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I own Bliss Hifi, a high-end audio boutique based in Minnesota. This MSB Discrete DAC is in on consignment from one of my local clients. It is the matte black anodized finish. The unit is in excellent condition and in perfect working order. Single owner, purchased in 2021. This DAC is configured with dual Discrete Power Supplies for fully isolated power to all internal subsystems, and the optional Network Renderer V2 module for Roon endpoint and network streaming capability.

The unit comes with its original box and packaging, manual, both power cables, both power supply umbilicals, and the MSB remote control.

MSB is the company that audiophiles with unlimited budgets keep choosing when every other option is on the table. Their Select DAC II has quietly become the reference for the world’s most serious digital systems, and the Discrete is where MSB makes that same core technology accessible. These are not off-the-shelf DAC chips. MSB designs and manufactures their own discrete ladder DAC modules in-house at their Silicon Valley factory, and the Discrete uses two Prime DAC modules running fully balanced, converting raw digital data directly to analog voltage with no output buffer, no op-amps, and no transistors in the conversion path. The result is a sound that is extraordinarily transparent and fast, with a natural tonal purity that makes most chip-based DACs sound processed by comparison. The dual power supply configuration on this unit is significant. The base Discrete ships with a single power supply, but adding the second one isolates power between all major internal subsystems, and the improvement in noise floor and dynamic composure is not subtle. Once you hear it with both supplies, you will not go back. The Network Renderer V2 turns the Discrete into a Roon endpoint with full MQA decoding over Ethernet, with galvanic isolation from the DAC’s sensitive processing circuitry. MSB’s built-in volume control is designed to drive amplifiers directly, eliminating the need for a separate preamplifier if your system is all-digital. MSB’s modular architecture also means this DAC is upgradable over time: input modules, clock modules, and even power supplies can be swapped as MSB releases new technologies, protecting your investment in a way that monolithic DAC designs cannot.

There are currently several other components from this client’s system available. Take a look through our preowned listings to see them all.

Happy to answer any questions. Thanks for your consideration.

Check my stellar feedback and buy with confidence. This listing includes free insured shipping across the CONUS. As this is a passthrough sale that I am brokering on behalf of my client, I prefer to accept payments via PayPal F&F, Venmo Gift, or personal check, but this also gives you the opportunity to attain this at my lowest possible price. Credit card payments are also possible for a 3.1% convenience charge.

More about the unit:
The MSB Discrete DAC is the entry point to MSB Technology’s current DAC lineup, sitting below the Premier ($19,500), Reference ($39,500), and Select DAC II ($84,500). Despite its position as the most affordable MSB DAC, the Discrete shares the same core technologies found throughout the range. It is designed and handcrafted at MSB’s factory in Silicon Valley, California, where everything from circuit board design to CNC chassis machining is done in-house. The Discrete features two Prime DAC modules, MSB’s proprietary fully balanced discrete ladder DAC architecture. These are not off-the-shelf DAC chips but purpose-built conversion modules that accept raw digital data and output a continuous analog voltage, with no output buffer, no IV converter, and no active devices in the conversion path. The ladders are capable of operating at up to 6MHz for PCM and 50MHz for DSD, providing enormous headroom for current and future audio formats. Each Prime DAC module is individually shielded, thermally bonded, and tested through MSB’s automated measurement system before being paired. The integrated clock module uses two independent precision crystal oscillators, one for the 44.1kHz frequency family and one for the 48kHz family, with only the appropriate clock active during playback to minimize noise. The DAC supports PCM up to 32-bit/768kHz and native DSD up to DSD256 (4x DSD) via the Network Renderer, and up to DSD512 (8x DSD) via Pro USB. The LED display on the front panel is slaved to the audio clock and refreshed between data processing cycles to eliminate electrical interference, constructed in its own shielded CNC pocket. The integrated volume control operates in the digital domain with 100-step resolution, designed to drive power amplifiers directly without a preamplifier, with switchable high/low gain analog outputs via balanced XLR connectors. The output impedance is 300 ohms. Built-in digital inputs include 75-ohm coaxial S/PDIF, 110-ohm AES/EBU, two optical Toslink, and BNC word clock output. Two modular input slots accept optional modules. This unit is configured with the Network Renderer V2 ($1,995), which provides Roon endpoint capability, UPnP/DLNA streaming, and full hardware-based MQA decoding over a galvanically isolated Ethernet connection, running on MSB’s ultra-low-noise A5 processor with over-the-air firmware updates. The dual Discrete Power Supply configuration provides four completely isolated linear power supplies feeding the digital inputs, digital processing, audio clock, and DAC modules independently. Each power supply is housed in its own CNC unibody aluminum chassis optimized for thermal performance. The DAC chassis is machined from a solid billet of North American-sourced aluminum using California-built Haas CNC machines. Dimensions (DAC): 2 x 12 x 17.5 inches (H x W x D). MSB offers a generous trade-in program for upgrading within the MSB ecosystem.

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