[gmeardi]

I've just ordered a new VDAC-II and I'd like to use it as an hi-quality car inside my car (Audi A4 with Bang & Olufsen 7.1 500W option).  
I'm currently using a Beresford Caiman (that I had in house, unused) and sounds excellent, but is a pain to use in the back of the car, where the AUX Audio inputs are (I've to switch it on anytime I power the car, and then manually select the optical input...).
 
I'd like to directly use the 12V from car battery, but I woudn't like destroying my new DAC...
Might you please advise on how to do this?  Do I need a using a fuse?
Many thanks in advance!
 
UPDATE:
the Musical Fidelity VDAC-II has just arrived.
I can say that the Caiman, after just a few comparisons, seems sounding just a bit better (to low frequencies, basses) than my very very new VDAC-II.  Even if we've to consider that:
1. the VDAC-II has been switched on for just 30 minutes (no burn-in yet)
2. the Caiman has a by far better power supply (2.4A vs 0.5A at 12V).
 
The VDAC-II has the big advantage (for car usage) that is always on and has a physical switch to select optical or usb input.  So it can work completely unattended in the back of my car...
 
I keep asking - if anybody knows - if and how could be better to power the VDAC directly from the car 12V battery (with no 12-220-12V conversions).
Meanwhile I'll do better tests between these two (anyhow excellent) DACs.

 

[Happydog]

I highly recommend using the Pyramid High Power Noise Suppressor NS-12 (Amazon has it) to connect in between your battery and the MK-II DAC.  I use the NS-12 at home connected to my heavy duty Pyramid PS3KX 12V PSU.  With the NS-12 noise suppressor connected, my noise background is completely black (silent) with any of my amps turned up to the maximum.
 
I would guess that you want a high quality fuse system connected as well in-line prior to the point of the NS-12 and MK-II DAC.  
 
Hope that this helps.   Happy listening.

 

[Koukol]

Can anyone tell me if the V-DAC II would be an improvement over the DAC in my Marantz CD5003?
 
The Marantz has the CS4392 24bit/192khz CIRRUS LOGIC converter.
 
Right now I have the Marantz connected to a Little Dot III tube headphone amp through the RCA outputs.
 
Or is there something in this price range I should be looking at instead?

 

[Koukol]

Damn!
 
The V-DAC II has been discontinued. 
 
What other alternatives are there in this price range?

 

[lslasvegas]

The V-DAC II has been replaced with the V90-DAC.
I have one and like it. I do not know how it compares with the V-DAC II.

 

[Scutey]

Just picked up a second hand V-DAC II and I have to say this dac gives thumping bass, at least with my system, my previous dac was a SMSL Sanskrit 6th gen, and compared to that it's got more weight, presence and I would say warmer, oh and the bass!, goes well with my LD MKIII, so far so good!.

 

[vdacer]

Can anyone confirm if the original v-psu (mk 1) is compatible with the v-dac ii (mk 2)?
And perhaps also with v90-dac?

 

[Pirastro]

Can anyone confirm if the original v-psu (mk 1) is compatible with the v-dac ii (mk 2)?
And perhaps also with v90-dac?

Definitely compatible with the v-dac ii.  Not sure about v90-dac.  Just go to musical fidelity's website and you'll be able to found out the power requirements.

 

[larcenasb]

Recently, I bought a used V-DAC for $100 along with a Pyramid PS3KX psu, and in 2018, this DAC remains relevant. The smooth, weighty and large-scale sound is really making me grin as I listen. And as better DACs are released with more advanced features and the ability to handle 24/192KHz and beyond...it doesn't change the fact that the V-DAC produces a smooth, nourishing, vinyl-like, and large-scale sound that screams "hi-fi". All impressions, of course, are a result of my gear, my ears, and my preferences. YMMV. My set-up is in my sig.

Compared to my Creative Sound Blaster Z: The Z sounds fuzzy and constrained, I can almost hear the PC interference, or perhaps I am lol. I was very disappointed in this--with it's flashy red shroud, gold-plated jacks, and red leds, this thing turned out to merely be comparable to an on-board sound card--just with more output power and a quality-metals makeover. Makes clear that the money for materials and showmanship perhaps should've gone toward more sophisticated circuitry and implementation of quality parts. But then again, the Z is targeted toward gamers, so all makes sense. Bottom-line: it's really obvious how much better the V-DAC is at letting the music flow--no contest. Let's move on.

Compared to my AudioQuest DragonFly 1.0: The 1.0 sounds much smoother than the Z, and presents the music in a wider soundscape (amazing given how small this thing is), but there's a lack of weight in the mids (particularly voices) that has become an annoyance. I continually have to turn the volume up in search of a satisfying listening level. And that's the big difference: with the V-DAC I can listen at low volumes and the resolving power and weight across the frequency range are still there. Ahhh... Detail retrieval from the V-DAC is much better as well. Bass impact is about the same (the 1.0 really does this well), but tightness and definition in the bass is better with the V-DAC.

Compared to my AudioQuest DragonFly Red: This was my biggest disappointment in my hi-fi journey. I lusted after this for a few years, imagining the improvements over my 1.0 and thinking to myself: "Ah, one day..." Well, that day came, but the improvements really ended up being just my imagination. I dreamt of great resolving power, palpable weight, warmth, a huge and wide soundscape, and delicacy of tone... Well, the Red clearly resolves details better than the 1.0, and perhaps on par with the V-DAC...but the open soundscape of the 1.0 is gone, everything sounds a little mashed up even though it's easy to pick apart the different sounds and instruments. What's the deal?? I gave it time, trying to see if something subtler was going on that I would soon appreciate. Not really, weight is better I guess. Going back to the 1.0, it's not as resolving or weighty, but boy it's much more enjoyable. It's like the Red is just giving me the music, and the 1.0 is placing me in the acoustic space with the music. And, the V-DAC does the same as the 1.0 just much, much better. Maybe for on-the-go the Red is worth its $200, but as a DAC in a larger system? No, I just can't recommend it.

Happy listening!

EDIT 12/2/2020:
After more listening tests, I've found that the DragonFly 1.0 has more of a live sound--bite and slam--that really gets me riled up and feeling the music: snare hits are tantalizing and vocal peaks really reach out to me. The V-DAC is tamed and smoothed out in comparison. So, the DragonFly achieves the sound I like best so far.

 

[Happydog]

I like your comment on the V-DAC II, and agree with you that it's still relevant for me even today.

I have used my V-DAC II in my audio system since October 2011. I have changed and upgraded several components but I've kept my V-DAC II. I use my V-DAC II with a dedicated HP laptop Quad-core I7 16GB DDR, SSD, Foobar 2K and FLAC, SACD, and DSD sources. I've paired my V-DAC II with a Pyramid PS 12KX beast. I run Windows 10 with Foobar F2K and always use HQ FLAC, SACD or DSD digital sources. My V-DAC runs into my Music Angel tube-amp system and then my Focal Chorus V 836V floor standing speakers for my room listening. For my Head Gear, I love my very well used AKG K-550's

Eventually I may buy a "modern" DAC such the Mytek Brooklyn DAC. Meanwhile my modest audio system is very musical and satisfying to me with my V-DAC II at it's heart.

 

[larcenasb]

Yeah, good sound won't be outdated! You have a nice system there(!)--I'm going to check out some of that equipment, especially the Mytek Brooklyn DAC.

Oh, and right this second I'm listening to Radiohead's Kid A and the V-DAC rectifies so much air and soul to go along with the music. Wonderful sounds to cap off the day! Cheers!

 

[runssical]

Wow, this dac is old! Last year it was tested by a forum member on ASR and the measurements were respectable considering the vintage.

The original V-DAC has been in my desktop chain since 2010. Recently, I sold off my amplifier (Magni 3). I'm replacing it with an Asgard 3. The V-DAC and A3 should synergize well based on their contrasting sonic characteristics. I'll report back with my impressions in due time.

 

[hodgjy]

I apologize for necrothreading, but I couldn't think of a more appropriate place to post this.

I came to revelation tonight, which was about 8-9 years in the making. Basically, the revelation is this is a wonderful DAC that has stood up to the test of time.

I've been using the Schiit Modius as my primary DAC for several months. I also have the Schiit Gungnir MB A1, but I rolled that out of rotation since getting the Modius. Well, lately, the treble from the Modius has really been bothering me. I'm not sure if it's the Velvet Delta-Sigma sound stuff or if my ears adjusted, but it has sounded a bit off to me lately, basically unnatural.

Because of that, I decided to roll my DACs to see if I could tame the treble for a bit. I rolled back in my Gungnir Multibit A1. I've always loved the Schiit Multibit R2R sound, especially in the treble. The treble issues have been resolved after switching from the Modius to the Gungnir and things sounded natural again. Sigh of relief...my ears still work and appear to be healthy.

But, while I was in the DAC rolling mood, I decided to dust off my Musical Fidelity V-DAC II, which I hadn't listened to in at least 8-9 years. I bought it when I first got into mid-fi computer head-fi audio because the interwebs told me it had a nice sound. At the time, I really liked the V-DAC II and thought it had a nice treble and pretty decent bass slam, all while having just a touch of warmth to it. I never knew much about the actual chip it used, and I never really cared because it was all about the music. Music sounded natural to my ears.

After rolling the V-DAC II back into rotation this weekend, not only did it bring back nice memories of the good sound I enjoyed in the past, I was immediately struck at how nice and balanced it sounded for a mid-fi device. More importantly, the treble was nicely controlled and was better for my ears than what the Modius had been doing lately.

I finally did some digging this into the chip that the V-DAC II used, which is the Burr-Brown DSD1796. This is a hybrid chip that combines an R2R ladder and Delta-Sigma modulation. If I read the white pages correctly, it uses the R2R ladder for the upper 6 (most important) bits and DS for the lower 18 bits. I guess this explains why I always liked the sound of it and it has some remote similarities with the Gungnir Multibit because it has some elements of R2R in it. Back all those years ago, I was none the wiser, but now things make sense. It also explains why I always thought it sounded better after a few hours of warming up when I could never really discern improvements in DS DACs after about the first 15 minutes after initial power on.

I wanted to share a little love for the V-DAC II and its DSD1796 chip. It's not a bad little device and I plan on running it for a while.

Edit: the chip is actually the DSD1796. My original source article was wrong. Same chip family and architecture though.

 

[d-t]

I'm still using, for all these years, the V-DAC II with the V-PSU. I have heard many a DAC, including high end stuff that I use as a musician. Nothing else has compared to this at even close to the price. The Benchmark DAC was nice, but even that was ultimately not as present. I don't see myself getting another DAC at this point unless the technology really goes into the stratosphere at a decent price. I find, in my system, which is a tube system, this DAC is appropriately clinical, with the warmth coming from the tubes in the amplifier. It matches extremely well with my analog system which includes analog tape and a Rega P3 (from late 80s) going through a V-LPS (also via the V-PSU).

 

[runssical]

@hodgjy, That was great story. Thanks for sharing. I knew a little about the chips used in the V-DACs but didn't know all the particularities of how they functioned. I have the OG version of the V-DAC. Mine is 11 years old and I've been using it and enjoying it for all these years. I've gone through 4 amp pairings over the years. Currently it's paired up with a JDS Labs Atom and the synergy is phenomenal. My HD650 headphones have never sounded better. In fact, before getting the Atom I didn't enjoy the HD650 at all. The previous amps I had, a couple Schiits and a Matrix M-Stage, were probably bottlenecking the V-DAC feed.

@d-t, I was really close to selling my V-DAC a few months ago. Was going to use the proceeds to buy a Modi 3. So glad I didn't follow through on such a grievous error. I never bought a V-PSU but I did have one of those big Pyramid DC power supplies. That psu started acting weird this year. It was over 10 years old so I guess it was starting to fail. I bought a brand new MF OEM power brick off of eBay. The sound is great with even the power brick.