I just purchased a McIntosh MS750 with tons of songs on it. I believe the songs are mostly in FLAC format but probably a lot of PCM too. Will a Direct Stream Jr. improve the sound of these songs? I’m considering purchasing one.
Given the reviews of the MS750 I expect the DSD Jr. would be a significant improvement.
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I’m with Elk, the DSJ will be a significant improvement over the DAC used in the MS750. I’ve had the DSJ coming on two years now and it’s fantastic!
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The MS750 measured very poorly in 2009, which is the Cretaceous Period in terms of servers. Most modern DACs costing $100+ are probably better.
Curiously, what speakers do you use?
The DSD Jnr was well reviewed in the UK for it’s analogue-type sound (which I take to mean a bit soft), which would make it good for very analytical speakers and probably more versatile than some very detailed and analytical DACs.
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I would agree with that review. I’m running a pair of Monitor Audio floor standers and they certainly have a tendency to be a little edgy. The highs come through well with out irritation to me.
Monitor Audio have a very good reputation and use a range of driver materials, including a ceramic/aluminium mid-bass and a quasi-ribbon, both a bit like those in my Raidho speakers. I was expecting them to possibly be a bit fatiguing, but they do sound better (and a little warmer) with a Class A/B amplifier rather than Class D. I suspect they have to be paired with an amplifier and DAC that is not too sharp. I think you have to be careful when matching components unless using speakers like Harbeth, which will never be overly bright.
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