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Diamond DAC Kit
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About the Diamond Upgrade

This upgrade is the result of wild abandon in the engineering budget. MSB has had several good years of sales and we decided to invest the proceeds in finding out just how precise a DAC could be made, and whether it would be noticeable or if other system limitations would mask the improvements. The project was surprisingly successful and the outcome most gratifying. By 2007 we had a concept that was theoretically going to exceed the accuracy of our outstanding Signature DACs. In mid 2008 our first rough prototype indeed provided clear sonic improvements over the very high precision Signature DAC. In 2009 the final design was finished and the results were outstanding. Not only has the DAC still been the limiting factor, but it has been a significant limiting factor.

Now the Diamond DAC is not just a better module, but a rework of the whole DAC III platform. Knowing that this upgrade was coming, provisions were made in the DAC3 motherboard to accommodate it, so although it is not compatible with older models, it can be plugged into any DAC III or CD III. THe upgrade includes a new DSP board and new DAC modules as well as additional shielding for the power supply, as the already low noise design required additional shielding as the DAC precision increased.

The graph above compares standard DAC chips used in popular D/A converters with the Signature DAC and now our new Diamond DAC. Notice that because of our 26-bit structure we can achieve basically a perfect reproduction of a 24-bit test signal, even at the larger signal levels where the others all fall down.

Lets compare some specifications. At what signal level do you first begin to detect audible distortion?

  • -48 dB Burr Brown PCM1704
  • -78 dB MSB Signature DAC
  • -87 db MSB DIAMOND DAC

The key to the performance of this DAC is primarily resistor accuracy. A precision resistor is defined as a 1% resistor, meaning its actual value falls within 1% of the nominal value. In our Signature DAC modules, we have the most precise resistors made especially for us by a high-tech aerospace supplier, and they have an accuracy of .02%, an order of magnitude better than standard. Laboratory standard resistors can be purchased for hundreds of dollars each with an accuracy of .005% but only at a specific temperature. With the MSB proprietary process, we have produced resistors with an effective accuracy of 0.001%. This DAC will never be mass produced and will never be affordable, but for those who want and can afford the best, MSB has set a new benchmark of performance. Production is limited to a maximum of about one set per week.  This new DAC offers major new advancements:  

  • 26-bit ladder technology
  • -146 dB Dynamic Range
  • .0004% THD+N at full level signal
  • Film resistors are completely microphonic resistant (DACs are not sensitive to vibration)
  • DSP based pre-decoding for a more analog-like output
  • lower frequency distortion with scrambled serial stream and triple buffering
  • 32-bit input word
  • It can only be installed in the DAC III family

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