Playback Designs MPS-5 Review in Stereophile

I think there was a thread that was taken down because we can't criticize Fremer on Audiogon.

There is a thread at:
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?ddgtl&1264544877&read&3&zzlPapaya&&

Dave, you didn't dream that there was a large thread on the Playback Designs MPS-5 and MF's review recently in Stereophile. It was mostly favorable to the PD player. In summary, a player outperforming the $70K Scarlatti, concidered a benchmark, priced at a fraction of that. Now who would benefit from removing that information...I wonder?

Well, we all know the occasional misterious augiogon sensorship actions...

Decrying "misterious augiogon sensorship" in the context of one's system consisting of the PD MPS-5 player, DartZeel preamp, DartZeel amplification and Evolution Acoustics MM3 loudspeakers perhaps provides a clue about why past PD MPS-5 posts (not just the post in question) have been closed or removed. Then again, perhaps not...

"Decrying "misterious augiogon sensorship" in the context of one's system consisting of the PD MPS-5 player, DartZeel preamp, DartZeel amplification and Evolution Acoustics MM3 loudspeakers perhaps provides a clue about why past PD MPS-5 posts (not just the post in question) have been closed or removed. Then again, perhaps not."

I've read this in every way imaginable. Perhaps you know what you mean. Then again, perhaps not.

Jb0194, thanks for looking at my system and providing INvaluable feedback, but then again...perhaps not!

Jb0194, personal 'density' freely admitted. . . but I do not understand the causality chain implied in your post. 

Jb0194 woke up on Valentine's Day and just needed to say something. It didn't matter if it made sense, apparently.

Dave you're right...poor sod...we should feel sorry for guys like that...

Would love to hear if someone knows the difference between the EMM Labs XDS1 and the Playback Designs MPS-5.

I currently have the XDS1 auditioning in my system right now. According to EMM's website, the technology also gets rid of the traditional DAC chip and the "PLL" thing and uses custom algo's also addressing x-y axis DACs, etc.

I'm only speculating on this but I can imagine Mr Koch before leaving EMM was the designer of the XDS1.

So the question is... is the key technology for the rave sound (according to Fremer, DCStep, Mr Lavigne, etc) of the player in the DSP/algorithms, and if so, now that Mr Koch is with PB Designs, why would anyone buy the XDS1 if future updates on the algorithms are mostly with PBD?

Plus the XDS1 is way more expensive than the MPS-5.

In the latest Stereo magazine in Japan (which I hope to scan fo you guys the pictures) they have internal pictures of both the XDS1 and the MPS-5. I don't know what it says because I don't read Japanese. The XDS1 using a whiteish/pinkish PCB (the picture is on EMM's website too) while the MPS-5 using the green PCB. The XDS1 looks in my opinion a little more "commercially packaged" like nice covers and labeling while the MPS-5 looks a bit more raw. I have no idea if this is good or bad, or how the components differ and whether this is material for the sound, reliability, etc between the two.

Are JA's measurements (noise, L/R imbalance?) in Stereophile partly because of this internal packaging/layout/use of components, and not because the DSP/algo/x-y DAC is fundamentally different than traditional players? It would be very interesting if JA could measure the XDS1 and whether results vs the MPS-5 are similar.

One thing I know is the XDS1 kills my older/almost broken Krell Standard, and it would be awesome to purchase the MPS-5 at a fraction of the XDS1's cost while at the same time sounding better (from updated algo's?). I have yet to hear the PD but hopefully soon.

Food for thought.

Generally, I don't think it's in Mr. Koch's nature to come on here and answer your questions.

Didn't the XDS1 come out in 2009. If so, Andreas had left well before it's release.

I have compared the MPS-5 to Emm's prior one-box SACD/CD player and thought the PD to be clearly superior, but I haven't heard Emm's latest offering.

I've been told that Andreas did in the PD things that he wasn't able to do at Emm.

Many think that JA was measuring the wrong things.