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Simplicity

The Platinum DAC IV was designed in a way that it can be used as the last component in your system before the amplifiers.  With the added convenience of having multiple digital inputs and one Analog input you can easily eliminate your preamp. You may connect your turntable through the analog input and all your digital sources directly to the DAC IV.   The Analog Output is a stepped attenuator purist volume control design (if the optional Volume Control is installed).  

The Package

The DAC IV package is simple and elegant. It has integral heat sinks to keep component temperatures stable yielding clean quiet DC power. Integral to the design is our amazing new MSB Isorack Damping Feet as well as a clean new front panel, with a full suite of programmable features. Beside our standard two colors we also offer a range of Custom Colors

Three Models

The DAC IV is sold in three models. All include ground breaking technology. A DAC Comparison Chart details the differences between the models. DAC technology is complex. For a better understanding check this tutorial.   How DACs Work! A simple but accurate explanation.

• The Platinum DAC IV is a step up from the well known Platinum DAC III with better performance at a similar price.
• The Signature Platinum DAC IV incorporates many upgrades over the basic DAC IV including Signature DAC modules.
• The Diamond Platinum DAC IV is our top-of-the-line DAC including our best Diamond DAC modules.


• The Femtosecond Galaxy Clock is an amazing clock upgrade for all DAC and ADC models.

Computer Music Server?

The MSB USB2 input allows a DAC IV to interface seamlessly with any computer using the USB 2.0 output and play bit-perfect audio to 384 kHz with no hassles or confusion. You are provided with the highest quality computer based playback in the industry with the least difficulty. Who says the best must be expensive or complex. The MSB USB2 offers a simple solution with amazing performance.

Control

The MSB aluminum remote offers complete controls for the Data CD IV transport, DAC IV family and iLink. The WiFi System Interface offers complete control with an iPad or iPhone.

Transports

Many amazing transports fit perfectly in the DAC IV family.

• Our breakthrough Data CD IV Transport plays CDs and high resolution audio files on DVDs.
• The ultimate CD playback is accomplished with the Signature Data CD IV Transport. It includes the PRO I2S interface and a metal drawer.
• The versatile Universal Media Transport plays just about everything on a disc, on a USB memory stick, on a Hard Drive or on a computer network. Wow!
• The iLink II Integrated Transport is also available as a DAC IV option. It allows the DAC to play digitally bit-perfect music files from the newest iPods without modifications, with the same bit-perfect jitter-free quality as our transport.
• Also still available is our iLink I music system, an stand-alone iPod based music player.

Check out the differences between each transport on this Transport Comparison Chart.

The Sound

The performance of DAC IV is amazing. Immediately you'll notice the beauty of the voices and the lack of congestion and harshness that often accompanies massed voices and massed instruments with complex harmonics like violins and saxophones. This new level of clarity is also noticeable in instruments of all frequencies. This DAC also dramatically increases the resolution of the performance. Fine detail that was once hidden and "smeared" in the background is now clear and obvious. There is a perception that each fine harmonic is individually revealed giving new definition and separation to the instruments. The sense of space where the recording was done is intricately revealed with wider and deeper soundstage. Each instrument is more singly placed and positioned. Our engineering and listening team have always noticed that when genuine fine detail is further revealed (without harshness), there always seems to be an increase in the sense of space. This makes sense because spatial cues are the original sound of the voice or instrument with the reflections from the walls of the recording space added, and are therefore complex harmonics themselves.

The dynamics are significantly improved giving the drummer's expression a convincing "hit" that cannot be ignored. Bass attack is convincing and scaled to what the artist intended. This new level of dynamic reproduction is a critical ingredient in convincing us we are listening to the live performance, and drawing us deeply into the music. Once it is heard, it is hard to live without.

The Measurements

The DAC IV outperforms by far all other competitors with a noise floor and jitter measurements that are out of this world. Here we compare to the best published results we could find for jitter. Each of these was noted by Stereophile for their excellent jitter performance. All use the same test parameters. The lower the sideband levels, the lower the jitter. MSB is an order of magnitude better than our closest competitor.