New Audiolab DAC - Page 26

To gain more detail out of MDAC, you could try these settings.

 

Filter: Optimum spectrum

D3E: unmodified (some prefered full supression but on my ipad as transport, unmodified has more dynamics)

 

Those with a Ipad, just upload your song in MP3 320mbps or lostless acc with camera connection kit and usb cable, you are ready to try out the MDAC.

 

MDAC mid will be fuller than CDQ due to its cross output stage (MDAC)

 

 

 

I own a M-DAC myself and recently got to spend a week with a friend's W4S DAC2.

 

Both these DACs utilize a Sabre ESS 9018 chip and both has balanced outputs.

Cost price, DAC2 costs more than twice of M-DAC, but performance wise, I would say DAC2 beats M-DAC by around 40%.

 

Both sound great, but DAC2 sounds amazing. More natural sounding with better details and staging.

But I'm very happy with my M-DAC for now. It's great sounding at that price point and is rather feature packed.

Interesting but surprised by your 40 % estimate as I found differences between all the DAC I owned to be extremelly subtle at best.  Will have to give the W4S a listen. Which M-DAC settings and which amp did you use to compare them?

If there's indeed a "40%" [wth does this mean?] difference between a $900 DAC and a $2,000 DAC.  This whole industry is a crapshoot, and manufacturers, along with their fanboys, deserve ridicule and widespread questioning.

Weird. I found that  optimal transient (Any) + D3E  usually sound more detailed and dynamic (with a PC). D3E should really be left on, unless it causes problems, according to the designer as it improves the digital and analogue signal of the DAC.
 

 

D3E setting I suspect is recording dependent. Its really up to individual to experiment to find the setting you like. That's why I said 'you could try' :)

 

For filter, I always find consistence result, ie opt spectrum more dynamic and clean sounding than the rest. Again, it might by personal preference and definition. You could certainly not agree with me.

 

 

 

 

 

The Decorrelator isn't recording dependent at all. John Westlake made clear that to obtain maximum performance out of the M-DAC is should be left on. It is the clever bit that's make this DAC different from other offerings. It minimize negative interactions between the analog and digital circuitry on the fly by analyzing the flow of data.

Now, filter choice will depends on everyone ears and systems.

Well, everyone do hear differently. And to my ears, it was subtle, it was indeed rather substantial. But considering the 2 difeerent price points of M-DAC and W4S DAC2, I would consider the M-DAC to punch above its weight.

 

I used optimal transient XD with Burson HA-160. RCA cables used are a pair of Silver Dragon.

I am been swimming (drowning?) in the wacky world of hi-fi long enough to realise that prices rarely relates to SQ. 

I  also hope you properly level matched within 0.5db before making any comparison?

Hmm.. Most of the time pricces do relate to SQ. It's just that beyond a certain price point, the law of diminishing return sets in really steeply.

 

In this case, though I did not do any calibration, the difference was still substantial. The signature is there.

For those who haven't came across it another more in depth and balanced comparison between the M-DAC and W4S DAC:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/599218/m-dac-vs-mh-25-3-vs-w4s-dac-2

 

And somebody else who couldn't hear a difference in his system (speakers) between W4S DAC and the Nuforce HDP (£300):

http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showpost.php?p=1172894&postcount=37

 

Pick your poison.

 

Edited by zenpunk - 4/3/12 at 9:28am

there isn't 'should' in my own experience. You are certainly welcome to follow the suggested settings. As I already did rounds on trial with my speaker setup and headphone I found leave it as it should sound more dynamic in my systems. In a way, Im trying suggest pp out there who found the mdac not enough detail or too 'dxxk' (hate to use this words as many pp misunderstand it) could try the above.

No problem . We all have our own preferences. Many  people enjoy the sound of NOS DAC or Vinyl and others enjoy messing around with equalizers. My suggestion was for those who want to get the best performance out of the M-DAC, which is not dependent on personal taste.

Your comment about details is interesting as that 's the first thing that I noticed when compared to my other Dacs. I mean the extra amount of it. I  was at first suspicious and wondered if the DAC kind of exaggerated those in an unnatural way.

On first listen I actually thought it was over detailed.  I have since changed my mind about it though 

Edited by zenpunk - 4/3/12 at 8:22am

Those two links are the same.

 

Fixed. cheers