Bricasti Designs M11 R2R ladder DAC
Last week Bricasti Designs launched the M11S2 R2R ladder DAC at an event in Mantua, Italy with dealer Stefano Marchi at Audio Graffiti. UK distributor Carlo Marengo of Connecting Music was at the launch. The M11 R2R DAC series is the latest creation by Brian Zolner, CEO of Bricasti Design, and we were delighted to have the opportunity for him to join us in person and reveal some of the behind-the-scenes details of this technology. My feelings gathered from (several) interviews were that Brian’s strengths lie in his ability to use uncluttered reasoning, clearly shown in his creations.
Up and down the R2R ladder
The M11 R2R DAC is not considered a replacement for the M1 and M3 Series but as an alternative to distinguish the product range further. Bricasti Design is one of the most respected brands that simultaneously offers Delta-Sigma and R2R ladder conversion technologies, tuned to complement each other. By choosing a tried-and-tested technology first implemented in the Bricasti M21 DAC, Brian could create and, in perspective, fine-tune a brilliant implementation even further.
This resulted in finding a new voice while focusing on the elements that matter. With a “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach, this is the work of a mastermind at the peak of his engineering career. It sounds simple in practice, but trying to reinvent the wheel is a common sight. We live in such a competitive market that we often see new designs being beefed up and, by default, losing the path of musical fidelity. Brian showed us that this can be done with careful consideration.
The connection between myself, Brian Zolner and Stefano Marchi lies in interacting with one another and, from time to time, sharing some concepts and ideas.
Lately, we have seen the M19 CD-SACD Reference Digital Transport release and now the latest range of M11 R2R DACs; Brian, the mastermind behind all the research, design and development of these products, consults extensively with various sources. Once he finds the optimal balance with his prototypes, he spends as much time as required to find the right voicing for these products; as he pointed out throughout the event, it took him approximately one year to tune the voicing of the original M1 DAC alone, so one can appreciate how long it can take to study and develop a product.
Still, it is rewarding to see feedback incorporated into the process, even when challenged, bringing fresh perspectives that justify the time invested in communication.
Bricasti Design is also dedicated to offering pro-audio products to recording studios worldwide, which still brings a significant turnover to the small artisan company. It is located in Shirley, Massachusetts, USA, and comprises six people. The Bricasti M7 Reverb unit, despite being launched 18 years ago, is still the most popular product to date, which shows that these products will be at the cutting edge of technologies in the future. However, the consumer side allows him to fully exploit and express his technical know-how and expertise by creating products that easily challenge more upmarket offerings.
I have been personally fortunate enough to live with and experience more systems than one dares to mention, and I received my fair share of feedback on respective brands; during the event, all Bricasti Design customers agreed that these are beautiful, understated, precisely built products that offer unrivalled sound quality, value, and pride of ownership.
These events consistently bring something positive to the surface; for me, it boosted confidence from my growing familiarity with this artisan manufacturer. The feedback from customers during my visit filled me with great confidence that the future looks bright for both end users and Bricasti Design.
Over the two days, we took the opportunity to demonstrate the two different technologies side by side, and along with the M11S2 R-2R DAC, we added the M1S2 DAC with Delta-Sigma conversion. The result was of both winning combinations, as each product complemented the other perfectly, in showing a particular ‘voicing advantage’ over specific genres of music. Want your cake and eat it? Then, choose the Bricasti M21 and never look back said Brian, smiling!
Talking of cake, the icing was a brand new pair of Bricasti M32 monoblocks deserving an article for themselves alone. Suffice it to say that it was a tremendous package that grabbed your attention. Married to a pair of Totem Acoustics Element Metal V2, it filled the space effortlessly with an electrifying bass response.
Price: Bricasti M11 Classic £11,000, M11S2 £15,000