Bricasti Design M28 monoblock power amplifier Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Analog Sources: Continuum Audio Labs Caliburn turntable & Cobra tonearm & Castellon stand; Brinkmann Spyder turntable & 12.1 tonearm; George Warren turntable; Kuzma 4Point, Mörch DP-8 tonearms; Lyra Atlas & Etna, Ortofon MC A90 & MC A95, Ikeda Kai, Miyajima Labs Zero (mono) cartridges.
Digital Sources: Simaudio Moon Evolution 650D DAC-transport & Moon Evolution 820S power supply; Ayre Acoustics QA-9 A/D converter; Lynx Hilo A/D–D/A converter; Meridian Digital Media System; Pure Vinyl & Vinyl Studio playback software.
Preamplification: Ypsilon MC-10L & MC-16L step-up transformers; Luminous Audio Arion, Pure Audio, Ypsilon VPS-100 phono preamplifiers; darTZeel NHB-18NS preamplifier.
Power Amplifiers: darTZeel NHB-458 monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: Wilson Audio Specialties Alexandria XLF.
Cables: Interconnect: Snake River Audio Boomslang (S/PDIF), Stealth Sakra & Indra, TARA Labs Zero Evolution & Zero (XLR), Teresonic Clarison Gold, Wireworld Platinum Eclipse. Speaker: TARA Labs Omega Gold, Wireworld Platinum Eclipse 7. AC: Shunyata Research ZTron Sigma & Sigma HC & Sigma Digital.
Accessories: Shunyata Research Hydra Triton & Typhon power conditioners (2 sets); Oyaide AC wall box & receptacles; ASC Tube Traps; RPG BAD, Skyline, Abffusor panels; Stillpoints Aperture room panels; Synergistic Research UEF products (various); Symposium Rollerblocks & Ultra platform; HRS Signature SXR, Finite Elemente Pagode stands; Audiodharma Cable Cooker; Furutech, Stein Audio demagnetizers; Furutech deStat; Loricraft PRC4 Deluxe, Audiodesksysteme record-cleaning machines.—Michael Fremer

COMPANY INFO
Bricasti Design, Ltd.
2 Shaker Road
Building J100
Shirley, MA 01464
(978) 425-5199
ARTICLE CONTENTS

COMMENTS
c1ferrari's picture

on some fora -- it's been reported that Stereophile panned the M28...that is not my inference after reading the review proper.

iosiP's picture

...or did the Bricasti sound just like the old crop of Mark Levinson gear?
Where did I hear the slightly subdued treble, the overall dark sound and the longish and somewhat less controlled bass? Well in older ML designs, of course!
While some may love it and some may like to go back to it, I certainly prefer the sound of the new ML gear... so sorry for ML (the man) but enthusiastic about ML (the company).

bpw's picture

The print magazine has the manufacturer's response, which is interesting and relevant although not included above. Since it has been posted on some audio forum websites it's probably fair to post a link to it.

John Atkinson's picture
bpw wrote:
The print magazine has the manufacturer's response, which is interesting and relevant although not included above.

I have added it to this Web reprint.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

bpw's picture

Thank you, John.

It's even handed and honorable of you to do so.

dmusoke's picture

Though I've never heard or listened to the M28, I have to agree with the manufacturer's response and logic. The M28 has much lower distortion and precise reproduction of high frequency signals like the 10kHz square wave. Michael's reference system has much higher distortion and slower in its electrical transient response so maybe that's what he's used to and prefers obviously. Nothing wrong with that but to slam the M28 as of "hi-fi" quality based on its measured performance is definitely wrong.

RaimondAudio's picture

".....darTZeel NHB-18NS preamplifier, I didn't feel the M28s' performance would be in any way compromised...." . Maybe you listening the darTZeel character(distortions), not the M28's.

MrForty's picture

Is the bass softness character caused by the transformer coupled balanced preamp? I reckon transformer coupled balance has rather narrow bandwidth that may cause compatibility issue. It is not a good idea to use transformer coupled balance preamp for evaluating downstream equipment, particular the downstream balance is designed around typical electronic based balance circuit.

bengal_finch's picture

Matching of components is very important and so do the cables as well. i am a Bricasti M1 user for last two years and Sim 650D with 820S is my another DAC, transport is MBL1621A. i always prefer 650D for detail but the comparatively with higher noise floored M1 is very involving with rock based music. sometimes its made me paranoid which one to play, yes it sometime destroying my pleasure of listening when it comes in terms of choosing DAC. NOW .. very recently i ordered MBL6010D with 5011 pree trade in. so i force to use my old Restek Concence pree, and Bricasti playing like a topnotch compare with sim 650D with it. So i simply demand using M28 with some other pree and setup and ofcorse with different speaker and please don't pick Dynaaudio. its hard to except M28 is slow player. but it could be, yet its too early to comment.

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