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When I entered the MSB room, a track from the JVC XRCD version of Sonny Rollins’s Rollins Plays for Bird<\/I> was transmitting all of the recording’s smooth, warm, and sophisticated elegance. That last word isn’t one I use often when describing high-end systems, but that’s exactly what I experienced here.
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\nAlthough some obvious room-associated challenges affected the sound from baroque violinist Rachel Podger’s Channel Classics SACD Perla Barocca<\/I>, the sound was smooth, warm, spacious and quite grounded in the earth. Podger’s violin, in particular, sounded especially beautiful.
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\nMSB’s Vince Galbo told me that the new M500 monoblock power amplifiers ($118,500\/pair, and probably available in August) output 500Wpc into 8 ohms and 1000Wpc into 4. Available in either silver or black, this replacement for the cylindrical M204 amp is said to have a lower noise floor; it uses zero negative feedback and boasts a 134dB dynamic range. A stereo version ($58,000) is also on the way.
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\nIn a system with the MSB Select DAC with Femto 33 Clock and Mono Power Bases ($116,000 total), Select transport with Select Power Base ($41,000), Magico M6 speakers, and Analysis Plus Golden Oval cabling plus Ultimate Oval Power Cords, the sound was as excellent as I have come to expect from MSB.<\/p>\n
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