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MDAC First Listen (Part 00101010)

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JohnW said:
Richard,

"Highlights:

Starts at only $250/pair"

I fail to see how any cable can cost US$250 per meter! When you look at the time, cost and effort it takes for me to develop even a simple product like the Detox, how can cable company's get away with charging so much :(
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Yes, I wasn't meaning the cost (it's a silver/gold amalgam so it's not going to be cheap), just the design.

I don't really understand the cables construction - but when I see spiral construction that's not a good sign.
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Why is that? I guess it's an attempt to avoid dielectric effects.
I have hard many good things about Mark Grant cables - but have no direct experience.
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I've got cables from Mark, they seem to be very good.

- Richard
 
I've also read that it is an open secret that many of the megabuck cables are nothing more than repackaged Molex cables + obscene price hike. I will check the Molex site to see if they do a balanced cable.
And I believe Bruno P. uses Molex . . . .
 
If there's a good saving of say 20% plus to buy the cable and connectors rather than say Mark Grant £52 a pair Canare L4E6AT star quad balanced , then I'll get the soldering iron out :)

I have three mark grant xlr's ,but need 11 !!

So if anyone can recommend the cable and connectors ..please chip in please
 
Can I download the two MDAC bit-perfect test files from anywhere please?

(... in order for me to avoid having to download Java, install Java, have the Java installer mess up my PC, then find I still cannot generate the test files etc etc. (I have already spent ages trying to find a way to run the test-file generator using the Java already built-in to my browser.))

Thanks, Mark.
 
BigDog said:
For us late to the party, what ARE these bit-perfect test files and how are they used?
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MDAC has a feature whereby you can "play" "tracks" to it, and the MDAC will tell you whether or not there is anything in your IT setup which is messing with the bits in these tracks. I put "play" and "tracks" in inverted commas, because although your source will think it is sending music to the MDAC, these files are in fact not musical, and can damage your hifi if these "tracks" are "played" and your volume is set to normal levels.

If your IT set up IS messing with the bits of these test tracks - which is common - then you will need to mess around with stuff for hours in order to get the best possible audio from your MDAC. Although this will prove to be worthwhile.

This is explained in the manual page 20 under the heading "BITPERFECT TEST".
 
Mark Dirac said:
MDAC has a feature whereby you can "play" "tracks" to it, and the MDAC will tell you whether or not there is anything in your IT setup which is messing with the bits in these tracks. I put "play" and "tracks" in inverted commas, because although your source will think it is sending music to the MDAC, these files are in fact not musical, and can damage your hifi if these "tracks" are "played" and your volume is set to normal levels.

If your IT set up IS messing with the bits of these test tracks - which is common - then you will need to mess around with stuff for hours in order to get the best possible audio from your MDAC. Although this will prove to be worthwhile.

This is explained in the manual page 20 under the heading "BITPERFECT TEST".
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Thanks, John. Thought it might be something useful for the "average homeowner" rather than a tool for your users. Nice nonetheless!
 
JohnW said:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/86116171/M-DAC Bitperfect Test [email protected]

44.1KHz Bitperfect test file - set the level on the MDAC to minimum to prevent damaging your speakers.
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Thanks John. Success! Whilst I'm at it, could you (or better, someone else from the team) give me access to the 24/96 test file please?

Blimey! It's taken hours. I had never set up Foobar according the MDAC manual, partly because the Foobar wiki warns "Contrary to popular "audiophile" claims, there are NO benefits from using ASIO as far as music playback quality is concerned, while bugs in ASIO drivers may severely degrade the performance" and partly because it looked so very complicated. But my exertions have proven the wiki's warning to be unfounded. But also, that it IS very complicated.

Two offers to the team:

1) The complication mostly arises because Foobar has moved on since the MDAC manual was written, and the UI has changed, and the original MDAC manual's instructions are now a little ambiguous. If anyone would like me to, I will write an addendum and post it here.

2) These test files are pretty small. If you like John, and if it's legal? (if Audiolab will not object), I'll put them into my Google Drive with open public access, so that others can easily access them in the future.
 
JohanH said:
IIRC they used to be available on the Audiolab website including the first firmware versions.
Seem gone now or at least I cannot find them.
They are available here http://mdac.referata.com/wiki/Main_Page
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Thanks Johan, but no - they are not there. What IS at the web link you have provided is the download of a Java program which can be run to create the two files. So one also needs to have Java installed. But nowadays, Java is considered to be a relatively unsafe piece of software - there have been numerous exploits via Java recently. And even worse, the Java software installer has recently been known to install "undesirable" software if one is not careful to untick the right boxes. And all this to avoid people downloading files of a few hundred MB, which nowadays is nothing.

So in my post above, I have offered to "host" the two files, if this is desired (by John).
 
ok, I vaguely remember using this link to construct the files and it worked as intended.
I understand java being undesirable.
Maybe it's possible to add your links to the wiki page, so everything is in one place.
 
JohnW said:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/86116171/FUSION_ASSEMBLY(3).jpg

Guess it does not look too bad....
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John, now I've had a bit of time to think, the looks of the black option are good enough to bring me back on board, so I will be paying contributions for the L2 version. Because the CD option allows me to lose one of my current boxes I gain some space, so I can make it all fit. The CD costs extra, so at what stage in the payments will you want this specified and paid for?

I will need to use the analogue by-pass since I use FM radio a lot. Will the FDAC have to be powered up to operate the by-pass, or do the relays revert to by-pass when off?

Also will it be possible to set CD as the default position when the FDAC is switched on? (I'm not the only user...)
 
JohnW said:
Hubert,

Around Christmas this year we will have the first units with Analogue PCB and Chassis built.

The plan is to split the "at cost Payments" into 3 sages:-

1. Analogue PCB

2. Full width Chassis, PSU, Display & packaging etc.

3 Digital PCB + shipping

At Christmas it is also planned to have a prototype Digital PCB to allow listening and testing of the units as they are built - once the first 2 stages are complete the digital PCB can be dropped in and the units shipped.

The digital PCB requires about 2-3 months from start of design to production. I'd only like to say that we target the production of the Analogue PCB / Chassis by Christmas - and lets see how far the Digital PCB has progressed at that time.
.
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Hi John,

As you know I am a complete technical dummy and don't have a clue what 99% of these posts mean. I just want the best sound possible. So, please excuse the "simple" question.

Do I need the digital option to be able to use my optical input? Do you have a simple spec for us laymen?

Thanks

David
 
Mark Dirac said:
Thanks John. Success! Whilst I'm at it, could you (or better, someone else from the team) give me access to the 24/96 test file please?

Blimey! It's taken hours. I had never set up Foobar according the MDAC manual, partly because the Foobar wiki warns "Contrary to popular "audiophile" claims, there are NO benefits from using ASIO as far as music playback quality is concerned, while bugs in ASIO drivers may severely degrade the performance" and partly because it looked so very complicated. But my exertions have proven the wiki's warning to be unfounded. But also, that it IS very complicated.

Two offers to the team:

1) The complication mostly arises because Foobar has moved on since the MDAC manual was written, and the UI has changed, and the original MDAC manual's instructions are now a little ambiguous. If anyone would like me to, I will write an addendum and post it here.

2) These test files are pretty small. If you like John, and if it's legal? (if Audiolab will not object), I'll put them into my Google Drive with open public access, so that others can easily access them in the future.
Click to expand...

Hi Mark,

No problem to post them publicly, they are licensed from us by Audiolab - they are our "IP" :)
 
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