M21

About the M21

The Bricasti Design M21 is a sophisticated digital to analog converter (DAC) designed for audiophiles seeking exceptional sound quality and flexibility. It employs three DAC chipsets: a ladder DAC for PCM playback, a Sigma Delta DAC for both PCM and DSD, and a proprietary Bricasti-designed one-bit modulator DAC exclusive to DSD. This architecture allows true DSD playback without downsampling to PCM, avoiding common artifacts such as snaps or pops during signal transitions. The M21 features precise analog gain control with a Burr Brown volume control chip implemented as a current-to-voltage device, enabling smooth analog mutes and fades and allowing the DAC to function as a preamplifier by directly driving amplifiers. It offers two PCM filter settings—minimum phase and linear phase—giving listeners the ability to tailor the sound. Connectivity includes AES/EBU, S/PDIF (RCA and BNC), USB, Toslink, and LAN network connection. Analog outputs are available as balanced XLR and single-ended RCA. The M21 is Roon Ready, consumes 30 watts of power, and comes with a 2-year non-transferable warranty. It supports PCM 24-bit delta sigma 8x oversampling and DSD direct 1-bit conversion up to 384 kHz sample rates. The design includes a true hard-wire bypass analog attenuator for seamless transitions and high fidelity output.