@yyzsantabarbara I think you have it backwards. It was actually Andreas Koch who was hired by Ed Meitner in 2003 to work for EMM Labs. Ed Meitner is considered a pioneer in SACD development. He worked closely with Sony and Philips in the early days of SACD and was responsible for implementing the format from concept to reality. I believe his company, EMM Labs, also built the first multi-channel DSD playback system.
@jmeyers I don’t think Meitner is as unknown as you might think. It’s true that they promote their flagship DAC more often so maybe that’s the reason for the perception. Either way, it is a fantastic DAC. When I bought the Meitner MA3, I compared it against Denafrips Terminator Plus, T+A 200, and the Aavik D-280 DACs. To my ears, it was definitely a cut above the Terminator and Aavik. It was a close call between T+A 200 and the Meitner. In the end, I went with Meitner because of the built-in streamer.
As choiceaudio mentioned, the MA3 produces a very natural and balanced soundscape. It reveals all the details in the music but in a way that it never sounds forced or ’in your face’. IMO, it doesn’t suffer from the overly detailed, etched sound quality of some other top tier dacs in the same price bracket. I have not once experienced fatigue even when listening for several hours at a time.
Having said that, the built-in streamer is good but not great. I plan to get a separate streamer in the future. Don’t get me wrong, it still sounds very good but I think I can push the envelope further. Also, if hearing every last drop of detail in a very vivid manner is your thing, you might be longing for something else. This DAC is more about painting a beautiful, natural landscape than a razor sharp image.
Sorry I don’t have much experience with Playback Designs. Hope this helps and good luck.