Musiland Monitor 01 USD 24/192 USB to SPDIF

[mmerrill99]

For anybody wishing to check out their Musiland DAC with high-res material - here's some 24/176 free downloads Complimentary 24/176.4 HRx Downloads Courtesy of Reference Recordings | Computer Audiophile

Or for 24/192 you can buy a track (reasonable prices) here 2L - the Nordic Sound

 

[NiToNi]

I can't seem to download the latest driver from their website. Does anyone have direct link?

Thanks.

 

[jilgiljongiljing]

Can someone explain to me if I'll benefit from this? I have been using TBAAM as digital out to dacmagic. I tested if its bit perfect using DTS signals on my home receiver and using ASIO4all its bitperfect and using Directsound it wasnt. I can clearly tell the difference between the USB input on Dacmagic and digital input, but I'd like to know if the Musliand is better in any regard.

 

[coolfungadget]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NiToNi /img/forum/go_quote.gif I can't seem to download the latest driver from their website. Does anyone have direct link? Thanks.

http://www.musiland.com.cn/downloads...on_1.0.3.2.zip

 

[NiToNi]

Thanks for the link!

 

[DoYouRight]

just to throw it out there, I still have used this solely and pretty much abandoned the USBLink, even with 16/44.1 music.

 

[tosehee]

How is this compared to a dedicated transport? I know there are people who spend $1000+ for transport duty alone. How is this fair against those? It's got no dedicated psu, nor a fancy clock.

 

[DoYouRight]

It meshes with my laptop for transport duties instead of a CD player. And it is better than anything I have tried in this regard with its flexibility.

 

[tosehee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoYouRight /img/forum/go_quote.gif It meshes with my laptop for transport duties instead of a CD player. And it is better than anything I have tried in this regard with its flexibility.

For its price, I am sure it knocks the socks off other competitors. However, I am more interested in absolute performance compared to say...

1. SB3 + dedicated PSU
2. Logitech Transporter
3. DAC-1 as pure transport

and etc.

I know it can do bit perfect and it's USB. So, does it eliminate all the clocking issues and jitters and such which other transports have to deal with? Or are we still having to worry about all that and the best transporters are still better for ultimate performance?

 

[mmerrill99]

Guys,
I ordered a US model (the one with a PCM1793 internal DAC) even though I'm probably not going to use the DAC. One of the reasons I ordered this is that from what I can tell from the pics, there is far more PS supply filtering in the US model. I'll know better when I get it if this extra PS treatment is just for the DAC & output stage or also applies to the USB controller & FPGA chips.

Anyway, I intend to do some mods on this board - providing it with an external supply & possibly changing the crystal to a clock+ supply plus tapping into the I2S signal traces.

Oh & this still has SPDIF output via optical!

Tosehee,
Remember it isn't a high-end design (but doesn't have high-end prices either). As somebody said, it's a good piece of engineering for the market it aims at. Time will tell how it compares to other units but as to forgetting about jitter - will we ever achieve that?

Edit: I just see from your sig you already have an Audio-GD reference one - is this not a jitter buster anyway?

 

[mmerrill99]

NiToNi,
Now that you have the latest drivers, can you give an assessment & comparison of the sound?

 

[tosehee]

DYR. Did you own Bel Canto USB?

How does it compare when both fed using USB and output to BNC using same set of gears other than the converter device itself?

I am looking for a better transport myself, and I might turn my server (using linux at the moment) into a dedicated music transport (Probably use XP) using this device. Or I might just wait for the mac driver... But without knowing when it could happen, I am thinking the xp route.

Any thoughts on Bel canto vs. Musiland?

 

[DoYouRight]

I posted a mini review tosehee in here if you look back. They are extremely close and main thing is drivers. USBLink needs zero drivers, but also has BNC only and the Musiland has more output options and has drivers, but also does 24/192 and just seems a great gadget for 1/4 the cost. Better than the 4-5 things Ive tried already to connect my pc to buffalo32.

 

[NiToNi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkeny /img/forum/go_quote.gif NiToNi, Now that you have the latest drivers, can you give an assessment & comparison of the sound?

I could but it is burning in at the moment (Isotek's disc on repeat). I have listened a little bit (Win 2k8 x86=>Foobar=>WASAPI=>Locus Design Polestar USB=>Musiland Monitor USD 01=>Stereovox XV2 BNC) to a few tracks (16/44,24/96 and 24/192) through a few DACs (Havana, Zero '09) using HD800 and I think it sounds really good. Organic is the first impression. Will be getting my Buffalo32s soon hopefully, more impressions then.

 

[mmerrill99]

Aha, NiToNi, another Buffalo (soon-to-be) owner - look forward to your impressions but good first indications.

DYR, so this is the best PC to Buffalo32 (coax SPDIF?) connection, so far? What else have you tried beside Bel Canto USB Link. (OT How do you find the sound of the Buffalo32 - did you have the Buffalo?)