Introducing MSB’s latest innovation: Bit Diffusion Technology. This new technology was invented by MSB’s Chief Circuit Designer, Dustin Symanski, while working on the forthcoming Sentinel DAC project with astounding results. He was able to adapt this into the Cascade DAC with a minor hardware update, but as for the performance gain, this is much more than a small tweak! It is a significant, technological step forward in musicality, resulting in wonderfully natural playback. Dustin’s concept for BDT was initially sparked by considering the relationship between an atom and an electron’s probability density function. Mimicking this natural phenomena, Bit Diffusion is applied to the Cascade’s unique architecture of 16 independent DAC channels. Low-level ambient noise and digital artifacts are diffused, adding to analog-like sound and a much more relaxed, fatigue-free presentation. The soundstage has become more holographic than ever with improved dynamics and separation. Listening to that one recording you know and love so well, thinking you knew every detail, it is shocking to then hear so many new nuances and beautiful moments washing over you. This is just a taste of how the future Sentinel DAC’s 64 channels will benefit from Bit Diffusion Technology, as it takes this concept even further!
We will immediately begin including Bit Diffusion Technology on all Cascade DAC’s moving forward without a price increase. We will also be offering this upgrade for all existing Cascade DAC’s at no charge, except for shipping and handling. To upgrade an existing DAC, just the Cascade Analog Converter unit will need to be returned to the factory for a quick turnaround. This technology will not be adapted to earlier generations of MSB DACs, as only the advanced Cascade and Sentinel hardware is able to support it.
For those of you who have received an updated Cascade DAC, please share your listening impressions below so other owners can know what to expect. We are very excited for everyone to hear what we have cooked up, I think you will love it!
I’m happy to report the upgrade is real, and worthwhile! After a long and gruesome week without my dear DAC (roundtrip to California!), once it was back it didn’t take long to hear the clear progress that the upgrade signified.
No AxBs were possible of course, but even more memory, you start noticing more texture in the certain instruments, and that characteristic MSB “flow” to the presentation is even more pronounced!
Highly, highly recommended!
I know and I wish it could! We would have if it was possible. Really, we could have added it to the DD if it was just processing. Unfortunately, the limitation is the in the Select/Reference DAC motherboard itself and the bandwidth access the Hybrid DAC modules. We utilize 99.18% of our new FPGA, each gate is hand selected. It’s a real beast to handle.
Hardware and FPGA (which is hardware from a certain perspective). One of the reasons we need them back is to measure the post upgrade performance, because some of that hardware is being used in new ways and/or for the first time. We turned the knob up to 11 for the Cascade and it rocks! Thankfully, we keep the original motherboard and only need to adjust it.
@Daniel_Francis, do you think an A/B comparison could be done, I am going ahead with the upgrade as between you and @Dan I am convinced it’s an improvement, but it would be great to lend @Dan (if he agrees) a unit that he could do a thorough A/B comparison and report on, maybe an idea going forward for all incremental aspects (such as my wish list Renderer)!
@Peter.Bomberg , I don’t want to sound overly confident, but the A/B even with days in-between is still very standout. Even at the factory, the improvement was so vast, we didn’t bother going back to the original Cascade except to measure and ensure it wasn’t broken or out of spec. After you get yours back, let us know and we can look into an AB
@Dan has extensive notes he shared with us as an early tester which match the results we have been hearing from all upgraded units.
