Minimum 200 dollars new, if you want to hear a clear difference. The power cord from the wall to the powerblock is also the most important. So don’t put a micro wave cable
Why not get the power cable that comes with it normally?
A stratos- or similar?
I once bought a wireworld matrix power strip but it made no audible difference to my system at that time.
Stratus 7… how about Naim regular cables that came with the old naim electronic,r they still good?
CLICK ON IT
Thought I would add where I am at now with the MSB.
I got a second Discrete PSU this week and been listening. I’ll be placing an order for one (he sent me his demo. unit to try).
Its essentially a similar experience as you get with a Naim PSU upgrade.
Much better and clearer low level detail now coming through (at all volume levels), vocals now better, it also seems a touch faster in PRaT almost Naim like TBH.
Clearly there is a bit of “well I am just getting used to the new sound” factor at play too. But with very familiar songs, matched at the same SPL Meter readings I had before, I am really, really enjoying this MSB DAC now.
It’s now a fairly noticeable bit better than the NDS/555DR/252/SC2DR/SL DIN>DIN that I had. With the knowledge that I can upgrade over time to the MSB Ethernet Renderer Module, Femto93 Clock and change from the cheap Mogami XLR cables to something much better latter on, I am now 100% happy that it will pull significantly ahead of what I had.
Well that & the fact dCS still appears to be shut down (no updates on their website since April) it is just the way I prayed that it would work out in the end.
I have enjoyed the almost 20 year ride with a Naim source & Pre/power however I was at my limit in Naim land upgrade wise for funds.
I simply could not stretch to either a ND 555 or 552 or 500 - even second hand (as none ever appear in my country). But I still have Fraim, Powerlines & HDX, so I am now a Naim Lite member I guess…
Hi Seadog
I almost forgot about this thread as I seem to bounce and post between here and Bluesfan’s “It’s hard to find…” streaming thread. It is nice to know you have found a solution to the MSB issue. It appears there are a few more manufacturers, other than Naim, who seem to require “black box” upgrades to take their equipment to the next level. This is the problem when one’s starting point is already at a high level ie your NDS/555DR. Dunc and I have been visiting on the (relatively) new dCS forum and there is another gentleman running a full MSB stack who is extremely happy. He recently joined the dCS forum due to his Vivaldi purchase. Vivaldi and MSB - I would say he is quite a happy individual.
As for dCS still being closed I can report that this is not true. I believe they opened the week prior to Naim reopening and I can confirm this as they have a new Rossini and Rossini Master Clock they are busily working on for me! I casually mentioned my new acquisition on the Vitus thread and know that Bluesfan and Dunc picked up on it over there.
I was able to come to an agreement with the dealer and dCS will be taking back my 1 month old Bartok and the Rossini/Rossini Clock should be arriving in the States by the end of the week. With the Covid shutdown I found myself in a similar position to you in that my purchase was made without benefit of a demo. I am perhaps a bit more fortunate in that I had the opportunity to demo my Bartok on two separate occasions prior to purchase and I have now lived with it in my headphone system (its original destination) for the past 6 weeks. This allowed me to get a handle on the dCS sound and made me comfortable to take the next step.
On a numerical scale I found the Bartok to approach a 95 where my Linn Klimax DS is at 100. With the Bartok coming so close, and at such a price differential to the Linn, I feel comfortable speculating the Rossini will give a proper thrashing to the Linn and supplant it in my 552/500 system. The Linn will then move to headphone duties.
The only part of the purchase which was truly “blind” was the addition of the Rossini Master Clock. Much like you have now found with your experience with MSB, for dCS the clock is like a Naim power supply upgrade. Bluesfan has stated as much, Dunc has confirmed it with his Rossini, and finally the salesman at the dCS dealer who has been involved with Naim and Linn for the past decade equally felt that I would need it to give me what I wanted from the sound. It really appeared to be a mandatory purchase.
I am happy to hear that things have worked out and that you are (unfortunately) on your way up yet another hifi upgrade ladder
Best
Gregg
Hey Gregg, happy you went with your heart and the Rossini & Clock.
I did not know dCS were now back in the game ! It was a coin toss either way if the MSB didn’t work exactly 100% the way I needed it to and/or exceeded my high expectations. I was so impressed with the Bartok I would have taken the MSB sale hit depreciation wise to get one.
Please drop your thoughts here when you get it and it’s run it in.
Had a Bartok on loan from local dealer for a week now & its a keeper only decision is with or without headphone
I thought long and hard re. the headphone stage. In the end, only using headphones perhaps once or twice a month, I opted no. Though, tbh, I chopped and changed until the dealer came back and said enough is enough, the order can no longer be altered The other issue was, to justify the extra cost of the headphone stage, then I really would have to consider throwing a lot more money at some high end 'cans. In the end I went with no and instead threw £475 at a Rupert Neve amp which I run from the XLR output. A decision I’m still happy with - no regrets.
btw if you plan to use as a ‘one box solution’ I’d strongly advise to have a look at an allegri+ passive per-amp stage. REALLY makes the Bartok shine In fact take the money saved from not going for the headphone stage and get the allegr instead
bypassed the volume on the bartok & using a Dave Slagle pre amp Silver Remote Autoformer Volume Control
I find it interesting that many of us are coalescing around very similar conclusions.
My Bartok was purchased for a headphone system as I wanted to transfer to a different room. Prior to the Bartok headphone listening was done via a Linn KDS (also serving as the digital source for my 552/500) and an external HeadAmp GSX Mini.
Initial comparisons found the Linn/GSX Mini outperforming the Bartok/internal HA. This outcome surprised my dealer (with a decade of experience with top end Naim and Linn) and he suggested bypassing the internal Bartok headphone amplifier. In this case the Headamp GSX Mini remained the constant and both the Linn and Bartok were used strictly as DAC’s. As earlier reported on this thread things significantly changed. The numerical score went from Linn 100 Bartok 88 to Linn 100 Bartok 95. These findings were more in line of what the dealer expected and appeared to confirm that the internal HA of the Bartok was masking the outstanding performance the DAC portion was capable of providing.
Steve - your decision to bypass the internal HA version of the Bartok was correct according to what I found. I think you can do better with an external HA. I am in no way denigrating the job dCS did at their first attempt of building a headphone amp. They knocked it out of the park imho however at the end of the day it is still a $1500 HA - there are better.
GSXR - Dunc came to the same conclusion in that he also felt the internal volume control of his Rossini was holding things back. Both he and I have started frequenting the dCS forum and there is a member with a new Vivaldi stack. He has also moved to bypassing the internal volume control and is now using an external Allegri passive preamp.
I clearly remember when Linn decided to stop manufacturing the Kontrol preamp and insisted that the internal digital preamp of the Klimax DSM was just as good if not better. The only problem - many of their customers did not agree.
My dealer is allowing me to return the Bartok and swap it out for a Rossini and Master Clock. Based on the stellar performance the Bartok put in vs. the Linn I can only think a Rossini will have no problem replacing the KDS as digital source for my 552/500.
I believe dCS is on quite a roll lately. Network Bridge, Rossini 2.0 software, Bartok - they have significant momentum on their side. From what I gather it appears to be translating into significant sales based on what I see and have been told.
Best
Gregg
In the UK it’s a GBP2000+ option… So c. USD2500!!! I could never understand why, in the UK (and dCS are a UK company) the headphone amp costs twice what it does in the US.
I must admit not a product I’ve heard of…
That is why they just raised the price of the HA version over here. There were a number of complaints about the price discrepancy.
Now if Naim would only do the same for us here in the States. There is quite a large price difference between the US and UK.
Almost like not having a preamp is in the system old straight wire with gain stuff
Great choice, very enjoyable bit of kit
Gregg, leave him alone or he will be trading it back for the rossini and clock before he even gets the Bartok lol
now we can’t let that happen
Does the Bartok include a remote control? If so, how does it compare with the one included with the ND555?
Can the Bartok be remotely controlled from Roon?
it doesn’t include a remote
dCS would happily sell you a very expensive one