That’s exactly what I have done and purchased the ND5XS2, MScaler, Qutest.
The MScaler is one hell of a component and digital playback has never sounded as good in my home.
The level of additional detail on ripped CDs is what I notice the most, CDs that I have owned for 30 plus years are revealing hidden details that until now I haven’t heard, I’m rediscovering my collection all over again, wonderful.
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Am finding the same with the Qutest, loads more detail and layering in albums I know really well…this is without the SN3 so will hopefully be even better then.
Won’t look at an M-Scaler just yet but looking forward to the demo when I do get on, probably be Feb / March time once the SN3 is run in and I’ve selected some new speaker cables which will most likely be WH Phantoms.
That reminds me, I need to fire up dbpoweramp and get all my remaining CD’s onto my WD Cloud at some point.
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Hello Simon. Do you know if using a SPDIF to BNC would prevent a higher sampling rate that the Mscaler would offer? Would you need to connect Optical from source to Optical on Mscaler? I’m demoing a Mscaler for the weekend only and can’t get passed no upsampling (red). Am using a SPDIF to BNC, then dual BNC to Qutest. Thanks
(It seems to me that SPDIF is just a single RCA)
No… not at all, they are like chalk and cheese… use very different conversion techniques, DSP and analogue stages… so in general they are very different and sound quite different.
Not sure I understand the question…
the NDX2 outputs upto 192/24 via SPDIF.
The Mscalar outputs via 2 combined BNC / SPDIF equivalent provide upto 768 kHz sample rate based on a 48 kHz input. (705.6 kHz on a 44.1 kHz input)
Apologies; am also demoing a Simaudio Mind 2 which I understand may not be familiar. It’s a digital transport that requires a DAC. Output options are SPDIF and optical. Am using the SPDIF to BNC to Mscaler, then dual BNC to my Qutest.
As an aside, I did get an optical cable with it (the Mscaler) but it seems insanely difficult to insert the cable and I don’t want to do any damage to either.
So my question is would the source output cable effect the ability of the Mscaler to upsample
Yes… the max multiples are as I listed above…
And you can control how much it oversamples.
OK. So in essence I need to use the Optical cable for the Mscaler to function above the 44.1 sample rate.
(Which is vexing as I can’t seem to inset the bloody thing!)
Optical into mscalar if you want mscalar to oversample the signal into double BNC.
The Empyrean rules the day but at night, the Etude is king. Tonight was trance night and with a little 5th Element lighting, the Etude was looking suitably futuristic for the part!
It’s been just over a month now since the Etude arrived but the way it has gelled all the Chord Elements together makes me wish I’d done this way sooner.
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I am very interested in your thoughts on the Mind2. I live in Canada, so being a Canadian product, they are easy to come by. My local dealer even has one listed on his website, so I may give him a call when my bank account rebuilds itself a little.
Are you comparing it to the NDX 2?
I have a Chord Mscaler/TT2, so do not need a streamer with an on-board DAC.
It’s much under-rated or unknown on this forum but well worth an audition if the DCS network bridge is over budget.
Best, BF
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So you have heard a Mind2 Bluesfan? I know you have heard the DCS and Auralic I believe.
Yes and it’s great. I wish Naim made an equivalent.
Awesome, well I think I will call my dealer next week, see if he still has one available. I know that he has one of Simaudio’s higher end streamers, or it may be a streamer/DAC combo, that he rates very highly. He uses a Blu2/Dave at home, and has told me on several occasions that the Sim was just as good as the Chord combo. Not sure what the model is that he uses, but it was not the Mind2, it is a full width box.
I have just been on his website, and it looks like he still has the Mind2. Also he has a Project Stream box S2 Ultra that I may see if he can lend me for a shootout.
Hello. Yes, am comparing the Mind 2 to the NDX2, using a Qutest as the DAC, and so far I honestly prefer the presentation. It’s somehow cleaner with excellent separation, but no less engaging. I originally bought a Qutest to try on my NDX2, but had heard about the Simaudio and it made sense to separate the components rather than spend £5000 on a Naim streamer only to then bypass the DAC. It will definitely be staying.
Unlike the M-scaler which I still cannot get to work! I’m sure it must be my fault, but have tried every permutation I can think of.
Why can’t you get working. Have you the instruction?
There is not much to do…
Hello Simon. I don’t know why, and yes I’ve read the quickstart and actual manual several times. Everything is connected correctly. Am using the optical from the Mind 2 to the input of the Mscaler, then dual BNC to Qutest. There is sound, of course, and the filter is on the Max upsampling colour (pale grey). The input is on optical rather than auto, and video is off.
I’m just above luddite level, but even I can connect them correctly. I just cannot get it passed no upsampling (red) on the DX OP led.
*and the dual BNC are number respective; I checked.
So the leds from left to write
Video/Audio… I leave off, so everything is upsampled
Input … I leave to auto … from memory purple.
Full oversample… white
——-
On the right side LEDs, the left one represents the sample rate input… ie 44.1 input shows as red… the other two are unsupported at this time