MSB Sentinel
Discrete 3-Piece DAC
Heralding a seismic shift for the audio industry, the Sentinel DAC breaks from traditional to bring you an altogether-new listening experience. Crafted without limitations, this monumental masterwork was made for those whose passion for music exceeds all else. For those rarefied few, MSB is thrilled to offer a revelation that defies possibility!
With MSB’s most ambitious industrial design yet, the Sentinel System features precision-machined billet components accented by new, micro level details.
Leveraging brand-new CAM software purchased specifically for this project, the company’s 5-axis machining has resulted in new levels of fit and finish. The Sentinel name badge is machined out of stainless steel with a 0.02″ (0.5 mm) endmill. The tool flutes are so micro, you cannot see their details without a microscope.
Nothing excites MSB’s engineers more than being able to develop in a massive design sandbox without limits!
It is thoughtful details like these that they know will delight listeners for years to come.
Performance Above All
Guided by the simple phrase “performance above all,” MSB arrived at a 3-chassis system that elevates the electrical synergies, allowing it to achieve its peak potential. But prioritizing performance doesn’t obstruct sleek design-with the Sentinel, they go hand-in-hand. By creating hidden and complex 3D layouts, MSB reduced system bloat while improving electronic interactions.
The smooth, matte exterior is as beguiling as it is elegant, concealing the complexity that lies just beneath the surface. The resulting masterpiece is only possible with a close partnership between mechanical, electrical, and software designers—a perfect harmony of engineering.
THE SENTINEL DIGITAL DIRECTOR
The Digital Director handles all of the digital processes. It features a large, legible display and intuitive user controls for a clean interface that feels both natural and accessible.
Acting as an intermediary between sources and the analog domain, it outputs a conversion-ready signal over the left and right fully-isolated fiber optic Sentinel-Links to the Analog Converter’s Mono DACS.
THE SENTINEL ANALOG CONVERTER
With 32 Hybrid DAC MKIl modules, the Sentinel Clock, and an analog preamp, the Analog Converter’s Dual Mono DAC design makes the music come alive.
Freed from the burden of any brute-force digital processing, the Analog Converter is supremely adapted for the specific task of meticulous analog conversion.
THE SENTINEL POWER SUPPLY
A completely new design, the Sentinel Power Supply features three independent power supplies. Two modules provide clean and independent power for both the left and right Mono DACs in the Analog converter. The third supply is an ultra-low noise design specifically for the Sentinel Clock’s industry-leading performance.
The Sentinel Clock
Perhaps the epitome of the Sentinel project, this clock design highlights the extreme measures taken in the service of sound.
Completely custom and discretely built, no other company in the industry has the ambition or know-how to create a device of this complexity or sophistication. Designed in partnership with the crystal wafer manufacturer, each ovenized crystal produces never-before-achieved performance in audio. The mechanical oscillation of the crystal is so sensitive that MSB had to create a tuned, isolated energy dispersion platform for each unit.
At the heart of every MSB system you will find MSB’s in-house designed and manufactured DAC modules. Increasing the number of modules has always shown improvements to performance, but with many thousands of aerospace high-precision resistors, this comes at a high cost. For the Sentinel project, MSB quadrupled their previous designs from 8 to 32 modules, which led to increased signal accuracy as well as a flood of technological breakthroughs.
Taking advantage of so many parallel DAC channels, Dustin Symanski invented and implemented the best possible version of Bit Diffusion Technology. This tech has breathed new life into the conversion process, unlocking extraordinary possibilities for the future.