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MDAC First Listen (part XXVIII)

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Chertilo777

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Chertilo777 said:
Which balanced cables would you advise to use with MDAC (I'll be happy owner of Bryston BP26 and Bryston 4BSST2 in 1 month)? May be I should save money and buy unbalanced interconnects, because I need just 0.5 m cables.
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One advise is to use expensive silver cable XLRs with MDAC, another is to use affordable Van Damme cable based XLRs. Can silver cables add additional character to the sound?
 
Chertilo777 said:
One advise is to use expensive silver cable XLRs with MDAC, another is to use affordable Van Damme cable based XLRs. Can silver cables add additional character to the sound?
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The whole ethos of hi-fi is to neither add , nor subtract anything from the original source - Transparency.

Silver in cables is alleged to promote the higher frequecies.

I use 'home' made Van Damme XLR cables which sound fine to me.
The cable has 6/8 of the 19 strands silver plated in the core.

Must be an interesting manufacturing process.
 
Chertilo777 said:
One advise is to use expensive silver cable XLRs with MDAC, another is to use affordable Van Damme cable based XLRs. Can silver cables add additional character to the sound?
Click to expand...

Depends on your sonic signature preference, for me silver works. Best is to evaluate in your system.
 
Tonyb said:
Hmm, I just bought a pair of Rothwell 10 dbs a week ago :(. They seem to bring a little benefit never-the-less.
Reading your comment prompted me to take a look inside, there is a resistor in-line on pin 1 and on pin 2 and a resistor between pin 1 and pin 2. Nothing connecting to pin 3, it runs straight through. Is that consistent with what you understood John?
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Tony,

Yes, the "Circuit arrangement" of the resistors attenuates only the Difference and not the common-mode signals.

You can send me your attenuators and I'll make up correct ones - if you cover the postage costs.
 
Suopermanni said:
Just paid my first installment on the MDAC2. Just so I understand, at the end of these installments, would I get the MDA2 PCB? Also, would I get instructions on how to install the thing?
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Thank you for the payment.

We hope to post a Youtube Video clip showing how to install the new PCB once they are ready - or you can send your MDAC to us in Czech Rep. for the upgrade (at no charge, just cover the postage).
 
Chertilo777 said:
Which balanced cables would you advise to use with MDAC (I'll be happy owner of Bryston BP26 and Bryston 4BSST2 in 1 month)? May be I should save money and buy unbalanced interconnects, because I need just 0.5 m cables.
Click to expand...

Congratulations, that's going to be a very nice systems :)

I've no experience of ready made XLR cable brands - I'm sure others here will offer recommendations - but I can fully recommend using XLR over RCA interconnection even for short signal runs.

With Balanced interconnection, the audio signal is "isolated" from the Earth / Ground connection between units - this Ground connection is now only used to set the Common mode voltage between units and not directly for the audio signal.

Who ever dreamt up the idea to share the delicate Audio signal with the Ground / Earth interconnection was having a very bad day at work...
 
John
I would be delighted if you could!! Could you send me your address and I will paypal some funds to you. Many thanks for the offer!
 
These are 10db and a little more would probably be ideal, maybe 15db.

There's a photo of the internals here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42327571@N05/10542744554/), looks like a tricky job to me!

10542744554
 
Tony,

I cannot open the above link (might be a problem my end)?

But no problem, I've made up pairs for Arthur....
 
John
I just changed the permissions on that photograph, should link now. They will be winging there way to you in the morning. Are euros any use to you? (Also for the MDAC II payments?)
 
JohnW said:
Thank you for the payment.

We hope to post a Youtube Video clip showing how to install the new PCB once they are ready - or you can send your MDAC to us in Czech Rep. for the upgrade (at no charge, just cover the postage).
Click to expand...

I'm hoping to persuade Simon to do mine on atrip to the in-laws.

GIANT bacon scariness are offered as enticement.
 
Tonyb said:
John
I haven't figured out posting photographs yet.. They will be winging there way to you in the morning. Are euros any use to you? (Also for the MDAC II payments?)
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Got the picture now :) the gold plating looks decent.

Not much use for Euros here in CZ, we still thankfully have our local currency... don't worry about the funds ATM, we can add the return postage costs to your next MDAC2 payment to save PayPal fees :)
 
JohnW said:
Congratulations, that's going to be a very nice systems :)

I've no experience of ready made XLR cable brands - I'm sure others here will offer recommendations - but I can fully recommend using XLR over RCA interconnection even for short signal runs.

With Balanced interconnection, the audio signal is "isolated" from the Earth / Ground connection between units - this Ground connection is now only used to set the Common mode voltage between units and not directly for the audio signal.

Who ever dreamt up the idea to share the delicate Audio signal with the Ground / Earth interconnection was having a very bad day at work...
Click to expand...

Van damme cables are recommended with bryston. Cheap and uncoloured . I wouldn't use cables that will highlight the high frequencies as the MDAC is in my experience pretty bright sounding although according to some that's how it's recorded -like they know.
 
I've no idea how people solder things that are so small!

I'm glad you did mine John. :)

My attempts ruined a fistful of resistors a pair of xlrs and were the cause of a houseful of expletives :mad:
 
Stilgoe1972 said:
Van damme cables are recommended with bryston. Cheap and uncoloured . I wouldn't use cables that will highlight the high frequencies as the MDAC is in my experience pretty bright sounding although according to some that's how it's recorded -like they know.
Click to expand...

My MDAC certainly isn't bright sounding. In fact Anthony of Tube Distinctions commented on its hard-hitting dynamic sound without there being any aggressiveness at all at the top end.
 
Steven Toy said:
My MDAC certainly isn't bright sounding. In fact Anthony of Tube Distinctions commented on its hard-hitting dynamic sound without there being any aggressiveness at all at the top end.
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Hi Steven,
Different systems ,different rooms.

Do you use you're with valves Steven?
Yours also been mod'ed, as the one I had was the standard "budget" £599 one. Does it sound twice as good now:)
 
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