USB to Dual Coax Bridge for Qutest DAC

I find with the digital components, at least in my system to my ears, bigger gauge power cables seem to work best. 12 or 10 awg.
I am currently using a Furutech FP-S032N that I terminated myself. I had good results with Audience AU24SEi MP, Audioquest Tornado and Audioquest Hurricane. I would do copper or silver plated copper on power cords. But not pure silver. it’s all system dependent. Best to try. The Audience has always been a safe bet on DACs for me, and not just on the Bricasti.

Start with the stock cord to get a baseline but know that’s not the ceiling for the M3 performance.

@audphile1 Thanks.  I will look around for a used cable.  Do you have a recommendation for a power cord, too?

Thanks.

Used, I think somewhere between $425-$450 for 1m would be a decent priced including shipping etc.

@audphile1 

Thanks.  Will do. I will check out.  Just curious, whats an Audience AU24SE+ go for?You have piqued my interest.

I have an after market power cord.  I don't know if it's the right one for the Bricasti.  What would you recommend?  I'm open to upgrading in the next few months.

This forum is a blessing and a curse.  The wealth of knowledge is priceless.  Thanks to all that chimed in.

The curse, lol, is that I started with a $350 item and I'm now out of $3k+, that I had no intention of spending.  I love this hobby!

@drlou77 I would say the Mirage is definitely a decent cable. I liked it when I had it. Are there better USB cables? Definitely. When I tried Audience AU24SE+ and compared it to DH Labs, there was no way back to the Mirage. Now, that was with the Qutest. With the M3 I only tried the AU24SE+ with Lumin U1 Mini bit sold that streamer and the USB.  Now with the Aurender I tried  stock USB cable that came with the streamer and the AQ Diamond that I am still breaking in.
I’d say try the DH Labs for 30 days. Keep the streamer and the DAC on and playing 24/7 to get at least 200hrs on the USB cable before you decide anything.
The M3 will also benefit from a good power cord. But will give you an idea on its capabilities even with a stock power cord.

@audphile1 

The Qutest has a tiny footprint, as you know.  It's sitting on top of my streamer.  The M3 needs to have its own space.  This required that I get a longer USB cable.  I called The Cable Company and they gave me a good deal on the DH Labs.  They also let me try it for 30 days, and if I want to upgrade, I get almost full credit towards an upgrade.  

Regarding the USB Cable, I did some research here and the DH Labs was a consistent recommendation.  I paid around $300.  If anyone has any feedback on this cable, or would recommend something else that would result in a reasonable cost/value investment, I have until February 11 to make a change.

Yes, I know that cables matter.  No, I will not spend over a $1,000 for any cable, despite claims by Synergistic Research that I should.

Thanks! 😎

@drlou77 more than one change at a time? Unacceptable!!!

😂

I’m guilty of the same sin! Enjoy!!! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. 

@testrun 

The storm delayed the delivery of my M3.  I have it, but won’t be able to install it until Friday.  I will listen this weekend.  Not sure I’ll be able to give it a 100% thumbs up, because I’ll be breaking in a brand new 2M DH Labs Silver Sonic Mirage USB Cable.  More to come.
 

Thanks.

@drlou77 just wondering if you got your Bricasti M3 or the weather caused shipping problems?   Still interested in your impression! 

👍

@audphile1 

@treynolds155 

The seller dropped the DAC off at FEDEX today.  I will take delivery on Thursday, and have it playing on Friday.

I will post my impressions over the weekend.

Thanks!

I’m also interested in your impressions as I’m thinking about this exact same move myself. 
 

DaveJ

@drlou77 any update?

Yes congrats and please do share your thoughts on how the M3 compares to the Qutest!

@drlou77 congrats!!! And enjoy!!!

@testrun no worries.  Yes, I am.

@audphile1 just bought the Bricasti M3 DAC.  Thanks for your help.  Will circle back with listening impressions in a couple of weeks.

@drlou77 

Sorry I brought up the MDx board.  I was thinking about the build date of the M1.  The M3 came out after the "new" Mdx board.  In short, you should be in great shape.  Sorry again for introducing a "non issue".  

Sounds like you are planning to move forward with the M3.  I really think you will enjoy it.  I look forward to hearing your feedback after a few hours of listening.  

Awesome! Nirvana! 
Best place to arrive at in this hobby when you can just sit down and enjoy the music.

By the way I wasn’t implying that your system is inferior or subpar when I stated I don’t know what it consists of. I just couldn’t possibly know aside from the Chord stack you mentioned earlier what else is there. So I assume some of the elements of your reply stem from this misunderstanding  

As a note….in my opinion, and I could be wrong because I haven’t heard all the headphones and hp amps in the world, but headphones aren’t really the best tool to thoroughly evaluate your source components. Yes you get to hear the tone, the overall sonic signature…but it doesn’t give you as big of a view into how it’s all tying together when it comes to soundstage, imaging, instrument placement within the soundstage, etc. Headphones just don’t do that as well as a proper pair of speakers would.
I’m going to also be honest that running the source components you have through the Bose 901 is only going to give you what the Bose 901 can give you. There won’t be a night and day difference between DACs.
Just my honest take on it. No offense. 

@audphile1, I use a crappy Chord Hugo TT2 DAC with a bad Chord MScaler, a terrible Woo Audio WA22 hp amplifier, the worst Focal Utopia headphones, and four horrible old Bose 901 direct reflecting speakers. I’ve got thousands of CDs, LPs, reel to reel, cassettes, and a few 8-track tapes, which I rarely get into anymore because streaming Roon w/Qobuz is so much easier and sounds incredibly good since I’ve optimized my system for the components that I’m using. I found that having the cleanest power running through my mains was very important to getting the lowest possible absolutely black sonic floor that I could.

Thanks! That’s a big part of this hobby!

Enjoy the 🎶 

@audphile1, I love that you’re enjoying the Briscati M3. I think that it’s great when folks can find a piece of audio gear that increases their music listening experience. 

One other consideration when comparing DACs…the difference between DACs might not be that great if your transport/streamer is not on the level and or your system isn’t revealing enough. I don’t know what your system consists of so I can’t speak to it. 

@adasdad I still have the M3. It’s kicking butt right now with my new streamer.
Where it wins over the qutest for me…

Lower noise floor due to good power supply design and implementation. The SMPS like the one used on a Qutest can potentially pollute the AC impacting the performance of other components.
More natural, relaxed presentation with fuller mids, deeper soundstage, sweeter treble, more bass presence that has more texture along with better drive, more subtle details are revealed, requiring less effort to hear what’s on the recording. But at the same time it’s never in your face.
XLR outs. Much better ergonomics. AES/EBU input. Excellent USB implementation. Two different clock settings. 4 filters. Native DSD via USB. Awesome built in preamp(not an oversight at all…it can hold its own if you’re in between preamps).

@audphile1, what was it about the M3 that you liked, and why did you move on from it? I’ve owned the Qutest and have had the Briscati in my system as a demo for comparisons to other DACs. I thought the M3 was okay, but I didn’t think it surpassed the Qutest by leaps and bounds. 

@adasdad I owned Qutest. The M3 is not a lateral move. 

It would be interesting to do a comparison this the Bricast and the Holo Audio May DAC.  The May is a great DAC and would great comparison.      

Provides no protection if the seller wants to scam a buyer. It provides evidence that the seller actually owns the item. The seller in this case has a good amount of all positive feedback. All these checkboxes are just a comfort level setting items, nothing else. 
I have done a lot of PayPal F&F transactions on both sides and never an issue but I’m not there to scam anyone. 

@audphile1 

Just so I have this straight, I should ask him to write down the word "displayed" on an index card ir such, place it next to the item, snap and send me that picture.  You've given me great advice, but I have to ask, what protection does this provide me?

@adasdad 

I hope you're wrong about it being a lateral move.  Everything I've read, including posts here and on a few Facebook groups I follow, indicate that the Bricasti M3 is a significant step above my Qutest.

Cheers.

@drlou77, I had a Qutest before trading it for a TT2 because I really love the Chord sound signature. I also use an Audiowise SRC-DX between my music server and my Chord MScaler where the listening chain goes, music server > AQ Diamond USB > SRC-DX > single WAVE High Fidelity Storm BNC > Chord Hugo MScaler. I implemented the SRC-DX so that I could bypass the less than stellar Amanero USB inputs used on Chord’s DACs. The Briscati M3 is a fine DAC, But I feel that it’s more of a lateral move given what you’ve already got in your system. Good luck! 

Request a photo evidence with the phrase you will ask the seller to write displayed next to the item. Just make sure it’s all good. 
following these steps, I never had an issue. 

@audphile1 Thanks.

In cases like this, personally, I have a phone conversation make sure it is all legit, then go ahead with the purchase. 

@audphile1 thanks.

Joe confirmed that there's no sonic difference for the display upgrade.
 

I am going to purchase the item today.  The seller wants to use PayPal Friends and Family.  He has an excellent rating on Audiogon and other such sites.  Is this common or should I pay the 4% fee and use regular PayPal to have some recourse if things go south?

Old red display would say INP4-384  the new one just looks slightly different  (below)

I have the red display and like it. The newest display is bluish white lettering/numbers. If there’s no sonic difference, I wouldn’t upgrade. Did Joe say anything about newest version sounding better?

@audphile1 

Here's an update.  The unit has the MDX board, but it's version 1.08.  To upgrade to the latest, 1.1, it's $500 plus shipping.  The upgrade affects the graphics  display.   Just curious as to the aesthetic and/or functionality if this upgrade.  I want to be fair, but I don't want to buy an outdated unit and pay $500 to upgrade.

@drlou77 cleaner signal coming out of the Phoenix will mean less work for the Bricasti, potentially even better sound! If/when you get the M3 you can experiment with and without the Phoenix in the chain. 

@audphile1 

I have the Innuos Phoenix USB after my Zenith streamer.  It is my understanding that the Phoenix reclocker was doing the heavy lifting.  Does the M3 reclock the signal as well?

Thanks.

That’s odd. Something doesn’t sound right there. N100H only has USB out. If you had to reboot the dac it was the dac that had a problem.
Just so you know…when you’re running your DAC via coax, the clock in your transport or streamer is one of the most critical elements.  When you’re running it via USB, the DAC clock takes over. USB sounds great with the M3, better than coax in my system with Aurender N200. And it was also the case with lumin u1 mini and Qutest and Lumin U1 Mini and Bricasti. 

@drlou77 

I had a similar setup as you, Aurender N100H feeding a Sboosted Qutest via Curious and other USB cables. For the most part it sounded great, albeit a bit harsh on some recordings. I'm not bashing USB but I moved on from it due mostly to the Aurender losing connection to dacs (several popular models) mostly when switching tracks quickly. I'd literally have to reboot the dacs. Probably an Aurender issue for sure.

I've read about Robb Watts impressive spdif implementation, as well as many opinions on other forums that the Qutest's least favored interface is usb. 

I also looked at the Audiowise SRC-DX but ended up with an Aurender UT100 usb/toslink converter. I recently acquired their UC100 usb/coax converter as well. Both units solve all the connection issues and as for sound, with usb I only used the two warm filters, without usb all I use is the incisive filters. So I think there may be less "digital glare" with spdif. 

Good luck with whatever you decide! That M3 does look awful nice :)

Good luck Rich! I think this a step in a right direction if you can swing it. Funny how this progressed from a USB device to a new DAC…😂

@testrun 

@audphile1 

Thank you, both.  Called and emailed Joe today.  Waiting to hear back from him.

Since the MDX board does indeed come with the M3, I'll probably purchase it tomorrow.  Would also like to hear back about the head phone upgrade, but it's not along the critical path for me.

I've read everything I could get my hands on and everyone raves about this DAC.  You guys have been really helpful, in this regard.

I'll check back in tomorrow.

Rich

The design of the M3 is pretty solid. 

@drlou77 The M3 is in a different league from the Qutest. Top to bottom much more refined. Lower noise floor, more effortless sound and more detailed without being harsh. Treble is pretty sweet on it.
About the MDx board…all Bricasti M3 DACs have the MDx board. I asked Joe (Bricasti support) if I should upgrade my MDx1.09 to the latest version firmware. He replied to my email saying it won’t do anything. The one firmware upgrade was to address a concern with the M21 and the latest was to accommodate for the new display. So if I were you, reach out to them, Joe usually answers the phone.

@testrun 

Thanks for the information.  I hope it has the board.  I'll find out tomorrow.

Cheers.

It cost $1000 to upgrade the board (found on the Web).  I would be kind of surprised if it has the older board.  But I guess we will see.  I had my M1 Se upgraded to an SII and Bricasti was wonderful throughout the process.  Not suggesting you do that but is one of the reasons I'm a big fan.  Also a US based company who have been in the studio business for years and really understands DA conversion and Networking.  There are a number of great audio related companies out there and this happens to be one of my favorites for what ever that is worth.

@testrun Called and emailed them today.  Waiting to hear back.  I have the serial # so I should know by tomorrow.

Thank you!

Do you know when it was built / originally purchased?  I would send Bricasti an email or give them a call.  I would think with a SS # they should be able to tell you right away.  According to Bricasti's WEB Site the upgraded board was put into service January 2020.  You can also send the M3 back to Bricasti and have them upgrade. I'm not sure the cost.  It might be wise to give them a call and to see how they handle the question.  May interactions have been great. My first M3 had the new board so can't really speaker to the differences or value differential.  Let me know how it works out.   

@testrun 

How do I determine if the DAC has the current generation MDX board?  The seller doesn't know, but gave me the serial #.  I guess I can call Bricasti.

Would you say that if it doesn't have this board, I should move on?  The DAC has been on the market since 12/3/23 with no takers.  I contacted the seller, who has an excellent rating, and the DAC is priced to sell. 

That being said, I don't want to buy a "white elephant' piece just because I'm getting a deal.  I want this DAC to be my "game over" DAC.  I've invested a small fortune in my streaming set up and don't want to go down the rabbit hole any further for streaming Qobuz and ripped FLAC files on my Zenith's SSD.

Thanks.

Just make sure current generation Mdx board.  I really enjoyed my M3.  It added life back into my streaming and I had plans to keep it for a long time.  I loved the sound, build quality and Bricasti the company.  Their upgrade offerings are great and working with Brian Zolner is wonderful.  Anyway came into a little money and traded up to an M1SE and now own a M1 SII.  I can't say enough good things about Bricasti.  On a side note - their stream / renderer card is excellent as well.