Source: Press Release, Last Accessed: 2017/04/11

Playback Designs has announced their new Dream Series, incorporating the latest Ultra High Performance technology, the culmination of more than 30 years of experience in audio design. The Dream Series consists of the MPD-8 standalone DAC and MPT-8 transport with CD/SACD drive and an optional, built-in, music server.
According to the press release, the new architecture is the result of multiple prototype generations over the last 2 years where the experience of digital algorithms and analog circuit design, from Andreas Koch’s and Bert Gerlach's expertise refined over many decades, has been combined and perfected to create a truly no-compromise, flexible and programmable product platform that can deliver ultimate performance and can grow for many years as technology keeps evolving.
MPD-8 DAC is based on Playback Designs' well proven discrete converter design but incorporates significant improvements and new technologies. Its digital inputs, AES, SPDIF, USB, ST-fiber-optic and Toslink, support any sample rate and format up to quad DSD. In addition to balanced and unbalanced line level analog outputs, an analog volume control is provided that can be bypassed. Included will be recording software, allowing the creation of PCM or DSD music files on a computer from all digital sources connected to the MPD-8.
The digital part is fully programmable, as always at Playback Designs, but with significantly more computing power to be able to extend the digital algorithms for audio processing and clock control. The analog circuit is double differential for each channel and uniquely separated and isolated from the digital processor. For this, completely separate linear power supplies are provided for each channel of analog circuitry, mounted on ceramic circuit boards. A third separate power supply is for the digital section.
MPT-8 Digital Music Transport is a no-compromise companion product for the MPD-8 DAC. It incorporates a newly developed CD/SACD drive mechanism that is not based on any mass produced components, but was rather designed from ground up for audiophile applications, the company states. Optionally, the Syrah music server can be added into the same chassis making the MPT-8 a unique and complete digital source center. The music server can be controlled via iPad/Android tablets and provides internal storage (SSD) as well as external storage and networks, DLNA and NAS. CDs are automatically ripped from an external optical drive providing extensive meta-data capabilities. A future option for the MPT-8 that is already in development is a streaming interface for the currently most popular streaming services.
The MPT-8 connects to the MPD-8 via the proprietary optical interface PLink for native playback of any file format and sample rate including quad DSD. This interface is designed to provide a galvanic separation between all digital sources and their asynchronous clocks from the very sensitive DAC components in the MPD-8.

For more information: http://www.playbackdesigns.com/

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