Bricasti M11, High End Dual Mono R2R Ladder DAC, PCM & DSD

Bricasti M11, High End Dual Mono R2R Ladder DAC, PCM & DSD

Retail Price: € 11.900,00

(Non EU Buyers and EU Buyers with a valid VAT nr pay € 9.834,71)

EN.

General: Bricasti from the USA originally manufactures digital high-end products for the professional world. The Bricasti M11 is the latest R2R Ladder D/A Converter from Bricasti for the consumer market.

Technology: The Bricasti M11 is built with dual format CNC-milled aluminum sections and heavy aluminum plates. You won't find sheet metal here, only resonance-free plates. Even the top and bottom plates are milled. Everything to enhance sound quality. All parts are heavily anodized and laser engraved with text. Built to an extremely high standard. Bricasti Design products therefore have a very long lifespan. The M11 is the first individual R2R Ladder DAC from Bricasti Design. The DAC in the M11 is based on the R2R DAC already found in Bricasti's M21. The M21 features both a Delta Sigma and an R2R DAC for PCM formats that you can switch between. With the arrival of the Bricasti M11, there is now also the option to go purely for the R2R DAC at a lower price than the M21. Although the M11 has just hit the market, we are talking about the M11. This does not mean it is a later version; rather, it means this is the larger version of the standard M11. The M11 features a larger and better power supply and is housed in a larger enclosure. This enclosure sits on solid aluminum feet with a damping layer underneath. The Bricasti M11 has two completely separate D/A conversion and output sections, each with their own power supply. This means there are 2 completely separate D/A converters and analog output sections with their own power supplies in 1 enclosure, 1 for left and 1 for right. Because the Bricasti M11 is fully balanced, the recommendation is also to connect it in a balanced manner using XLR cables. Although the M11 also performs formidably in unbalanced setups with RCA cables. The included remote control is also CNC-milled and is of extremely high quality and feels great in your hand. The Bricasti M11 features an excellent lossless digital volume control that sounds outstanding when connected directly to power amplifiers. Set the volume to 0 and the DAC behaves purely as a DAC for connection to integrated amplifiers or preamplifiers. With the remote control you can adjust the volume, but also change various settings such as clock setting, various filters (linear and minimum), and display and phase settings. There is a separate DAC in the Bricasti M11 for DSD files, so you can play DSD (up to DSD512) files natively, as well as via DoP over SPDIF cables.

The analog output stage is a pure Class A discrete output stage built on expensive Arlon boards. By default it is set to 2 Volt, but the jumper can be moved so that the output voltage of the balanced output is adjustable from 0.5 Volt to 17 Volt. An excellent clock is also used for the conversion. An ultra-low 6 picosecond jitter value is the result. The new OLED display is versatile and very easy to read, even from a distance.

Optional: Optionally, a high-quality streamer board can be installed in the Bricasti M11 to use it as a RoonReady endpoint or UPnP/DLNA endpoint for use with, for example, Audirvana. A streamer can also be replaced with an I²S RJ45 input in the M11 for use in combination with the Bricasti M19 CD/SACD player.

Sound: The Bricasti M11 is an R2R D/A Converter of the highest quality, you can not only see it, you hear it immediately. The Bricasti M11 sounds, like all Bricasti DACs, neutral, spacious, detailed and very refined. The difference between the M11 and the M1 is that the R2R DAC in the M11 sounds somewhat more direct and earthier, the sound is somewhat firmer and fuller than the sound of the M1. The M1 in turn sounds somewhat more refined and more saturated. The quality of both DACs is at the same level, but one person will appreciate the R2R DAC and the other will prefer the Delta Sigma DAC. The sound of the Bricasti M11 is completely analog, there is not a trace of digital harshness. It is striking that you are no longer listening to the technology, but are only engaged with the performance of the performers. We have the Bricasti M11 Series 2 and M1 Series 2 in stock for a good comparison between an R2R and a Delta Sigma DAC. Unfortunately, we do not have the standard M11 (non Series 2) in stock.

Bricasti M11 Specifications:

Brand: Bricasti Design USA

Model: M11

Type: R2R D/A Converter

Locking Frequency PCM: 44.1KHz - 384 KHz 16/24/32bit

Locking Frequency DSD: Up to DSD512

Inputs: 1 x AES/EBU, 1 x Coax RCA, 1 x Coax BNC, 1 x Toslink Optical, 1 x USB-B

Optional: Built-in RoonReady & UPnP network player

Analog Outputs: 1 x set Balanced XLR, 1 x set Unbalanced RCA, can be used simultaneously

Power Consumption Standby: 6 Watt

Power Consumption in Use: 28 Watt

Dimensions: 43cm Wide x 30.5cm Deep x 5.1cm High

Weight: 6.5 Kg Finish: Available in Classic (pictured) or Argento

Review The Ear: Bricasti M11 Review