Playback Designs MPD-3

Khrys, such as this hobby is.....i have not heard the DCS gear lately....nor when I did hear it was it in a system with which I was familiar. Sometimes we take a pass on all of the equipment in a given system that doesn't strike our fancy, which was the case when I briefly demoed the DCS gear. I dont even remember what else was in the system at the time.....the whole thing was too analytical for me at the time....very unfair on my part but nonetheless....

The DAC8 is very good. I owned one and enjoyed it. It was in a system fronting Shindo amplification. I would not consider the DAC8 in the same league with the Playback Designs MPD3 but everyone has different taste and priorities. To be fair, I have had both Naim and Berkeley dacs since I had the ARC and each was different. If I had never heard the Playback Designs, I would be happy with the ARC or the Berkeley, with the ARC getting the nod for its USB performance over the Berkeley(havent heard Berkeleys new external box usb adapter). I believe the MPD3 is clearly superior to the above units. If you want all of the audiofile hyperbole, take the warmth of the ARC, the PRAT of the NAIM, the precision and flow of the Berkeley and combine all of these positive virtues and you get to about 80-90% of the Playback Designs MPD3. Go listen to one, arrange a demo, you may love it but YMMV. Regards.

Thanks for your input Ghasley. Your reaction to the dCS gear you heard was very similar to mine when I auditioned it in my own system: very good but too analytical overall.

In retrospect, I did hear the PD MPD-3 or at least something close at T.H.E. Show in Newport earlier this year but did not pay much attention to it. Now I wish I had. Your previous experience with some excellent DACs and your preference for the MPD-3 is certainly a resounding endorsement. I will try to arrange an audition.

The Berkeley has a whole new thing going on as of this month (not just the asynch usb, but a new unit which is more tailored to accept info from the asynch usb and lower noise through the connection) which is supposed to be pretty incredible - people are saying it is resetting what DACs can do.

However, Berkeley doesn't do the whole DSD thing, which Meitner and PBD do. And Meitner has been at the level of the new Berkeley for many years :), people making the above comments just haven't heard them because of cost.

So people know, PBD is from people who left, or at least who had strong affiliations with EmmLabs, so a lot of the core technology is the same, but now both have their own spin on what is going on.

Excellent units, all of them, the new Meitner, and the PBD MPD-3. For now only the MPD-3 does DSD (.dff file playback) but the Meitner is supposed to add that in a while via firmware.

I hate to mention it, but in terms of DSD, Mytek is shaking things up a bit, ridiculous prices for something that might sound 98, 99 or 100% as good as the Meitner or PBD units, I'll let you guys decide. But crazy-low prices at around 1600 on what 4 years ago could only be purchased at around 12,000 or more.

Ghasley, did you sell your MPD-3? What did you replace it with, and why? Curious to hear your current thoughts - thanks!

So what did Ghasley sell the MPD3 to upgrade to? MPD5? :)