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MDAC First Listen (part 00100100)

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I remember buying my new MDAC, get to know this forum a couple weeks after and become inspired by the MDAC upgrade projects. My only concern was losing the warranty on my shiny new DAC.
That was in April 2013.

However, the dream is still here, so, I wish everybody a great new year with the hope 2015 will bring fast success for the VFET amp, so that we can get John back on the subject to complete MDAC2. There are still a lot of work ahead.
:D

Michael
 
Michael
John has given repeated assurances that MDAC2 remains his first priority; thinking about the VFET amp design is his way of giving himself a break and relaxing, and we all have to relax from time to time :)
 
Good shout Fred, I'm sure Speakons must provide a better and more secure connection than most domestic binding posts and they would get my vote. The only issue would be if anyone has pre-terminated cables and they don't feel up to re-terminating them. If people do have such concerns then please be assured that terminating cable with Speakons is pretty straightforward.
 
The MDAC should be died quite - even a standard MDAC has a dynamic range of over 120dB.

The Noise your hear when you turn your Amps volume up is just the thermal noise of the amplifier - this is normal.

What not normal is to hear noise via headphones - but I cannot see how you can have noise via headphones and not via the line outputs.

I'd be happy to check your MDAC for you to confirm if its OK - but you would need to pay shipping to and from Czech Rep.

Maybe you could demonstrate the problem to your dealer?

I've test the noise of my M-DAC using an amplifier and CK100pro. When the analog volume of the amp is at nearly maximum, the noise level increase with the volume knob. At maximum volume, the noise disappeared if I switch the M-DAC off.
But I've a question about the SNR. If the SNR of M-DAC's phone out is 120dB, will it become 60dB if I set the digital volume to -60dB? In the case of some sensitive IEM like CK100pro, I've no other choice but to set the M-DAC volume to <-60dB in order to get a pleasurable sound level of around 80dB at maximum. If it's true, can it explain why I hear a noise level of around 20dB in this case?

The M-DAC is surely died quite for those headphones I normally listened at setting of >-30dB.
 
Michael
John has given repeated assurances that MDAC2 remains his first priority; thinking about the VFET amp design is his way of giving himself a break and relaxing, and we all have to relax from time to time :)

Also, without reference grade amplification how can John determine the effect of different components and overall sound quality.
 
I've test the noise of my M-DAC using an amplifier and CK100pro. When the analog volume of the amp is at nearly maximum, the noise level increase with the volume knob. At maximum volume, the noise disappeared if I switch the M-DAC off.
But I've a question about the SNR. If the SNR of M-DAC's phone out is 120dB, will it become 60dB if I set the digital volume to -60dB? In the case of some sensitive IEM like CK100pro, I've no other choice but to set the M-DAC volume to <-60dB in order to get a pleasurable sound level of around 80dB at maximum. If it's true, can it explain why I hear a noise level of around 20dB in this case?

The M-DAC is surely died quite for those headphones I normally listened at setting of >-30dB.

Sorry, I don't really understand your problem - you are using the CK100pro with the MDAC's front panel headphone jack?

The MDAC in standard form has a dynamic range of over 122dB, this puts it up with the best - I cannot believe that the CK100pro's work with other products yet have problems with the MDAC as few products reach 120dB dynamic range... for example the Iphone is less then 100dB (that's atleast x10 higher noise).

Unless your MDAC is faulty....

Headphone amplifiers have typically far worst noise performance, at the MDAC's 122dB dynamic range your approaching thermal noise limits (say at around -130dB for the absolute very best) this limit applies to both Digital or Analogue domain level control as the thermal noise is always present in the analogue domain.

As I suggested earlier your best option is to visit your dealer to see if he can advise you, or you can send your MDAC with the headphones to me in Czech Rep. and I'll test the system for you FOC.
 
Speaker terminals.

P1000634.JPG



My preferred connection, on a less is more type philosophy.
 
If quality is everything and you don't think only expensive is good than Neutrik speakon is the way to go.
http://www.neutrik.de/de-de/speakon/

Regards
F.s

I don't want speakon for two reasons:
  1. My cables have spades
  2. It is fairly non standard which means that you will have a hard time selling a cable terminated with speakon or buying one.
Ideally I would prefer speaker terminals that can take both spades and banana plugs for flexibility.
 
Good shout Fred, I'm sure Speakons must provide a better and more secure connection than most domestic binding posts and they would get my vote. The only issue would be if anyone has pre-terminated cables and they don't feel up to re-terminating them. If people do have such concerns then please be assured that terminating cable with Speakons is pretty straightforward.

Yes, Speakons are very handy when you experiment with pre-terminated cables and I'm sure the hifi shops do not mind at all when you re-terminate their demo cables.

If you must, use Speakons, but only if the amps have standard binding posts as well. I vote for not to using Speakons.
 
Like I said, it's pretty easy to terminate cables with Speakons. You are getting what will almost certainly be one of the best amps in the world - do you really want to compromise on a cable connector?
 
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