I spent most of theyear listening deeply to the MPT-8 with StreamX and MPD-8 DAC combination. Since we have a reference library of around 7000 SACDs here, I had plenty of opportunities to graze musical fields. Certainly, the results were the best that I've ever heard from SACD/CD optical playback, with incredibly transparent and detailed, yet natural, organic, dynamic, and well-paced music. This was regardless of format. DSD up to (especially Quad DSD) was my preferred format, but frankly all DSD shone when handled by the two-box Dream System. SACDs were exceptional…again, also the best that I've heard in all my twenty years of listening to them.
The StreamX system worked flawlessly with both my Tidal Master and Qobuz Studio accounts, and rendered the PCM at an exceptional level.
Overall, the Playback Designs two-box Dream System showed itself…once again…to be ne plus ultra when it came to the highest level of digital music reproduction. It has my very highest recommendation here at the end of 2019.
Therefore Andrea sKoch and Playback Designs bear away a Brutus Award, once again, for the Dream System!
