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Review: Playback Designs MPS-5 CD Player

Category: Digital

1st impressions of the Playback Designs MPS-5.

briefly; The MPS-5 plays redbook and SACD's; it can also be used as a DAC for a music server as well as as a transport. i do plan on getting into server based music and so i like that part. the MPS-5 is also set up so it's software is easily upgradable.

Playback Designs is a new company. this is their first product.

at 1:40pm PDT today the fedex driver pulled up and dropped off the box.

finally; after 5 weeks without.....I HAVE DIGITAL AGAIN.

mine is one of the first 2 units shipped, and the first to arrive. i had heard a prototype a few months back and made a decision to replace my EMM Labs SE Combo with this new product. i had not compared the my EMM Labs Signature directly to that prototype; but i did like some things i heard and made the change.

first; the packaging was perfect and easy to unpack; i was playing music in about 2 minutes after openning the box. the player itself is very handsome; fit and finish are impeccable, a beautiful aluminum case, brushed silver metal on top and black anodized on the bottom. the remote is similarly elegant, and feels very nice in your hand. large, easy to use buttons and it's back lit.

the EMM Labs never had this level of industrial design; but prior to that i owned the Linn CD-12 and before that the Levinson dac and transport. performance is my only criteria; but i also enjoy audio jewelry assuming it can deliver the sonic goods.

how does it sound?

my very first impression in the first 30 seconds was big and bold. the Playback Designs uses a transformer based power supply instead of the switching power supply of the EMM Labs SE Combo. i wonder if that is a factor here.

i must point out that my EMM Labs SE Combo was packed up and shipped to it's new owner in late April. so my aural memory of that is 5 weeks old. OTOH i owned EMM Labs for 5 years, and the SE for the last 2 years. so my sense of that is pretty good.

i'm hearing a sound that fills the soundstage to a greater degree, and the bass seems to have more authority.

beyond that initial impression; like any brand new digital player; the sound started off somewhat congested, sluggish and closed in. after about 45 minutes things started to open up a bit and i could hear farther into the soundstage. it's now been about 90 minutes of play and things are getting more interesting.

it's still somewhat closed in on top but i'm getting more lively micro-dynamics and a bit more transparency in the mids. the bass is getting cleaner and tighter, a few more hours and.......

i like where this is going.

anyway; i'll be breaking this baby in over the next week or so and will continue to offer impressions.

Associated gear
Click to view my Virtual System

Similar products
EMM Labs CDSD SE Transport, EMM Labs DAC6 SE
mikelavigne

Showing 12 responses by dcstep

dcstep
1,518 posts
 
Ok, so no Korg DSD to MPS DSD, at least for now.

For long-term archiving I plan to convert the Korg files to 24/196 and put them out on a server. I'm hoping to ultimately have a remote server linked to a TB harddrive, with files in 16/44.1 to 24/196 depending on their sources, connecting to a wireless device behind or around the PD-MPS-5.

Latency and compatability are still issues right now, but I'm thinking that'll be solved soon. Of course, I could alway run another damn wire.

I'm using an Apple TV now to show photos on my HDTV. That's a promising device ruined by some unfortunate flaws purposely imbedded by our kindly control freak, Steve Jobs. My geek daughter wants me to hack it, but I'm leery of the regular Apple updates that render many hacks dead.

Please keep us informed as you pursue a similar path. Your need for hi rez will surely yield a good end result.

Dave
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
Thanks for the great review Mike. It may be time for me to take the plunge.

What happens when you insert a DVD-A? Does it try to do anything, or just sit there glaring at you? Have you tried any other file formats?

Do you know anything about the technology and sampling rates? I too would consider using its DAC as the basis of a music server system, so the sampling rates will be important.

Dave
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
06-05-08: Mikelavigne said:
"the DAC in the Playback Designs has an open architecture; it can be 1 bit-5.6mhz or 32 bit-196mhz, 72 bit-496 mhz or anything they want it to be. thru the USB port the software can be updated to whatever they want.

algorithms can be updated."

Ah, that's what I was hoping hear. With 1-bit and upgradeable firmware, maybe they'll have everything that I need for both a player and a DAC for my planned music server.

Do you know, will they be at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest?

Mike, thanks so much for the follow-up.

This is getting VERY tempting. I may pull the trigger.

Dave
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
Mike, there's lots of good beer in Colorado. We'll have to find some and clear our ears.

Yeah, I talked to Jonathan last night and he seems to be aiming for the next CES and then returning to RMAF in '09.

Dave
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
Hi Mike,

OMG, I hadn't even thought of that. I just looked and the Korg has USB out, so it looks very possible.

BTW, I ordered the PD player yesterday. Jonathan is showing a shipping date of 6/18 on my invoice.

If any programming is needed a couple of us may need to team up to make sure the DAC will serve the Korg and whatever music server we may use. Jonathan told me the jitter was absolutely -0-, so I'm thinking that this could be an incredibly powerful DAC and foundation for a server, on top of being a great player. We'll see...

Dave
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
Guido, if you want to wait that long, then you'll be able to listen to mine at RMAF. We could probably run it through a Capri/312/Mahler combination with Soundings' help so that you can hear it in a somewhat more familiar setting. It'll probably need to be after-hours because I doubt that Soundings would be a dealer, but you never know.

In fact, you'll be very busy, since I suspect you'll need to alot time for a Rowland Criterion audition and maybe beers with Mike and me(or wine if that be your preference, I've got an incredible Chianti).

I'd loan you mine, but if you end up doing a review I might never get it back. It's better to come from the manufacturer. ;-)

Dave
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
Querceto Classico Reserva 2003

The best Chianti I've ever had and it's only about $25 per bottle. There MAY be a bottle or two left in October...

Dave
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
Mike, I understand the advantage of a server or harddrive-based system is the lower error rate in reading a hard drive vs. an optical transport reading a CD or SACD. There's no advantage attributable to the DAC; therefore, like you, I'm very much looking foward to implementing a server solution that incorporates my MPS-5's DAC.

You might ask your son about one attribute that I seek, I've already mentioned it to Jonathon and Andreas, I want my server in another room from the two-channel system. I'd like an AppleTV-like device (without the technical limitations and Jobian control freak operation limitations) sitting right behind the MPS-5 to send the digital input into the DAC and system.

Dave
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
06-27-08: Mapman said:
""Mike, I understand the advantage of a server or harddrive-based system is the lower error rate in reading a hard drive vs. an optical transport reading a CD or SACD"

Doesn't the content originate on CD and get read through optical drive prior to landing on the server in which case any data that would be lost during the optical read process is already lost before it hits the server drive. So in this case, how can reading from the server be any better?"

My understanding is that in transfer the program re-reads the optical drive rather than "correcting" the error with a logarithm, except as a last resort. Obviously, you need a download program that checks for errors and re-reads, but I can't name a program for you.

Dave
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
See this "Memory Player" write up about it's reader:
Memory Player Ad

Dave
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
Mike, I'd never say "never."

I think that all the components are there, but yet to be put together correctly. yes, optical readers have finally gotten very good, but flash hard drives have much potential.

Dave
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
As for build quality, I've got a Rowland amp to compare it to, which is made out of billet aircraft aluminum with a beautiful milled faceplate, machined buttons, etc.

OTOH, my PD is not quite up to that level. It's just a smidge down. If the Rowland is 100th percentile (I think it is) then the PD is 90+th percentile. The chassis is solid and attractive. If were to judge purely on chassis, then the top Ayre is one of the few that competes with Rowland (I think their chassis are made by the same machine works). The Emm is certainly not in the very top league as the Rowland either. Looking at pictures of the DCS, it seems comparable to the PD. The Chord is so different looking that I can't tell much from the pictures.

So, focusing only on the chassis, the PD is not quite as good as it gets, but it's reasonable close. Given what Rowland has to say about RFI/EMI and how the chassis can mitigate that, I can say that I'd rather have an even heavier Rowland-like chassis, but the plate of the PD is reasonably thick and surely Andreas was fully aware of the digital RFI/EMI issues and addressed those, given the beautiful resulting sound as evidence.

BTW, I do go balanced into my Rowland from the PD, but I used it for a few days with unbalanced ICs while waiting on my new Analysis Plus balanced ICs. When I switched from AP unbalanced to AP balanced I heard no apparent difference; however, I must say, I wasn't really thinking in terms of A-B comparison at the time. Certainly no change jumped out at me. So, I think that the PD will work well in an unbalanced system.

Dave
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