Well, USB Monica now has well over 200 hours burn in and she seems stable in her sound signature. I have had some fun going back and forth between her and the 2006 MicroDAC. The latter has a real warm spot in my heart as the transition from the Total Bithead to the MicroDAC+Millett Hybrid was my first real experience with the potential of digital audio. However, USB Monica is a whole different ballgame.
Two points right off: I don't believe that I have the world's best ears at 40+ years. Lame V2 VBR-new sound about as good as FLAC and I don't claim to have the sensitivity to fine gradations of bass performance in similar amps. Some people on here amaze me with what they can distinguish. I don't question it, I just don't have it. I do however find different sources to be easily noticable, be it the iPod Video, H140 headphone out, or in this case the MicroDAC versus USB Monica.
The other point is that I am really a one trick pony when it comes to my loves of the Millett Hybrid+Darth Beyers V3 combination. It's a very warm bassy organic combination. Potential synergies are worth keeping in mind in my views below.
In summary, these two DACs could not be more easily distinguished. The MicroDAC is more dynamic and lively with a sharper sound that brings details to the forefront. USB Monica is mellower with a more musical presentation. I don't actually perceive any less detail but it's less in your face. Treble is definately the strong point of the MicroDAC; it's forward and crisp. Yet it is sweeter and less jarring on USB Monica. Mids are where USB Monica excels. Female vocals in particular are beautifully presented. Bass is the interesting one to analyse and I think that my conclusions have to be seen as entirely relative to the Darth Beyers. Bass has a bit more slam with the MicroDAC. Bass on USB Monica is about as deep but far more organic. Interestingly, USB Monica shows less intensity in the mid bass and therefore less boom to the overall presentation. I had played with plugging holes on my Darths to reduce bass boom but could never quite bring myself to make it permanent since it also defeated the Darth's great strength. With USB Monica I am no longer tempted to plug. The bass is just right: deep and smooth without excess in the mids. This is pure synergy between the USB Monica and the Darths. Some song specific notes:
Saint James, This Train that I Ride (Snakefarm - Songs From My Funeral). These both well display the differences between these DACs. (Stevieo introduced me to this great album as an excellent headphone test.) The MicroDAC is livelier and more exciting in its presentation. There is so much going on in the soundstage of this album and the MicroDAC wraps you in sonic activity. USB Monica by contrast has a smoother presentation. Everything is there and imaging within the soundstage is well defined. But Anna Domino's vocals take centre stage with wonderful transparency. The accompaniments are less jarring and don't demand attention as they do on the MicroDAC. It changes the entire dynamic. This is an album where the MicroDAC displays its strengths yet its a bit disturbing moving from USB Monica back to it. I almost have to brace myself for the additional edginess.
Funky Monks (RHC Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik). That bit of extra bass slam form the MicroDAC suits the music. I also feel that the edgy treble presentation suits the dynamic of the song. By the end though, my brain is feeling a bit tired from rattling around inside my cranium. USB Monica makes this a more pleasant song to listen to - the bass slam is more controlled and the soundstage less busy - but pleasant isn't necessarily the priority with the Peppers.
Drawn to the Rhythm (Sarah McLaughlin - Solace). USB Monica's presentation is much more compelling than the MicroDAC. It's achingly musical, hardly digital at all. All focus is on Sarah's sweet vocals. The instrumentation is warm and organic, entirely supportive. MicroDAC is so darn edgy by comparison. I feel that it isn't as inviting a listen.
Don't Know Why (Norah Jones- Come away with me). There's more sparkle to the piano on the MicroDAC and the overall sound is more in my face. So why do I prefer USB Monica? Actually, I more than prefer her. She smokes the MicroDAC on this track. It's all about the music. There's no jarring quality to Norah's vocals, the percussion accompanies rather than asserting its presence. It's wonderfully organic and such a transparent window to Norah's vocals.
Black Dog (Led Zepellin IV). What can I say? MicroDAC's presentation is undoubtedly truer to the headbanger nature of this song. Me, I'm just getting a bit too long in the tooth to tolerate tight jaw and aching eardrums. USB Monica makes this classic a much more enjoyable listen. It rocks without bruising the cerebrum. But many may prefer the more forward trebles of the MicroDAC for just that reason.
Broken Home Broken Heart (Husker Du - Zen Arcade). Perhaps matched only by REM's Murmur for influence on the 80s alternative scene, this seminal Minneapolis post-punk double album sadly is one of the worst CD transfers ever. USB Monica takes the digital edge off and makes it a more than passable organic listen. A material improvement over the MicroDAC but we're talking remediation of bad SQ here.
Morning Morgan Town (Joni Mitchell - Ladies of the Canyon). As expected USB Monica is more musical and simply more enjoyable. In fairness to the MicroDAC, there's more sparkle to the acoustic guitar and the soundstage seems to have more presence. Yet having just heard it on USB Monica, switching to the MicroDAC almost makes me flinch. It's a visceral reaction. Where did that musical balance go?
Norwegian Wood (Patricia Barber - Collection). The MicroDAC handles jazz very well. The string bass attacks with zest and the piano and percussions receive the definition that they deserve. Cymbals are bright and exciting. Hard to fault it. USB Monica renders the opening vocals and piano beautifully. Female vocals are her strength, no doubt. And the jazz? Well I like it a lot, perhaps because I have become accustomed to this girl's sound signature. All the important qualities of the jazz are there, from bass pluck to shimmering cymbals. But it doesn't hit like an ice pick between my eyes. Objectively speaking, the MicroDAC might do a better job. But I am no longer objective. I actually prefer Monica's musical presentation.
The Runaway (Gentle Giant - In A Glass House). This review could not be complete without exploring my roots. This song still represents the most unashamed indulgence of 70s Progressive Rock and is also amongst its best offerings. What I notice immediately with USB Monica is that the opening breaking glass doesn't make me flinch as much as it always has. Not a hint of hashness in the treble presentation. Beyond that, the comparison is exactly in line with the conclusions above. The MicroDAC is brighter and livelier in the soundstage. USB Monica is more laid back and organic. The bass slam is just a bit lighter but the mid bass tighter. All the detail is there yet it has a more musical feel. BUT here is where I might have to tip my hat to the MicroDAC. Unlike the many female vocalists above, Gentle Giant does not have a terribly compelling centre stage. The best stuff is the instrumentation that wraps around the soundstage. The MicroDAC does a better job of emphasising these elements and perhaps delivers the song in a more appropriate manner. It's less warm but this isn't a particularly warm song anyway. I suppose the MicroDAC seems truer to the genre. (I had a similar observation regarding The Great Curve from Talking Head's Remain In Light. The MicroDAC renders comparatively cold detailed music very well.)
One Meat Ball (Ry Cooder - Ry Cooder). This is an interesting example of a song that has almost none of the treble edginess that distinguishes the two DACs. As a result they sound more similar than with any other song that I have tested. And here the edge to my taste goes to USB Monica. The mids are sweeter and the overall presentation is more musical. It sounds less digital and more organic.
Everything Counts (Depeche Mode - Construction Time Again). I'll end with electronica. Very different presentations from the two DACs. USB Monica brings out the warmth in this song. She actually handles electronica well across the board for this reason as electronica can go either way. This song also demonstrates that Monica keeps all the elements well defined in her soundstage. On the other hand, this song is a majestic goth classic on the MicroDAC. Much colder and so very intense. Perhaps truer to the composer's intentions. Plenty compelling but more compelling than USB Monica? For this music I'm really not sure. I know which presentation I prefer...
We are talking truly different sound signatures here. That's all I can say in conclusion. Perhaps an OS DAC like the MicroDAC will appeal to most people (and sales certainly suggest that). But there is something truly wonderful about the non-OS organic sound of USB Monica (as attested by some remarkable audiophile reviews on the web). From my limited experience, I think that they are both fine DACs capable of delivering great musical pleasure. For me, I'm just glad to be finished this review so that I can go back to listening to USB Monica full time.
I do hope that more people give this girl a try.
