Bricasti M1SE Stereo DAC Review

[DLS79]

I don't think that's what they're doing anyway. I think everyone here has a different value system. They may be saying it's wildly overpriced, but I don't see anyone telling you or anyone else to not buy it.

I haven't seen anything overt that didn't get removed, but you can find people playing in the gray areas of what the forum allows. its one of the issues with this forum I find annoying, and I'm someone who owns less expensive gear (A50s, D50s, Atom Amp).

 

[Jimster480]

Testing and measurements were there even 12 years ago. You state so yourself in the second part of your sentence
It is TODAY selling for 10 000 bucks.....No price reduction at all. Bricasti chooses to charge their customers this money even though something that is 100X less expensive (literary!) today performs better. That fact alone tells me what kind of company they are

Lots of companies do this... Why reduce the price if people will continue to pay it?
What I meant is that public measurements of devices was not a thing back then. It wasn't even a thing 8 years ago really.
Today companies cannot get away with this because of sites like this one.

 

[Endibol]

Don’t disagree, but why are these particular, high priced devices reviewed here? If someone want ls to pay a massive premium for non-audible factors, more power to them, but I don’t see how reviews help the crowd.

Only after testing these expensive devices by Amir we know that we are only paying for looks, not audio quality.

 

[Gorgonzola]

Pretentiously overprice equipment not as good as stuff 1/10 the price. Perhaps there was market for the before comprehensive objective testing. I don't get how they hope to get away with it today.

 

[Redman43]

Today companies cannot get away with this because of sites like this one.

You and I are on this site. We constitute about 0.003% of buyers out there. Living in a bubble is not good for reality perception. Most people that are buying stuff, especially OLDER people could not give a damn about us or this site. You know how I know that ? Because if they actually did care about measurements or this site cables costing 10 000 dollars or record players costing 175 000 dollars would not be a thing anywhere, anytime. And this one is actually "the cheaper version", they have one for 232 000 dollars as well. Or maybe you think this cr*p is worth it and "measures great" ?

Nagra Debuts its New Reference Anniversary Turntable/Tonearm Record Playback System

Romanel, Switzerland – Wednesday 24th November 2021—Nagra celebrates 70 years with a limited edition Reference Anniversary Turntable. According to the press release, the new turntable is the result of four year’s worth of R&D by a team of designers and engineers in the fields of applied physics...

www.analogplanet.com

 

[AaronJ]

Don’t disagree, but why are these particular, high priced devices reviewed here? If someone want ls to pay a massive premium for non-audible factors, more power to them, but I don’t see how reviews help the crowd.

The purpose of the review may not be to "expose" an expensive product. We know that this DAC will sound the same as a $100 DAC. The measurements are just needed to show it. Time and time again it has been recognized that expensive hifi products are jewelry, and it's nice to have measurements to support it. You can get a Swiss quartz watch for $100 that will outperform a $50k Rolex.

 

[dasdoing]

Perhaps there was market for the before comprehensive objective testing. I don't get how they hope to get away with it today.

They probably don't lose a single sale with reviews like that.

 

[DLS79]

Imo, the problem comes from both ends of the spectrum.

On one hand you have the golden ears gang that are always trying to justify the existence and ownership of $$$ products. On the other hand you have the audibly transparent and as cheap as possible gang, doing the opposite.

As someone who has a lot of interests & hobbies, I own things that range from dirt cheap to excessively overpriced, I find myself biting my tongue a lot so I don't anger the mods!

 

[Endibol]

Not everyone who buys these "high end" products actually is well off... I know people that save money for some time and spend it on devices like this because they believe the marketing spiels and ingrained audiophile myths.

And that’s why it’s so important that Amir keeps on testing also very expensive gear. People have the right to know the quality of the products they intend to purchase.

 

[misureaudio]

Compatible with my early findings:

A tale of three DACs: Bricasti Design M3, M1 SE, M3h Mdx

Some spectral estimates are presented here, about three Bricasti DACs. Two M3 DACs are examined first, an early (March 2019) non Mdx sample and a very recent (presumably first half 2022) M3h Mdx. A M1SE DAC, with last-revision (May 2019) non Mdx digital board is further examined. Tests are...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Crosstalk]

You and I are on this site. We constitute about 0.003% of buyers out there. Living in a bubble is not good for reality perception. Most people that are buying stuff, especially OLDER people could not give a damn about us or this site. You know how I know that ? Because if they actually did care about measurements or this site cables costing 10 000 dollars or record players costing 175 000 dollars would not be a thing anywhere, anytime. And this one is actually "the cheaper version", they have one for 232 000 dollars as well. Or maybe you think this cr*p is worth it and "measures great" ?

Nagra Debuts its New Reference Anniversary Turntable/Tonearm Record Playback System

Romanel, Switzerland – Wednesday 24th November 2021—Nagra celebrates 70 years with a limited edition Reference Anniversary Turntable. According to the press release, the new turntable is the result of four year’s worth of R&D by a team of designers and engineers in the fields of applied physics...

www.analogplanet.com

I saw that Steve Nutten burger is having more than 250,000 blind sheeps following him. No matter how loud we bark, its gonna echo only in this glorious cave we are in, unfortunately.

 

[Sokel]

The marketing for these products markets performance heavily.



8 years ago we had the ODAC, and I think superb Gustard DACs and Benchmark too. We have a lot more now but there were good options then. The Bricasti M1 does predate all of what I just said though.

ODAC with it's ESS 9023 is in the 85-90db SINAD,not even close to comparable even with 15 yo interfaces.
Digging more inside it,IMD,TIM,etc were horrible.

Better use another example.

 

[Mnyb]

The purpose of the review may not be to "expose" an expensive product. We know that this DAC will sound the same as a $100 DAC. The measurements are just needed to show it. Time and time again it has been recognized that expensive hifi products are jewelry, and it's nice to have measurements to support it. You can get a Swiss quartz watch for $100 that will outperform a $50k Rolex.

And that’s why it’s so important that Amir keeps on testing also very expensive gear. People have the right to know the quality of the products they intend to purchase.

Yes this product actually delivers its stated specs and it have specs and the performance it’s delivers are good but not SOTA except for some very good filters .

You can end up bying a total DAC or Audio Note DAC for similar cash look at stereophiles measurement on some of the exotic stuff over the years ?

 

[kelesh]

There are also lots of photos online for the inside of this device, if anyone is curious. Here's a random one I selected. The very earliest models (non-SE I believe) used an SMPS for the digital board, instead of only LPS.

Ten grand for three power supplies, two analog and one digital boards interconnected with flat ribbon floppy drive cable, some buttons, connectors and a case. Also, the ribbon cable for the right channel is twice as long as that for the left and is practically touching the main AC inlet wires. I'll pass.

 

[Triliza]

I haven't seen anything overt that didn't get removed, but you can find people playing in the gray areas of what the forum allows. its one of the issues with this forum I find annoying, and I'm someone who owns less expensive gear (A50s, D50s, Atom Amp).

I think you are seeing too much in all this. If you think that people's responses here are sarcastic, tell "non-audiophiles" that you or someone you know spent $10K on a dac and watch and hear how they would respond. You may need to explain first what a DAC is, but yeah.

My take is that what most people are saying here is exactly what they would advice their friends if they were asked by them to buy this unit or not. Most of us would say no, a RME dac (not exactly cheap either, but a reasonable price still for what it offers) should be more than enough. Not that there is something wrong with this product, some of us just don't see the value on buying this thing even if we could afford for it without a sweat. Most of us have limited budgets for audio and have to take seriously into account how to distribute it, that affects the kind of responses and reactions you get here.

 

[Sokel]

Ten grand for three power supplies, two analog and one digital boards interconnected with flat ribbon floppy drive cable, some buttons, connectors and a case. Also, the ribbon cable for the right channel is twice as long as that for the left and is practically touching the main AC inlet wires. I'll pass.

How much technology do you see here?

Please understand the market we live in,there's 16 million millionaires on the planet right now and that's excluding companies that use all kinds of assets to write off taxes,etc.
10 grand is literally peanuts in the grand scheme and as long as it delivers and looks a little more expensive than ordinary everything is fine.
All the above is not taking into account the ones who like exclusive stuff (which by all means does NOT have to be perfect just out of reach) so they separate themselves from the many rest.

And no,they're not idiots,no idiot can make and keep that kind of money.
I would suggest we stick to the performance which is absolutely the advertised one,the 20 years of warranty and the support that both company and (I hope) dealers should honor.

 

[Axo1989]

You may need to explain first what a DAC is ...

Haha yes you would. That puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

 

[DLS79]

I think you are seeing too much in all this. If you think that people's responses here are sarcastic, tell "non-audiophiles" that you or someone you know spent $10K on a dac and watch and hear how they would respond. You may need to explain first what a DAC is, but yeah.

My peer group is pretty diverse, and spans a large chunk of the Socioeconomic spectrum. most would see it how i do, it's your money spend it however you want! The few with with an interest in electronics, would probably scoff at needing to open it up and move a jumper to get an appropriate voltage setting.

 

[kelesh]

Please understand the market we live in,there's 16 million millionaires on the planet right now and that's excluding companies that use all kinds of assets to write off taxes,etc.
10 grand is literally peanuts in the grand scheme and as long as it delivers and looks a little more expensive than ordinary everything is fine.
All the above is not taking into account the ones who like exclusive stuff (which by all means does NOT have to be perfect just out of reach) so they separate themselves from the many rest.

And no,they're not idiots,no idiot can make and keep that kind of money.
I would suggest we stick to the performance which is absolutely the advertised one,the 20 years of warranty and the support that both company and (I hope) dealers should honor.

I wasn't suggesting they're idiots, on the contrary - they are smart opportunists. All I said was that I'd pass on this device. In fact, I'll pass even if it is given to me free. Specifically because I see no need to propagate the "as long as it delivers and looks a little more expensive than ordinary everything is fine" ideology any further, it's bad enough as it is. The 16 million millionaires can, and have the right to, separate themselves all they want, they are just not going to get any attention or respect from me. I have the right to demand what I see fit for my ten grand of "peanuts", if I choose to spend that much, and this isn't it, even if the performance is spot on as advertised. I agree that performance is of primary importance, but price matters as well.

 

[kemmler3D]

And no,they're not idiots,no idiot can make and keep that kind of money.

This is a nice story we tell ourselves to make reality more palatable, but from what I've heard from friends with constant exposure to people in this wealth tier, it is unfortunately not true. They might not be idiots on the level of eating tide pods, but some of them are honest-to-god idiots.

Luck exists, luck affects money, there are 8 billion people on this planet, most of them are idiots, and so inevitably you have some rich, lucky idiots.

Gosh, just watch an episode of Shark Tank, do you think they're all acting not-especially-smart as a ruse?

The overlap of "smartest people I've met" and "richest people I've met" is not 0%, but it's closer to 0% than 100%.