Digital Audio Denmark convertors

In my experience, "ad hoc" comparisons of disparate digital audio products such as the MPS-5, DAD AX24 and Berkeley Alpha DAC (and others) without consideration and optimization of the signal chain for each product are misleading and will lead to erroneous conclusions, not even to factor in the wild card variable of personal taste.

At a high level the digital audio chain consists of a source (physical media or electronic file), playback software, source-to-DAC interface (firewire, USB, AES/EBU, coax, toslink, i2S), DAC and pre-amp (not to mention cables, power supply, vibration isolation, etc.).

The MPS-5 is an "all in one" source, playback software, source-to-DAC interface and DAC. All of these variables have been optimzied inside the box by the designer. The DAD AX24 is a DAC only (for these discussions; not sure if it has a pre-amp function) and the Berkeley Alpha DAC is a DAC/Pre-Amp.

I don't know about the DAD AX24, but I can say from experience to my ears, the Berkeley Alpha DAC only sounds its best on CDRB using its filter 1.24 (1.16 is default), its own pre-amp section, and a high quality AES/EBU interface. For example, in my system if I feed the Berkeley an AES input directly from a Lynx AES16 without inserting a noise isolation and reclocker device like the Antelope DA the sound quality is significantly degraded (presumably due to the effects of EMI/RFI noise and jitter). And of course, comparing any of these products without listening to both CDRB and hi-rez seems incomplete.

I'm sure the MPS-5 and DAD AX24 are excellent products, as well as the MH ULN-8 which gets raves, but if one is to conduct a valid comparison then the entire signal chain must be optimized for each piece IMHO.

as far as optimization of digital playback, the Playback Designs MPS-5 does solve the clocking/jitter issue intertnally without reclocking devices.

for some insight into how Playback Designs approaches this issue, follow this link to some answers from Andreas Koch, the designer of the MPS-5;

Link to Andreas's comments

i use the MPS-5 as a high rez server DAC as well as an SACD disc player and Redbook disc player. it's the player i prefer at all three of these tasks i have heard. i use the Lynx AES16 XLR sound card in my server.

We have the DAD AX24, Playback Designs and EMM Labs/Meitner converter in here to compare side by side and use every day. The Playback Designs MPS-5 is our "go to" DAC and disc player. We've heard almost all of them (except for Grimm and Mytek). It's the best out there. We use the DAD for it's A-D and mic pre's, and we do all our HDTracks transfers with the EMM Labs/Meitner gear.

Bruce, have you directly compared the MH ULN-8 to the other ones you mentioned? If so, could you briefly articulate how it compared sonically to the other DAC's you mentioned? From what I've read the ULN-8 seems to be getting consistently rave reviews from the pro community. Perhaps you've seen Barry's posts on the CA forum.

Thanks and have fun at CES.