Just a quick hello from my room in the South East of England. Been an audiophile for a long time but only discovered and been using MSB for the last three years … so glad I did! it all started with a Discrete DAC (remember Jonathan lol?), it’s now Premier and S202 amp (love it, my silent dragon), all topped by an MSB Premier headphone amp for those late night trips, a Pink Faun streamer, a lot of cables (will do a list sometime) and my beautiful looking and amazingly sounding Bayz Courante 2.0 omnidirectional speakers.
I must say I have really enjoyed both the Discrete (it started me off beautifully in my MSB adventure and it has from the first listen hooked me to the MSB sound) and even more the Premier, which to be honest has really surprised me - I did not expect it to be this good! But next week my dream DAC for the last three years is coming back in my system, this time not as a demo unit but … to stay yay! Will post again when it’s here
Welcome Luigi! Good to hear from you. I have been hearing a lot of good things about the Bayz speakers paired with MSB gear. Very fast and revealing. I have been contemplating a visit with Paul sometime and would love to meet up.
PS, did you receive those S202 feet? I think I incorrectly guessed your system was silver… I hope you don’t mind. Maybe it will match the Pink Fuan??
Daniel! Thank you and it is a pleasure to hear from you. There are two things that changed my own adventures in hifi forever (three if I include meeting Paul lol). One is indeed the Bayz, I cannot really explain how good they are, they are an amazing pair of loudspeakers and just the perfect match with my MSB components. Fast, revealing, delicate, powerful, accurate, you name it: they really need to be heard to believe. The other one, was indeed the MSB Reference DAC: when I first demoed it about three years ago, in my old system (without the Bayz) with some nice but old Audio Research class D amps and a pair of Avalon Ascendant Mk1, it completely shocked my perception of recorded sound: I never heard my music sound so good and I have never forgotten that experience. Actually, I have been continuously thinking about it ever since! But this week, my dream will come true: I am getting a used Reference from Paul (bless him and bless you)!
PS: Yes I have received the feet and they look gorgeous in silver (I do like the contrast with the all black S202), thank you, you are a star. I did send a thank you note to Jonathan to thank both of you, but he probably forgot to mention it to you? And please please do come over to visit, it will be such a pleasure to see you again, this time in good old England!
Wonderful on all counts! I will have to work on getting a demo of the Bayz. You are not alone in the praise of those speakers.
And what fun to be moving on to the Reference DAC! It is a really big step up from the Premier DAC. Please share how it goes. I have access to many great DAC’s at work, but still use the Premier at home. It is fantastic, but the Reference comes with so many benefits.
Glad to hear on the feet! Jonathan may have mentioned the note but I could have missed it. The Cascade launch has been very busy around here.
Great system Luigi, compliments.
Even if we are in the MSB forum I’d like to ask you about the Pink Faun streamer (if I’m allowed to): did you arrived to this model after using other brand/models of streamer and why did you decided to chose this one specific ?
I’m asking you because the 2.16 Ultra model is filling my wet audiophile dreams since I while but is not so easy to have one in my room for a calm evaluation.
Thanks if you’ll find time for me, and compliments again for your awesome system.
I never had any other streamer before the Pink Faun because I had always been using my Mac Book pro as my Roon server when I decided to go “all digital” about three years ago now. The MBP was fine, but I was growing more and more tired with its glitches and slowness. Then one day a local dealer who I am close friend with here in the UK suggested that it was about time I should get a dedicated streamer. He offered me his 2.16 demo unit and the rest is now history. The difference in ease of use, not to mention the somehow cleaner sound to my ears, made the switch really worth it. And there is no way I could ever get back to using anything but a streamer in my system now. My 2.16 is the “basic” and now discontinued Pink Faun entry level, yet I am quite satisfied with it. Pink Faun customer service and assistance is also excellent and very friendly, both from the owner, Jord, and his extremely helpful technical assistant Damian. I have only listened to the 2.16 Ultra once, outside of my system at an hifi show, so I cannot really judge on that, but I guess, looking at the quite considerable difference in price with my entry level version, that the sonic difference should also be fairly noticeable. What is your current system at the moment?
Ciao Luigi,
thanks for your long answer, very kinf of you.
Actually I’m without any system at the moment since I’m separated from my ex wife and I left all I had at home since we shared passion for music (also with our son) and so I decided not to divide them from that kind of experience / joy.
In any case the system was built around a Rotel Michi Pre + stereo amp, Marantz SACD pllayer, Lumin streamer and Sonus Faber speakers.
I’m refurbishing a new house and this will take me at least 6 months and I was thinking to built the root of the new system on a “made in Italy” basis, with Audia Flight electronics and Sigma Acoustic MAAT VECTOR XAC speakers, but istead I’m tickled by the idea to use a whole MSB system (DAC + amps) with the same loudspeakers. And this is why I’m here.
On my jurney to enjoy hifi I encountered the PinkFaun owner in Munich and it was a pleasure to talk to him and I’ve been fashinated by the idea of use his 2.16 Ultra as a streamer, and so this is why I wrote you on your thread.
Ciao Alberto and welcome to the MSB world. I have discovered MSB three years ago, started with a Discrete DAC paired to my old Audio Research amps first then with a Gryphon Essence amp combo, then I moved on to a Premier DAC and now I have just fulfilled my dream and I have just “finally” upgraded to a Reference DAC (which I had already demoed twice before so I knew it pretty well).
I have also had the chance to try the new Cascade DAC in my system very recently (damn lol) but I am sure you can read my unbiased review on this very forum to know what I feel about it. Now my MSB Reference (and the Premier before) is paired with an MSB S202 power amp - and an MSB Premier headphone amp: synergy! The only non MSB parts of my system are my beloved Bayz speakers and the Pink Faun! PS Se sei su Facebook e se ti va possiamo metterci in contatto.
Good luck with building up a new system (and sorry to hear about your separation).
Ciao Luigi,
I read your awesome review of the MSB Cascade DAC in its early/prototype stages, and I have to confess that this is the product I’m aiming at, since I guess that its older brother still under construction will not be adequate to my spending capacity, unfortunately.
I’m not a “social boy” meaning that I just use X (or Twitter) for the last news/info about the topics I’m interested in (audio, audio/video, cars, guitars, music equipments and video game) and so I don’t have any FB o Instagram or other accounts, I’m sorry. Maybe we can work it out finding a way to share out emails.
Thanks for the good luck wishes, I need them (there isn’t anythig worse than build an house).
If I may give you a suggestion, go for MSB DAC + Amp and you’ll never look back. There’s something special in this perfect combo, whatever DAC model you choose. At least in my experience.
As for Pink Faun, I agree with you: it’s almost impossible to find a dealer in Italy able to give you a home trial. I’ve been tempted by Pink Faun servers for years and I also love their Ethernet cable.
Final note: it seems that a few server brands are working on an output module Pro ISL compliant, it means that you can connect the server directly to the MSB DAC via proprietary ISL (fiber). Innuos, Taiko, Antipodes and… Pink Faun! If and when this modules will be announced, it should drive your choice if you are in the market for a new server.
Ciao Luca,
thanks for your advise, something in my mind keep on pushing me towards this choice (MSB DAB + AMP definitive combo) and sooner or later I’ll surrender to this demon
Very interesting also this info about the future connection of these servers with the MSB ISL; even if I’ll chose Pink Faun I hope the italian distributor will not be disappointed
