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Offered is „Playback Designs MPD8 dac +MPS X streamer“ by Playback Designs as second-hand device from the category „Digital Sources (CD/DVD/Streamer...)“ on audio-markt.de - the online market place for high-end. The advert with the number 1396456797 ends on 27.11.2026 at 20:04 o'clock.
At €30,000, the obvious alternative is a newer flagship streamer—or a complete digital front end—so this MPS-X is clearly ambitious rather than a bargain. Your comparable listings put the median at €22,188 and the 75th percentile at €26,153; €30,000 is roughly 35% above the median and about 15% over the upper quartile. Unless this is unusually complete, rare, or exceptionally fresh, there should be room to negotiate.
That said, the MPS-X remains a serious network endpoint, particularly in a Playback Designs system: its separate chassis and power supply isolate sensitive conversion hardware, while PLink, AES, coaxial connectivity, Roon, Qobuz, Tidal, and NAS support make it versatile. Reviews consistently praise its low-jitter, spacious and highly resolved presentation. At this money, insist on the remote, original accessories, current software compatibility, and a convincing condition history; otherwise, a price nearer €22,000–€26,000 would make far more sense.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
Playback Designs emerged in 2008, founded by Andreas Koch, a pioneering digital audio engineer with roots tracing back to the early days of the format. Beginning his career at Studer ReVox in Switzerland in 1982, where he built the world's first fully asynchronous digital sample rate converter, Koch later honed his expertise at Dolby Labs, Studer Editech in California—creating the enduring Dyaxis hard disc recorder—and EMM Labs, developing revolutionary sample rate conversion algorithms, discrete D/A converters, and clock management architectures. Blending Swiss-German engineering precision with American entrepreneurial drive, the California-based brand launched with an integrated SACD/CD player incorporating 25 years of Koch's innovations.
The company specializes in high-performance digital playback systems, focusing on DACs, network players, and integrated processors like the MPD-6, MPS-X, MPD-8, and series such as Edelweiss and Dream. eschewing off-the-shelf D/A chips, Playback Designs employs custom Xilinx FPGA-based designs programmed with Koch's proprietary code for jitter-free, ultra-high-resolution conversion. Their expandable architectures unite digital signal processing with meticulously crafted analog output stages, often designed in collaboration with engineers like Bert Vogt or Bert Gerlach, prioritizing sonic purity over conventional components.
Positioned firmly in the high-end audiophile market, Playback Designs commands respect among discerning listeners for delivering reference-level transparency and musicality in digital sources. Known for from-the-ground-up innovations that outperform mass-market rivals, the brand appeals to buyers seeking no-compromise performance in a niche boutique realm, where proprietary algorithms and modular platforms ensure future-proof excellence.
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