Jump to content
IGNORED

Bricasti Model 3 DAC


Recommended Posts

Yes, looks like an interesting unit with separate paths for pcm and dsd; dsd is one bit path.

Main listening (small home office):

Main setup: Surge protector +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Isolation>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments.

Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three .

Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup.
Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. 

All absolute statements about audio are false :)

Link to comment

I'd be extremely surprised if it isn't the same ethernet module as in the M1 and M5. No reason they would make a whole new board. I'm sure it's just a technicality of "certification".

Main listening (small home office):

Main setup: Surge protector +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Isolation>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments.

Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three .

Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup.
Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. 

All absolute statements about audio are false :)

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...
6 hours ago, barrows said:

I would really to hear some more details about this DAC.  For example: in the DSD section: is this a discrete conversion solution (non IC, low pass filter approach)?  Does the DAC do the DSD conversion at its native rate (DSD 64 and DSD 128) or does it use its processing power to increase the sample rate before the conversion (remaining one bit)?

Is the DSD conversion section the same as it is in the M21?  It sounds like it may be...

Also, considering it allows for a native DSD path, why does the DAC not allow for higher DSD rates?  4x and 8x DSD are popular for those who like to oversample in software (and there is more music available recorded at DSD x4 every day from Channel Classics and Reference Recordings).  I certainly hope that Bricasti will consider upgrades to all of their DACs allowing for up to DSD 512 rates.

 

I am impressed that Bricasti has been able to produce what appears to be a very, very nice, DAC, with a quality build, in the USA, at a very reasonable price.

There was a Hong kong based review of the M5  network player (https://personalaudio.hk/2017/12/15/bricasti-m5-streamer-networkplayer/) ; it said they succeeded in playing back DSD 512 via the M5.  I asked Bricasti about it and they said it was possible, but that they don't support it/haven't fully tested it. With my M5 can't get anything above DSD 128 to work on it.
 

I get the impression that the software side of things is part of the issue, and this doesn't seem to be Bricasti's strong point. Apparently they get all their software from an outside supplier, and don't have the ability to do much in terms of upgrades.

Main listening (small home office):

Main setup: Surge protector +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Isolation>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments.

Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three .

Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup.
Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. 

All absolute statements about audio are false :)

Link to comment
1 hour ago, Superdad said:

 

Form my studies of their PCBs that does not seem likely. Lots of coding key to their products going on on the middle board with big SHARC chip.

https://6moons.com/audioreviews2/bricasti/2.html

 

Yes, definitely XMOS for the USB input.  Integrated onto their main DSP board.

Well, a few of us asked Bricasti about adding the HQP NAA to their networked products and were told it wouldn’t happen. As I noted, apparently the programming is totally outsourced and a closed issue for them. No adding features to the OS unless they decide to contract for an expensive major update: At least that’s what was implied.  I’d assume similar issues explain why they are “stuck” at supporting DSD 128.

Main listening (small home office):

Main setup: Surge protector +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Isolation>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments.

Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three .

Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup.
Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. 

All absolute statements about audio are false :)

Link to comment
29 minutes ago, barrows said:

I would not make the same assumption.  Getting their XMOS USB interface (I am playing with a $99 DAC board right now which handles native DSD 512 input no problem through its USB/XMOS input) to work at Native DSD 512 is an entirely different thing than coding the OS for their Ethernet Renderer.

It would be interesting to know more about their DSD conversion approach.  Often these "pure" DSD approaches work quite a bit better with DSD 256 and DSD 512-it makes me wonder if they are oversampling DSD in their processing chip to a higher rate.  In any case, with a "pure" DSD converter, Bricasti would be advised that supporting higher DSD rates will only help their sales.

I understand that, but getting the standalone network streamer (M5) to do that shouldn’t be a big issue, and they also haven’t done that. Their DACs can also do DSD through a standard chip-they don’t rely solely on the one bit topography (user chooses which topography to use), so that also shouldn’t be an issue. 

I’m not putting their products down. But they have a few rough edges (there are a few others) that are surprising for products at these types of prices and don’t match up with the extreme attention to detail and high level of execution of most aspects of their products-and all of those seem to be details that are dealt with in software, not hardware. 

Main listening (small home office):

Main setup: Surge protector +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Isolation>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments.

Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three .

Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup.
Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. 

All absolute statements about audio are false :)

Link to comment
  • 2 months later...
1 hour ago, barrows said:

Still, I do not believe the company which makes the very best pro audio digital reverb unit suffers from a lack of software engineering expertise!

You cannot believe whatever you want. Your belief has little to do with the facts. 
FACTS are that they outsourced the  software writing for their network audio card, and are unable to add in even something as simple as HQP NAA, which to anyone with any software writing competence would be a trivial exercise. 

Similar for higher than 128 DSD.

Main listening (small home office):

Main setup: Surge protector +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Isolation>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments.

Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three .

Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup.
Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. 

All absolute statements about audio are false :)

Link to comment
  • 1 year later...
25 minutes ago, matthias said:

OT regarding M3 but interesting:

 

Bricasti launched a DAC in their professional line:

 

https://www.bricasti.com/en/pro/mc1.php

 

It seems to be similar to the M1 but from the specs limited to DSD128 so maybe no MDx board inside?

 

Matt

Costs $6000 and doesn't seem to have the separate 1bit path for DSD. For audiophiles, their consumer units would seem more suitable. Unless you don't have any interest in DSD.

Main listening (small home office):

Main setup: Surge protector +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Isolation>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments.

Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three .

Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup.
Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. 

All absolute statements about audio are false :)

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



×
×
  • Create New...