how good is the m-dac

[SoundFreak]

cant agree more. Young is more like listening in live performance.

I would expect the MDAC to be excellent. I have a Young (& SQ PS) and, it too, is excellent. I don't find the Young to be completely without character, it is a little bright, and textural detail is rather 'in yer face'. It is like listening to the live performance in a lively room as opposed to flatter room.

It's full of life, exciting, vivace! I really don't want the extra neutrality, I love the character of the thing. From my brief experience with the MDAC (in another system - it was a 'Sovereign' version), it was absolutely as excellent as my Young, but without the same vivace. A little more grown up maybe?

It seems that at this level, most DACs are excellent (and as has been pointed out, should be indistinguishably competent). The differences won't be down to what is better, but what you prefer.

 

[Elephantears]

I've finally heard the MDAC a couple of times recently. I was really ready to dislike it, because of all the endless 25 page threads on here, all the tedious publicising and lack of actual discussion of its musical merits (until this thread).

But no, damnit, it really does seem pretty good. Nicely rounded, not thin like I half-expected, nothing really to fault that I could hear.

 

[sq225917]

Some people like jitter. Seriously.

I don't doubt that. Most hifi people I know, myself included, have one 'foible' or another.

 

[ItemAudio]

I don't doubt that. Most hifi people I know, myself included, have one 'foible' or another.

If you like bulbous, distorted bass and overcooked treble, jitter is the thing for you: de-jittering initially sounds quiet and boring.

 

[sq225917]

I don't think you can 'lump' jitter effects together so easily. IME it's all down to the distribution and every case is different. In many cases it might not be jitter by RF junk coming in via the input.

Who knows?

 

[ItemAudio]

I don't think you can 'lump' jitter effects together so easily. IME it's all down to the distribution and every case is different. In many cases it might not be jitter by RF junk coming in via the input.

Who knows?

True enough: jitter's complexity derives from a multitude of causes, and effects.

Antelope had a page on audibly identifying common types: currently they have a soundbite descriptor of 'harsh and lifeless'. Elsewhere, the three key tells have been given as bass smear, treble etch and soundstage compression. YMWV.

 

[avole]

Care to define jitter, item? It isn't complex...

 

[ItemAudio]

S ou n d s li ke y o uu nde r s ta nd i t be t te r tha n th e pr of e ss i o n a l s.

 

[avole]

Thought you wouldn't be able to. Look it up in Wikipedia.

 

[ItemAudio]

Wikipedia?