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MFX-Can V3 amp

post #1 of 13
11/25/04 at 4:41am
Thread Starter 
Coupla Q's:

I've got the Senn HD650. Am I likely to notice the difference if I get the Music Fidelity X-Can V3 Headphone amplifier? Everyone says you need a dedicated amp to enjoy the senns. I'm using the hp jack of a NAD av amp. Source is PC and lossless audio/CDs.

How does it compare to the Headphone Little with Electronics upgrade? (which would cost me about 100US extra.. shipping to Australia).

And: the X-Can amp is tube.. does that mean I have to wait a few minutes after turning it on to let the tubes warm up, before I play music? I don't like the sound of having to wait around I used to work in a musical instrument store, and the guitar amps took maybe a full minute to warm up. I know it's not much but it would probably annoy me. How badly does tube warm-up affect headphone amps?

I can get the X-Can V3 for 500AU (that's 394US), including shipping from the other side of the country, and a power unit. The power unit is the standard MF brand one. I've read that other power units can show a marked improvement in sound... how would I get a better power unit? and where from, if anyone knows..

Thanks.
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post #2 of 13
11/25/04 at 5:45am

X-Can v NAD

I think you will find that the X-Can has a leaner, cleaner sound than the NAD, with a bit more detail and a certain sweetness to its midrange. However, you may find the sound too smooth and lacking balls, at least thats what I found with it, and the detail levels are not anything to write home about.

If you want to get into tubes, I think you could do so much better (even though I have no real experience with other tube amps). For the price it costs, on a sonic basis, the X-Can v3 is not particularly good value for money, IMHO.
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post #3 of 13
11/25/04 at 6:05am

Musical Fidelity X-Can v3

I had one and sent it back. It's not bad for an inexpensive amp, and the sound is very smooth and mellow, but I did find it to be uninvolving and somewhat boring. Don't bother getting the upgraded PSU, it isn't worth it to spend an extra $400 on that amp. For $800 total you can buy many amps that are much better, especially if you buy a good used one. Look at models by Singlepower, EddieCurrent, Woo Audio, etc. You can find very good ones from these for less than the cost of the X-Can v3 with the upgraded power supply.
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post #4 of 13
11/25/04 at 7:10am
Thread Starter 

sans-tubes

And what would u recommend if I don't want tubes, or don't paricularly care either way? I wanna stay sub ~350US.

I don't like the look of any amp that has tubes sticking out the top of it. Just asking to be broken. I know ppl are gonna go "WTF.. u buy it for the sound!" but I think its ridiculous making an amp all sturdy and then putting the most delicate part out in the open on top.
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post #5 of 13
11/25/04 at 7:49pm

Headamp Gilmore Lite

I have not personally heard the Headamp Gilmore Lite, but the general concensus on Head-Fi seems to be that this is the best new solid state amp you can find for $300. The sound will also improve if you add the upgraded power supply to it for an additional $200. If you can't afford both, you could always start with the Gilmore Lite and add the upgraded PSU later as your budget allows.

It's also a very nice looking amp and is small enough to fit anywhere. I'm thinking about getting one for my computer too.

Here's a link if you want to learn more about it.

http://www.headamp.com/lite.shtml
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post #6 of 13
11/25/04 at 8:04pm
From what I have read, the Gilmore Lite does seem a good buy for under $300.

I can personally atest to the quality of the Headsave Classic for under $200 too, definitely sounds better than the X-Can v3 IMHO.

Both are solid state though.
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post #7 of 13
11/27/04 at 12:00pm
Check out the Musical Fidelity web site... there are links to some reviews of the X-Can v3 on that site. I listened to a V3 at a dealer, and I liked the sound of it... it had a good measure of that tube magic to it, and to my ears there was plenty of detail. Stereophile magazine had put the original X-Can under class A of their recommended componants, and the v3 is supposed to sound significantly better than the original, so I wouldn't be so quick to write the X-Can v3 off.
The X-Can v3 I listened to did sound too bright for my tastes, but my understanding is that the the stock tubes are at fault, and simply rolling in a good set of NOS takes care of the problem.
The power supply of the v3 is supposed to have been upgraded from the old ones, and in the one of the v3 reviews I read, they claimed that the v3 has an abundance of power, and that upgrading the PS isn't really necessary.
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post #8 of 13
11/27/04 at 4:56pm
In all fairness, I never tried the V3 with a high level source (only the M*Audio Revolution soundcard in my computer), so I should disclose that. Perhaps a lot of the perceived dullness may be attributable to the soundcard. The v3 might be capable of a lot more than I experienced with a good source. Certainly the fact that it made the class A list in Stereophile means it is not to be dismissed.

At the very least, it's a very good amp for $400. I would probably only buy it if you plan on stopping at that point, rather than spending more money on an upgraded PSU (in which case it may make more sense to buy a Singlepower, MG Head, Woo Audio, etc. if you have room for them). It's also very nice looking, far better than most I have seen. I think tube rolling would be inconvienent with this amp as the tubes are not exposed.

It also has line out connections on the rear panel like the Gilmore Lite has, so if you want to connect it directly to your computer and also use powered 2.1 speakers, it's easy to do with just an adapter or two. Another advantage is the size: only about 7.5 w by 9.4 depth (w/knob) by 3.5 inches. That makes it one of the most compact tube amps around, if not the most compact, so if you have space limitations in your computer station it's worth considering this amp.
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post #9 of 13
11/27/04 at 5:08pm
V3 isn't too bad but it certainly isn't £100 better than the V2 and a V2 properly valved and capped beats the stock V3 hands down..... I may well buy a V3 and see if it benefits from a recap and a valve roll and also build a psu for it and see if that improves matters... I've had loads of enquiries from people asking about an alternative PSU and I reckon you could build one up for around £25.... I'll have to bite the bullet and buy a V3 just to get the under the bonnet info on the PSU connections unless there's anyone who wants to loan me theirs as a guinea pig which will return to them with a souped up PSU?
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post #10 of 13
11/27/04 at 7:46pm
Well you can get Cliff De Souza at Audiosynergy in Perth to make a psu for
the x can , i got one for $100 aus , works well on my x can v2 much better than the standard Dick Smith power pack , my next amp will be a Tallisman from Headphonic , call Marcus he's really helpfull. www.headphones.com.au
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post #11 of 13
11/27/04 at 8:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Soundbuff
In all fairness, I never tried the V3 with a high level source (only the M*Audio Revolution soundcard in my computer), so I should disclose that.
Yeah, I heard the v3 with a v3 X-Ray CDP as the source, and except for the brightness, I really liked the sound of it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by PinkFloyd
V3 isn't too bad but it certainly isn't £100 better than the V2 and a V2 properly valved and capped beats the stock V3 hands down..... I may well buy a V3 and see if it benefits from a recap and a valve roll and also build a psu for it and see if that improves matters... I've had loads of enquiries from people asking about an alternative PSU and I reckon you could build one up for around £25.... I'll have to bite the bullet and buy a V3 just to get the under the bonnet info on the PSU connections unless there's anyone who wants to loan me theirs as a guinea pig which will return to them with a souped up PSU?
Thanks for the info on the various X-Cans, and your web site is killer. I've been thinking of getting into an X-Can, and it looks as if the caps mod is a must do. That's not something I really want to mess with, so do you know anyone on this side of the pond that does that type of modification?
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post #12 of 13
10/15/05 at 12:28am

Xcan v3 is wonderful

without getting into the specifics, eg. midrange, bass, treble, the sound coming from my xcan v3 is worth the money i paid for. I enjoy music in its totality and not on its areas (midrange, bass, treble). All that i feel is that when i use my hd650 and xcan v3, they churn the music which i like- the kind of sonic signature that i hear from audio stores as they demo expensive speakers. Worth my investment IMHO. Every amp has its strengths and weaknesses and if i strive for those strengths, probably i would not find an amp that would suit to all that i seek in an amp. But the closest to the sound I "dream" is that from my senn 650 and xcan v3 combo.
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post #13 of 13
10/15/05 at 12:51am
I had an X-Can V3 that I used with my HD650's and I wasn't impressed, especially after reading all the glowing reviews about it. As some people here have said, I found it to be boring, despite its detail and no real weaknesses to pick on. I think for the money there are better amps out there, like the WooAudio 3 or PPX3, or some of Ray Samuel's amps.
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