Totally agree
MDAC First Listen (part 00100000)
- Thread starter fred sonnen
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Totally agree
JohnW
pfm member
Yes indeed, its not a plastic wonder!
Hi everyone,
I've viewed these forums for a while now... thanks to you all for some great M-DAC tips and advice. But now it's my turn to ask a question.
My M-DAC needs to go back to Audiolab for repair (the coax input 2 socket came clean out still attached to the cable!).
I have taken advantage of the extra features that are available with John's firmware updates, but does installing this invalidate my warranty?
I don't see why it would... but I know this is the best place to check.
I see that the original Audiolab firmware is on the wiki but as I use Macs I would need to borrow a PC friend to reinstall the original version. It would be much more convenient to leave my M-DAC as it is, but I don't any issues with the repair process.
Many thanks,
Jonathan.
I've viewed these forums for a while now... thanks to you all for some great M-DAC tips and advice. But now it's my turn to ask a question.
My M-DAC needs to go back to Audiolab for repair (the coax input 2 socket came clean out still attached to the cable!).
I have taken advantage of the extra features that are available with John's firmware updates, but does installing this invalidate my warranty?
I don't see why it would... but I know this is the best place to check.
I see that the original Audiolab firmware is on the wiki but as I use Macs I would need to borrow a PC friend to reinstall the original version. It would be much more convenient to leave my M-DAC as it is, but I don't any issues with the repair process.
Many thanks,
Jonathan.
JohnW
pfm member
Hi Jonathan,
You can just push back the round Ground collar with its plastic orange insert back into connector, just insure the 2 "prongs" on the collar are rotated correctly. On MDAC2 we will use the audio output type connectors for the digital I/O's.
Audiolab will just leave the software installed as the unit arrived - or you can roll back to V0.99, but no harm either way.
JohnW
pfm member
Peter,
Its a mechanism only - no servo board, we sourced it directly from the manufacturer in China and then added our own servo board.
We designed the servo board is for our own CD / Transport platform - it has no IDE interface to connect to a PC etc. so would be of no use for your application.
There are PC CD Slot loaders available... Ebay would be your friend here...
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5...0001&campid=5338728743&icep_item=261513654490
Its a mechanism only - no servo board, we sourced it directly from the manufacturer in China and then added our own servo board.
We designed the servo board is for our own CD / Transport platform - it has no IDE interface to connect to a PC etc. so would be of no use for your application.
There are PC CD Slot loaders available... Ebay would be your friend here...
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5...0001&campid=5338728743&icep_item=261513654490
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
Jonathan,
Its not you who should feel a little daft - but Audiolab that they still have not resolved this issue!
As I say on MDAC2 we will use the solid Milled RCA as used for the audio output RCA's.
Glad you "Fixed" your unit
John,
Is the M-DAC2 the user-replaceable PCB project that members are contributing to on a monthly basis? It sounds very interesting.
The simultaneous XLR & phono output would be very useful for me, as would the built in attenuation (I'm using Rothwell XLR attenuators currently). And I'm sure I read somewhere about the possibility of an analogue input too.
I'm sure I also read that you'll only be producing one batch of PCBs. It won't be a retail product as such.
Thanks,
Jonathan.
thebestfirst
Member
When and where can I buy the up grade for my Audiolab MDAC in Italy? There has to install it? Can I do it myself? It takes a technician does it cost?
Thanks for your kind answers.
Dario from Italy. Email: [email protected]
Thanks for your kind answers.
Dario from Italy. Email: [email protected]
Thanks, the picture helps a lot to see what's needed. I guess you get involved in hole drilling/punching at the right place on the back panel of your CD player, unless you are lucky enough to have a player with a spare XLR which you can sacrifice.
However,
"It will transform a budget CD player into a super transport"
doesn't seem to be what Hi-Fi Choice found, and that's why I asked what experience people had had with the MDAC.
adamdea
You are not a sound quality evaluation device
I have been rather surprised that lots of M-dac owners have not tried using the clock out. If you don't believe that all transports sound the same then it makes no sense to have a CD transport and not use the facility (or at least try it).
On the other hand, cd players which will take clock inputs are not thick on the ground and perhaps people were waiting for the M-Trans.
I hope you manage to gather some data. I can see that my if-you're-not -going to-use-a-supermarket-dvd-player-then-you-might-as-well-do-this argument may not seem rousing.[edit -btw I think that a budget CD player which has had the mod probably will be as good as a super transport, if that helps]
This
And:
- many people streaming in preference to CD - either USB (async USB is clock-locked) or spdif output from a streaming device; streaming devices which will take a clock input are even thinner on the ground
- depends how good the clock already is on your source device
JohnW
pfm member
It very much depends upon the DAC's ability to attenuate Jitter, and its sensitivity to externally injected noise such as RF and ground loop interference.
AC Noise from a transport with a switching PSU can find its way into a DAC via the Mains supply.
Most "off the shelf" SPDIF input receivers have poor Jitter attenuation - and most have almost NON within the audio bandwidth - so the level of performance advantage gain via Clock Locking will depend upon the DAC design.
That said, its my experience that a even jitter below pS levels is audible so anything that can be done to help reduce jitter is welcome.
JohnW
pfm member
Jonathan & Dario,
The MDAC2 XLR's and RCA are wired in parallel (Postive phase) so like the MDAC1 the audio signal is present simultaneously on the XLR & phono outputs.
The -20dB analogue attenuation option is available on the L2 and L3 versions - it will be applied simultaneously on the XLR & phono outputs when enabled.
All versions have an AV bypass option - when the MDAC is powered off (or selected via the front panel) the RCA AV input signal is routed to the power amplifiers.
In addition to the AV bypass input, the MDAC2 L3 also has an additional Analogue input with ADC that supports DSD64, DSD128 and PCM upto 384KHz - it will also feature a "14MHz" digital Pre-amplifier mode for direct AD/DA Analogue reply.
Dario,
The MDAC2 is now over half way thought the project, with about 4 months until we start the production cycle of the upgrade PCB's. You can replace the MDAC2 PCB yourself or return your MDAC to us here in Czech Rep. for upgrade at no additional cast apart form shipping.
Instructions, tools and a YouTube video will be provided guiding you though the upgrade process if you decide to try it at home - its a simple job, one of the hardest part of the process is to remove the screws on your original unit (they can be very tight).
At this time we have no plans to "Mass Produce" the MDAC2 PCB's, so only an initial batch of 200 will be made - presuming most of the Toy / Fusion "at cost" owners & a few units kept aside for in house R&D- review, loan units etc + 10% production loss & spares, there are now only a handful of spaces remaining to join the MDAC2 project.
I'm a designer, rather then a production engineer - so I really cannot see myself arranging a second production of batch of boards... the MDAC2 design was really a method to proved the original Toy / Fusion owners the performance I had envisaged + a few little extras
OK now its grown into a very very exciting ADC / DAC
JohnW
pfm member
and one MDAC which needs it's relays fixed
Well Relays replaced and its been updated to latest Fusion Spec. to be quite honest my system sound Sooooooooooooo much better with your Fusioned MDAC verse the CDQ I've had in the system prior that I cannot make a judgement on its sound quality - its like comparing Chalk and Cheese...
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