52 Australian Hi-Fi http://www.aushifi.com
on test
However, if you do decide on USB, it will
only be convenient to do so if you use USB
exclusively. If you switch back and forth
between USB and either AES or S/PDIF, you’ll
be making work for yourself. The problem is
that when you activate the M5’s USB output
(by powering up the M5 while the USB
output is connected to your DAC), you’ll find
that not only will both the AES and the
S/PDIF outputs stop working, but also in
order to make them start working again you
will actually have to power-down the M5,
unplug the USB cable from the rear panel and
then power-up the M5 again, after which the
AESandS/PDIFoutputswillbecomeopera-
tional,buttheUSBoutputwillnot.Inmost
situationsI can’tseethisbeinganissue,but
if youregularlyswitchbetweentheUSBand
theS/PDIFand/orAESoutputs,I canseethis
processbecomingquitetiresome.
Ontheplusside,theM5willhappily
outputdatasimultaneouslythroughbothits
AESandS/SPIFoutputs.I was initially at a loss as to how to ap-
proach my listening sessions with the M5, but
in the end, I decided the best way was to plug
the digital output of my CD player into the
S/PDIF input of my DAC, the M5 into the AES
input, and then play music that I’d ripped
from my CD player and stored on my net-
work, so I could A–B compare the two sounds
simply by switching inputs on my DAC.
This worked perfectly except... except that
I could not hear any audible differences in
sound between the two different connections.
The sound that I heard from my DAC seemed
to be identical no matter whether the input
providedtoitsdigitalinputswascomingto
it directlyfrommyCDplayer’sdigitaloutput
orfromtheBricastiDesignM5.Andmylack
ofabilitytodiscernanydifferencesremained
trueirrespectiveofthemusicalgenre—rock,
classical,jazz,orwhathaveyou—aswellas
mypersonalheadspaceat anygiventime,
becauseI triedthisA–Btestoverandover
againovera periodofa fewmonths.I wasalso
notabletodiscernanydifferenceinsound
qualityirrespectiveofwhetherI wasusing
headphonespluggedintotheDACitself,or
routingtheanalogueoutputfrommyDACto
myloudspeakers.
Becauseofthis,youmaybesurprisedto
hearthatsofarasI wasconcerned,mylack
ofabilitytohearanydifferencewasa truly
wonderfulresult!
Thebigpictureis thatit meansthatif I
havea BricastiDesignM5,I canbeabsolutely
anywhereontheplanetand—solongasI
havea reliableinternetconnection—Iwillbe
abletohearmusicat exactlythesamequality
levelI’dexperienceif I weresittinginmyown
home.But it also means that I can banish all
computer-related hardware from my listening
room, so no hard drive noises, no fan noises,
no ugly boxes and fewer cables. Joy! It also
means that with a Bricasti Design M5, I
am free to change my DAC, my server, my
computer, my media software... pretty much
whatever I like, how I like, to whatever I like,
without having to worry about how I will get
a signal from A to B. Digital freedom at last!ConClusion
The Bricasti Design M5 Network Player does
exactly what is claimed for it, and does it
perfectly.Youcan’taskforany more than
that! DannyColemanThe Bricasti Design M5
Network Player does
exactly what is claimed
for it, and does it
perfectly. You can’t ask
for any more than that!
BriCasti Design M5 network Player
Brand: BricastiDesign
Model: M5
rrP: $3,830
Warranty: Five years
Distributor: s tudio Connections Pty ltd
address: 71 newman street
thornbury VIC 3071
t: (03) 9416 8097
e: [email protected]
W: http://www.studioconnections.com.au- Transparent sound
- Roon compatible
- Incredible build quality
- Wi-Fi dongle
- Optical output
- USB output
BRICASTI DESIGN M5