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MDAC first listen thread

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PhilCTTE said:
Johns reason was that the USB isolator does a better job when not attached to the chassis.
Click to expand...

Yes, one of the reasons:

1. The USB Isolator requires power from the HOST device, some Host devices such as the Apple IPad cannot supply the required power the Isolator (the IPad can only supply 20mA).

2. Placing the isolator within the same chassis degrades the RF isolation - imagine placing an RF transmitter inside a box, everything within the box is going to pick-up the RF radiation - placing the isolator outside the DAC Chassis resolves the issue to a large degree.
 
PhilCTTE said:
Johns reason was that the USB isolator does a better job when not attached to the chassis.

Still playing around with my laptop USB isolator > MDAC with hi-res files 96/24 Nirvana Nevermind download. Although there is bags of detail, there's also a little harshness at top end, but this could well be the recording. Does anyone have this remastered hi-res version to compare notes ?
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Hi PhilCTTE,

Whats the rest of your system, I don't think anyone would say the MDAC's harsh.

Have you tried the different Digital filter settings? Try Optimal spectrum.

Any Nirvana recordings I've heard are bright (But I've NOT heard any HiRes)
 
MDAC.jpg


Hi John

I just plugged it all together and everything defaulted to what it should. Simply brilliant!

I'm using the balanced output and it's great. In fact quite remarkable, well done chaps!

Regards

Dave
 
Does anyone have this remastered hi-res version to compare notes ?
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There's a thread in the Music Room, it appears to be a terrible mastering and according to the Steve Hoffman forum the high resolution version is simply a higher resolution terrible mastering.

A bit of a shame really.

Paul
 
Paul R said:
There's a thread in the Music Room, it appears to be a terrible mastering and according to the Steve Hoffman forum the high resolution version is simply a higher resolution terrible mastering.

A bit of a shame really.

Paul
Click to expand...

Sadly, this follows what I've heard from the standard 44.1 Nirvana recordings :(
 
JohnW said:
Hi PhilCTTE,

Whats the rest of your system, I don't think anyone would say the MDAC's harsh.

Have you tried the different Digital filter settings? Try Optimal spectrum.

Any Nirvana recordings I've heard are bright (But I've NOT heard any HiRes)
Click to expand...

Easy John don't worry. :)

I'm not saying its the MDAC.

Just that this Nirvana remaster hires version is louder than the original and also seems to sound a tad harsh. After reading the net for reviews it seems its the case. Its just that this is the only 96/24 I have or ever tried in my system . And is also the first time I've streamed from my laptop.

The Sonos 44.1 sounds superb and with the MDAC is way way better , certainly a night and day difference from anything I've used previously since my TAG DVD player (different amps as well). I did try the Optimal Spectrum, but it was still evident .


System is Marantz MM8003 av 8 channel amp (bi-amped with Atlas Hyper2), Marantz HD AV7005 processor , Sonos ZP80 Tag dig coax. B&W 8nt Signature in-walls. Mark Grant XLR's.

oh and MDAC is wired into 7.1 analogue bypass with Atlas Hyper interconnects.
 
JohnW said:
Hi PhilCTTE,

Whats the rest of your system, I don't think anyone would say the MDAC's harsh.

Have you tried the different Digital filter settings? Try Optimal spectrum.

Any Nirvana recordings I've heard are bright (But I've NOT heard any HiRes)
Click to expand...

Actually John I noticed some high-end harshness when I first powered up. It seems to have gone after hours of listening. I don't know if I adjusted or this was part of the run-in process.

I am running the Sonos into the M-DAC into a Lexicon MC-12 (analogue bypass) into Bryston power-amps into Lexicon Reference 4.2 speakers.
 
JohnW said:
Hi Jon Statt,

If you PM your Email address I can Email the WAV file - I'm not sure if it’s not going to have the same issue with its header information - but worth a try.

You could try playing the FLAC file from your PC to confirm the File is "Correct"

It would be a shame if the Sonos is not Bit Accurate - but it’s useful to know.

Early days, let’s see if anyone else has success.

Did you say the test passes from your PC?

John
Click to expand...


Hi John,

I have PM'd you. I haven't got a PC connected up to the M-DAC at present. I mentioned a PC before purely in relation to the fact that the WAV file played in windows media player (showing the WAV file is good), whereas the Sonos rejected to play it.

Thanks for your help and feedback
 
Left it all running overnight .. will do some more listening tonight.

I will play the same 44.1 def material via laptop and via sonos to compare like with like to see if it's the laptop Foobar2000 usb isolator combination.
 
PhilCTTE said:
Easy John don't worry. :)

I'm not saying its the MDAC.

Just that this Nirvana remaster hires version is louder than the original and also seems to sound a tad harsh. After reading the net for reviews it seems its the case. Its just that this is the only 96/24 I have or ever tried in my system . And is also the first time I've streamed from my laptop.

The Sonos 44.1 sounds superb and with the MDAC is way way better , certainly a night and day difference from anything I've used previously since my TAG DVD player (different amps as well). I did try the Optimal Spectrum, but it was still evident .
Click to expand...

Be interesting to see if your Sonos is bit accurate...

I've never tried any decent music at 24/96kHz (nothing that I’ve seriously sat down and listen too).

It seems a shame that some people are jumping on the "HiRes" bandwagon - and then just reissuing there poor Masters... your just going to end up hearing how bad the original Master really where...

Trouble is, even if I downloaded any decent music now, since returning from China last month, my current system here in CZ is worthless - I need a decent pair of speakers... really looking forward to getting my system set up.
 
jonstatt said:
Hi John,

I have PM'd you. I haven't got a PC connected up to the M-DAC at present. I mentioned a PC before purely in relation to the fact that the WAV file played in windows media player (showing the WAV file is good), whereas the Sonos rejected to play it.

Thanks for your help and feedback
Click to expand...

Hi Jonathan,

I'm sorry I tried to Email the raw WAV file but its a little over 51MB, and I have an Email limit of 25MB,

John
 
Just switched off the internal preamplifier in the M-DAC. However beware that in doing so it halted iTunes and I had to re-start it, a little bit of adrenaline in the blood, but it's all well now. Just thought I would mention that to stop others accumulating grey hairs!

Dave
 
Dave Cawley said:
Just switched off the internal preamplifier in the M-DAC. However beware that in doing so it halted iTunes and I had to re-start it, a little bit of adrenaline in the blood, but it's all well now. Just thought I would mention that to stop others accumulating grey hairs!

Dave
Click to expand...

It is a digital pre-amplifier so effectively setting the volume to 0dB or switching the pre-amp off should be identical. You lose the mute button if you disable the pre-amp.
 
Unlike last week when I experienced a "voyage of disappointment" on a piece of equipment, the M-DAC is a "voyage of discovery" !

Anyway, John do you think you could point me to some frequency response graphs of the various filters please? Right now I'm loving the minimum phase, but am I deluded?

Thanks

Dave
 
Just ran the bit perfect test and all was ok on my system. Squeezebox classic over wifi to an iMac. Good to know everything is setup correctly for best reproduction!

Derek
 
Dave Cawley said:
Unlike last week when I experienced a "voyage of disappointment" on a piece of equipment, the M-DAC is a "voyage of discovery" !

Anyway, John do you think you could point me to some frequency response graphs of the various filters please? Right now I'm loving the minimum phase, but am I deluded?

Thanks

Dave
Click to expand...

Hi Dave,

There’s little going on with the in-band FR, theirs about 0.5dB to 1dB variation between them - everything’s happening in the Time-domain, so Impulse response plots are more telling - I'm not sure how to do these on my R&S I've here in CZ - we use our AP's for these (back in China).

Minimum phase, No Pre-ringing, only post ringing (which should be acoustically masked), reasonable transition band filtering - so it’s a decent filter. It’s a "cross" between OS and OT filters...

John
 
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