Thank you for the response. I am currently in that patron class and your pricing seems consistent with other top products. I do own a Select DAC along with Select headphone amp and Select transport. I just need to listen to the Wadax top end not at a show and compare to the Sentinel to hear which I prefer. The DCS Varese was disappointing. Can’t wait to hear the Sentinel. I am hoping it’s all you say it is!
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Wonderful! The performance is such a leap ahead of the Select and Cascade, I can sing its praise unabashedly. I am sure it will delight you. It has ruined me for all other DACs.
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That is shiny indeed; I even had to update my profile pic to protect myself. 
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The Sentinel system makes my head explode（375K USD）,I’ve download the pics as my PC wallpaper,this can constantly remind me to work hard and upgrade the Sentinel DAC.
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I have too! I get to see it everyday, now I need to finish making it 
Glad to have a face to the name!
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Well lets sell my house and move in to a small flat and have the best dac in the world
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Holy hell man…. this is gonna rock the DAC world! SOMUCH BETTER LOOKING THAN THAT FUGLY WADAX STUFF!!!
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Hahaha, thanks Mike. I am just designing what I like. I am going to post a video soon on the illuminated “MSB” logo for the powerbase and amplifiers soon. I found some cool new optical materials that will result in the most elegant solution. We have really gone all out on this project.
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The new Sentinel DAC is incredibly tempting, but even using my MSB Select as a stepping stone with its three modules (factoring in the trade-in value), that $375,000 price tag remains a tall order. I’m eagerly awaiting the drop in the dollar.
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Time will tell! Looking forward to getting the Sentinel DAC launched and having folks get a chance to audition it.
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The MSB Sentinel DAC: When Music Transcends Format
A Personal Experience with the MSB Sentinel DAC
By Harsh Agrawal
First, a little something about me: I’m a Mechanical Engineer by education, a (software) product designer by profession, a classical percussionist by training, and a landscape photographer by passion. I’m also an audiophile — though not an audio reviewer. In fact, this is the first time I’m attempting to write about any piece of equipment. This isn’t exactly a review; rather, it’s my attempt to share a profound experience I recently had.
My journey with MSB began over a decade ago with the Analog DAC — Daniel’s very first design, and what a beautiful, timeless piece it was! Over the years, I’ve continued down the MSB path: upgrading to the Premier DAC in 2020, the Reference DAC in 2021, and the Cascade DAC in 2024. I’ve also owned several MSB amplifiers: the S201 (2015–2020), the phenomenal S202 (2022–until just a week ago), and now, the S500.
On August 26, I picked up my new S500 amp in person from Watsonville — my third visit to MSB HQ. I had recently seen Jonathan and Daniel at Munich High End, where I first saw the Sentinel renders. I timed my visit so I could see (and hear) the real thing.
As with my previous visits, the MSB team was extremely welcoming. If you’ve met them, you know — Jonathan, Daniel, and Dustin are passionate, hardcore engineers who love to geek out and talk deeply about their work. Daniel walked me through the CAD drawings for the Sentinel, and I even got to handle the finished Sentinel Director. The photos don’t do it justice — it’s a stunning work of art and engineering.
The machining is beyond exquisite. The Sentinel logo, for example, is carved using a 5-axis spindle and seamlessly embedded into the body. One detail that particularly stood out was the proprietary steel-mesh dampers installed under the two enormous clocks (arguably the best DAC clocks in the world — and I say that without hyperbole). Before adding these dampers, even vibrations from passing trucks were registering in the measurements. Now, those vibrations have been virtually eliminated. Another example - Daniel is finalizing the Sentinel Powerbase design and is currently testing its display, which in his own words is “stunning”. These are just some examples of MSB’s relentless and obsessive attention to detail — inside and out, mechanical and electrical. Every design decision feels deeply intentional.
⸻
The Audition
Some experiences in life challenge everything you thought was possible. My audition of the Sentinel DAC was one of those moments.
I spent about two hours in MSB’s listening lab doing a side-by-side A/B test of the Sentinel versus the Cascade. There is literally no other place on earth where you can do this right now. I brought my own music (source details and track list shared below), covering high-quality recordings from 16/44.1 kHz to DSD256.
When listening to a technically superior DAC, certain improvements are expected: wider soundstage, more detail, better low end, lower noise floor, more analog texture, and so on. This has been true every time I’ve moved up the MSB ladder — from the Analog to the Premier, to the Reference, and now the Cascade. Naturally, the Sentinel delivers on all these fronts, and massively. But that’s just the beginning.
Let’s start with the obvious: the Sentinel has 32 DAC modules, compared to the Cascade’s mere 8. So yes — better technical performance is expected. But what I experienced went far beyond specifications.
Jonathan and Daniel let me audition solo for a while, then joined me later sitting silently behind me to observe my reactions. I was honored to learn I was only the third outsider to hear the Sentinel.
I told them exactly what I’m about to tell you:
“To my ears, it feels like a completely untouched, unadulterated, pristine, raw stream of music — channeled directly from each individual instrument and vocalist into my ears. What I’m hearing is not digital. It’s not analog. It’s music.
Each instrument sounds like its own, complete performance, from the first hint of a note to its very last breath, even in the farthest corners of the vast soundstage. No sibilance whatsoever. I can hear everything in such excruciating detail — yet miraculously, there are zero digital artifacts of any kind. Honestly, even a master tape might not sound this real, this detailed, this lush, and this smooth — all at once.
The Sentinel isn’t a DAC. It’s an Experience. Kudos to the entire MSB team.”
⸻
To me, the Sentinel is a living example of what’s possible through unwavering focus, grit, and the pursuit of excellence — with zero compromise. In audiophile circles, we often hear debates like “digital vs analog.” I believe the Sentinel is the DAC that finally changes that conversation to: “Does it sound like music?”
Let me be clear: my Cascade DAC is phenomenal. I could happily live with it for the rest of my life. I say that sincerely. But if the stars align, I hope that sometime in the next 2–3 years, I’ll be able to bring the Sentinel home.
And to those of you who’ll be lucky enough to own this engineering marvel, remember what I said earlier:
The Sentinel is not a DAC. It’s an Experience.
⸻
Source details
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Custom-built Macbook Pro running OS X El Capitan (the last Mac O/S that supported kernel bypass Direct Mode in Audirvana)
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Audirvana 3.5.46 settings:
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sysoptimizer (extreme setting)
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Native DSD streaming method = DSD over PCM 1.1
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Exclusive Access
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Direct Mode
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Integer Mode Type = Mode 1
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Upsampling deactivated
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Max Memmory Allocated for tracks preload = 13GB
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All music on a high-speed external SSD connected to the Macbook Pro
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Top-of-the-line USB Cable from Shunyata
Track List
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Just a sittin’ and a rockin, Oscar Peterson plays the duke ellington songbook, DSD256 from HDTT
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Blue Rondo A La Turk, Time out - the Dave Brubeck quartet, DSD256 from HDTT
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Strange Meado Lark, Time out - the Dave Brubeck quartet, DSD256 from HDTT
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Whims of chambers, Art pepper gettin’ together!, DSD256 from HDTT
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You and the night and the music, Bill Evans - interplay, DSD256 from HDTT
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Chitlins con carne, Kenny Burrell- midnight blue, DSD256 from HDTT
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Dance to the Drummer Again, Cassandra Wilson, 16/44.1khz
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These Bones, The Fairfield Four, 16/44.1khz
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Tin Pan Alley, Stevie Ray Vaughan, 16/44.1khz
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The Action, Just Like You, Keb Mo, SACD ISO DSD64
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I’m On Your Side, Just Like You, Keb Mo, SACD ISO DSD64
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Hi Harsh,
Thanks for taking the time to write down your impressions. “Sounds” like you had a really good session…
Dan
What a fabulous review. My favorite was your description of yourself! The first question that came to my mind was the impact of the listing room and speakers on your experience. I’ve always been of the belief that the speakers are the most important component. While your comparison to the Cascade in that system speaks to the impact of the Sentinel I am still wondering about the relative role of the input vs output. In other words would the sentinel have the same result on lessor quality room and speakers. Perhaps my paradigm is incorrect. Input is the most important?
It’s very difficult to seriously consider the upgrade from a Cascade or Select II without the ability to actually listen to the Sentinel in a good reference system. No one in NYC - or around the greater New York City Metro area seems to have a good reference system - and the cost of the Sentinel will make it difficult - or impossible for retailers to showcase it.
Hmm.
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Well said @haragr , it was an absolute pleasure to have you visit. I hope more of the folks here will take the time to come visit as well. We love sharing what we do.
Absolutely. The performance is vast and fundamentally different. You would be able to hear it on any level system imho. We start with a Cascade comparison to at least provide some relatable reference.
Agreed. We are organizing with our dealers to have several Sentinel’s on semi-permanent display in dealerships around North America. We will work with them to ensure the Sentinel is setup and performing at its best. This way it is a little more accessible to find a place to hear. Or, come visit us in Cali!
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I was going to say that anyone really interested in putting that kind of money into a DAC should have the resources to visit the MSB listening room. Same for visiting a dealership with a competent setup.
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A terrific write up. Congratulations on your thoughtful ascend in the MSB product line.
Thank you for sharing your experience listening to the Sentinel. It must be really special. I hope to hear it at some point in the near future.
Mike
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Huh - I didn’t think that the Sentinel is actually functional???
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The Sentinel DAC is and has been running in our listening for a long time now. The project was started over 5 years ago, so it really is about time to see it coming to market! We never sell products without auditioning them and ensuring the “theory” of the product meets or exceeds are expectations for it. The refinement to get the performance we have today takes a painstaking about of development time. Really excited we can finally share it with folks.
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UPDATE:
This week marks the completion of the mechanical design for the Sentinel DAC. The Digital Director, Analog Converter, and Power Supply have now entered machine shop production — a major milestone that’s been years in the making.
While discussing this with our machinist, Jonathan Sondreal, he reminded me that the Sentinel Clock was his very first project at MSB — five years ago! We brought Jonathan on board because the Sentinel’s complexity demanded machining expertise beyond my own capabilities at the time.
From that moment forward, we have pushed every aspect of our design and manufacturing processes to their absolute limits — an uncompromising expression of our passion for engineering and music.
The Sentinel Analog Converter, for scale.
The complete jack panel. Custom power connectors are still being manufactured.
A placeholder for the signed Founders Edition Badge of the Sentinel DAC. Our first production is limited to 50 pieces. The final badge will be hand polished stainless.
**Note, these are temporary power cables in the following pictures. Cascade and Select DAC if you recognize them. The new cable assemblies are still in production.
Exquisitely machined jack panels. Every detail perfected.
Stunning 5-axis CNC machined parts. A puzzle like construction.
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