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Musical Fidelity V-DAC Owners? - Page 6

post #76 of 870
12/26/08 at 5:58pm

Audio magazine DAC test

Guys, I find this thread a bit confusing: very opiniated. I'll kick in the test report from Audio magazine, that I found on the web. Seems a good starting point for an unbiased opinion, since the Germans seem no stakeholders in CA of MF for advertisement. The report also gives you an inside look into the V-DAC and some opportunity for training your skills in German. Viel Erfolg dabei! I'm Dutch BTW.
http://www.taurus-high-end.de/infoma..._audio0109.pdf
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post #77 of 870
12/26/08 at 6:13pm
Excellent find Calvin&Hobbes - this is exactly what I was after. So now we know the V-DAC uses a Burr-Brown 1792 DAC. Maybe some of the electronics whizzes can comment, but should I be getting excited about the abundance of ceramic capacitors in the V-DAC circuit board?
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post #78 of 870
12/26/08 at 7:54pm
I own the PS Audio DLIII and Benchmark Dac1 Pre and recently bought the DacMagic and V-Dac to compare. I prefer the V-Dac over the DacMagic. It sounds more musical and open to my ears. The DacMagic sounds slightly compressed and less extended by comparison. The Dac1 still sounds more detailed but that's not to say the V-Dac is lacking in detail. It's just not as pronounced given its warmer signature vs the thinner, dryer Dac1. I'd say the V-Dac sounds very similar to the DLIII which has a smooth, full-bodied, and punchy sound. I still prefer the DLIII but that's saying a lot for the V-Dac which costs a third of the price.
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post #79 of 870
12/26/08 at 9:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Calvin&Hobbes View Post
Guys, I find this thread a bit confusing: very opiniated. I'll kick in the test report from Audio magazine, that I found on the web. Seems a good starting point for an unbiased opinion, since the Germans seem no stakeholders in CA of MF for advertisement. The report also gives you an inside look into the V-DAC and some opportunity for training your skills in German. Viel Erfolg dabei! I'm Dutch BTW.
http://www.taurus-high-end.de/infoma..._audio0109.pdf

So can anyone translate the german about the V-DAC & the Dacmagic?
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post #80 of 870
12/27/08 at 11:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Herandu View Post
Soundwise I can't detect any PRaT (pace, thythm and timing). And the bass response is not as good as I expected.
THAT, essentially summarize my experience with MF products. In a haze to join the SACD camp a few years back, I brought the $5.5K MF Trivista SACD player. I am not good with describing sound, but over prolonged listening I found the PRAT to be both reticent and accentuated across different frequency spectrum. The bass is there but was not well integrated into the envelop of the musical note. Tonality is missing and err on the bleached side of neutrality. These issues are not apparant on first listening and may well be mitigated with careful synergy of the rest of the audio chain, but in my case I do found they grow on me overtime.

Since then I have came across a few other MF components and they seem to share the same issues to varying degrees, saved for the Nuvista CDP which IMHO is the best sounding MF component I heard. I look forward to hearing the V-DAC but if I found the same observation with What Hi Fi, at least MF is improving and shall register a success in my book.
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post #81 of 870
12/27/08 at 1:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by The-One View Post
So can anyone translate the german about the V-DAC & the Dacmagic?
They write that the DACMagic is difficult to differentiate from the UD-01 but possesses a somewhat wider soundstage. The UD-01 sounded in comparison somewhat narrower, but absolutely more organic with a more authentic high frequency spectrum where instruments sounded longer and more supple.

They write generally that weak sources limit the potential of DAC's and that this was very apparent with the V-DAC. The V-DAC did little to improve the sound of a Sonos ZP-90 but with a Linn Sneaky's upsampled output, the V-DAC delivered a sound so balanced, powerful, clean and musical that the blindfolded tester preferred the sound with the V-DAC to the Linn Sneaky alone.

They write further that the other DAC's benefited as well from the better source, but that the DACMagic did not attain the impressive stature and artless elegance of the V-DAC.
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post #82 of 870
12/27/08 at 5:07pm

summary of german article

thanks for that, koto-in
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post #83 of 870
12/27/08 at 7:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Greeni View Post
I look forward to hearing the V-DAC but if I found the same observation with What Hi Fi, at least MF is improving and shall register a success in my book.
When did you think you were going to hear the V-DAC? Hopefully soon, as I am interested in your opinion of it.

I am also interested to hear from anyone who listens mostly to classical music buff and has the V-DAC.
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post #84 of 870
12/27/08 at 10:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by koto-in View Post
They write further that the other DAC's benefited as well from the better source, but that the DACMagic did not attain the impressive stature and artless elegance of the V-DAC.
I have to go along with that conclusion. The DacMagic sounds less enjoyable than the V-DAC. A bit difficult to detect on classical music, but more modern fast transient records exposes a softness in the DacMagic that makes it unbearable to listen to for me through speakers. The air movement in the bass region is far too woolly. The V-DAC does a better job of it, but it lacks pace and depth. Crescendos and sudden dynamic range explosive burst seem toned down.
That's after 4 days of burning in. I'll retake the tests at the end of the coming week and see if the results are still the same.
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post #85 of 870
12/27/08 at 10:44pm
Whathifi writes: "If anything, this richness could get a bit much at times – especially as it means a degree of compromise when it comes to rhythmic precision. Fans of pumping beats and propulsive basslines will find something better for the money elsewhere."

Can anyone confirm this? I might be interested in this DAC, but it would definitely be a point off it didn't perform well with such music.
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post #86 of 870
12/28/08 at 12:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ADD View Post
When did you think you were going to hear the V-DAC? Hopefully soon, as I am interested in your opinion of it.

I am also interested to hear from anyone who listens mostly to classical music buff and has the V-DAC.
Hi, the dealer in my country is expected to stock the V-DAC next month. I pre-ordered one for $180 only. Will be putting it up against the similarily priced Valab. Judging from the varying impressions already made above, I doubt my own opinion may only contribute to more confusion.
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post #87 of 870
12/28/08 at 3:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Herandu View Post
I have to go along with that conclusion. The DacMagic sounds less enjoyable than the V-DAC. A bit difficult to detect on classical music, but more modern fast transient records exposes a softness in the DacMagic that makes it unbearable to listen to for me through speakers. The air movement in the bass region is far too woolly. The V-DAC does a better job of it, but it lacks pace and depth. Crescendos and sudden dynamic range explosive burst seem toned down.
That's after 4 days of burning in. I'll retake the tests at the end of the coming week and see if the results are still the same.
What is your amp and speaker??
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post #88 of 870
12/28/08 at 2:40pm

the more the merrier

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greeni View Post
Hi, the dealer in my country is expected to stock the V-DAC next month. I pre-ordered one for $180 only. Will be putting it up against the similarily priced Valab. Judging from the varying impressions already made above, I doubt my own opinion may only contribute to more confusion.

It is true that the only way to end the confusion is to listen for yourself and compare. If you dont have that option, then the more opinions the better. I hope you will give your impressions.
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post #89 of 870
12/28/08 at 8:53pm
thx for the translation koto-in
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post #90 of 870
12/29/08 at 8:28pm
Hi,

I just have another question to those people with the V-DAC and who are listening to lossless. Does the V-DAC enable to you to reduce the SPL you would normally have been listening at previously without compromising the listening experience?

Traits like lack of grain, smoothness, top end extension, detail and fullsome bass could help you do that I suppose, and those are some of the comments I have read thus far.

The reason I ask is that I have been optimising my setup over the last 12 months to be able to listen at reduced SPL, thanks to the unfortunate altercation my ears and a powerful antibiotic had two years ago (resulting in no hearing loss but loud tinnitus and moderate hyperacusis).

Anyway, I tend to find the more realistic something sounds, the lower the volume level has to be, so I am hoping the addition of this V-DAC will let me even further reduce volume levels without compromising detail, impact, enjoyment, etc.
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