Bricasti DAC owners


I’m not associated with Bricasti other than owning a Bricasti dac. 
If you own a Bricasti dac purchased before 2020, I strongly suggest considering obtaining the newest digital board, the MDx.

It’s that good. 
There certainly is nothing wrong with any prior BRICASTI digital board. Technology advances, particularly in digital, and the MDx is a worthy advance 
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I just ordered the Bricasti V1.11 MDx Upgrade for my Bricasti M21 DAC. They shipped the firmware and instructions for how to install it.

The upgrade features are "In addition to the improved in performance that the MDx offers, there 2 new features in V1.11 for all products upgraded from early MDx versions: 

CLK Wide / Fine: On all products is the ability to change the Master clock sync from a fine very accurate setting to a more forgiving wide one, yielding a more relaxed sound and to allow for fine tuning of this change. Both settings yield very low jitter results. 

Filter 1: For the M3, M12 and M21 products, the addition of 2 new filters, one for each type linear and minimum phase. These filters are currently found in the M1 and were found to be customer favorites and we feel would be welcome addition to the current simple 2 filters approach in those products".

I received the new V1.11 MDx Upgrade for my Bricasti M21 DAC. SIM card from Bricasti, As per the enclosed instructions, I have to power down my Bricasti M21 DAC, remove the cover, insert the firmware chip into the unit and turn the power on. The instructions say inserting the chip needs to be done very carefully since there are no pins to guide it.

The DAC will be updated using the instructions in chip. When the upgrade is completed, the chip can be removed. A message will be displayed saying the upgrade is complete.

The instructions also said that some units cannot be updated meaning they have to be returned to the factory. I plan on doing the upgrade Saturday afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

 

As per Bricasti's SIM Chip instructions (Bricasti V1.11 MDx Upgrade for my Bricasti M21 DAC firmware updates ), I removed the cover of my M21 DAC and inserted the SIM CHIP in the marked slot.  The SIM chip was very easy to align and insert. I had no issues and it works perfectly.  I also changed the setting to wide.  

After reading their instructions, I was concerned about finding the slot and inserting the SIM chip.  However, when I removed the cover, finding the slot was easy and I had no issues.  The location of where the chip needs to be inserted is clearly marked and obvious.  YES, you have to be CAREFUL inserting the SIM Chip and I used a flashlight to help me.  Once you power up the DAC, please watch the screen for a progress report and the words PROG OK.  Any questions, please ask. cheers,  

I recently changed the setting on my Bricasti M21 DAC (simple setting on the front panel) from a ladder R2R DAC to a delta sigma DAC. This is a test and I have no final comments. However, the ladder DAC seems more relaxed and musical while the delta sigma seems more direct. To be honest, I like both options and the ability to switch back and forth.

Bricasti Customer Support says “Sigma delta came along and basically replaced R2R more than 20 years ago. It was the next generation of technology and promised better performance: lower noise, distortion, etc. The reason you are noticing the R2R appearing smoother is the resister ladder is less efficient and slower than sigma delta which basically up samples to DSD rates to do its Job. You can hear it clearly when you listen to something very transient like a snare drum hit. With the ladder the snare almost disappears compared to the sigma. Personally, I prefer the Sigma Delta, but many people love the R2R. That’s the beauty of having them both”.

My Bricasti M21 DAC has the MDx board installed and the Bricasti V1.11 MDx Upgrade for (also for the M1SE, M3). My Bricasti M21 DAC substantially improved the sound quality of my audio system. To my ears, everything sounds truly outstanding. The music is clearer, less dark, better bass and sounds more like music.