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MDAC first listen (part IV)

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Yay, I am now in possession of a black MDAC :)

Hardly had a chance to listen (had a meal out last night) but (a) it works, and (b) the display is better. I'm not judging the sound quality at this stage, as it was stone cold when I turned it on, but it's certainly very listenable even from new. Probably not as good sounding as my (run-in) stock CDQ at this stage, though some things might be better - difficult to tell on less than 20 minutes listening.

So, I'm happy, and JohnW: count me in for a CDQ upgrade come whenever.
 
JohnW said:
MI55ION

Our pending "upgrade" for 8200CD / CDQ owners is really a COMPLETE new product accept some chassis parts / packaging etc.

There are some advantages to upgrading a unit, rather then a completely new unit.

1. Import duty is much lower for "CD Parts" then for a completed product.

2. Metal work is an issue for us!

3. Shipping is cheaper from China

4. "Rebuilding" in Europe creates jobs in Europe - with European Quality Control.

5. I guess better for the environment (not trying to pull the "Hotel" environmentally friendly save washing your towels claim here).

6. Cheaper for the owner then buying a new unit :)

8200CD upgrade:

1. Front panel changed to incorporating a slot loader, larger OLED display, proper Volume control knob and a headphone jack!

2. CD Mechanism replaced with a HQ metal chasse slot loader with memory buffer to improve disk readability

3. USB 384KHz / 32 Bit support

4. Dual Mono DAC’s with onboard FPGA digital filtering etc

5. CROSS output stage

6. Bit perfect test, Source Jitter analyser, D3E, level meters, user upgrade etc.

8200CDQ as 8200CD but:

HQ Dual Mono reference grade ADC’s with 384kHz 32 Bit data path and DSD / DXD support via USB.

These will be based upon our new digital / analogue platform and the units will need to be sent to the Czech Rep. for rebuild.

John
Click to expand...
Hello John,
will this updated spec CDQ be available as a new unit or is it necessary to buy a current CDQ and then get it updated?

Thanks
 
Does that mean the MDAC can become a digital recording device when coupled to a computer, i.e. I can record PCM from SPDIF input through MDAC as a USB soundcard onto my computer hard disk?

That will be fabulous!

JohnW said:
We have a pending "Lakewest" software update the will allow the MDAC to act as "sound card" - well SPDIF to USB interface.

So SPDIF input to MDAC - USB output to PC
Click to expand...
 
JohnW said:
MI55ION

Our pending "upgrade" for 8200CD / CDQ owners is really a COMPLETE new product accept some chassis parts / packaging etc.

There are some advantages to upgrading a unit, rather then a completely new unit.

1. Import duty is much lower for "CD Parts" then for a completed product.

2. Metal work is an issue for us!

3. Shipping is cheaper from China

4. "Rebuilding" in Europe creates jobs in Europe - with European Quality Control.

5. I guess better for the environment (not trying to pull the "Hotel" environmentally friendly save washing your towels claim here).

6. Cheaper for the owner then buying a new unit :)

8200CD upgrade:

1. Front panel changed to incorporating a slot loader, larger OLED display, proper Volume control knob and a headphone jack!

2. CD Mechanism replaced with a HQ metal chasse slot loader with memory buffer to improve disk readability

3. USB 384KHz / 32 Bit support

4. Dual Mono DAC’s with onboard FPGA digital filtering etc

5. CROSS output stage

6. Bit perfect test, Source Jitter analyser, D3E, level meters, user upgrade etc.

8200CDQ as 8200CD but:

HQ Dual Mono reference grade ADC’s with 384kHz 32 Bit data path and DSD / DXD support via USB.

These will be based upon our new digital / analogue platform and the units will need to be sent to the Czech Rep. for rebuild.

John
Click to expand...

Definitely put me down for that little lot!

I knew there was a good reason for not rushing to buy an MDAC. The CDQ really is the product that meets my needs best.
What's the target price?
 
Myrddin said:
Hello John,
will this updated spec CDQ be available as a new unit or is it necessary to buy a current CDQ and then get it updated?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Myrddin,

ATM we are only considering rebuilding units.

As we are offering the update "Direct" the cost are much lower (No distributor or Dealer margins). With Dual Mono DAC's, more expensive loader with Memory buffer, Dual Mono ADC's, CROSS input and output stages (For ADC and DAC), FPGA for processing horsepower, larger OLED display and USB 384 / 32 Bits its a very expensive platform just in component cost- only by selling it direct can we keep the cost reasonable.

We might consider selling" new units at a later date - but my initial idea is just to offer updates to current owners so no one need feel left out by the MDAC.

What I would prefer to do is to buy the returned / faulty stock IAG UK has and rebuild these units for customers who don't already own a CD / CDQ. However I would need to reach agreement with IAG UK first.

John
 
travelfotografe said:
Hi John,

Makes me want the CD/CDQ upgrade even though I do not own one!

Is the dual mono DACs upgrade for the CD/CDQ the key ingredient to leapfrog the MDAC's SQ. Please consider the possibility of future hardware upgrades to the MDAC after you are done with the CD/CDQ upgrades ;-)

Enjoying my MDAC immensely and looking forward to the upcoming firmware update,
Leon
Click to expand...

Hi Leon,

We are hoping the M-PAX will bring a decent upgrade to the M-DAC :)

The M-DAC PCB is totally packed, it would require some serous effort to cram much more within the Chassis!

John
 
JohnW said:
I would really like too, but I need to get my head down and design!

I've also got a cheap GBP200 DAC on the cards for a UK brand :)

John
Click to expand...

Interesting indeed.

I'm after several inexpensive dacs for younger friends of mine to feed their recently aquired (by me) amps and speakers from their macs and laptops.

Might this dac conceivably, possibly have a preamp function John?
 
scubaboy said:
Hi all, flac or wav? any difference in the quality of playback through the mdac?
kr steven.
Click to expand...

Hi Steven,

With all the Voodoo spoken about the subject on the internet I can understand why you ask.

If you own and MDAC with its Bit Perfect test then you already have the tools to confirm that WAV and FLAC should perform the same.

There are four ways the PC can effect the SQ of the audio conversion process.

1. Data being sent to the DAC is not Bit perfect (With the MDAC's Bit Perfect test you can confirm if the Data is Bit Perfect for both WAV and FLAC files - as they should be).

2. Clock Jitter - Async USB connection removes the first order effects of data Jitter from your PC.

3. RF pollution and Ground noise injected into your DAC via the PC USB connection. A USB isolators will break the Ground loop (Earth Loop) - however its not so clear-cut at RF levels where USB isolators can be ineffective.

4. RF pollution of the mains supply by the PC / Monitor effecting the Audio system - a decent Mains filter is recommend.

John
 
arthur said:
Interesting indeed.

I'm after several inexpensive dacs for younger friends of mine to feed their recently aquired (by me) amps and speakers from their macs and laptops.

Might this dac conceivably, possibly have a preamp function John?
Click to expand...

Digtal Pre-amp and Headphone output.

Might make a decent DAC, with Dual Mono DAC's, Async 192 USB and other tricks :)

Its quite an exciting project as the BOM cost (Component cost) will have to be so low, its a real engineering challange to offer perfomance for litle cost :) Forcing us to be very creative with ideas and push everything to the limit - including our design skills, and that's when its most fun! :D

John
 
JohnW said:
Digtal Pre-amp and Headphone output.

Might make a decent DAC, with Dual Mono DAC's, Async 192 USB and other tricks :)

Its quite an exciting project as the BOM cost (Component cost) will have to be so low, its a real engineering challange to offer perfomance for litle cost :) Forcing us to be very creative with ideas and push everything to the limit - including our design skills, and that's when its most fun! :D

John
Click to expand...

Damn; wish I could do your job, sounds cool as owt!

I'll get them to start saving, as I'm only providing half the cash this time.

Have you a time line on this release yet perhaps?
 
arthur said:
Damn; wish I could do your job, sounds cool as owt!

I'll get them to start saving, as I'm only providing half the cash this time.

Have you a time line on this release yet perhaps?
Click to expand...

Yes, this DAC is real fun, having to design everything discrete including the PSU regulators and the "opamps" to maintain performance but cost low! This DAC has the potential to be very very special... we will Hear...

Dominik's had great fun trying to squeeze all the functions onto the processor - we had one pin short!!!

We will have prototype units ready for the Munich show (so should be in the shops within 3 months).

John
 
quad2fan said:
Hi John - at the risk of over-loading you with requests, I have a 'Lakewest' potential addition to the firmware. When I'm not using my Mac mini (via USB), I use a Rotel RCD-965BX CD player as a transport. Works fine and sounds marvellous. However when skipping tracks the first second or so sometimes stutters, or there's a brief silence which cuts off the beginning of the track. If you play the CD straight through there's no glitches, only when skipping to the next or previous track. It's as if the M-DAC needs a few seconds to lock on each time/each track. Not a biggie, but if it could be addressed at some point it'd be cool.
Click to expand...

I'm curious, is your Rotel hooked up to the M-DAC via Optical or Coax?
 
JohnW said:
Hi Steven,

With all the Voodoo spoken about the subject on the internet I can understand why you ask.

If you own and MDAC with its Bit Perfect test then you already have the tools to confirm that WAV and FLAC should perform the same.

There are four ways the PC can effect the SQ of the audio conversion process.

1. Data being sent to the DAC is not Bit perfect (With the MDAC's Bit Perfect test you can confirm if the Data is Bit Perfect for both WAV and FLAC files - as they should be).

2. Clock Jitter - Async USB connection removes the first order effects of data Jitter from your PC.

3. RF pollution and Ground noise injected into your DAC via the PC USB connection. A USB isolators will break the Ground loop (Earth Loop) - however its not so clear-cut at RF levels where USB isolators can be ineffective.

4. RF pollution of the mains supply by the PC / Monitor effecting the Audio system - a decent Mains filter is recommend.

John
Click to expand...

Hi John, there certainly is alot of information out there, which i find can sometimes trick you into thinking that there are real differences with a file type, for instance, when actually it seems just to be differences in peoples preference of different file types for what ever reason. PFMers here have commented that there is in fact no difference in the quality of file playback, so that's good enough for me!
I'm only just starting on the journey towards CA playback and i want it to be as painless and least time consuming as possible. I've got my old Roksan Dp1 and CA CD4 as transports but, that day will come when they.....well , you know.
I really like the idea of having a product that will still allow me to physically place media into it (call me old fashioned) but, have the modern convenience to play my music collection stored to HDD also. Is this what your forthcoming Transport/Media player will incorporate?

All my equipment is plugged into a Purepower 1050 mains regenerator and therefore completely isolated from mains borne nasties, a great piece of kit and gives me peace of mind as i live in a place with particularly horrid mains supply.

Looking forward to getting back home after our holiday to continue the auditioning of my Mdac and check out my new Headphones through it!

kr steven.
 
JohnW said:
4. RF pollution of the mains supply by the PC / Monitor effecting the Audio system - a decent Mains filter is recommend.

John
Click to expand...


Can you recommend one that will work well with the MDAC ?

Will the MPAX improve matters or is it advisable to use such filters on all digital products.

PC, SKY , DAC pre-amp ?

I've assumed that mains filtering on power amps can have a detrimental effect , is this correct ?

Cheers to anyone who can advise
 
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