Note that this is a discontinued product. You may want to visit the brand's page here to browse their newer products.
What reviewers think
Bloggers and YouTubers have tried this product—so we've summarized their strongest opinions below. Links to full reviews follow.
Product Strengths
- Discrete, multi-bit 32/384 DAC made by MSB instead of an off-the-shelf DAC chip
- Incredibly natural sound with a particularly rich, full, and firm presentation, having no hint of any digital artifacts
- Delivers a palpable sound—providing a reliable presentation of the instrument's sound or of a voice
- Great white display that is large and easy to read
- Superlink input (CEC Superlink—Digital Signal Transmission System Connection), based on four 75 Ω BNC cables
Product Considerations
- Sound when playing using S/PDIF is, in comparison to Superlink, 'gray'—or in other words, colorless
- Display may be a little too short, because it cannot fit the whole displayed information at once
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Compared to dCS, dCS offers even smoother, more "illuminated" sound, but CEC differs with more substantial presentation, better bass extension, and better drive
- Compared to Totaldac, the French system, with 3.0 TL0 as a signal source, delivered even purer sound, with even more open treble area, with a very large soundstage than DA0 3.0
- Compared to Ancient Audio, the Polish digital source is not so phenomenally resolving in the bass, nor is its performance so remarkably rhythmic, but the midrange is pure magic through the depth, saturation, and refinement
Takeaway: The DA0 3.0 offers an incredibly natural sound, delivering a rich, full, and firm presentation without digital artifacts. It allows the listener to appreciate both the recording process and the music, making it a valuable addition to any high-end audio system.
What are hifi reviews useful for? (1) Identifying products you should demo in person at a dealer. (2) Learning which products reviewers unanimously praise as the best they've heard (this means they probably are legitimately great). (3) Identifying a product's attributes that satisfy your idiosyncratic needs and tastes. Beyond that, we often discount what reviewers say because they heap praise on most products—and are often apprehensive about publishing strong criticism or comparisons between products. Further, they seldom have more than a few products on-hand, often relying on their memories to compare past products. Always listen for yourself.
All
DA-0 3.0
reviews
[{"title":"REVIEW: C.E.C. DA0 3.0 - Digital to Analog Converter","link":"https://highfidelity.pl/@main-686&lang=en","source":"High Fidelity","datePublished":""}]
An excellent review of a great product
/
Publisher
/
3/1/2022
An excellent review of a great product
Publisher
/
3/1/2022
Video Review
Manufacturer details
Features
Specifications
- DAC: Universal DSP controlled resistor ladder 32bit/384kHz Audio DAC
- Power Supply: AC 120-230V / 50-60Hz
- Digital Inputs: SUPERLINK (BNC x 4) 2.5Vp-p/75Ω, Coaxial (SPDIF) 0.5Vp-p/75Ω, TOS (optical) -21~-15dBm EIAJ, AES/EBU (Balanced XLR), USB 2.0 PCM 32bit/32-384kHz, DSD 64/2.8224-128/5.6448MHz
- Power Consumption: 30 W
- Dimensions: 432(W) × 400(D) × 120(H) mm
- Weight: 21 kg
- Color: Silver
Description
The brand new CEC DA 0 3.0 is the original multibit DAC concept with the most sophisticated implementation and highest precision. We based the solution on the best technology available and applied our knowledge and experience taking the design to the extreme.
Release Timeline
Manufacturer Site
Brand highlights
Taking a step back to look at reviewers' thoughts of the brand's entire lineup—not just this product—what stands out most is the following:
- CEC CD transports uniquely incorporate a belt-drive mechanism, separating the motor from the spindle to reduce vibration and electromagnetic noise, a design principle borrowed from high-end turntables.
- CEC transports often employ a heavy stabilizer puck, reminiscent of a record clamp, which further enhances rotational stability and minimizes internal reflections, improving sonic clarity.
- The sound signature leans towards a dense, saturated midrange, often described as "analog-like", providing a rich and engaging listening experience that minimizes harshness and digital artifacts.
- They offer a proprietary "Superlink" connection, using multiple BNC cables to separately transmit clock and data signals, aimed at minimizing jitter and improving overall data integrity when paired with compatible DACs.
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Avg. Product Price
$40,001-$75,000
Used For Sale
32
Available (Scroll Down)
Brand Popularity
175
of 900+
Badges
Top 50 Brand
Top 250 Brand
Products Listed
17
Founding Year
1954
Our take on the brand
CEC pioneered the world's first belt-driven CD transport in 1991, using this unique design across their product line to reduce vibration and create an analog-like sound quality that's rare among CD players. Their Superlink system uses four separate cables to improve digital signal quality, while their belt-driven approach and high-mass disc clamps are specifically designed to mimic the stability of analog turntables.
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What if you spend more?
MSB
Cascade
95000
95000
/
2
Reviews
MSB Technology builds their own discrete ladder DACs in-house instead of using off-the-shelf chips, with modular designs that let users upgrade input and output modules over time. Their DACs are made with in-house CNC-machined chassis and proprietary Femto clocks, delivering an analog-like sound that's often described as natural and organic.
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Product Strengths
- Smooth, natural sound signature with impressive depth in the 3D soundstage.
- Allows music reproduction closest to a private performance in the listening room.
- Delivers a natural, smooth, and organic sound, reproducing every detail with maximum resolution.
- Exceptional clarity and black background of the sound.
- Performs excellently even with lower-quality content because of its smooth, clean playback and three-dimensional soundstage.
Product Considerations
- The price is far beyond the reach of most audiophiles.
- Comes with only one digital module as standard.
- For optimal performance, it's recommended to place the units on separate shelves.
- The reviewer only tested it as a DAC and did not evaluate its functionality as a preamplifier or streamer.
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs MSB Reference DAC—the Cascade represents a significant upgrade.
Takeaway: The MSB Cascade DAC sets new standards for sound quality and is a digital marvel, providing a unique and powerful listening experience. It offers incredibly smooth and natural sound, creating a live music sensation.
Video review
Our take on the brand
MSB Technology builds their own discrete ladder DACs in-house instead of using off-the-shelf chips, with modular designs that let users upgrade input and output modules over time. Their DACs are made with in-house CNC-machined chassis and proprietary Femto clocks, delivering an analog-like sound that's often described as natural and organic.
Product Page
Product Page
What competes at this price?
CH Precision
C1.2 Mono
71813
/
Released
2022
Digital signals carry stereo information in a single data stream. That means that we cannot follow our normal approach to scalable system architecture, using independent C1.2 DAC Controllers for left and right channels, as we have to have a single input connection. Instead, to deliver improved performance we retain the C1.2 input architecture but then split the digital information into left and right channels for routing to dedicated external DACs, with a single chassis for each channel. This allows us to retain the exceptional functional flexibility of the C1.2 and the scalability of the system, while delivering a genuinely significant upgrade in performance.
CH Precision is known for its modular design philosophy that lets customers tailor and upgrade their units over time without replacing the entire component, with sophisticated controls accessible via tablet from the listening position. Their amplifiers offer five different operating modes (stereo, bridge, passive and active bi-amplification, and monaural) and allow users to adjust specific audio parameters like global feedback ratio and input gain settings for optimal speaker matching.
Expand Details
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Retains all the music's delicacy, refinement, and fluidity, being revealing without becoming clinical
- Offers a wide and deep soundstage, is timbrally spot-on and very natural, well-focused, richly textured, and well-endowed in terms of transient attack and dynamic impact
- Is significantly more revealing, without introducing any negative by-products, and is still the superbly musical and emotionally involving DAC that the C1 was, only better
- Capable of being more discerning of differences in sources and source material
Product Considerations
- Precise calibration is of paramount importance for any multi-bit DAC chip
- Files played directly from the Swiss device have a slightly contoured character
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- The C1.2 is even more neutral and even more revealing than the C1, without sacrificing even the slightest hint of refinement, delicacy, fluidity, decay, or flow
- The original C1 DAC has always sounded fuller and more sonorous than other CH Precision products, for instance, the L1 preamp, with the C1.2 upgrade, the DAC has become more neutral and now sounds more in line with the L1
- The CH Precision device combines the opening of the sound with the lack of brightness better than the Ayon player
- The CH Precision delivers recordings in an uncommonly precise manner than the Weiss DA502 D/A converter
Takeaway: The C1.2 is a DAC that retains all of its virtues while becoming more neutral and revealing, and it is still superbly musical and emotionally involving. It is worth buying because of the overall enhancement in audio quality.
Video review
Our take on the brand
CH Precision is known for its modular design philosophy that lets customers tailor and upgrade their units over time without replacing the entire component, with sophisticated controls accessible via tablet from the listening position. Their amplifiers offer five different operating modes (stereo, bridge, passive and active bi-amplification, and monaural) and allow users to adjust specific audio parameters like global feedback ratio and input gain settings for optimal speaker matching.
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Product Page
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