Bricasti M1 DAC vs PS Audio Direct Stream DAC


I own a PS Audio Direct Stream DAC that I like a lot but heard my friends system with the Bricasti M1 and I am strongly thinking of changing my DAC and would love your feedback from other members that have heard either or both. I know they are both great but really thinking of changing my Dac from PS Audio Direct Stream to the Bricasti M1 DAC. I use a HP Desk top computer as source with Jplay and JRiver Media 19 and the outstanding Tellurium Q BLACK DIAMOND Reference USB Cable. The rest of my system is below. I listen to Classic Rock, jazz, vocal, some modern music and the usual audiophile stuff.

Thanks

My system for reference.

Ascendo C-8 Renaissance Speakers (Germany) Monitor
Purist Audio Design Corvus Praesto Revision 2.5m Bi-Wire Speaker cable
Cardas Clear Interconnect 1 Meter RCA Interconnect
Darwin TRUTH Pure Silver Reference 1 Meter RCA Interconnect
Darwin TRUTH Pure Silver Reference 1 Meter RCA Interconnect
Audio Research REFERENCE 1 w/Rhodium IEC/NOS Tubes Tube preamp
Decware ZSTAGE External Triode Output StageTelefunken ECC801S
PS Audio Direct Stream DSD DAC w/ Bridge DA converter
Tellurium Q BLACK DIAMOND Reference USB Cable
PS Audio PerfectWave PowerBase Vibration Cancelation/AC Condtioner
Conrad Johnson Premier 12 Mono's 140 Watts Tung-Sol KT120's amps
PS Audio PowerPlant Premier AC Regenerator
BMI Shark Pure Jeweler Grade Platinum AC Power Cable
Sablon Audio Petite Corona 2.0M AC Power Cable
Mad Scientist PC-NEO with Power Purifier AC Power Cable
JPS Labs The Power AC+ 2M AC Power Cable
Synergistic Research Labs Tesla Series SE T1 AC Power Cable
Synergistic Research Labs Tesla Series T1 AC Power Cable
PS Audio Noise Harvester (5) Converts noise to light
OYAIDE RI Beryllium Power Outlets (2)
Hubbell Outlet 5362/5262 Deep Cryo Process
Blue Circle Audio The Yalu Balula Industrial Surge/Spike Protection
JPLAY v5.2 hi-end audio player turns PC into a digital transport.
JRiver Media Center 19 Music Software
128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xfsmithjack
My point is that no matter how good a job the DAC does in cleaning up the signal it receives, and no matter how good the design of the DAC may be, signals and noise don’t necessarily just affect or entirely follow only their intended pathway. And the waveform characteristics and the noise characteristics of the signal that enters the DAC will affect how and if RF energy present in that signal may to at least a small degree find its way via unintended pathways to unintended circuit points "downstream" of the ethernet interface and the internal reclocker you referred to.

Very true, however I would avoid the term "RF".  Its mostly what is referred to as "conducted" interference.  In the case of Ethernet, it is leakage across the transformer interface.  In most cases RFI is a result of ground-loops.

If you have wired Ethernet to your DAC and you are using a cheap Chinese LPS or a Sbooster, make sure that the DC common is tied to the earth ground one way or another.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

I'm still having hiccups with DSD X1. I went in to settings in JRiver and changed the Pre buffering from the recommended 6 seconds to the maximum of 20 seconds. This appears to have fixed the problem. I can now play DSD 2X. Al does this alter the sound at all. Thanks Jeff
I went in to settings in JRiver and changed the Pre buffering from the recommended 6 seconds to the maximum of 20 seconds. This appears to have fixed the problem. I can now play DSD 2X. Al does this alter the sound at all.
From a technical standpoint I can't envision any reason why doing that would affect sonics, Jeff, but I don't have directly relevant experience that would enable me to say that with certainty.

Best regards,
-- Al
 
Steve N why can’t I just place a cheater plug on my LPS for the grounding? If you ground the LPS to the router do you also have to ground the LPS to the switch as well?
Steve N why can’t I just place a cheater plug on my LPS for the grounding? If you ground the LPS to the router do you also have to ground the LPS to the switch as well?

Cheater plugs usually bring the power cord ground to a lug or to a wire.

What we want to do here is connect the outlet hole ground to the DC common of the DC connector to the router, the outer ring usually.

You only need to ground the device that connects to your DAC, either the router or the switch.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio