Platinum Data CD and Diamond DAC IV
” I tried one of my favorite torture-test albums, Propellerheads’ Decksanddrumsandrockandroll (CD, DreamWorks SKG 50031), and was surprised at how smooth its previously harsh upper midrange had become. Detail and bass galore, with pinpoint imaging and depth. “
“I had a goofy smile across my face as I pondered that if the MSB stack sounded this good after only 15 minutes, I was in for a real treat in the coming weeks. ”
“The next day I talked to Michael Fremer, who had a similar MSB stack on loan, also fronted by a Meridian Sooloos Control 14. ‘It’s ironic that I’m starting a new analog website (www.analogplanet.com) when I’ve finally found great digital!’ he exclaimed. We agreed that our first impressions of the Sooloos-MSB combo were exceedingly positive. MF said that it was the best digital sound he’d heard. ”
“(But) Bruce noted that the MSB had better focused imaging, and I felt it brought us a generation or two closer to the original master. ”
“We listened to ‘Ram On’ and ‘Heart of the Country’ back and forth a dozen times, marveling at the MSBs ability to hang each instrument and voice in space. ”
“Switching gears, we also pulled up a set of remixes of Mono’s trip-hop noir classic ‘Life in Mono,’ as well as ‘Bilbao Song,’ from Gil Evans’s Out of the Cool. Same results. Images were better defined and appeared more naturally in space with the MSB compared with dCs. ”
“The MSB stack gave me the best digital sound I’ve ever heard in my system. I know it’s a cliche, but I was digging out music from all corners of my collection, just to hear it ‘real’ before the MSBs had to go back. The best recordings were a sheer pleasure to listen to. I spent many long nights going from track to track, feeling closer to the truth of each recording than I had previously imagined possible. ”
” In most ways, MSB Technology’s Diamond Platinum DAC IV offers the best measured performance in the digital domain that I have encountered. ” –John Atkinson
