2. digital
  3. 1423589466

Bricasti M1 DAC vs PS Audio Direct Stream DAC

I own a PS Audio Direct Stream DAC that I like a lot but heard my friends system with the Bricasti M1 and I am strongly thinking of changing my DAC and would love your feedback from other members that have heard either or both. I know they are both great but really thinking of changing my Dac from PS Audio Direct Stream to the Bricasti M1 DAC. I use a HP Desk top computer as source with Jplay and JRiver Media 19 and the outstanding Tellurium Q BLACK DIAMOND Reference USB Cable. The rest of my system is below. I listen to Classic Rock, jazz, vocal, some modern music and the usual audiophile stuff.

Thanks

My system for reference.

Ascendo C-8 Renaissance Speakers (Germany) Monitor
Purist Audio Design Corvus Praesto Revision 2.5m Bi-Wire Speaker cable
Cardas Clear Interconnect 1 Meter RCA Interconnect
Darwin TRUTH Pure Silver Reference 1 Meter RCA Interconnect
Darwin TRUTH Pure Silver Reference 1 Meter RCA Interconnect
Audio Research REFERENCE 1 w/Rhodium IEC/NOS Tubes Tube preamp
Decware ZSTAGE External Triode Output StageTelefunken ECC801S
PS Audio Direct Stream DSD DAC w/ Bridge DA converter
Tellurium Q BLACK DIAMOND Reference USB Cable
PS Audio PerfectWave PowerBase Vibration Cancelation/AC Condtioner
Conrad Johnson Premier 12 Mono's 140 Watts Tung-Sol KT120's amps
PS Audio PowerPlant Premier AC Regenerator
BMI Shark Pure Jeweler Grade Platinum AC Power Cable
Sablon Audio Petite Corona 2.0M AC Power Cable
Mad Scientist PC-NEO with Power Purifier AC Power Cable
JPS Labs The Power AC+ 2M AC Power Cable
Synergistic Research Labs Tesla Series SE T1 AC Power Cable
Synergistic Research Labs Tesla Series T1 AC Power Cable
PS Audio Noise Harvester (5) Converts noise to light
OYAIDE RI Beryllium Power Outlets (2)
Hubbell Outlet 5362/5262 Deep Cryo Process
Blue Circle Audio The Yalu Balula Industrial Surge/Spike Protection
JPLAY v5.2 hi-end audio player turns PC into a digital transport.
JRiver Media Center 19 Music Software
128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xfsmithjack

Showing 17 responses by jwm

jwm
918 posts
 
I have the Bricasti SE with the new internal ethernet capable board. It takes the DAC to a new level. We are talking about analog like quality and tonality and ease that is fantastic. I bought the Total DAC d1 six with its built in ethernet board to compare. Vincent was real nice and honors a two week money back guarantee. No contest as the Bricasti stomped the Total DAC. The Bricasti throws a much bigger sound stage and is much more musical. The Total DAC is more hi fi sounding. The Total DAC did not better the Bricasti in any way. I was actually surprised at this because of all the positive reviews. I have heard other dac's with discrete resistors used as the conversion and was not impressed. Yes a chip beats the resistor. Power supply and analog stage is was important as far as I'm concerned. I did like the sound of the 110,000.00 discrete MSB dac but never heard it in my system. I don't even know if I would like it better than what I'm using. I still would not spend that much money even if it were half price; way too much for digital.
jwm
918 posts
 
I’m using a PC with J river. Ethernet cable is cat7 by Purist Audio.
jwm
918 posts
 
I am using a local wireless router not connected to the internet. I threw out the switching power supply and added the Sbooster regulated power supply.
jwm
918 posts
 
I don’t think I can use the switch. I’m using UPNP/DLNA which allows to send audio to a network along with j remote I can use my I pad and can run j river. I don’t see how this switch would work.
jwm
918 posts
 
I don’t understand what the switch would do? 
jwm
918 posts
 
I am running it wireless and if I add the switch I will not be able to access j river. This totally does not make sense 
jwm
918 posts
 
My Bricasti has the M5 board built in to it. That is how I’m able to hook it up to the router through wi fi. The M5 board internally reclocks and sends the digital signal through I2S internally to the converter 
jwm
918 posts
 
Fsmithjack, what I meant to say is the following. Ethernet out of pc into local wireless router. Ethernet out of router into the M5 internal board of the bricasti to reclock and convert via i2s to the dac. Your telling me this switch cleans up the router. I don’t seem to see how this helps as the signal is handled by the M5 in the dac? How does the switch clean the power? I understand how the dac does it.
jwm
918 posts
 
Al I’m using cat 6 from my pc to the router which acts as a local network as it is not attached to the internet. Cat 6 then goes  from the router to the internal M5 board of the bricasti. Which then converts and reclocks the signal via I2S to the chip. I call the router wireless because it allows me to use j river off the pc by j remote to my I pad.
jwm
918 posts
 
I assume both have the same specs. OK this is going to cost some money because now I have to order another regulated power supply that costs about 300.00.
jwm
918 posts
 
Oh well just ordered the switcher an another Sbooster regulated power supply to a total fee of 400.00. And away we go as Jackie Gleason use to say.
jwm
918 posts
 
I added the Netgear Switch to my system. Ethernet from my PC connects to my Netgear AC-1200 local wireless router. The router connects to the new switch and then from the switch to the Bricasti. I will say the sound is more relaxed, more open or transparent. I can't believe it. The only problem is when I play DSD X2. The sound turns on and off like shuttering and then it shuts off. The other 24/96/ 24/192, and DSD X1 all work fine. DSD X2 works fine with just my wireless router.
jwm
918 posts
 
I have Sbooster linear power supplies on the router and the switch. May be over kill, but what the hell. I can replace the fuses in both power supplies to see if that changes anything as well.
jwm
918 posts
 
I'm still having hiccups with DSD X1. I went in to settings in JRiver and changed the Pre buffering from the recommended 6 seconds to the maximum of 20 seconds. This appears to have fixed the problem. I can now play DSD 2X. Al does this alter the sound at all. Thanks Jeff
jwm
918 posts
 
Steve N why can’t I just place a cheater plug on my LPS for the grounding? If you ground the LPS to the router do you also have to ground the LPS to the switch as well?
jwm
918 posts
 
Does it matter where I splice in on the negative of the dc of my sbooster? Near the tip of the connector or anywhere along the length of the cable?
jwm
918 posts
 
Steve I'm using J River DLNA like you through AQVOX SE to EN-70e and then to dac. How would you use Linn, Kinsky, bubble UPnP instead of J River with my PC and DAC? Thx Jeff
More to discover