Bricasti M3 vs. Holo Audio May vs. PS Audio DS

I had the PS audio and M3 at the same time. I liked the PS audio better. I also had the M21 and it was the best but a lot more money. I went with The Bel Canto E1x that I like better then the PS and the M3. 

@hgeifman Yes, thanks, quite a bit of useful information.  Still researching, but leaning toward Bricasti.  As @mike_in_nc points out, the Holo Audio May does seem to be the latest reviewer’s darling—although it could well be the real deal. I do like that phrase and have been around long enough to know it’s a real phenomenon.  I also like that Bricasti is a well established company.  More work to do!

@cosmic_charlie.    I failed to mention that I have owned a DirectStream (most recently with the Windom firmware) and I enjoyed it. Having an ethernet connection and being a Roon end point is very convenient (to me anyhow). 

I currently own a Bricasti M1SE and I prefer that DAC. But, at the end of the day, budget plays a role in audio decisions. You can have a DS with Bridge II for around $3,500. At that price, or less, I think it's a good option. 

Where PS Audio and Bricasti have some commonality is their approach to offering upgrades to the DACs, they diverge in how they deliver the upgrades: PS Audio with free firmware updates (which are always very impactful) and Bricasti with paid hardware upgrades (which are very much worth the price of admission). In both scenarios, you can invest in a DAC that will give you plenty of milage.

I've never heard a May DAC in my system and can't offer any input there. 

@hgeifman I’m thinking about increasing my DAC budget.   I see you looked at the MSB Discrete.  I don’t think I would need any of the  add-ons, which means it would be  priced pretty close to the Bricasti M1.  Have you compared those two by any chance?  Thanks!

@cosmic_charlie, No, I never listened to the MSB Discrete DAC.

I looked at the MSB Discrete DAC but quickly discovered I need both an AES/EBU and USB connections that were all additional costs. Then, I got REALLY confused with the power supply options. It comes with one power supply box for both channels and, an option, another power supply box so that both channels have their own power supply. I discussed this with MSB (phone call) and they suggested I UPGRADE to their BEST power supply (The Reference Powerbase) for ever better sound quality that really increased the cost. I decided to pass on the MSB Discrete DAC.

https://www.msbtechnology.com/dacs/discrete-dac-features/

I own the Bricasti M21 DAC (MDx board installed) in my main audio system and the Bricasti M3 DAC in my 2-channel home theatre system. Both Bricasti DAC’s are excellent and I like them very much for the excellent sound quality. I hope this helps.