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Review: Playback Designs MPS-5 CD Player

Category: Digital

1st impressions of the Playback Designs MPS-5.

briefly; The MPS-5 plays redbook and SACD's; it can also be used as a DAC for a music server as well as as a transport. i do plan on getting into server based music and so i like that part. the MPS-5 is also set up so it's software is easily upgradable.

Playback Designs is a new company. this is their first product.

at 1:40pm PDT today the fedex driver pulled up and dropped off the box.

finally; after 5 weeks without.....I HAVE DIGITAL AGAIN.

mine is one of the first 2 units shipped, and the first to arrive. i had heard a prototype a few months back and made a decision to replace my EMM Labs SE Combo with this new product. i had not compared the my EMM Labs Signature directly to that prototype; but i did like some things i heard and made the change.

first; the packaging was perfect and easy to unpack; i was playing music in about 2 minutes after openning the box. the player itself is very handsome; fit and finish are impeccable, a beautiful aluminum case, brushed silver metal on top and black anodized on the bottom. the remote is similarly elegant, and feels very nice in your hand. large, easy to use buttons and it's back lit.

the EMM Labs never had this level of industrial design; but prior to that i owned the Linn CD-12 and before that the Levinson dac and transport. performance is my only criteria; but i also enjoy audio jewelry assuming it can deliver the sonic goods.

how does it sound?

my very first impression in the first 30 seconds was big and bold. the Playback Designs uses a transformer based power supply instead of the switching power supply of the EMM Labs SE Combo. i wonder if that is a factor here.

i must point out that my EMM Labs SE Combo was packed up and shipped to it's new owner in late April. so my aural memory of that is 5 weeks old. OTOH i owned EMM Labs for 5 years, and the SE for the last 2 years. so my sense of that is pretty good.

i'm hearing a sound that fills the soundstage to a greater degree, and the bass seems to have more authority.

beyond that initial impression; like any brand new digital player; the sound started off somewhat congested, sluggish and closed in. after about 45 minutes things started to open up a bit and i could hear farther into the soundstage. it's now been about 90 minutes of play and things are getting more interesting.

it's still somewhat closed in on top but i'm getting more lively micro-dynamics and a bit more transparency in the mids. the bass is getting cleaner and tighter, a few more hours and.......

i like where this is going.

anyway; i'll be breaking this baby in over the next week or so and will continue to offer impressions.

Associated gear
Click to view my Virtual System

Similar products
EMM Labs CDSD SE Transport, EMM Labs DAC6 SE
mikelavigne
lula
213 posts
 
Has anyone who has listened to the MPS-5 listened to players such as the ARC
CD-7 or AMR? Many people have preferred these over the EMM player/separates. What about separates such as the Acustic Arts Tubed DAC/
transport or MBL 1500 series or 1600 series? Any such comparisons would be
helpful in determining how much of a "breakthrough" product the MPS-5 player
is.
mikelavigne OP
2,200 posts
 
hi Satyam,

i was working (actually my network engineer son) on putting together a music server to use thru the Playback Designs. we were considering the various sound cards and connection choices. it turns out that most of the connections have limitations that restrict them to redbook level data. previously i had mentioned that i was told that Toslink and ASEBU RCA could handle hirez downloads. upon further discussion with Playback Designs it appears that the ASEBU XLR connection is the one that has both the speed and the likely sound card support to handle hirez.

after some discussion, Playback Designs is working on some specific soundcard choices and writing drivers to make it all work. these things can be quick or they can be slow to happen. as i am not the one doing this i cannot say which way this will go. i will be waiting for Playback Designs to recommend a specific card and software choice.

if you are only interested in 16/44 downloads most anything will work fine right now thru any of the digital inputs. my interest is in hirez downloads. i am a disc in the hand guy for CD's.

specifically; the USB is only capable of 16/44.

as soon as i have information with more specifics i will post it.
mikelavigne OP
2,200 posts
 
Satyam,

regarding a music server into the Playback Designs verses the transport....let's say we are talking redbook here. i read about how servers will out do transports; but i have yet to speak to anyone who has actually had that experience.

since the Playback Designs is able to eliminate jitter from the server based input; maybe it will be equal or better than the internal transport.

i know that there are some server based users who will be getting their Playback Designs any time now; possibly they can share their viewpoints on this issue.
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
Mike, I understand the advantage of a server or harddrive-based system is the lower error rate in reading a hard drive vs. an optical transport reading a CD or SACD. There's no advantage attributable to the DAC; therefore, like you, I'm very much looking foward to implementing a server solution that incorporates my MPS-5's DAC.

You might ask your son about one attribute that I seek, I've already mentioned it to Jonathon and Andreas, I want my server in another room from the two-channel system. I'd like an AppleTV-like device (without the technical limitations and Jobian control freak operation limitations) sitting right behind the MPS-5 to send the digital input into the DAC and system.

Dave
mikelavigne OP
2,200 posts
 
Dave,

my son and i have spoken about where the server should be. we have CAT-5 wired to both sides of my room in the barn as well as draft 802.11n WiFi in the barn and house. i also have a conduit from my listening room to the attic that my air line for my tt compressor runs thru. i could place the server directly above my room near my compressor and then run any special cable down to the MPS-5 (such as the ASEBU XLR which Andreas thinks might be ideal).

ideally; assuming no sonic penalty; i would have a 3 terabyte server in the house and just a tablet based control in my room in the barn. i am not personally familiar with the various interface choices and their limitations. which one's could handle hi-rez; who knows?

worst case; i would have a solid state memory hard drive/ fan-less power supply playback server sitting next to the MPS-5 in my room and download music from the 3-terabyte server into it as i need it. this would keep the interface as short as possible.

until we actually listen it is hard to say which approach will perform the best. unfortunately; my son's knowledge does not include any listening tests of network solutions.

until Andreas recommends a sound card and interface solution we are on hold.
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