I’m very surprised about the review findings, in regards to the M3’s dynamic capabilities and musical enjoyment.
As proud owner of an M3 Streamer/DAC/Pre-amp, I had deliberately chosen the Bricasti M3 for its capabilities in general at that price level and certainly its micro and macro-dynamics.
It is fantastic how the M3 expresses the dynamic interaction between the musicians. How it makes you understand the musical language the musicians speak amongst each other. Their miniature changes in peace, answered by the other musicians.
How the music scene can burst of energy. But, also how silent it becomes when the musicians slow down before their next energy burst. Your body and emotions start following that exact movement.
In my setup, it sounds the exact opposite to “restrained”. To me, it reveals a unique musical enjoyment.
My humble advice:
- The M3 reveals so many fine details and dynamics, that the orientation of the power plug has a huge impact on the M3’s emotional expression. The magic only happens with the right orientation of the power plug.
- New out of the box, my M3 had to play 24/24 during 4 weeks before the M3’s magic was fully there.
- Use a high quality power cable, as it makes a huge difference with the M3. I use the Furutech DPS-4.1. It makes the M3 sound like each instrument has its own power cable.
For your information: I use the M3’s built-in pre-amp (not mentioned at all in the review), so it is directly connected to my KR Audio Kronzilla SX power amp. This saved me a significant investment in a pre-amp, making the M3 an incredible value for money streamer/DAC/pre-amp with extreme build quality for that price.
I don’t know what happened during the review, but the dynamic capabilities and musical enjoyment were key reasons for me to buy the M3 (against 6 other DAC’s from 4000€ to 9500€). Congratulations to Bricasti!