AURALiC ARK MX+ , a high-end USB DAC for an affordable price

It's long been a strong conviction, especially in HIFI industry, that you get what you pay for. Yet once in a billion years, somebody breaks the rule.

When I was offered a chance to try a USB DAC made by a Chinese audio company that's little known to the world as well as in its own country, I was hesitant. I was in a passionate love affair with the well famed Weiss DAC202 at the time. I believed that should be my last DAC for a long time to come. DAC202 fulfilled all my dreams for a perfect source: high fidelity, musicality, and ease of use. I saw no reason why I should need another DAC. If there existed one, that should be well beyond the $6670 retail price of DAC202, which I can barely afford. And AURALiC ARK MX+, the DAC I am offered, is $1500 for an introductory price. Well I am no audio expert doing reviews for HIFI periodicals or BBS. I am a professor of Chinese literature who happens to have some interest in music and headphones. The only reason for me to try an audio equipment is to determine whether I should buy it. And I did not think I would replace a $6670 DAC for a $1500 one.

I had never met Mr Wang Yuan, the man behind ARK MX+ , except that we both attend Headphone Club, a headphone discussion board well-known for Chinese headphone fans. About half a year ago I bought from another audiophile a second hand headphone amplifier, named Bugatti, that was made by Mr Wang Yuan. The quality of the amp fully convinced me, and I made some very positive comments in Headphone Club. And that's the beginning of the whole story. With previous nice impression of an Auralic product, I finally build up enough interest to try the new DAC. To make a long story short, I listened to ARK MX+, and I sold my Weiss DAC202.

DAC......what a lovely jargon! How mysterious it sounds to one who is just about to step into the land of HIFI, the world of over spending, and the sea of finacial abyss. I still remember the time when I first heard HD650 through the built-in amp of Benchmark DAC1 in a audio store in Nanjing. The cleanness of the sound, the transparency, and the deep impact all converged into one sensation for me: that's something "PRO". My entry level Sanling CD player sounds like a toy compared with DAC1, and I bought the latter with no hesitation.

The year is 2005. That's also the year when I bumped into head-fi, the beginning of endless turmoils. I went through a bunch of headphones and amplifiers, but I remained loyal to DAC1 for about 4 years. I thought that would be my last DAC. I could not possibly think about another DAC that can sound obviously better than DAC1. I can imagine one that's slightly better than DAC1, but at a much more expensive price. "That won't worth it", I would think, until I came across Ayre QB9.

Ayre QB9! That's a milestone in computer audiophile, and also a milestone in my own humble quest for better sound. As the saying goes: "comparisons are odious". The moment I heard QB9, I knew I had been wrong to think that DAC1 cound not be vastly surpassed. QB9 has such a lush sound while holding more information than DAC1. Well, at 3 times the price of DAC1, it should be . And it's definitely more musical. When you  are beginning to feel musical from a DAC, there is no going back.

And the pattern went again. I thought QB9 is the LAST DAC for me.  Laugh at me if you will, but I suspect that's kind of human instinct to keep thinking in that way. And then there was a very kind young man who offered to send a Weiss DAC202 for me to try. Man I was blown away......again!

If I have some minor complaint about QB9, it's because I think it is a little bit "muddy" compared with DAC1. With Weiss DAC202, the sense of "muddiness" is completely gone. DAC202 is transparent, full of detail, and very musical. I even think about it as an advance version of DAC1, with the musicality of QB9.

I have gone quite some way from DAC1 to DAC202, which seemed to have fulfill all my dreams about a DAC. And the pattern went again. Whenever you think there is the end, the road goes further. And here comes AURALiC ARK MX+.

Can a $1500 DAC really fight a $6670 DAC? In what way? In what aspect? To what extent? I will share my impression while enjoying my new "last DAC".

Now some technical informations. According to AURALiC site ( http://www.auralic.com/en/ ), ARK MX+ is a 32 bit/192KHz USB D/A converter. It boasts of an ActiveUSB technology, which claims to overcome the transmission limitation from Asynchronous USB which can only adjust +/- one clock cycle error of data package in isochronous clock. With mass data buffer technology and multi-stage, high resolution PLL circuit, ARK MX+ could buffer audio stream as long as 2 seconds, which could prevent time-based jitter resulted from the limitation of computer.

I'm no tech expert, so I can only understand ARK MX+ uses the Asynchronous USB technology that's becoming popular nowadays, and it claims to have improved on that.

So the main input of ARK MX+ is a USB 2.0 Input (44.1KHz-192KHz, up to 32Bit). Unlike some USB DAC, it also has a S/PDIF Digital Input (44.1KHz-192KHz up to 24Bit), which can be convenient for other digital sources.

ARK MX+ has one balanced analog output, as well as a single-ended analog output. It even has an AES/EBU Digital Output, so it can also be used as a USB digital source. Well, in case you have a DAC that's better than ARK MX+......

For 32Bit/192KHZ audio to work, an exclusive USB driver must be intalled.  After installation, an ARK MX+ USB Control Panel. There are some settings that are adjustable, but I just leave it at their default.
 

For better audio quality when playing through Foobar2000 or other computer audio players, AURALiC Sanctuary USB ASIO should be selected.

The back of the ARK MX+ :

Any opinions? I'm eagerly looking for feedbacks from other users, but I know at this very moment the chance is very slim. I don't know whether there is a Head-fier who has ever heard this DAC. I whole-heartedly wish there will be some who have the chance to try it. Chinese made HIFI equipments are seeing leaps these years, and they are stepping into high-end area previously unattained by them. AURALic ARK MX+ completely changed my previous idea about C/P Ratio.  I truely wish you guys could share my excitement. I believe there will be.

A pic of the interior.