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
I love this forum and this thread. So much information and and the unfortumate downside is it made me so confused on which DAC to buy... I am looking for a used DAC at a price range between $3000-5000.. I am new to this and just started building my system. Below is my setp
Goldenear Triton 1speakers Line magnetic 219ia 845 SET amp Bell Canto C5i - it's an integrated amp with built in DAC and i am using it as a DAC only... so this the dac in my system now...
I am fully satisfied with my speakers and LM 219 amp.. same components Sandy Gross (founder of Golden ear) uses in his system...
With this setup, my system sounds awesome... without going into lot of typical words, I will quote what my wife said about the music from the system ..."pleasent to listen, clean and not conjusted"
Now, I thought adding a better DAC might take this setup to next level and probably my last purchase for next few years..
I am thinking something from below list of great DAC's
The PS Audio Direct Stream Dac just released another free firmware update called "Torrey's". This upgrade is remarkable and has changed the sound quality for the better. I don't know how it compares to the Briscati however, but it is very good.
As a matter of fact, PS has upgraded the firmware several times and appears that it will continue. Again, the upgrades are free and user installed.
I sent my Bricasti M1 DAC back to the factory for the M1 SE upgrade. My M1 SE is expected back on Thursday, June 9th. As per their web site, the Bricasti M1 SE upgrade includes:
"The Special Edition M1 builds on the success of the Classic M1 and adds some of the improvements offered in the new flagship Limited Edition Gold M1. Presented in the classic anodized black and aluminum finish, the M1 Special Edition incorporates Stillpoints feet that are engineered and optimized exclusively for the design. The added stability improves isolation from vibration which translates to a more transparent sonic presentation. Point-to-point wiring, a labor intensive process, improves signal flow by eliminating various connectors which can degrade a signals performance. Finally, the next generation power improvements have been incorporated in this edition to further improve filtering of unwanted noise and power ripple.
Product Highlights: Newly engineered feet with Stillpoints for improved isolation. Point-to-point wiring. power capacitor improvements. DSD, DSD64 and DSD128 playback. Features the latest generation asynchronous USB interface. Dedicated dual mono design. Highly acclaimed, proprietary filter technology. Extremely low jitter @ 6 picoseconds. Supports sample rates of up to 352.8kHz and 24 bits. Minimum and linear phase filters".
I visited the Bricasti room at 2016 THE Show and asked them how they did the upgrade. Brian showed me on an opened M1 what wires were removed, what connections were changed, what power capacitor improvements were made, etc. He also mentioned their newly engineered software V1.32 which improves even further the M1 clocking designed specifically with the SE mind. I spoke to two people who had their units upgraded and they both said the change was absolutely stunning and the $1,000 upgrade was highly recommended. I will post my comments when I get my M1 SE installed.
Is the M1 SE upgrade worthwhile for strictly physical Redbook playback? I do not do DSD, USB, files, etc. I had my Bricasti upgraded last year for Redbook only. I use a 30.6 Levinson transport.
Lula, As I noted above, the newly engineered feet with Stillpoints for improved isolation (and added stability), the new point-to-point wiring, the elimination of various connectors, the next generation power improvements and the power capacitor improvements should improve the your Redbook playback. Since you already had your Bricasti M1 updated to the SE version, what is your listening experience? My M1 SE is expected to arrive on Thursday.
My upgrade last year was previous to the SE version. I had all the previous upgrades related to Redbook, prior to the latest 1K SE. I would like to know actual listening experiences to physical cds with the new upgrade, rather than the technical info.
I agree, we should forget the technical information. After one day of operation, my Bricasti M1 SE is beginning to sound much better. I am noticing the music is clearer, less noise and has more details. The bass is stronger and improved. Vocals are very clear and detailed. It is very musical.
I have a feeling my M1 SE needs some more "cooking" time. They installed all new capacitors and I think they need to be broken in. I am listening to the piano right now and it sounds excellent. It sounds better now than without the upgrade. The M1 SE upgrade costs $1,000 plus shipping.
Yes, the M1 SE upgrade sounds excellent and the M1 SE upgrade is recommended. I finally connected the remote and it works fine. I should of done it before.
hgeifman - When I started this thread I was hoping to start a thread for people to talk about both these great DACS, the PS Audio Direct Stream DAC and the Bricasti M1 DAC. I have owned them both and think they are both amazing. When I read your post I called into Bricasti to work toward setting up getting my DAC upgraded to the SE so thank you for sharing. I have slowly been building a second system that is getting better and better and been looking for a deal on maybe a Direct Stream Jr.
hgeifman or anyone who has heard the Bricasti M1 SE upgrade can you tell me a little about it? Does it make a nice difference?
How about anyone out there on the Direct Stream JR - is it close to the original? Would love some feedback on both the M1 SE upgrade and the DS Jr.
Nice system, you really can't go wrong with any of the DACs you listed as they all will provide a nice improvement. With the Direct Stream and Bricasti I think it comes down to money. They are both great and I have owned both. I personally think the Bricasti is a better DAC but it also cost thousands more and the Direct Stream is not far behind as I really like that DAC. These are 2 of the better options out there so your in good company if you have the extra money I would go with the Bricasti but that's just me both are awesome. Both have recent upgrades and I have not heard either with the upgrades so maybe some people that have heard them can help and add some recent info to help you decide. Good luck with your choice!
fsmithjack, I am very happy with my Bricasti
M1 SE DAC upgrade. After about two weeks
of running, the M1 SE is now sounding more natural, clearer, has more bass, a
lack of noise, excellent dynamics and details. I am thrilled with how good my entire system
sounds since I am hearing details, imaging and bass that I have not heard
before. I heard a slight improvement on day one but the unit needs to be on for a while before it really comes alive.
The Bricasti web site lists the upgrades made to build the M1 SE. My Bricasti M1 was gone for about two weeks. If you decide to upgrade, please make an appointment to ensure they have the parts in stock before you ship. Based on my positive experience, I recommend the Bricasti M1 DAC upgrade to the SE Version.
I happen to believe my system sounds outstanding because of the Aurender N10 Music Sever and my Hypex NCore NC400 Bridged Mono Block class D Power Amplifiers.
I am replacing my Harmonic Technology Armour Link III Interconnect Cable (XLR) with James Romeyn Interconnect cables with Cardas XLR Rhodium connectors. Delivery is expected sometime next week. All my power cords were upgraded to Pure Grid Power!” AC Mains W/Rhodium Plated Contacts to include Rhodium plated contacts wall plugs. I was very surprised but the Rhodium walls plugs made the system sound quieter with less noise. I hope this helps.
“Bricasti does not have an official response to MQA’s validity as a new format / codec. Currently we have plans to support it because Its important for us is to support formats that are made available and interest our customers and to let them decide what is best for them. We are currently waiting on the next steps from Meridian including what costs will be associated with being able to offer MQA on the M1”.
Tidal is working on a MQA implementation. Their official response is "A firm date for launching MQA has not been set. We will of course let everyone know if/when MQA becomes available”. I emailed Tidal this week and their response was "We do not have an update on the date of release”.
My DAC is at Bricasti with Joe and Brian getting the SE upgrade as we speak. It was dropped it off yesterday - one of the nice things about living near the manufacture.
Guys I read on another site about one of the features to the newest version of the M1 software. I will paraphrase some of the writing I read on another site:
"the software version is 1.32, first press Status on the front panel several times until you see either SyncWide or SyncFine, and then rotate the knob to change from one to the other" "
Once the display shows one of those modes you can toggle the choice from your listening chair to listen for the differences. The SE upgrade by itself is something, but the SyncFine setting is even better -- bigger soundstage, everything more distinct and 3D. Spooky. It will be interesting to get customers' reactions when they hear the comparisons between those modes and between the SE and the standard version."
What do you guys think - has anyone tried this or heard this? It sounds awesome and would love some feedback or more info about this. The guy said at the time he was the first one who had it and this was back in March so I wanted to share and get any feedback on it if possible because it sounds awesome!
Guys anything on the Bricasti M1 SE upgrade and/or software version is 1.32 that features SyncWide or SyncFine that they say has a phat impact!
Next week is a "Huge" week for my audio hobby. Will be getting my M1 back with SE upgrade and my freshly minted VPI Prime turntable that Harry is mounting my Haniwa Cart on. Harry just sent me the the tracking numbers last night - Going to have a lot time in front of my full range, crossover-less drivers next week for sure :) I'm Psyched !!!!
Hey folks, i just got my Bricasti v1.32 software upgrade in the mail today. It comes on a little memory chip attached to a small PCB with a board connector. You have to take the cover off of the top of the unit and install the chip, power it up and let it install. Then you power down, remove the chip and close everything up and power back on. The SyncFine setting is indeed better on all fronts in my setup. What an exceptional software upgrade and the folks at Bricasti are really great to work with.
Sorry, I didn’t give any details... I have the Bricasti M1 SE that has all the latest upgrades, now including the v1.32 software upgrade. It really is a great sounding and very well made product and the Bricasti folks have been very nice to me. I bought my unit used, here on Audiogon, and had the seller send it directly to Bricasti for the full SE treatment. It looks like I missed the v1.32 software upgrade by a month or so, but the Bricasti folks sent me the upgrade free this week just because I asked about it. While my unit was at Bricasti, I asked them to look at the top cover, which the seller noted had a smudge he was afraid to try and remove. I authorized Bricasti to replace it, at their discretion, but apparently a little Simple Green in the deep sink was all it took and I didn’t have to buy a new top. What a refreshingly honest company, with caring and conscientious employees! I wish all the companies I dealt with were like Bricasti.
I have read this thread all the way through and I must say it is a fascinating story, filled with drama, suspense, and a lot of great information.
I am a recently retired software engineer who has loved music for many decades, along with the pursuit of excellent equipment to enable an optimum listening experience.
When I was 11 years old I built an Arkay integrated stereo tube amplifier from a kit. In college I had a Dynaco amp with AR-3 speakers. Over the years I have had a series of tube and solid-state equipment, constantly upgrading in search of better sound.
I bought a PS Audio DirectStream DAC last year and have been amazed at each OS release from Pikes Peak through Yale Final and now Torrey's. This DAC has been a series of delights with each upgrade and I have no doubt the best is yet to come.
Since I liked the DS so much, I ended up buying a PS Audio BHK 250 amp and BHK preamp also, along with a PS Audio P10 Power Regenerator to power all of it. Every new component was a revelation with the P10 perhaps the most surprising of all since I had no idea how much pure A/C power could do to improve the musical experience.
When I damaged a connector on the DS a couple of months ago I called PSA and they gave me an RMA number without question. They fixed it for free and shipped it back via priority shipping within 3 days.
My BHK preamp is registering 592 hours and 30 minutes of tube time and
still the system continues to improve. The synergy of all PSA
components working together is absolutely marvelous.
With all the discussion of mixing and matching various components, of questions, expectations, trials, and disappointments, I thought it might be helpful to describe a different approach. By choosing all components from one manufacturer designed, developed and tested to work together, I have finally stopped worrying about improving my system and am simply reveling in the joy of
music.
Guys - can anyone speak to the new Bricasti M1 SE upgrade out there and PS Audio's new upgrade? I know PS Audio has excellent software upgrades much more frequently than Bricasti offers upgrades and wanted to see what you guys think? I've heard the latest PS Audio upgrade is killer and was wondering if the M1SE upgrade is on par or close or better or not as good? Pretty impressive how PS Audio continually evolves their DAC with Teds evolution friendly platform!
My dealer recommended the PS Audio DirectStream & Bricasti DAC, said to me that they are "different sounding" but very "comparable".
I bought the DirectStream DAC from him, and am glad I did, as I've applied four firmware upgrades, since my purchase over two years ago. I selected the PS Audio, in part because it was FPGA-based, so firmware updates would improve the performance of the DAC, not just modify the "features".
Having said that, I think either one would "float one's boat", they both seem to be strong sellers in their price range.
You asked about transports and speakers; there is something cool I can share, although not really about my own system, which is nothing special.
I listen mostly to classical music ripped to lossless files stored on my Mac Pro. I play these with VLC software running on macOS Sierra. I usually rip new CD’s immediately but otherwise use a Marantz CD6000OSE CD player. This elderly player sounds excellent routed through my DS. Ted Smith has claimed that all transports sound the same with the DS DAC because it does not rely on timing from the source which could cause jitter. Maybe his opinion will change now that PSA has introduced the DS Memory Player. With ability to deliver full SACD resolution to the DS via encrypted I2S, that transport sounds like the new SOTA.
As for speakers, I listen near-field via a pair of Wharfedale Opus 2 M2’s. Alternatively, I switch to Altec-Lansing Valencia 846b’s that mated well with my previous all-tube system. PSA CEO Paul McGowan doesn’t like horns but I think the Valencias sound fine within their limits. I also listen to Audeze LCD-2 headphones through the headphone section of the BHK preamp.
That’s my stuff, but maybe the question should be “what transport and speakers are best?”
To begin addressing this I wondered what choices Ted Smith made for his personal system, which led me to this page where he listed all his equipment.
As I write this, Ted has not updated the list for over a year, so take it with a grain of salt. He may well have updated the preamp, amp, and transport with PSA equipment by now. But regarding the transport especially his choice is quite remarkable! In this list Ted is using an Oppo BDP-103 updated to include a Vanity 103HD DoP analog board. The unique feature of this board is that it outputs full multichannel SACD digital for connection to the DAC of your choice. This is huge as it somehow bypasses Sony’s encryption which normally prevents the Oppo from outputting full SACD digital.
Ted uses his Oppo BDP-103 with a Vanity 103HD DoP to drive no less than THREE DS DAC’s for full surround sound. The story of how he came to adopt this system is documented in the following PSA forum thread:
So, yeah, there’s that to look forward to. In the meantime, I am basking in a new CD set (Marie-Catherine Girod - Mendelssohn Complete Works for Solo Piano). The Marantz player may not be SOTA but the DS DAC makes it sing like a nightingale!
Mysticriver awesome info I am reading it now. When I owned DS I found the transport mattered but the one you have is a solid - good one. I would like to try that 103 with the upgrade board. Can I just buy that board and put it in or does it need a pro to put it in? Thx
The following information is under the comments tab:
"The installation of the Vanity103HD module is very easy and fully reversible. No soldering or back panel drilling is necessary. Module is designed to simply replace the original analog output board of the OPPO BDP-103."
"The Vanity103HD DoP module has selectable SACD playback when in DoP mode. DoP stands for "DSD over PCM" and this method allows to send raw DSD stream in standard 24bit PCM frames at 176.4kHz over SPDIF. More details about the method can be found here: http://dsd-guide.com/sites/default/files/white-papers/DoP_openStandard_1v1.pdf"
This looks awesome - OK so to summarize so I buy the
Oppo BDP-103
and this board the Vanity 103HD DoP boardand install it myself then just use it as a cd transport?
Any cable recommended with this combo to connect this to my Bricasti M1SE?
Can it play other stuff like stream files or anything like that?
I stream files and with my digital stuff I have listed below and I still use JRiver 21 because I think it sound better than the
Auralic
DS Lightning App but I have nothing to spin CD's on and what I have is decent / competent but I can't help but think there are some better options out there and I would like to try some discs. What do you think? Thanks
Auralic Aries w/ Duel Femto Clocks Stereophile CLASS A (Japan) SBooster BOTW Linear Pwr. Supply ( for Auralic Aries ) (Netherlands)
HiDiamond P3 AC Power Cable 1.0M (Auralic Aries) (Italy)
"This looks awesome - OK so to summarize so I buy the Oppo BDP-103 and this board the Vanity 103HD DoP board and install it myself then just use it as a cd transport?"
Well, that’s the idea as I understand it from what I read, anyway. Of course you don’t need the Vanity board unless you actually play SACD’s as well as CD’s.
As far as my personal system goes, I prefer digital files, with just the occasional CD. So I’m sticking with the Marantz, but the Oppo / Vanity combo sounds like a cool idea if you’re into SACD discs.
If you have any questions about compatibility with your DAC, etc. you should direct them to JVB Digital.
As for the other stuff, I don’t have any experience with the hardware / software you mention, so I’ll leave that to someone else.
I recently upgraded the Bricasti M1 to the SE version. The sound is slightly different. Female vocal and high frequency sound becomes a lot more "clear" and transparent. The bass is also stronger/tighter. However, the mid range / mid bass seems to lose a bit of the 'organic' body. Maybe it sounds a touch too clear. Although, this is fresh out of the box after the upgrade, I'll let it run in a bit more to do more extensive listneing.
Also, the new version is installed when I received the unit. V1.38. I asked Brian and he said it is the current production version, just some minor bug fixes from v1.32. No improvement in sound quality apparently.
Hulk, how do you like the SE upgrade now. I found it gets much better. The new Caps need a while to burn in as well as the new wiring. I am curious as to your thoughts and/or anyone else about the SE upgrade after a couple months of good old burn in. I love mine. I found it gets much better over time... I have switched tons of gear over the past few years, tons, a couple full rig remakes and just couldn't get a rig to stick but man this DAC and my currant incredible speakers (Rethm Saadhana V3) and my amp, a DHT Triode SET amp the (Triode Labs
2A3SE-FFX DHT SET) are just so much better than anything I have ever owned and better anything else I have heard since anywhere else. I am looking to upgrade my preamp though :). Always something :)
One thin for sure about the PS Audio Directstream that makes me real jealous as a Bricasti M1 Owner is the transport. The Directstream has that great bridge which is great. Love the sound of my Auralic Aries with Duel Femto clocks with the great SBooster Linear Power supply and Ultra filter and the great Tellurium Q Black Diamond USB cable but on my fios network it drops out all the time and drives me nuts! Man, what are any of you guys using for steamers or transports? I need to make a change and would love some feedback / advice about what you guys are using?
Hey tdimler - no way... I had not heard or seen anything on
the new Bricasti M5 network player
at all before you kindly told me about it?
How much is the new Bricasti M5 network player
? Any info on it? I want one! This looks amazing. Do you or anyone else out there know anything more about it ? Anything would be super appreciated!
It looks awesome !!! I hope its not too expensive because I want one bad!!!
According to reports from AXPONA where the new Bricasti M5 was first shown, it will retail for $2,000. I also read elsewhere that its functionality may be available as an optional update to M1 DACs by the addition of a new internal board for $1,000. Hope this helps!
Thanks aolmrd1241 - I am going to read that now :)
bill_k - are they shipping these M5's yet? These look amazing. I came across this info about the Bricasti M5 render or streamer online that sounds amazing
"
The M5 Network Player provides the user with the ability to take any DAC, like our M1 and get it
connected to a high quality audio network via Ethernet or Wi-Fi and connect to your DAC without using
USB.
This uncompromising designed renderer is based on our M12 source controller which has this
feature built in, and now available in the M5 as a complete stand-alone product. When combined with our
M1 or any other DAC the M5 will take digital to a new level of uncompromising clarity."
Has anyone heard another about how the streamer / render sounds in the M12? I guess it is pretty much the same thing so wanted to know if anyone has heard anything. I have been struggling for a render / streamer. I have tried a few of the decent one Auralic, SotM, HTPC, etc?
@ozzy - From what I’ve read on the PS Audio forums I believe that with their upcoming Huron firmware the Bridge will support MQA Core (the first unfolding) but is not able to handle the necessary processing for full MQA decoding.
An update regarding MQA support on the PS Audio Bridge II, they are still working on getting MQA approval and may be able to implement full MQA decoding, it’s uncertain at this point according to their forum. Sounds like they may release their Huron firmware without MQA support initially.
Guys - is there anyway via any type of work around that makes sense to spin SACD disc's via a disc transport and feed it to my Bricasti to play the SACD materiel? Are any of you PS Audio guys doing this at all? Was wondering if it is possible and if so is anyone is doing it and if so how? Thanks guys/gals
I believe that the PS Audio DSMP will only play the DSD stream from SACDs when connected via I2S to their own DirectStream DAC, but not when connected to other DACs like the Bricasti. Some other DACs like the Bryston BDA-3 will play the DSD stream from SACDs when connected to a suitable player via HDMI. With the Bricasti you can of course play DSD files which have been ripped from SACDs, but I'm not aware of a direct SACD disc playback option. Hope this helps.
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