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@ervikingo Thanks for sharing, sounds like a steal! It will be interesting to see how others like this DAC as more people get a hold of it. The reviews have been stunning so far.

@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…

@navyachts it is very neat and so far sounds very well. Wish i had a Lampi on hand to compare

@audphile1 that is the plan! really busy week for me so I have not been able to put it through its paces.

Of all things that i realize is that it is not fatiguing. I guess I’m saying that the Topping is fatiguing; at least on Filter 7 where I use it. Odd since the changes on filter 7 occur beyond my hearing range.

I haven’t heard it and I’m sure it’s nice, but the LAiV at first glance looks to me like an 8 pound, half-sized, $1,700 Chinese R2R mini DAC.

In a nice case and box. With a $2,700 price tag.

Obviously, size doesn’t matter (says the Tambaqui to the Playback Designs and others). And of course almost everything has gotten smaller and cost 35-40% more over the last year or three.

So maybe smaller size for higher cost is the new normal. 

@westborn I'm sure all the reviewers that LAiV is sending their DAC to get to keep it. They are spending that $1,000 difference on marketing, I bet.

Latest update from Bricasti:

"It going to be a few weeks, the panel is off the machine and is now being blasted and will need to be sent for platting"

@navyachts - could very well be. I’m not sure how the reviewer compensation or accommodation works nowadays.

Although chips and DAC tech and architecture are obviously excluded (duh), my observation was more of a frustration with mini products with higher prices in this inflation-driven world.

And a disclosure - aesthetically, I just prefer standard 17"-19" components in my main system|rack. I have and love a Musetec DA-005 with lots of power supply regulation. It is a delta/sigma ES9038 Pro based DAC and weighs almost 25 pounds. So it could kick any 8 pound, half width DAC’s butt !! LOL ☺

The LAiV Dac caught my eye even though it's a Dac from China.  I would just have trouble putting major dollars into a Dac with a technology that seems to change a lot with better products.  

@goose @westborn it seems to be a case of "Flavor of the Week' with DACs these days! I fell for the R26 hype, which is also small in size & off-shore.          Like you, I prefer a full-size chassis.

@westborn i try not to go by size and heft alone.  I have a Theta Data transport which is hefty and huge.  Then I had to service it and it turns out it is a repackaged Phillips or Pioneer unit.....

You will love the Bricasti.  It's super high quality stuff.  Enjoy

@oddiofyl thank you for your words of encouragement, I patiently await!

Me, too! I ordered a Bricasti M21 DAC and M19 Transport.

@jmeyers SWEET! It will compliment the rest of your system well!

@navyachts - Congrats on your decision.

I've heard it said that too many focus on design differences of sigma delta modulation, R2R converters, chips and FPGAs, etc. But probably more important is the implementation, and the design of the power supplies, the clocks, and the analog output stage.

I'm sure you will be thrilled with the Bricasti !!

Now you can focus on finding the right power cord, fuses, and isolation devices. 😆

@tvad i am getting Bricast’s network renderer, which, I believe, is the single board version of their M5, installed in the M21. Hopefully, the combination of that and my Nucleus+ and the renderer will provide me with a streamer-like combination  

@jmeyers the M21 would be my end game DAC. Currently own the M3 and it's perfect for me but if I had the funds I'd get the M21. I've tried different ac cords so do experiment they will improve the M21 just make sure the M21 has some hours on it. Also try different feet yes it comes with Stillpoints but my dealer has lent me several different aftermarket feet and again they do make a difference. Keep us posted once your M21 arrives.

@westborn @navyachts , Good luck shopping for fuses for Bricasti, my M3 doesn't have one as a circuit breaker is employed instead of a fuse.

@tvad Do you think the Bricasti (LAN) could out do the Aurender N200 in the streaming department? As far as that goes, how about as a pre-amp. maybe I could use it in place of the Coda CB?

@klh007 That’s good news. I think?

@rsf507 Thanks for the tips!

OK, of course, I will try, thank you!

@klh007 - I was actually mostly just tongue-in-cheek on the comment about cords and fuses. Especially after all of the analysis and shopping for the actual DAC purchase. Kind of "you just THOUGHT you were done..." :)  Although they both can make small differences. Happy weekend everybody.

I hooked up the M1 Series II yesterday and did some A/B'ing with my Gustard R26. Does the M1 sound over 6 times the cost of the R26, no, but it does sound better. I am not well versed in technical terms of audio but the musical instruments sound more real. I really do have to give the R26 very high praise for its great sound qualities at the given price point.

To put the R26 further on the pedestal, I found that stepping up to the Aurender N200 did not sound 3 times (the cost) better than the R26 using it as a renderer via its LAN connection.

I'm done for now, thanks to you all for your help & support on my audio journey, time to sit back and enjoy the music!

@tvad thanks for your kind words and advice. I will try the M1 network’s card, for sure. I will also try using the unit as a pre-amp and possibly free up another component as well. It is definitely a quality piece of equipment.

Have a great weekend!

For my DAC, I was using the DAC in my McIntosh MA 8950 integrated amp. It worked well with my Polk Audio R700s. But then I got a pair of Klipsch Cornwall 4s. They would sound outstanding on some recordings but on a lot of material they would sound hard or bright. I tried positioning, cabling etc..Most owners say you need tubes with these speakers but I didn’t want to mess with a tube amp because my stereo is also tied in with tv and its apps. I thought I would try tubes in the chain somewhere though so I got an affordable tube DAC ,the Black Ice FX DAC. I put some $400 Mullards in it from Kevin Deal (Upscale audio). That really did the trick. Now the Cornwallis sound great, no listening fatigue at all. I really love this DAC. But realizing how much a DAC move improved my system, I thought about trying more highly regarded DACs to see if I can improve it even more. I ended up ordering the LAiV Harmony. I wanted to try the Audio Mirror Tubadour V but wasn’t sure about spending $7500. I also considered the Canor DAC 2.10 @ $4000. Both tube DACs. If for some reason I do not like the Laiv, I will look into getting one of those two. The LAiV ships at the end of June, they had already sold out of their first production run.

Definitely try the M1S2 direct to your amplifier. That might be a revelation. 

Yes, let us know how you like the "more direct" sound. 

I'm done for now, thanks to you all for your help & support on my audio journey, time to sit back and enjoy the music!

👍 🎶 🎵 🎶

I thought I would provide my first week’s impressions as a new owner of Bricasti Design’s M19 SACD transport and M21 DAC. Let me initially talk about the M19 by itself. I connected it via a Kimber Orchid AES/EBU digital cable to my Theta Digital Casablanca V, which incorporates Theta Digital’s highly-regarded DAC cards; their $5K "Extreme III" card handles the left and right channels. From the very start, I was astonished. Frankly, I bought the M19 just to be able to send the DSD layer of SACDs to the M21 via Bricasti’s proprietary I2S connection. That said, I really did not have any serious expectations for improved CD-based sound. Was I ever surprised! The clarity was dramatically better. I can only describe my reaction as being akin to opening the door to 38F mountain air -- the immediate sensation of crisp and clear. I am still amazed, and I must contribute this effect to the superior mechanics/electronics/optoelectronics of the M19 compared to my prior two excellent transports - a Wadia 8 for CDs and a Theta Digital Compli for SACDs. Next, I streamed some tracks using the M21 (and its integrated network card). Instantly, I detected better detail, a wider soundstage, and much more depth than my prior Lumin T2 had delivered. These same effects were obvious when listening to various CDs and (to a lesser extent) SACDs.

This combination of M19 and M21 was, for me, very costly; together, the total MSRP was $26,500. Nonetheless, again -- for me, buying them was worth it. They are an "end game" purchase, particularly since I am now 78 (but, somehow, still with pretty good hearing). Putting together a really good audio system, especially without easy access to audio equipment dealers requires a lot of diligence and some luck; I have been very lucky because my new digital system was the missing link, and, with it, the sound in my dedicated listening room is now, well, fabulous.

@jmeyers 

👍

@jmeyers 

Congratulations!

Thank you for your impressions and write up of your new equipment. It will probably sound even better over the next few weeks. 

@navyachts congrats! You finally got the bricasti!

I would recommend not making any more changes but play the N200 into the bricasti 24/7 for two weeks to break it in. Make a playlist consisting of all possible butrates and just run it on repeat when you’re not listening to your favorites. 
 

Then experiment using different filters on the Bricasti and see what you like best. A quick comparison doesn’t allow for all of the changes to sink in. 

@audphile1 Yup, and it is starting to sound better over time and I will heed your advice, thank you.

@jmeyers +78 👍

@ghdprentice thanks on behalf of @jmeyers!

@mclinnguy @tvad Oddly enough, so far, I have found that using the Coda pre-amp produced a better sound than that of the Bricasti.

@navyachts not odd at all, many like the more "coloured" sound. It does take some getting used to, and myself I have enjoyed the purity of the sound without a pre over the recent years, but have recently purchased a primaluna evo 400 pre to toy around with and you know, "colour" the sound. 😉

Define "better" though: warmer? more forgiving? smoother? richer? more bass bloom? 

Oddly enough, so far, I have found that using the Coda pre-amp produced a better sound than that of the Bricasti.

Not odd at all. It’s your ears and preferences that matter, and there’s no reason to feel compelled to explain your choice. 

Kudos to you for trying the DAC both ways. 

As previously mentioned, I am not all that well versed in describe musical attributes. It either sounds bad, better or good, but let me state it this way, I thought it a little "edgy" or a little more digital sounding on its own. Maybe I will try it out again after I get some more hours on it.

The DAC has 13 filters. Those will affect the sound characteristic. In general, Minimun filters sound slightly softer than Linear filters.

I did try the filters, but I really couldn’t hear that big of a difference. I really think that my hearing is not so great anymore. I have to crack my jaw a lot these days to pop my right ear, if that makes sense. When I get some more serous time to sit down a give it a good listen, I will definitely try them again. I'll get my wife to have a listen as well as she has a much better ear for musicality, than I. Thank you.

navyachts OP

484 posts

06-05-2024 at 02:30pm 

As previously mentioned, I am not all that well versed in describe musical attributes. It either sounds bad, better or good, but let me state it this way, I thought it a little "edgy" or a little more digital sounding on its own. Maybe I will try it out again after I get some more hours on 
 

my experience as well. The Bricasti preamp section is very good and is most likely better than using lower end preamps but I found that using a good preamp results in more natural, more refined type of presentation with better depth. I tried 3 DACs direct to amp so far (Benchmark DAC 3 HGC, Bricasti M3, PS Audio DirectStream) and having a preamp in the chain beats DAC direct in my system to my ears. 

I like my Chord Dave. Use it with an Auralic Aries G2.2

@axeis1 I would have liked to tried a Dave, just never happened, but they come highly recommended.

For reproduction of CDs, I extremely recommend the Jay's Audio CDt3 Mk3.  I've tried over a dozen cheap to expensive (PS Audio) transports over the past 5 years (recent change to separates).  It is vastly superior and beautifully built.  

As to DACs, I've tried older ones and generally found them wanting.  They were mostly lesser cost ones (the Topping D70S for example).  Also COS Engineering D1 and D2.  I've ordered the Lampizator Poseidon to be a one and done unit.  

The combination of the Poseidon as both DAC and pre-amp and transport is fabulous (I heard my speakers with the Horizon).  

DACs keep improving generally.  A $2700 DAC LAiV Harmony got a very high recommendation.  An unusual R2R design with a reportedly more articulate, forward sound than R2R designs are known for.  I haven't heard it.  The T&A line is from a major manufacturer and the build quality is excellent.  I do not recommend the Weiss, dry and hard compared to the others.  

As to cabling, I was using low cost digital cabling from my transport (step above Blue Jeans which is very neutral and a steal at $35) similar to the Westminster Labs lower end digital cable.  I've found the Paradox Pulse to be superior at 8X the price.  The Blue Jeans is very neutral but has no dimensionality to the music, raher flat and stuck in the speaker.   The analog XLR cable to my pre-amp is also lower cost but very good as well (I use Grover Huffman power cord and speaker cabling in both systems).  I love the timing/speed of the Westminster Labs Reference XLR cable from the Poseidon to the REI amps.  Toe tapping rhythm.   I will be testing the Paradox Pulse RCA ICs for phono versus the known excellent quality Furutech phono cables made using their FA-aS22 cable and top quality cf-102-r-ncf RCA connectors (about $550 as parts-too expensive built).  

Hey @fleschler thanks for sharing!

@fleschler - have you compared the Pro-Ject CD Box RS2 T CD Transport? I was leaning this direction over Jays.

@navyachts - on way to look at it is that’s DACs change so fast, seemingly becoming quickly obsolete (glad I’m not chasing computer upgrades much anymore) aka “this week’s flavor “. But on the other hand, continued sonic improvements at set price points is a good thing.  I’m glad that current “digital” is so much better than the strident early gear.  Yes, it can be very irritating knowing digital gear depreciates in value, but the alternative is to do nothing - not in our audiophile blood.  Buying used often saves the most money.  
 

@kennyc - thanks. I did end up purchasing a used Bricasti M1 and upgraded it to a SE II which saved me $$$!

@navyachts so now that you’ve had your M1S2 for a long enough time to get a feel for it, are you happy with the choice you’ve made?