MSB TECHNOLOGYPOWER DAC

Born a little over 20 years in 1986, the firm MSB Technology is dedicated to the design and the implementation of CD players and analog-digital converters "unusual" while doing research and product development as "firm" for many other manufacturers. MSB Technology is the source of many products and technologies original (digital filter DSP with 80-bit DAC III of platinum, for example). Converter Power DAC is no exception. With its battery power, the converter N / A "house" and its filter suréchantillonneur 16 times the original design, it does converter as a "part", original, extremely powerful and superbly musical.

TERMS OF LISTENINGWe used the Power DAC in conjunction with the release "Drive" of our readers' point of reference. " Weused a digital coaxial cable quality, because converter is very sensitive to the quality of the connectionwhich connects the carriage. Indeed, the pairing is more serious ", the greater the risk of occurrence of jitter are eliminated. We recall in this connection that the jitter, creating small time lags between the digital information( "1" and "0") is a source of errors at conversion (with a flow of information more than 4.3 Megabits per second in the case of CD, a gap time may have minimal adverse consequences). The system errors are then approached and more or less important information "Calculated" by the system replaces the information actually recorded on the CD (it is easy that this can not be beneficial to

the quality of restitution sound). Before proceeding with our hearing, we Power left the DAC connected to its power to ensure a good load for the battery (switch on the diode witness "full load"). During use, we connected and disconnected without finding food for major changes in the listening. It can therefore leave the connection established between two devices without no ulterior motive. We listened to the Power DAC for several hours without the slightest weakness noted at the expense of batteries. Autonomy islarge, very well, and it seems difficult, if impossible, to discharge the battery in use "Normal" (obviously, if we listen to music all day and all night without stopping, it may come to after this autonomy).

The output should not hesitate to use a cable of good quality to connect to the MSB a preamplifier. This converter transparency exceptional merit to be associated with a preamplifier of the same ilk, "which means to treat all especially the connection between two devices. At this level of quality, less defects are very much and may quickly become intolerable. For connection to a preamplifier, the manufacturer a choice between a balanced XLR connection or cinch unbalanced pairing. The choice of one or the other opportunities depends on the preamplifier we use. If the latter is based on a scheme real symmetric, it is recommended to use this type of connection. As against, if the entries of the symmetric preamp are "désymétrisées by an operational amplifier before attacking the input stage, it is preferable to use an asymmetrical link with the RCA converter (the signal follows a more direct route, without crossing operational amplifier désymétrisation).

LISTENING

On our test drive "The Pulse" 5th track, you realize very quickly that we are dealing with a "great" converter. This device is a extraordinary transparency. The system battery power is certainly for "a lot". The breath of the registration spread over a wide spectrum, without giving the impression to "shoot" the sound to the medium acute. This breath is detached information perfectly, very low in level, which is clearly perceived in the distance. From the first seconds, we think that we feels listening to a turntable where the noise friction and do not breath the hearing. The plans sound spread in space with ease uncommon. The sound offers a perspective astonishing realism in widely open behind enclosures, to the bottom and sides of the room listening. Between two different but sounds the same noise, a dog barking in the distance and songs of birds much closer, the Power DAC returns in a very realistic feeling of closeness or removal of sources. This is mainly due to a great respect for the phase associated with a very good control of reverberation time and depreciation sounds. On the first stroke of a bell, the tone characteristic Bronze is perfectly reproduced. It is property of a bronze bell, large size, not gamelle a scrap as can sometimes believe with some converters. Immediately after impact, the effect of resonance tournament is clearly felt, with a compelling in the serious and effect "Leslie" very well restored. This resonance decreases gradually and is prolonged in time so remarkable. A relatively high levelsound, there is still the effect of resonance when the second shot rings bell. At the level of compliance of

phase, the Power DAC is a prime example. Just after the first stroke of a bell, not the walker describe a clear path, with aregular shift, without saccade. The sound gradually an enclosure to another without giving the impression to "jump" abruptly left to right.

On the extract "Julsang" of "Cantate Domino, the Power DAC is different from many of its competitors by an imagestereo stable, concise, very realistic. The organ "moves" on him up, down, while the singer is positioned in a much closer with a redoutable accuracy. The timbre of the voice is a smooth remarkable. This softness does not translate into a feeling lack or "sail" in the upper medium acute, but rather by a lack of hardness in spite of the significant noise level at the top of the spectrum. We can push the sound volume without feeling attacked or frustrated by a lack of information at the top medium. On the chorus, the voice form a unit perfectly consistent, but can be easily placed inthe tenors, bass voice, soprano, and so on. The ability analysis of this converter is a very high level, butListening is never surgical, peeled to the extreme. The MSB is far from rigor a little cold and inhumancertain converter, while remaining extremely precise to return the smallest details recorded. So, despite the sound of the choir, we can easily to follow the melodic line of the organ which, with great other converters, is totally overwhelmed by the density, the mass of audio information.

Upon the dynamic Una Lagrima Furtiva "Donizetti interpreted by Luciano Pavarotti, the voice of singer emerges with a particularly "Human". The timbre of the voice s'entache not any hardness or acidity medium in the upper treble. At the peak modulation extremely high level, the tone remains well structured, without any change in the organizationharmonics. With some converters, the dynamic this exceptional sample leads to the distortion by a very odd harmonics embarrassing to listen. The sound becomes hard, aggressive, no can help reduce the volume of the amplifier to relieve the eardrums stretched. With the Power DAC, the sound level does not require correction. It is really benefiting from the great dynamics of this registration without feeling any effect of saturation level converter.

On "Too rich for my blood" by Patricia Barber, piano sounds with a particular stamp warm. Attacks notes are free but free from all violence, of any hardness, and resonance of the instrument acquires a remarkable extent. The piano has "body" of the mass, which is not always the case with converters less "structured" as serious as the Power DAC.This magnitude in the grave is all the more remarkable it does not involve any heaviness in the lower medium. The MSB is an exemplary sobriety, with a generous serious, profound, and perfectly medium low fat. This is confirmed by a little further by follow up on outstanding melodic bass, with excellent separation of notes that emerged as isolated, well separated from one another. Just after the introduction of the song, the voice of the singer is Simply beautiful. The stamp is very beautiful. We really appreciate the great capacity for analysis Power DAC that provides a readable copy of the lyrics. Despite the significant reverberation added to the recording, Artist materializes in a very concrete betweenenclosures, with a human and not ghostly as is sometimes the case when the voice walks "In the air, appearing to float in space (a phenomenon which

occurs systematically when the converter does not rigorously the phase of the signal).

SUMMARY OF THE SOUND AESTHETICS"The more you listen, the more you love" ... This converter MSB was particularly fascinated by its sound design with two faces, with a capacity copy analysis, a real eye for detail and a return stamps still warm, with an "analog" is particularly attractive. Transparent and Natural Power DAC is a music converter that really knows how move the emotions with ease. A device we urge all audiophiles and music lovers still unconvinced, today, including digital technology.

Spectrum and noise floor of -70 dBWeighted noise floor below - 120 dB.No trace of distortion reading a recorded signalto - 70 dB (1 kHz).

Manufacturer specifications Conversion: 24 bit / 32 kHz to 384 kHz. Digital Filtersuréchantillonneur to 16 x the base frequency.Dynamic Range: 136 dBA.Noise floor: <145 dB.Disto. Total Harmonic: 0.002%Report Signal to Noise Ratio:> 130 dB."Slew rate: 2 500 V / s.Dimensions (W x H x D): 45 x 5 x 36.5 cmWeight: 6.5 kg

TECHNOLOGY BY IMAGE

Internally DAC POWER1 - Set of batteries to achieve the different power of the device (digital section, analog section, etc.).. With batteries, the autonomy Listening is about 10 hours (batteries are replace when the time falls below 6 hours). 2 - Floor load management control with batteries and stabilization of tension. 3 - Regulation to avoid falling or changes in tension power according to load.4 - Section with digital receiver circuit stereo AKM AK 4113, 24-bit 192 kHz. Automatic detection the active input (coaxial, optical, AES / EBU XLR, MSB Network 192 kHz). 5 - Section of digital / analog filtering / Oversampling isolated by a radiation metal shielding. The manufacturer does not use circuit electronic filter or converter of the "trade". Treatment signal is performed using components programmedMSB by, inter alia, the circuit microcontroller (6) Analog Devices ADSP 21262 (32-bit 200 MHz).Principle of conversion:The converter MSB "Magnitude DAC Ladder" based on the principle of multi conversion "R-2R" entirely by MSB (see article "understanding" in this issue). The configuration is symmetrical with, for each channel two 24-bit converters. Digital filtering is also done by MSB (filtrage16 Fs with oversampling x16). It implements the DSP Analog circuitDevices (6) associated with memory containing algorithms calculations developed by MSB.

Rear View:1 - balanced XLR outputs and (2) unbalanced RCA.3 - Digital inputs: AES / EBU XLR, "MSB" Network(for a liaison with other brand products),Coaxial RCA S / PDIF, Optical Toslink and specific connectorinput an external clock.4 - connecting to external power forcharging batteries.