Melodious MX-U8 USB Interface 8 Core XMOS chip

[vvolant]

hi all
 
 i recently purchased a melodious mx u8 interface and have trouble installing the drivers. i have downloaded the thesycon drivers package. When runnig the setup program, the installation software keeps asking me to plug in the USB device, whereas it is already plugged in. I tried to unplug/replug, also tried to change the USB port, it does not improve. I am running windows XP. Any idea?
 
Please help!!!!!!!

 

[rb2013]

  hi all
 
 i recently purchased a melodious mx u8 interface and have trouble installing the drivers. i have downloaded the thesycon drivers package. When runnig the setup program, the installation software keeps asking me to plug in the USB device, whereas it is already plugged in. I tried to unplug/replug, also tried to change the USB port, it does not improve. I am running windows XP. Any idea?
 
Please help!!!!!!!

Ok I have had the same issue.  You need the special driver package from Melodious - it has the controller handshake. First turn off the device, then unplug the USB.  Now uninstall the drivers. reboot.  Now reinstall the Melodious drivers - once prompted during the install - plug the USB back in and turn on the U8.  Hit 'next' it will search for the U8 - once found will prompt you to proceed.
 
Good luck!

 

[vvolant]

thank you very much. I found the specific drivers there: http://pan.baidu.com/s/1kTrF9nL
Not so easy to download as the page is in chinese but I managed to do it.
 
The install procedure works properly and the melodious unit works very well: very soft yet detailed sound, impressive!
The drivers control panel is very limited, it does not allows to play with any parameter.
 
The provided asio drivers for foobar made foobar crash. However the standard foobar asio drivers that you can find on the net work properly with the MX-U8
 
Thanks again, I can know enjoy the music!

 

[rb2013]

  thank you very much. I found the specific drivers there: http://pan.baidu.com/s/1kTrF9nL
Not so easy to download as the page is in chinese but I managed to do it.
 
The install procedure works properly and the melodious unit works very well: very soft yet detailed sound, impressive!
The drivers control panel is very limited, it does not allows to play with any parameter.
 
The provided asio drivers for foobar made foobar crash. However the standard foobar asio drivers that you can find on the net work properly with the MX-U8
 
Thanks again, I can know enjoy the music!

See the Gustard U12 thread for links to the full control panel drivers (very early pages).  Also Oppo and M2Tech have the full control panel drivers with later builds.  Good Luck

 

[vvolant]

hi rb2013
 
the gustard post is very interesting but quite long. Do you know on which page I can find the link to the latest drivers for the MX-U8?
Another question: I see that you have brought DIY modifications to your U8. Could you tell which of those bring the more improvement?
I would like to do the most simple of them (simple replacement of parts by better ones, no mofification in the circuit). is it worths to do it from your point of view?
Thanks

 

[rb2013]

  hi rb2013
 
the gustard post is very interesting but quite long. Do you know on which page I can find the link to the latest drivers for the MX-U8?
Another question: I see that you have brought DIY modifications to your U8. Could you tell which of those bring the more improvement?
I would like to do the most simple of them (simple replacement of parts by better ones, no mofification in the circuit). is it worths to do it from your point of view?
Thanks

I don't remember which pages - I only did the PS caps swap.  Yes it was worth it.  But warning LETHAL VOLTAGES!  Be sure you know what you are doing before opening the box.

Good Luck!

 

[vvolant]

Ok
I think I will do this swap also.
 
The MX-U8 has replaced a JK Ciunas in my system. Here are my feelings about the difference between the 2 units.
To me there is not a huge difference, they have the same king of sound presentation.
The melodious has more weight in the lows and is a bit more punchy, which is good in my system (tube amp + verity fidelio speakers). The ciunas has the advantage in the precison of the highs, especially in the vocals: with the ciunas, an 's' is an 's' whereas with the melodious it is rather a double 'ss'
The melodious is also better in microdynamics, but the biggest adavantage of the melodious to my mind is that it is very relaxed and effortless.
Add to that that it has several possible output and that it costs less, and it makes it the winner against je JK interface.
Unfortunately It is a chinese equipment, I would prefer buy european.... but sound is first priority....

 

[rb2013]

  Ok
I think I will do this swap also.
 
The MX-U8 has replaced a JK Ciunas in my system. Here are my feelings about the difference between the 2 units.
To me there is not a huge difference, they have the same king of sound presentation.
The melodious has more weight in the lows and is a bit more punchy, which is good in my system (tube amp + verity fidelio speakers). The ciunas has the advantage in the precison of the highs, especially in the vocals: with the ciunas, an 's' is an 's' whereas with the melodious it is rather a double 'ss'
The melodious is also better in microdynamics, but the biggest adavantage of the melodious to my mind is that it is very relaxed and effortless.
Add to that that it has several possible output and that it costs less, and it makes it the winner against je JK interface.
Unfortunately It is a chinese equipment, I would prefer buy european.... but sound is first priority....

Interesting -the Mx-U8 needs a 100-150 hrs run time to sound best.  Those clocks and caps need to be burnt in. 
and it will sound better after the cap swap.  I used Nichicon HWs and FGs and like them both.  Both better then the Panie FCs.

 

[vvolant]

good point if improved after burn in!
I forgot to mention that I also noticed a better depth in the stereo image with the melodious.
On the other hand I face a small issue with it: the MX-U8 seems very sentitive to interferences. I have some occasional big pops in the sound reproduction. I tried to move the unit while playing and got less or more pops according to where I put it. Unfortunaltely I cannot move it very far due to my short USB cable.

 

[rb2013]

  good point if improved after burn in!
I forgot to mention that I also noticed a better depth in the stereo image with the melodious.
On the other hand I face a small issue with it: the MX-U8 seems very sentitive to interferences. I have some occasional big pops in the sound reproduction. I tried to move the unit while playing and got less or more pops according to where I put it. Unfortunaltely I cannot move it very far due to my short USB cable.

I have one that does that too - moving it won't help.  try increasing your buffer size
 - I think this may be a design fault.

 

[Miracle1980]

Never head a single issue so far with my Melodious. Tese big pop sound more as software related issue (settings). 
Have you tried to play/fix with the audio player settings?

 

[rb2013]

  Never head a single issue so far with my Melodious. Tese big pop sound more as software related issue (settings). 
Have you tried to play/fix with the audio player settings?

Well I have three MX-U8s - one has no pops/clicks, one has very intermittent pops/clicks, and one has not so intermittent pops and clicks.  All on the same computer with the same software and same settings.  But increasing the buffer size in foobar seems to help some.

 

[rb2013]

Also if you read this review - the reviewer had issues as well with his Melodious.  The newer versions have heat sinks on the LDO and XMOS chips - so it may be heat related.  On the unit with no pops I noticed the USB socket is different - gold colored.  On this unit it was unlocking periodically - I made some heat sinks and added them - that helped a lot.  Also tried three different USB cables - that didn't make much difference.
 
I never had any issue with three different Gustard U12s, a whole host of other DDCs, and now for several days running a Hydra Z.
 
http://stereotimes.com/post/yellowtec-puc2-lite-usb-converter/

 

[MINORISUKE]

  Also if you read this review - the reviewer had issues as well with his Melodious.  The newer versions have heat sinks on the LDO and XMOS chips - so it may be heat related.  On the unit with no pops I noticed the USB socket is different - gold colored.  On this unit it was unlocking periodically - I made some heat sinks and added them - that helped a lot.  Also tried three different USB cables - that didn't make much difference.
 
I never had any issue with three different Gustard U12s, a whole host of other DDCs, and now for several days running a Hydra Z.
 
http://stereotimes.com/post/yellowtec-puc2-lite-usb-converter/

My MX-U8 is one of the earliest version (ver1.5) bought in April, which is the same as your first one.  It has no heat sink definitely.
I have been powering it on since April and have no trouble at all.  Therefore, heat is not an issue at least in my case.
What I have heard about the reason of adding these heat sinks is to ensure a longer product life.

 

[abartels]

 
Well I have three MX-U8s - one has no pops/clicks, one has very intermittent pops/clicks, and one has not so intermittent pops and clicks.  All on the same computer with the same software and same settings.  But increasing the buffer size in foobar seems to help some.

 
Try setting LOWEST buffer and latency in xmosusbaudiocplapp, mine works ONLY flawless if I set these values to the lowest.