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Performance is now really rather good and for the price it’s excellent.

But it is still not a high end solution.  The Firewire output from my Mac into the TC Konnect 8 is still significantly better in virtually every way: More detail, better low end, sweeter voices and the list continues.  There is a price difference of course: The Konnect 8 with a modified Naim PSC is around £500 making it around five times the cost of the hiFace.  The question is, are you trying to save money or are you an audiophile?

Remember that I’m comparing a budget USB to S/PDIF device with a more expensive Firewire based device powered by a good stiff linear PS (a modified Naim PSC). No great surprise that there was a difference especially as the Konnect 8 is my favourite way of getting digital music from a computer so far.

The results using the same system as used for the Pure Music listening, but substituting the M2 and cables for the Konnect 8 and cables, wern’t in the same league. The M2 is  rougher, more two dimensional and just lacks the sheer class of the Konnect 8 based interface.

Pure Music works well with it, and Memory Play sounded cleaner and tidier than standard play.

With this and the Pure Music listening it’s just the start of the process.  More when I’ve experienced them in more than one system.

Postscript: I experimented today with a 5m long hi-speed USB cable and a one metre BNC to BNC S/PDIF cable.  There was a small improvement over the 5m S/PDIF cable but the results were still a little dissapointing.  To be fair, the M2Tech is a budget product and as such sounds great.  It just doesn’t really cut it in a high-end system.

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This is the first major revision for this product in over 7 years. This takes the CDX2 into new markets delivering greater performance and far increased flexibility. The price remains the same.

The new version CDX2 adds a switchable S/PDIF output on a 75 Ohm BNC connector for the correct impedance match.

Radio Paradise (RP) is a commercial-free listener-supported radio station.  Listeners supporting the station during October are automatically entered into the draw to win the NaimUniti and n-SAT speakers.

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With the massive amount of publicity (some would say hype) surrounding the new remastered Beatles CDs I thought it was time to dig out the old ones  and compare them to a couple of the new editions.

I chose Revolver, my wife’s favourite and The White Album, the one that I dislike least.  You will notice below the comparisons of the dynamics of two tracks.

Top two images: Yellow Submarine, Original and Remastered

Bottom two images: Back in the U.S.S.R., original and remastered

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As you can see there has been some work done.  From what I’ve read they have talked about limiting to bring things up to date.  From what I can see and what I can hear they have cleaned up the sound , firmed up the bottom end considerably and added a degree of compression that is unfortunately almost essential for any modern release.  Compared to say the last Metallica released this is absolutely sonically fantastic dynamics wise.  Compared to the originals, somehow while they have more presence and more punch they also sound a touch too loud in places. The vocals in Back in the U.S.S.R. just shout.  Pity.

I know I’m biased, as I’m not a Beatles fan, but would I buy these new CDs for pleasure? No.  Will I listen to any again in the next few weeks? Yes. However, as I’ve just learn’t that the new Prefab Sprout album is in the post the answer may now be No.

I was listening yesterday to the Cambridge DacMagic connected to my HP2133 via USB. The sound quality was really unpleasant: especially in the treble where it was very splashy and relentless. I then connected the DacMagic via an optical isolating USB hub.  Not a practical solution as the hub, which is designed more for medical applications, is more expensive than the Cambridge. I won’t say the music was transformed into something truly audiophile but it was significantly better. The splashy quality was still there but much less obvious, the sound was more three dimensional and the bottom end was easier to follow. Realistically the jitter shouldn’t have changed (much). If anything, one would perhaps expect jitter to have increased but the sound was definitely better.

Today I played the DacMagic versus the V-Dac both connected via USB and using the USB isolating hub.  I think I can here now where the differences in opinion between CA and MF come from.  Back to Bananarama: Robert DeNiro’s waiting and the Cambridge sounds faster but the MF has a more airy 3D feel which is instantly appealing.  As I listen for longer though I become aware of a irritating quacky quality to sibilants from the MF.

Bananarama isn’t the last word in great quality recording so I chose Tumbleweed from Bill Miller’s album Reservation Road, a live recording of Bill singing and playing guitar. Again the MF does an excellent job and had I not compared it with the DM, I would have been happy.  The Cambridge just has more dynamics; it goes quieter.  Bill’s guitar playing  improved as it was now possible to easily here how hard he was strumming.  On this track the DM had the better sense of acoustic space and, most important of all, it communicated the passion of the song.

A friend is popping round tomorrow so I’ll play all this stuff to him and see if we hear any more differences.

Previous post on the comparison

OK, these differences are not huge and you may think that the extra hundred (ish) quid for the DM is just too much for the small differences.  Have a listen for yourself then you can judge.

For those interested in upgrading the power supplies of the MF V-DAC I compared the supplied walwart supply with the Maplin and although there were differences with the Maplin having a touch more weight and grip, the differences were smaller than a change of digital cable might bring.

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The two DACs are pretty close; in fact I’ve not drawn a conclusion yet. The MF is initially very enticing, it has a very direct quality as if a veil has been removed from in front of the speakers but at the same time it wasn’t quite as cohesive.  The DacMagic – set to my preferred Minimum phase setting – was a little more relaxed, laid back in presentation but the bass was together with the rest of the band.  The MF, although it timed, somehow managed to sound a tad slow on bass lines.

Lots more listening to do with coax S/PDIF as today was with optical.  More soon.