Bricasti M1 DAC vs PS Audio Direct Stream DAC

Hi Sabai,

Those Synergistic Research cables actually are not old all as they are current models so def not old but they are only used to both run my computer ($600 retail cable that goes from my PC to PS Audio Power Plant Premier ac re-generator and the other one is used for my 60 inch Panny GT50 plasma which is a killer TV and was a real nice upgrade for the TV.

For the computer I am sure a $600 retail ac cable is overkill as I couldn't really hear any difference but I used it there anyways so to insure that spot won't cause any damaged.

For the DAC I used Great AC cables.

BMI Shark Jeweler Grade Platinum 9 AWG AC Power Cable
Mad Scientist PC-NEO with Power Purifier 11 AWG Power Cable
Sablon Audio Petite Corona 2.0M 7 AWG AC Power Cable
JPS Labs The Power AC+ 2M 8 AWG AC Power Cable

Read about the Mad Scientist PC-NEO with Power Purifier a forum member on here who opinion I value compared it favorable to Hidiamond 4 power cable which an amazing and expensive ac cable. I decided to give it is a try and am glad I did because it is outstanding.

Then I went with a super rare and tough to find older BMI Shark which was the former BMI flagship cable and IMO it is truly an amazing cable and definite reference quality cables. It is quite rare as it actually used q pure Jewelers grade pure platinum cable in hot lead in the ac cable.
not for nothing but BMI is pretty much the best of the very best when it comes to a high end ac cable maker. Again it is an older cable but it had a retail price of $3,500 and other members on here swear by them as do it. Ctystal clean and detailed yet not etched. I an incredible cable.

The Sablon Corona Patitie Corona is a British made unit. The guys has a small downtown shop in london and he sells direct so not well known on this side of the pond but again another really great cable that punches way above its weight. Mine has a little more length and retailed a tab over $900 but it performs at a much higher level. Read about them one 6moons they love this cable as do it.

The JPS Labs The Power AC+ 2M 8 AWG AC Power Cable is more of a power amp cable renowned for adding great bass to any power amps and is super well liked. The cable surprisingly sounded great with both DACS but the others are better options.

Not sure how the synergistic would compare to these cables but doubt that class of cable could compare with these. i have listed above earlier in this thread a bunch of different and pretty high quality equipment which I think helped me really get a good feel for the DirectStream. I was fortunate to have had the experience with that much different stuff.

I think the cables I have used allowed me to get a feel for the DAC without the AC cables causing my not get to hear it at its best. That said would a $5000 ac cable improve it. I am sure it will but the cables I used should be comparabel to others in the $600 to $1800 range quality wise IMO.

This said I like all three with both DACs but the Mad Scientist was my favorite with the DirectStream and the BMI with the Bricasti but they were all pretty good.

You can spend tons more on power cables and 3 times more than the DAC if one so chooses but I think at some point a line needs to be drawn because I love power cables and they offer so much improved performance.

I went through tons and tons of power cables and spent thousands trying different ones and then buying / selling / etc then settled on these ones I have now but I am always open to trying new ones.

Sorry about the type o's on my phone. Thanks

Fsmithjack,

It looks like you have done a very thorough job with cabling to optimize the DS DAC and the Bricasti.

I live in a remote part of Asia so it takes a lot of money and effort to do the importing and exporting required to do extensive testing of cables and components. I have spent years at this and have settled on a very satisfying blend of cables to optimize my system. I use a combination of Shunyata and Elrod cables in series with my own DIY Furutech and DIY silver cables. I have been able to sell off many expensive cables and have ended up with greatly improved SQ.

My discussion of series cabling has been variously ridiculed and ignored on the Forum. It is too unconventional for most people to take seriously. Yet, it can work sonic miracles if you have the time, the patience and the money to develop such a project. The challenge is to discover a synergy that is superior to single cables. Otherwise, what's the point? I have worked on this for years and the sound is stunning. There is more than one way to skin a cat. Different strokes.

Hey Guys,

I have been super busy at work and have not had a lot time to write but my M1 is starting to break in real nicely an it keeps getting better and better. I promise when I get some time I will get to the proper analysis of the 2 DACS like I said I would but a fellow member reached out to me that currently owns a DirectStream and has been strongly considering the M1 and I emailed him some of my thoughts on it so due to my lack of time I thought I would share some exerts of the email with you guys for now until I get some time to do a proper write up:

March 11, 2015 4:04pm
Curious as to how they compare in the following areas :
Bass, Soundstage, and detail. ..are they night and day differences? Thanks for your time!

March 13, 2015 7:10am
Hey there,

Sorry been crazy busy and I typed a real nice response which took me a while and I really got into both the differences but accidentally hit the back button on my laptop when typing and lost it all. Ugghh...

The difference between these DACS is quite large. Their perspectives and their specific characters are very different. A much shorter version of what I wrote to you earlier initially speaks to the details and the sound stage which I think really is where the main difference takes place.

The DS has great detail and fleshes out many of the fine details in the music and I found it far superior to all the other DACs and CD players I heard before it and some were very good in deed but compared to the Bricasti the differences become a quite apparent. I think this is where some of the bright and/or over analytic criticism gets pointed at the DS. I loved the DAC and would have argued to the bone that no way it was a bright DAC but when compared to the Bricasti I can now see what those people were saying as everything in life is relative it just matters about from what perspective your viewing it from.

The reason I think, is that with the Bricasti within the sound stage its finite details are firmly fastened to the images specificity and you can clearly hear its detail origin very specific to the specific instrument and musician which lends to highlighting its haunting separation and integrating it with the whole of the entire musical flow and this can be a tough balancing act for many and where the Bricasti is far superior in this effect it is within this scope that lays a sort of force multiplier effect throughout the rest of the spectrum that gives it a mighty advantage. This is so superior to the DS and all the others that I have heard! It is errie like yet warm and inviting. An odd and intoxicating combination. Even with this bass, the DS has a robust and detailed bass that I was very pleased with but the Bricasti Bass is so much more layered and can be heard much more specifically to the specific instruments. The guitar stringing becomes more striking and full, the drums are starting and you feel the strike but more impressible is the long and true decay. The brash horns are biting yet warm and this bass is full nuanced and layered yet still robust but much tighter. Not as round but every-bit as low and even stronger yet quite different. It's more sophisticated and has a strutting like quality of confidence. It works from a more delineated and image specific bass that builds a more robust foundation to tightly work on up to the mid bass to mids or down. It is such an advantage it almost feel like its cheating. Kind of like a super fast runner that is moving so much faster than others but without even trying. Just a more natural and fluid gifted strut that it seems unfair. This carries right on down to the low stuff as well. The High seem delicate yet better extended with a sheen smoothness that just keeps going...It just has such a more relaxed and confident demeanor that it struts its robust, warm and dynamic self with such ease and elegance that its almost arrogant and exhumes class and prominent grooming and breeding. Please understand the DS is very nice DAC that I enjoyed mightily but my music world was changed more by the Bricasti then any other component/speaker or anything in Audio and I never would have expected this type of increase over what I thought already was an amazing DAC. It's funny how someones perspective can so radically change almost overnight. Hope this is info id helpful to you :)

Very happy for you, FSmithjack.
And if I am ever stricken with acute foot-in-mouth disease to say something silly like "The Bricasti separates the boys from the men", I know I will get some serious s@#* from all the diehard DS fans out there. And so, restrained, I shall remain.

Hey Jon2020

If you have read the tread through as I think a lot of the DS folks have you will see I have spoke to how great the DS is and how much I loved it. These DS fans are awesome as I was a card caring one myself for a long time going from the MKI to MKII to DS then all the DS upgrades. I liked all the DS upgrades a lot but can see how some would prefer different versions for sure. I am sure if someone started a thread about a DAC almost twice as much as the Bricasti I wouldn't be offended because when you pay that much more heck it should be better but that isn't always the case and was sort of where this thread started. I was a DS owner when I started this thread. The DS blows away everything in its price range and many much more expensive ones as well so no speaking out of school there...