV as a standalone DAC though but let’s not run our imagination wild here comparing it to DAVE. 

Chord TT2 would be good. you can add Mscaler later. TT2 is good value on used market and is relatively easy to resell. Check sold prices on hifishark. 

@navyachts it’s all the same schiit. In my opinion, although these are decent DACs, they’re not on the level of your system. 

M3 should be $3500. Good option to start with but without selling it there’s no upgrade. M1 is a kick ass DAC and it will satisfy you for a long while with good upgrade path. Chord stack will most likely be slightly more analytical than the Bricasti.

Either one of these options will make you happy but I would bargain down the M1 a bit and go that route.

Or…wait for M1S2 to show up and shoot for that. 

@navyachts congratulations!!!! I am confident you will be blown away.

Great choice!!!

Let us know when you get it from Bricasti and have your first listen. 

@rbstehno that’s a blanket statement and those are usually incorrect. 

I used Bricasti M3 network card connected with high quality Ethernet cables for a while until I tried Aurender N200 via USB into the M3. Blew away using the network card. 
Internally, the M3 network card is connected to the board using I2S if I am not mistaken. In general, I2S was developed for internal connections and that is partly the reason why there’s no industry standard for thr pin configuration which in some units makes it a crapshoot selection a transport for it. Whether or not it’s the best connection is debatable. Fo me the USB out of N200 into M3 was in another league. 
 

So…when making blanket statements about what connection is best sounding you only show your lack of consideration and understanding of what the best connection on a given component is, out or in, for a particular listener, and why that is the case. Equipment compatibility and synergy is key. Especially for I2S that has more pin confirmations than California has raisins. Good luck to you. 

@tshark I think your question deserves its own thread. 

mclinnguy

260 posts

05-06-2024 at 09:36am 

@navyachts looking forward to your Gustard/Bricasti comparisons. 🎶
 

Same here. I’m pretty certain though the M1S2 will knock the Gustard DAC in the dirt.
 

Set it up and enjoy. Don’t worry about roon. 

@ervikingo thanks for your thoughts on LAiV! Keep running it around 200hrs is usually what DACs require for break in. Could still improve! 
I was thinking of giving it a try…