PLAYBACK DESIGNS MPS-5

Pre owned. In excellent condition. Free from evident signs of wear. Original packaging not included.

The Playback Designs MPS-5 stands among the most sophisticated and ambitious digital sources ever created in the high-end audio world. Designed to push beyond the traditional limitations of digital playback, it delivers a listening experience that combines technical precision, natural tonal balance, and exceptional musical involvement. Developed under the guidance of Andreas Koch, one of the most respected designers in digital audio engineering, the MPS-5 integrates a reference-grade CD/SACD player and a state-of-the-art D/A converter within a single chassis, following a completely proprietary design philosophy.

Its construction immediately reflects its uncompromising status. The chassis combines industrial elegance with a professional aesthetic, featuring a refined two-tone aluminum and black finish, precision-machined panels, sculpted side grooves, and distinctive dual red displays. Mechanical assembly quality is exceptionally high, while the solid aluminum backlit remote control further demonstrates the obsessive attention paid to every construction detail.

Internally, the MPS-5 deliberately avoids the use of conventional off-the-shelf DAC chips. Playback Designs instead employs a proprietary architecture based on extensively discrete circuitry and a custom-programmed DSP using exclusive algorithms developed to optimize digital signal handling and reduce jitter to extremely low levels. Digital-to-analog conversion is managed through the patented Playback Designs Frequency Arrival System (PDFAS), a proprietary technology that eliminates the need for traditional PLL circuits and enables extraordinarily stable, accurate, and natural playback.

The transport mechanism is based on the renowned Teac Esoteric VOSP platform, further modified and optimized to achieve even higher levels of performance. Beyond CD and SACD playback, the MPS-5 also functions as a high-resolution DAC capable of handling external digital sources through a comprehensive array of connections. Analog outputs are available in balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA and 50 Ohm BNC formats, while digital connectivity includes AES/EBU via XLR, coaxial RCA, optical Toslink, and the proprietary Playlink interface.

One of the system’s most advanced features is the included USB-X interface, specifically developed to convert USB computer audio signals into PCM streams up to 384 kHz / 24-bit. This solution allows the MPS-5 to handle high-resolution digital music playback with remarkable authority while maintaining an architecture designed to remain upgradeable over time through dedicated software update capabilities.

During listening sessions, the MPS-5 reveals an unmistakably distinctive sonic character. Playback is defined by exceptional rhythmic precision, impressive dynamic control, and a remarkably stable and believable three-dimensional soundstage. Every area of the frequency spectrum is reproduced with extraordinary definition: high frequencies are open, detailed, and refined; the midrange is solid and harmonically rich; and the low frequencies combine speed, authority, and absolute precision.

SACD playback performance reaches truly exceptional levels, surpassing even the already outstanding reproduction quality of standard CDs. With high-resolution material, the player delivers an extraordinary amount of micro-detail, greater harmonic depth, and a sense of realism that closely approaches a live musical event. High-resolution digital file playback also benefits from exceptional transparency and spatial reconstruction, producing a wide, stable soundstage filled with ambient information and natural dimensionality.

The MPS-5 also stands out for its complete absence of listening fatigue, successfully combining analytical precision with genuine musical emotion in a remarkably natural way. Its ability to maintain tonal coherence, rhythmic accuracy, and holographic imaging even during the most complex passages places it among the most complete and refined digital sources ever produced. Conceived for uncompromising high-end audio systems, it represents a definitive solution for listeners seeking a source capable not only of reproducing music with absolute fidelity, but also of conveying its full emotional power and expressive depth.

Technical specifications:

• Type: two-channel integrated SACD/CD player with fixed outputs; upgradeable to multichannel operation via external DAC; remote control included
• Supported formats: SACD; CD; CD-R; CD-RW
• D/A conversion: 1-bit / 5.6448 MHz DSD
• Analog outputs: 1 pair RCA unbalanced; 1 pair balanced XLR; 1 pair 50 Ohm BNC
• Digital outputs: AES/EBU; proprietary Playlink Data/Clock optical interface
• Digital inputs: AES/EBU via XLR; S/PDIF coaxial; S/PDIF TosLink; USB (supports up to 48 kHz)
• Control ports: RS-232; USB
• Maximum analog output level: 4V RMS at 1 kHz via XLR; 2V RMS at 1 kHz via RCA and BNC
• Dynamic range: 140 dB
• Frequency response: not specified
• Channel separation: not specified
• Total harmonic distortion (THD): not specified
• Power consumption: 100 W
• Dimensions: 435 × 98 × 423 mm (W × H × D)
• Weight: 13 kg