Nice walkthrough. Thank you

This video was insightful; thanks for the detailed overview. Seeing what's under the hood of this well-designed DAC was pretty cool; impressive, especially compared to the others I've seen and you've highlighted. Over the past, I've looked at Playback Designs several times but never really considered them. Seeing now the design, I will give them more thoughtful consideration from now on.

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Right on Eric, then Ive done my job !

Incredible DAC! Great explanation, Mikey! 👏🏻👏🏻👊🏻👊🏻

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it!

@dragocelander6671

2 жыл бұрын

You rock, Mikey!

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

@@dragocelander6671 Thanks man !

You always seem to post something that changes my perspective a bit, and I appreciate that. Your passion for this DAC is unlike any other piece of equipment I've seen you present. I remember back to the days when you were presenting the Vermeer Audio 2. Back then IMO that was the DAC to beat. Alas it has been surpassed at least 3 times since.

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Very good awareness my friend. You nailed it. Vermeer 2 is STILL one of my favorite DACs and this Playback Designs is exactly 3 Reference pieces away from where I started... ;-) Gold Star for paying attention ! Holler if you ever want any help with your rig !

@yphoenix9077

2 жыл бұрын

You're at the top of my list! I really enjoyed finally seeing the inside of the Playback Designs DAC. What an amazing design.

this was designed very nicely! great power supply.

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

I know , right ?!

I sat at that table! Awesome vid brutha! I just posted the video to the Facebook private group: HiFi and music media releases.

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Awesome thank you!

Hello,Mikey!Honored to comment here and let me say a big THANK YOU to you!Feel sorry for my bad English and not using translators because I want to say something frankly and honestly in my own words. I’m a Chinese music lover(still an amateur so not an Audiophile) and looking for a DAC to build a network transport system with my active speakers(psi a-23s,fell in love with it because of its natural and delicate sound) and of course a internal pre-amp(better call it volume control)will be needed. After many times of audition even in different countries,I’ve listend to some digital sources,including Accuphase,Esoteric,Luxman,Linn and some other brands’ maybe I cannot recall,I liked Linn pretty much,sounding good and pretty organic,which is a DAC that is easy to get along with,until I found something MUCH BETTER(for myself of course).

@Nathan-wr2rb

Ай бұрын

No matter how I like reading different articles,maybe reviews or posts on forums,and also found Mikey’s videos about the MPD-8,the best to believe is LISTENING,so I went to local dealer who sells PBD with great curiosity. They didn’t have an MPD-8 in the audition room but a newly unboxed MPS-8,to listen to some familiar songs I like,they connected a very simple Airplay receiver to MPS-X and feed to the MPS-8’s DAC via Plink,without an external pre-amp,directly to a pair of ATC-300s.(I like auditioning DACs with all-analog active monitoring speakers like PSI,ME,ATC etc. if possible cause they can tell me how does the DAC or preamp or Transports perform) Unlike auditioning some other DACs(whether it is expensive or not),I didn’t get simply shocked or attracted,but TOTALLY in the MUSIC WORLD,the PBD is just so good that I don’t need to make myself TRY HARD to feel which PART of its is good,no need to describe any about it at the very first time,all to do was just to enjoy the music flowing there to here.

@Nathan-wr2rb

Ай бұрын

After that,I calmed down and started to recollect how good the DPB is,it is just so natural,organic and non-fatiguing that I don’t need to worry about which part is not enough yet,maybe other hi-end DACs which are much more expensive like JAGRA or some others do have some more treble,mid or bass,or maybe just more tonally colorful which is not real,the DPB(and just the MPS-8 playing apple musics not using CDs!I can’t imagine how good a single MPD-8 will be,of course using USB-X4 with a good LPS and feed it the USB output from a very good network transport)is just so GOOD,so properly balanced,performing every single detail in a proper manner without making me fell uncomfortable(unlike Esoteric,I don’t like it)at all. Then,I realize that PBD is just like its name,PLAYING BACK is everything,expressing to the listener what the PEOPLE in the MUSIC (composers,singers,etc.) want to express,instead of showing the brand’s own character,the CORE is just the ORIGINAL MUSIC ITSELF. I also recollect Mikey’s videos about PBD,I can see the real smiles from a man who really loves music,because he loves PBD. Thanks for your videos and your reviews,Mikey!I decide to purchase a MPD-8 now,and wait for it for a few months,wait for the VERY BEST DAC in the world,the GOLD REFERENCE for me to come into my system.

Hi Mike, we spoke before about the MPD-8 when I bought my pair of JRD Model 125s. I heard the MPD-8 at AXPONA with the Tannoys and it did sound great. But hard to really assess it at a show without your tunes, it’s in a hotel room, etc. I do have some questions: 1. What is the warranty on the MPD-8? 2. How many times has FPGA firmware upgrades been issued on the MPD-8 and does Playback Designs keep an online archive of them? 3. What streamers are available to route via fiber the signal to the MPD-8 so you don’t risk any EMI enroute? Thanks.

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Hi RJ, I give a 10 year warranty. Firmware has not once been changed since Ive had mine and of course they would keep an archive of them, though not sure if it would be online or by request as we dont need to cross that bridge yet . Playback designs makes the compatible streamers with fiber. They use thier own protocol for data transfer as well, so its not SPDIF, nor i2s which should not leave the motherboard. Contact me if interested I have a unique opportunity currently.

This DAC is unadulterated cream, and I wants it.

Aluminum is about $1/pound and CNC machining costs $100-200/hour. So figure $200 maybe in that heavy lid. Struggle to get to $24k.

@maxhirsch7035

4 ай бұрын

Actually, I'm guessing that the thickness/unconventional shape/production make it closer to a thousand, and IIRC audio items' actual manufacture cost, given boutique (and high-end audio is generally a boutique business) economy of scale, is usually only about 20% of retail price, so the case probably appropriately adds 2-3K to the retail cost if I had to guess. And most of what contributes to the high cost is presumably not the casework. Most of it is relatively tiny number of units sold combined with the push to achieve top-tier audio performance.

So, how inferior does it sound through the Coax/SPDIF to the glass inputs? My friend said this is the finest DAC made and he has it (a friend of yours). He's preparing for AXPONA so I can't ask until after the show. I thought it was $22K but now I guess it is $24K. Does it require footers or platform for it's best sound or does it have more than adequate footers built-in? Does it have standard fuses and if so, would premium fuses improve it's sound? Great review and I like how it is designed/built, like the COS Engineering D1v but apparently overbuilt for ageless quality.

Mickey would you recommend the lower tier Playback Designs dac's/ cd ?

Please give us more vids with the inside of gear. I am not tech savy but I find it very interesting and enlightning.

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Sorry Kees, it is very boring for me ... My old videos have a lot of inside pictures

@AllynVibesAudio

4 ай бұрын

Just 0.02 cents in case it has any value. Checking out and enjoying your NewOneTech, MPD8 videos. FYI, having worked with 30 - 60k circuit boards, one thing makes me nervous ESD protection when when your touching the insides of these units. You may never have an issue, or it may manifest later. 24k on that piece of white fluffy mat ohh... triggered! Lol

Hey Mike... That's quite a DAC..... What a well built monster. Very beautiful and super quality. Greetings from the Netherlands Limburg Maastricht and above all continue with High-end and of course coffee... Peace and love... ✌🏾🌍😘👉🏾☕️👈🏾😁😉💪🏿 And what you say about the signal transmission is absolutely correct Mike... Logical!!!

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Rock on Javi !

Great video, Mikey! I preferred that DAC to Jay’s more expensive MSB in the shootout.

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, I did as well. Different DACs with different results for different desired results. ;-)

Mike, great Video, would love to see you open up that Wadax Dac from spain, and pick it apart with your expert knowledge., good work!!

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

I doubt that will ever happen... But Id love to .... lol

@peblinks63

2 жыл бұрын

@@OCDHIFiGuy it would be sweet

Now we are talking, that is some sexy hardware

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

BAM !

Have you tried the audio gd DACs with regenerative power supplies in the chassis? And only 3400 usd

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

NO. I dont buy CHINESE .... They violate HUMAN RIGHTS.

Looks well built. How does the model 6 compare to the 8?

@OCDHIFiGuy

5 ай бұрын

Same DNA, more lively. 8 is more laid back..

I would love to see you compare the MPD-8 against the T + A German built, SD 3100HV DAC only, or better yet their SDV 3100HV DAC/PRE with limited analog inputs (1 RCA and 1 XLR, with a volume control). I have seen the inside pictures of this beast and the build quality, not to mention the design is exemplary!! Yes it is I believe $37,500 for the pre model, but it is feature laden and looks to be as well thought out and executed as the MPD-8. Should there not be an HDMI input in the MPD-8? My understanding is that the only way to transmit DSD from a SACD disc via a SACD/Universal player or SACD transport is via the HDMI port. I am trying to understand how I can use a universal or SACD player with these DACSs that is not from the same company. I have an OPPO BDP-105 with an HDMI out, so it "SHOULD" work and saves adding either companies $20K+ disc spinners. Your thoughts Mikey?

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Joe, Would be happy to compare if someone wants to send one, but remember, im NOT a reviewer. I simply share things I like and/or find interesting. Playback designs uses an ST Digital input which supersedes ANY wired connection. So it is better than HDMI in my opinion. Of course this makes it impossible to use "other brands" as Playback designs uses their own protocol optimized for digital music transfer (NOT i2s) Remember, Andreas Koch developed SACD for SONY... so there is no better way to playback SACD than Playback Designs product in my opinion, because the Inventor of the technology makes these products. Hope this helps a bit.

The build quality on one of those Dac's is second to none. Beautifully made so Playback knocked the ball out of the park with this one. Unfortunately I've not had the pleasure of listening to one yet, but I've heard there's nothing like it and it doesn't get any better than that. As Mikey said some companies produce or create things to get the best possible result and some create purely for profit👌

@OCDHIFiGuy

7 ай бұрын

True 👍 ✔️

is there a distributor/dealer in europe?

Can’t wait to see the comparison to the Mola Mola Tambaqui. The MPD-8 is almost twice the price though, important to keep in mind.

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Ill keep you posted.

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Mola Mola is more bright by comparison is the report. The user has an Odyssey Kismet Amp and QLN monitors. I felt it was far too much for the rig. No way for a meaningful comparison IMHO.

Great video, thanks for the info. I have two questions: 1. Do you believe the upsampling to DSD is the key to the natural sound you hear? 2. You have said that you don't really hear significant audible benefits from streamers/servers, but to have one that delivers the data via fiber optic in order to have the best connection possible for the MPD-8 must be pretty expensive. The Playback Designs MPT-8 transport sits at 20k. Do you use that for the best sounding source for the dac? Cheers

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Tarek, thanks for the questions.. 1. Partly. Yes, its a huge part, but Emm Labs does this also, and the DAC's sound very different to me. So its in the filtering algorithm combined with this amazing build. 2. Playback makes a digital interface converter to change USB into Glass Fiber optic to feed the dac and its price is to be released but Im guessing no more than $3K. (Reverse of the Ultra Rendu) I have not had the transport for comparison as I draw the line and simply use the recently discontinued $3K Playback Streamer . I do not care about hard media playback like SACD.. its irrelevant to me. According to the manufacturer however, SACD playback via Glass Fiber is the top way of playback... I can get there by streaming DSDx4 off my NAS Drive...

“The force is strong in this one” Darth Vader 🌐

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Yes it is Yulia !

Yes yes yes!

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

LOL, my sentiment exactly...

110volts wouldn't do me no good though i would be over driving the dac 110 v transformers @ 120volts ? Thanks for the video my cd transport is covered with one inch african redwood and 3/8 an inch steel 3 volt regulators and it sounds great

Mike, do you still have the APL on hand?

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Yes Marcin. It's with a local client on loan.

Amazing design. I wonder why Andreas Koch didn't allow for processing native DSD 512 and DSD 1024. Native DSD has tons of music in the DSD 512 format. And some even in DSD 1024.

@OCDHIFiGuy

5 ай бұрын

Lol. It's not possible to record in DSD 512 or higher... Andreas is a realist that builds reference level product only. Not "made up" new fad format product. I'm sure there is plenty of thousand dollar Chinese DACs that will take the precious upconverted DSD512 files.. ;-) 😉

@elitetrader5468

5 ай бұрын

@@OCDHIFiGuy Ok fair enough. Is DSD 256 the current recording limit? Also, given Andreas upsamples his DSD to 50 MHz isn't there some validity in the upconverted DSD 512 and 1024 files by making it "easier" for the DAC to do its job? Similar approaches in a way.

what do you give up with the mpd-6 "Edelwiess" dac vs the mpd-8?

@OCDHIFiGuy

6 ай бұрын

Refinement.

WOW

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Right ?

Have you seen Audio-GD DAC power supply?

@OCDHIFiGuy

6 ай бұрын

I don't do Chi Fi.... so no..

@WelkySchullin

6 ай бұрын

@@OCDHIFiGuy Thx for reply. it is very similar design to this DAC..

Mikey- thanks for keeping it real and calling out the snake oil in Hifi….big Jay just posted his vid with the Audio Analyst and that dude made it clear that reviewers just turn a blind eye to crappy gear. Unbelievable 🤦‍♂️

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

There it is ...

How does the MPD6 compare to the MPD8?

@OCDHIFiGuy

3 ай бұрын

More midrange forward sound, 8 is more laid back...

Props for the "unboxings". At least it has some engineering merit. Rockna was decent too. Cheers.

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, Rockna Wavedream Signature Balanced was my reference at one point.

Regarding ST connectors, networks got away from these many years ago due to light loss. SFPs are much better connectors for fiber.

Thats the most impressive dac ive seen internally. I thought my Denafrips Terminator 2 was well constructed until i saw this

@jlo8775

2 жыл бұрын

My thoughts exactly!

@ericharrelson2045

2 жыл бұрын

Same here.

@bigjay1970

2 жыл бұрын

It's $24,000. Really think hard about that.🤪

@erics.4113

2 жыл бұрын

It would be funny if half that kit wasn't hooked up.

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Keep in mind that while denafrips looks impressive , its OLD technology and potentially a ROCKNA copy. There is no return policy and its from Mainland China.. Trust me I know the thing looks tasty inside.. they knew EXACTLY how to market to USA Audiophiles. I heard they were a Cash Register company.. lol kind of ironic... No dis to your piece my man, I was the USA Importer for Denafrips for a year.. every single one sold in USA went through my hands.. So I know the piece well.. I just wish the totalitarian govt there would give up the whole military control thing. Let the people live free...

If I am understanding correctly, it sounds like you are headed for a fully shielded fully isolated galvanic connection for Digital Information Port! No more low quality connections ie: Spdif, Coaxial,RCA! That with proper power supply eliminating any chance of interference and Best DAC Program! This would open up whole new level in the Digital Domain to Huge Possibilities for Enhancing Sounds before Amplification at the User Level! Are you Mikey the New Messiah in Audio Production! If so, Rock On Brother! ✌🖖👍

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Im just a regular dude with an above average passion for music reproduction. ;-)

@j.m.harris4202

2 жыл бұрын

@@OCDHIFiGuy Far from a regular Dude in my humble opinion! Passion in Hobby turned Professional has carried you far my Kindred Brother! Thanks for the many hrs of Enlightenment and Entertainment, especially during these Crazy Times!

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

@@j.m.harris4202 Phew... thank GOD for our audio solace !!

@j.m.harris4202

2 жыл бұрын

@@OCDHIFiGuy our Audio Solace is one of many forms of Escapism! Keep Rocking until the End of Time!

Linear supplies are the quietest sometimes not measurable.

@OCDHIFiGuy

Жыл бұрын

Not for long..

Very nice Mikey. Now we need to see that PD MPD-6 Edelweiss inside for comparo!

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

It sold weeks ago. Its a single board affair with a mirror image dual signal / DAC path and an encapsulated power supply that takes up the whole left side of the chassis.

How much does playback dac start from?

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

$15K

And you've confirmed all of this by measuring it ??

Now that's Hifi. Give it away now.

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah !

I thought optical fibers introduce lots of jitter

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Not when they are AT&T GLASS ST DIGITAL FIBER OPTIC with twist lock connector and GLASS TIP

to all of the naysayers...this DAC is one of the best dacs in the world, ABSOLUTELY killer sounding...a great example of killer engineering...hands down organic with tremendous dynamics...

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

I can second that and verify through my personal experience.

have you seen the inside of the new Mola Mola? .... I'm not hating. I'm just saying.... it's AMAZING, but different.

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Im sure we could look it up on Google.. Id love to bury it on my channel.. Its one of those DACS that people think is top of the game, so much theyll fight you to prove it ... like PS Audio... same kind of customer.. Thinks thay have hot the perfect spot of diminishing returns.. In the $100K Plus rigs, thats where this DAC walks all over things like Mola ... but Mola may be great in a smaller rig smaller room, etc... This DAC is ABSOLUTELY NOT for small under $25K rigs.. Its overkill and will not be realized.

@rustygates3367

4 ай бұрын

@@OCDHIFiGuy What are you saying? It takes a 100k+ set of speakers and power amp to make the MPD-8 sound better than the Mola Mola? How did you come to that conclusion? It's not that anyone is fighting to prove anything, the Mola Mola speaks for itself; it has universal praise wherever you look - Stereophile, Darko, Jays Audio Lab, Audio Science Review, all the other smaller reviewers, any audio forum... from the subjective to the objective, its seemingly unmatched. I highly doubt the MPD-8 DAC measures up anywhere near as well as the Tambaqui, that's for sure.

牛！

Well, a couple things- while I can afford this gear if I really want to, and am contemplating it- first, I'm fortunate there, and most people in audio, not so much, so let's not dump on less expensive units that can't quite reach the level of this one because the production budget doesn't allow extreme measures- this isn't an audio battle! And second, I've heard incredible things about the Wadax, which could be better- so again, let's not battle here! While this unit may turn out to be a better value, few who cannot afford it would regard it as a good value. Perspective!!

@OCDHIFiGuy

4 ай бұрын

Absolutely. My perspective is that Wadax does not bring anything better in terms of sonic, and I've listened to both. And wadax is $165K, which, to me, represents contempt for the buyer. That's just my perspective. Even if it's half price, it's still not worth it, in my opinion. But to each thier own.. the DACs I sell start at $2500, so I promote more conservative designs as well. I'm just very particular about realistic real-world pricing.. $165K for a DAC is a whole conversation in itself. It represents something that far exceeds the love of music. It represents the love of exclusive things, in my perception. The love of things to a conspicuous level is not my vibration.

I really like seeing all this great gear but in my opinion the pricing has gotten way out of hand. I don't doubt this dac sounds great! But what really makes all this high end gear cost so much? Is it the design and engineering ? It's certainly not the parts. The parts and aluminum in that dac probably cost under $600. If you look them up those exact brand 47000uf caps for the power supply cost under $8 each. They probably build these units for under $1k. Sell them to their dealers for around $15k then the dealer tacks on another 40%. Just things to make you wonder how bad the consumer is being ripped off. I Really like the videos Mikey and will continue to watch. Thanks!

@erics.4113

2 жыл бұрын

You're paying for bespoke engineering and small batch manufacturing. The r&d is the cost and there is zero economy of scale.

@marka2449

2 жыл бұрын

@@erics.4113 I understand that comes into play but still don't think it justifies the retail price. They could very easily reduce costs and increase production. Guess The hi end hifi world is just like designer hand bags in a way. Limited production, exclusivity and a little better looks/performance than the mass produced stuff.

@erics.4113

2 жыл бұрын

@@marka2449 if you're trying to justify the price I think you've completely missed where this product sits in the market. At this level, the price and heft are baked in commodities. If one torroid is good, three is better! And it adds more weight and heft. Also better. If an aluminum cnc casework is good, heavier machined case from single billet aluminum is more better! The resonances think about resonances! This is a flex piece and you can't flex with something that doesn't flex the wallet

@user-oe1jk2ro4o

2 жыл бұрын

Because we are the consumers Willing to pay these prices Once we stop this stupidity Prices will crash. In Hebrew there is a saying Suckers do not die They just take turns

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Great Question and love the answers ! You guys are RIGHT ON. This is a luxury good. I consider it top of the market sonically and its $24K. Top of the market price wise is $165K. For comparison, top of the market speaker wise is over $1M. So to me this is a GEM. This is a manufacturer NOT taking the client to the bank. This DAC could easily be double this cost if we compare it to others this same designer has designed that sell for 3X this one !!! (NAGRA) and its his lover level DAC design even. So clearly economy of scale plays a part. Go ahead and for fun ask an aluminum fabricator how much to make a box out of fluted, contoured hard anodized aircraft aluminum.. My guess the box alone is $1K , and I wont go into the research it took to develop this filter algorithm. Hopefully you understand a DAC is a computer thats custom programmed with a insanely good Audio Card. This is the TRUE thing that separates the regular from the GREAT. The Math.... This designer invented SACD for SONY. He invented Sample rate conversion and has the USA Patent. So hes grandaddy Digital music.. So in the end, Id by FAR rather have one of these DACS than a new motorcycle. Top level Harleys or Indian, Or BMW are between $30 and $45 K..

What does jay say about this dac?

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Ask him.... He likes a different sound. He prefers what I call "Shock and Awe" otherwise known as "Hollywood" HiFi. Nothing wrong with it at all, but its for crazy demos rather then long listening.

@labalo5

2 жыл бұрын

Makes sense. Thought maybe it would’ve played nicely in his system too. Thanks for the vids. Really have PD on my radar, especially after you mentioned that it can cover preamp duties too. Hoping the MPD 6 is just as good?

George Thorogood wrote a song about Mikey.

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Bad to the Bone, Homey !

I would love to see a blind listening test of 5 varied priced dacs to see if spending $25,000 is justified even with fantastic build quality, design and product support. 🤔 So many times with other audio products it's been shown that a product can be way way way over engineered. Just because the parts and everything about a certain product is superior doesn't mean it's going to translate to a better listening experience. I guess if you're going to put together a $200,000 system why not. 🤓 Heck, there's really no justification why some artistic paintings are worth hundreds of millions of dollars using $200 worth of paint.🤪 Great demonstration by the way. Not trying to be a hater, I just don't understand and unless I've experienced it myself which I'd be the first one to admit I haven't then its on me.😇 Now I can appreciate and understand a top-tier Porsche vs a new Corvette as an example.😉😬 The thing is with that example, there's so many different things that one can compare one with the other. For example Drive, Air conditioning, Sound system Seating position, Appearance. There's so many different things. In a Dac, I'm looking for that .001 difference in the $25,000 Dac market.

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Id be happy to demo the difference for you . Please come visit. Ive got a $16K DAC and 2 $30K DACs to compare. It beats them all. But remember these products are for people who DEARLY value the music listening experience. Like on a spiritual level. Its healing for us, its like Church you may say. When you use this DAC you receive 100% of its performance and nobody can stop it. A new Corvette is held back by traffic and you can do no more than the old Toyota Tercel. If you can afford to track your new Vette, then a $24K DAC is nothing. New racing slicks are $4K installed, not to mention ceramic brakes, suspension tweaks, etc... and the car is $80K, just under 4 times the cost of this DAC. Im comparing this to the top of the industry DAC (Pricewise) which is $165K

@bigjay1970

2 жыл бұрын

@@OCDHIFiGuy It's all good.😬 And I might just take you up on that offer when/if we go to Visit my mother-in-law. 🙄😜 I don't even believe Quincy Jones uses a $165,000 Dac? I still can't believe that if I spend $20,000 on the room and $5,000 on a Dac I wouldn't be doing a much smarter thing for myself. I believe Quincy uses JBL M2's but not sure of his Dac. Unfortunately this is Very subjective. One thing I'm sure of is that system of yours is super duper next level. I'm not a small speaker kind of guy and you sure aren't as well.🤪

@jonasjansson7970

2 жыл бұрын

With JBL M2:s which I have, you are limited to use the dac which is inside the controller unit. In my case the BSS 805. There is one way to bypass this though. You can use the digital output on the BSS, but then you would need a 4-channel dac, or two 2-channel dacs. So it gets quite expensive if you go this way and want high quality dacs with these speakers.

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

@@bigjay1970 Production end of things is a hard comparison.. there are different goals with the rigs..

Choosing a MPD-8 or a WADAX ATLANTIS REFERENCE DAC, is like choosing whether you would prefer Chris Christie or Heidi Klum to sit on your face. One is comparatively cheap and the other very very expensive, but one would be a traumatising experience , the other would be a trip to heaven and back

@OCDHIFiGuy

7 ай бұрын

Lol. I take it Wadax is Chris Christie...

One myth that gets spread through the hifi community is that linear power supplies are better than switch mode power supplies (SMPS) for reducing noise. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you analyze how a linear power supply works you'll notice that it's very similar to a SMPS, and given the fact that they are rectifying 60hz, or 50hz, the switching rate is 120 hz, or 100 hz respectively which is well within the audio frequency range. Most modern SMPSs will switch at anywhere from 60Khz to 180Khz well above the audio range. Add to that the fact that the SMPS has regulation where in many linear PS applications in amps they're unregulated which will cause fluctuations to the amp circuit depending on the load at the moment causing greater thd. It's true that some of the higher end linear supplies for amps will include voltage regulation but you'll almost never find a regulated power supply in a tube amp due to the higher voltage needs. Think about is. The SMPS is superior for all audio applications. Don't go by the fact that many equipment suppliers are happy to sell you linear supplies and often at more money than the SMPS. Why? They build and sell what is in highest demand and many in hifi continue to propagate this myth when in reality they don't know what they're talking about. Just remember, a linear supply is a SMPS but operating well within the audio frequency range. The reason your 50k or higher amp has a linear supply is because that snake oil, that myth is widely held as truth and the naysayers on SMPS have brainwashed so many.

@OCDHIFiGuy

Жыл бұрын

Yes, but there is a reason SMPS must be caged in a faraday cage in order to be in the same chassis with audio gear, and linear Psups do not. Im not an engineer, but if it needs to be caged, it emits high frequency that is of concern otherwise it would not be caged.

@fredflintstone8048

Жыл бұрын

@@OCDHIFiGuy I am an engineer, and yes, I agree. They do emit high frequencies and as such are are generally required to be caged. Same with a PC due to not only the power supply, but the high frequencies emitted by the clocks, but it's for the sake of the frequencies in the radio wave region, not the audio range of frequencies.

@fredflintstone8048

Жыл бұрын

@@OCDHIFiGuy I don't make youtube videos, but there is a man who is an electrical engineer that designs SMPS professionally and as a hobby for audio amplifiers. He goes into depth on this topic on his channel. Kiss Analog If anyone would like to learn more about this I would go there.

Correction on the Wadax Reference DAC. $145k list (not $165k as you state repeatedly). Of course, still ground and bank account-breakingly expensive!! Hopefully there will be trickle down into lower priced components from Wadax. It's chassis is surely not my idea of aesthetic beauty, but I believe you are mistaken if you dismiss their tech and sound quality. From what I can tell, ONLY looking at the published reports on the tech of the Playback and the Wadax, the Wadax looks to be quite advanced by comparison. I would guess a view of the internals of the Wadax would make the Playback look a little quaint by comparison. And, Playback is no doubt a really good dac. Why don't you keep your focus there instead of going out of your way to dump on another dac that you have never heard and probably know very little about? This is something you've done at a gratuitous level with other products. Why put yourself hip deep in mud?

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Dude you are another leftist thinking person. I NEVER bashed it once... LOL< you probably think Im racist for not liking Chinese product. WAKE UP DUDE. I said refreaking peatedly Id love to hear it. The idea of a $145K DAC is quite interesting but the importer is afraid the Emperor will have no clothes. He is not willing to have me drive 8 hours to come listen. I give credit where its due and believe me Id sell the thing if it was worth it, the profit is staggering. But Id have to be convinced. My job is not to be myopic but to look at everything out there because if something is better, Id like to use it and of course sell it. So far Ive found nothing . "Dumping" on something means outright saying its a piece of shit , which I have no problem doing if thats my feeling. Ive simply posed the question of the DAC is worth it . What DAC do you use ?

@willconnor7621

2 жыл бұрын

@@OCDHIFiGuy I'd recommend you roll the tape and listen to yourself again. First you keep repeating a price which is 20k over msrp. Then you call it "that crazy thing out of Spain." Follow that up with "that Piece of Gaud." It reminds me of when you said DartZeel's amps "look like piss." There's no actual substance behind your attitude in these cases. Instead, you're throwing around juvenile insults like some kind of playground bully. I bet you're a lot nicer in person, but if I were the distributor for Wadax, my attitude would be... why would I want to spend time in a "shootout" with this guy!

* For the amateur audiophile, there should be an understanding that good audio can sometimes be contributed to well built> large circuit designs. It seems that its electrically possible to voice the signal better with larger circuits that can create a well controlled balanced signal that does not degrade in the signal path on the board etc. As well, smaller circuits can produce well balanced sound> but for which type of audio? mp3 or 16bit / 24bit. There are alot of acoustic phenomenom that are not yet understood in terms of perception, for the average audiophile etc.

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

You are correct, its not my place to teach amateur Audiophiles, I'll pick up later on for the guys that want to learn at the higher level. But I still respect that you are starting out and would help to advise and sell to you ... But I wont make videos to teach amateurs.. I dont remember how to speak that language any more. Thanks for the feedback however.

@shingdaz

2 жыл бұрын

@@OCDHIFiGuy Yes the DAC design description itself in the video is intriguing> the digital logic board has some type of algorythm? There should be principles in audio circuit design that should be universally understood. * Its seems also important to differentiate the China made DAC circuits and the USA designed ones.

no Bluetooth !

@OCDHIFiGuy

10 ай бұрын

Lol. What is it, a cel phone ?

What are the audible measurements of this DAC in comparison with other DACS including those costing $$$$$$ less? ADDA DACs used in the professional and hobby recording environments are not of the cost of these "Hi End" DA reproduction DACS. The cost of the most common ADDA DACS used provide outstanding 32 channels of ADDA with very little jitter. Very few are over $5K though there is a few but not many that might break $10K. That being said, why would anyone want to spend more than that for a DA DAC for sound reproduction?

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Gary, a few replies here. I know studio gear as Ive got time working in and around Pro recording/mastering studios, and while thier DAC's dont go up to like $80K or more as in HiFi, they are commonly $15K to $20K. This DAC is CLEARLY more real sounding than ANY Multibit DAC Ive heard. Also measurements dont tell how something sounds. If this were the case everyone could hit a spec for "perfect" sound because there would be an equation. What this DAC does is NOT Fatigue the listener. Some people like to listen for 2 hours straight or more, like I do. Others never hit fatigue because they listen for 30 min then stop. Its a quick romp then finish... Not much fatigue if you do a quick demo then split.. So depending on how you listen will depict what you desire. Besides, lets be straight. People who buy $24K DACS have absolutely no issue with that price level. Just look at ANY enthusiast activity. Collectibles for instance. I used to sell sports memorabilia and numismatics. People would spend $15K for a Michael Jordan signed basketball... that is something I cant understand. These audio systems bring healing in the form of music..

@garykarczewski6678

2 жыл бұрын

@@OCDHIFiGuy thanks for the reply. I have been in large pro studios and mastering studios as well and have friends earning a living as engineers still today. I asked them about converters used in the studios they work in. Many stated a variety all about the same price point. Which was about $3000 to $5000. Most are common known brands in that industry but I am sure there are some that have boutique as well. This isn't mentioned to start a debate on cost, just providing you what I know as well. The point I am making is the recording source coming from professional multichannel ADDA conversion is not of the same level of cost of boutique 2-channel Hi Fi DACS. Agreed listening side by side is the best way to check out gear with one's own system not the Dealers! When making choices on electronics or systems in general the "Cost of Diminishing Returns" is most heavily weighted by the majority of consumers. You retail to a specific hobbyist. I am not one of those type. I just want best bang for buck audio which is also a self determine value. I have posted on many forums about upgrading to a higher end DAC and have still a strong interest in the Holo May DAC. However the overwhelming responses and recommendations is don't waste your money on high end DAC's. Thus I crawled out of that rabbit hole. I don't think even if I had the income I would go to such extremes to listen to music to pull out more from the base recording. Must be the musician in me. FYI I worked for about 8 professional recording artists and have been in their homes. Most don't have such elaborate systems in their homes that one sees from KZread and or Audio Shows but they could afford them. However they do have studios. Utilizing brand name common ADDA converters. The music sounds amazing.

Having been in the medical device and military electronics manufacturing business, I cringe anytime someone puts sensitive electronics on carpet let alone that fur carpet. Protecting a $2K table from a $20K DAC. Hmmm.

That Spanish DAC is on another level. This is cheap in comparison, so that's probably not a fair comparison.

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, one may ask on another level how ? This is my question. I propose its on another cosmetic level only. Thats why I open the challenge.. So far the importer wants no part of the challenge..

@erics.4113

2 жыл бұрын

@@OCDHIFiGuy I have no practical opinion of either. Both pieces are outside of my entire system budget which is about half what your DAC goes for . All in. So I'm just being a bit trollish. If money is no concern then who knows. But I'm sure they're asking that money for something that indeed sounds fantastic. Whether or not that wears off after listening and wrapping your head around the price tag is another.

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

@@erics.4113 I serve people who have means but do not buy in order to show thier wealth as an opulent visible resume. They want the best, without going into LaLa land of overpriced parody. Some of the ultra expensive could be considered sculpture and art has no limit to what people will pay. But again, it is cosmetic and not sonic as a sculpture. there is opulent gaudy taste and there is refined taste... I sell on the refined side.. Bottom line is its about the music. That is how you and I connect, the gear means nothing. I have FAR more respect for a bona fide MUSIC person with a meager little rig, than a "demo expert" who knows nothing about music but has a $1M rig ... PFFFFT.... Im a MUSIC guy...

I love the unit definitely a high quality DAC. That being said, they spent a great of money to separate the power supplies and transformers with the use of Mumetal and separated them but then they zip tie the wires from on Transformer right to the next one! Copper would have been a far superior metal to confine magnetic fields. I see room for improvement on this unit. Still all in All a very impressive unit!

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

Copper does not stop magnetic fields...lol...

APL MR mk2 is better for shure.

ESD not an issue? Wear gloves please next time you´re playing with electronic boards! No EMC fingers or paint spare areas for enclosure shielding? Sure, it´s expensive. De facto, there is no ground separation then USB is not isolated (no IC solution for High-Speed USB 2.0 available yet), so digital ground left is the same as digital ground right. Same thing for opticals, it´s the same digital ground. Also, I don´t see any separation of the digital or analog ground or signals. But well, not bad to make dedicated right/left analog and dedicated digital supplies. Or to shield main power entry, or Mu metalling the donuts. Wich DAC are they using? I don´t know a lot of ST optical output music player. What is the difference with standard optical TOSLINK interface (always onboard)? Only the glass fiber quality? Analog volume control, do you´ve more information? I think more something like a digital potentiometer? 22.000USD!!! I hope that for this price, the FPGA makes real time DSD upsampling?

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

FPGA DAC, completely exclusive design. Nobody else has it. (Nagra uses cheaper model made by Playback) Toslink is consumer grade, ST Digital is professional grade, less loss, better data transfer. $24,000 USD It went up this year.

@jean-paulschweitzer6211

2 жыл бұрын

@@OCDHIFiGuy I´m not sure that nobody use a FPGA exclusive design. And cheaper is not necessarily bader. 24000USD, sorry for my mistake!

@michaelrovner4165

2 жыл бұрын

once the Ic's are mounted on a board you can handle them with bare hands and not worry about ESD. I have worked at the worlds largest semiconductor companies...not a problem...ive handle thousands and thousands of boards and not a single instance of esd damage

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

@@michaelrovner4165 yeah, I have handled tons of assembled boards as well. Plus it's wet season here and not much ESD at all.

@jean-paulschweitzer6211

2 жыл бұрын

@@OCDHIFiGuy Why then ESD labels on electronic boards? Ah, it´s marketing, I understand! Guys!!!

Why not just put the DAC in another room? What $22K and no 1024 DSD… hmmm

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

LOL, Who records in 1024 DSD ?

@craigcharleston2761

2 жыл бұрын

@@OCDHIFiGuy yu fscking with me Mikey?

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

@@craigcharleston2761 no. I'm wondering why it's important.

$24k for a chip dac? Yikes

power supply is the only good thing rest cheep mico chips

technical crap > LOL

@OCDHIFiGuy

Жыл бұрын

Boring ? Probably... its about the music !

Fibre optic cables are not perfect or non degradable signal devices like any other man made made device. Eg light defraction of the laser signal is affected by the construction of the inner cable materials and quality like anything else for example, etc. Also fpga designed dac along with upsampling and dsd processing does not guarantee its the best dac in the world, or even that it is perfect to everyone's ears. There is no such thing as perfect audio. There are too many variables involved. Personally I don't think upsampling dac's, DSD designed dacs, or fpga designed dacs has better sound quality over a properly over built designed burr brown dacs implementations. It's all down to implementation of build quality of the design with extreme attention to every detail of every part of the design engineering. Because you are you using panel loudspeakers along with open bass modules, the playback designs complements your system to your hearing and taste. But the playback designs will not be the best in every system or to everyone's taste, ears, or even your room acoustics. There are far too many variables of audio designs, room acoustics, etc. Recording studio's with completely different different implementation of audio gear including their dac conversion systems, audio equipment, microphones etc, along with different studio rooms acoustics, will alter the sound by been played on every other piece of equipment, along with different room inviroments. One piece of equipment no matter its engineering design does not guarantee the best sound with every audio system or system sound design goals. There is too much to explain or say but this is just touching tip of the iceberg. And also to put a spanner in the works I once had a rockchip based mp3 that totally rocked with download music with a headphone system. There are too many variables, tastes, environmental conditions, including differences of everyone's ears, whether they are listening to music in a room, or headphone based audio system. There is no such thing as best, there is no such thing as perfection, only differences of taste, while been at the mercy of recorded and quality of recording issues, and equipment they use. In the world of audio, it is still like a dog chasing it's own tail. I stand by what I say, after been my self Into audio for over 35 years as a young teenager, and am currently in the middle of been 53 years old.

@erics.4113

2 жыл бұрын

So you're saying there's a chance...

@OCDHIFiGuy

2 жыл бұрын

These Fiber optic cables are AT&T ST Glass fiber optics not junky ass plastic Toslink bullcrap. If this cable can run under the ocean for 2000 Miles with little to no loss, its good enough for me. I can appreciate you want to be the naysayer here, but I will challenge you any day to prove your mouth. Ive sold 14 of these DAC's into every system type imaginable and EVERY buyer says clearly the MOST REAL SOUND theyve ever heard.. So lets go... Im ready to put my money where my mouth is Ian.. Its not my silly rig that makes this the most real live sounding music playback Ive heard. Its absolutely the Playback Designs MPD-8 ... I hardly give 2 shits about the HiFi rig any longer. Its complete ! Finished ! No more buying whatsoever... amd MP3 is horrible ...in fact multibit decoding is horrible. As an experiment, Playback designs took 2 DACs to an Alzheimer's hospital and had a test group assemble, all of which had varying degrees of Alzheimer's. When multibit PCM was played back, the patients were restless and wanted to leave the room. When DSD was played they stood up and started dancing and came to thank Andreas... These arent just "marketing" guys at Playback, they are deep level highly intelligent inventors.... so naysay all you like, its only opinion, I dont care Iam, your my virtual buddy here, but Ive got something that I and you for that matter can totally put our money on. This is not crafty marketing, its the real deal...

anyway it is not a good engineering, cause the build quality is poor, every time it does have overheated problems, then it does dead. same as mps5 and mpd5, thraw way this trash chasis