[?ractaL]

I have had the same experiences with the newer drivers from Musiland. I was not even able to get 1.0.9.0 to work. The only drivers I have had success with are 1.0.8.4.

I am attempting to install the latest ones on a fresh install of Windows 7. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[tonyo123]

I have loaded and been using the new drivers and they work very well, including the HDCD decoder. Very stable and with good sound. Make sure you pick them off the musiland page not a local distributor's page:
 
http://www.musiland.com.cn/downloads/drivers/
 
These guys cover the drivers well:
 
http://hifiduino.wordpress.com/category/usb-audio/
 
Uninstall the old drivers. Reboot, clean up (delete) the old musiland directory, run CCleaner and do a registry integrity clean and then do an overall clean of the hard disk temporary files.  Then install the latest 2.1 build 26 version of the drivers:
 
http://www.musiland.com.cn/downloads/drivers/MlCyMon_2.1.0.0_build20111026.exe
 
Here's also the Musiland forum link. It is my expeience that signing in and using this works best with the Google Chrome browser and its built in translkator. Otherwise, you get chinese and cannot log in and create messages. For just reading any of the web browsers translate okay:
 
http://bbs.musiland.com.cn/forumdisplay.php?fid=17
 
 
 

 

[CrazyBlue]

I got the 1.0.8.4 driver to work again.  I can now unplug the device and when I plug it back in the driver activates.  Sounds good, but frustrating.  The only difference I can detect from the 1.0.9.0 driver is the GUI graphics are cruder.  I'm not going to mess with it any more.  I used the 1.0.9.0 driver for over a year without a hitch, but now it won't install correctly. 
 
Maybe it's an issue with the PC, which is 5 years old (only used for J. River and music storage).

 

[tonyo123]

I am confused. Why are you guys using old version 1 drivers? Version 2 is stable with good sound and has been available since late October.

 

[ttan98]

"I am confused. Why are you guys using old version 1 drivers? Version 2 is stable with good sound and has been available since late October."
 

Is there any difference between version 2.0 and V2.1? I have version 2.0 installed and it(Musiland 02) works with Media Jukebox(version 14) a free version of JRiver media center.​

 

[CrazyBlue]

I got the 2.1.0.0 version to load, thanks tonyo.  I neglected to dump temp files and run CCleaner after uninstalling the old drivers before, but I'm not sure that was the culprit.  At first 2.1 acted the same as the others.  I switched to a different USB port and voila, new drivers! 
 
2.1 works beautifully with J. River 15 via ASIO, WASAPI, and kernel streaming. I tested all three.
 
I think the main difference between 2.0 and 2.1 is the HDCD indicator, but I'm not sure.  I'm on a different PC right now.  I'll check in the morning and see if 2.1 has the HDCD indicator "lights."
 
Here's a question:  I've been thinking of upgrading to a Wireworld USB cable, but I keep reading some posts on various forums where people claim that you don't need a fancy cable with asyncrhonous USB.  Wondering if that's true or not.  I get great sound with a Monoprice gold plated cable, but, well, you know how it is.  That little voice keeps asking if a better cable would improve upon it.
 
Sometimes I hate that little voice... 
 

 

[CrazyBlue]

Quote:

I am confused. Why are you guys using old version 1 drivers? Version 2 is stable with good sound and has been available since late October.

I just didn't get around to updating until this week.  I stayed with 1.0.9.0 for so long because it sounded great and was stable. 

 

[CrazyBlue]

By the way, I use my 02 strictly as a USB transport to a dedicated DAC.  I think it's a great bargain and it has and will continue to serve me well. 
 
In fact, I may buy another.  I'll be adding a second PC to my living room system to serve as the video end of things (Bluray, Netflix, DVD) and I want to take the audio out via USB, just like I'm doing with my music server PC.  But all I need is the digital end.  In comparing different USB-S/PDIF converters the only Musiland comparisons I can find concern other brands vs. the Monitor 01.  Has anybody A/B'd their 02 as a USB transport against devices in the <$200 range such as the Hiface and Audio gd Digital Interface?  I've read all the shootouts, but like I said, they're comparing the Monitor 01.  The 02 has better SQ even when used only as a transport.

 

[JavierS]

There is a new beta version of drivers out:
 
http://www.musiland.com.cn/downloads/drivers/beta/MlCyMon_2.2.0.0_build20111214.exe

 

[tonyo123]

Well, glad to see the V2 drivers are working. I always leap to the new drivers mainly for fixes and improvements.
 
A beta? Excellent, I will have to get it.
 
It took me a while to learn to use the HDCD functionality. Cannot pre-process in Foobar or any other program (no DSP no digital sound balancing or shaping, etc). Otherwise, use the Foobar HDCD decoder directly (which of course won't light the Musiland driver night). One other way is to use dbPowerAmp to convert using DSP to change to 24 bit-44kHz sampling. Then they can be played nativity.
 
I do think these DACS sound pretty good. They are certainly getting me back to music and to high res and to loss-less re-sampling of my CDs. I agree they are a bargain. I find it amusing that the US and UK Audiophile magazines continue to ignore these, especially given their performance to price ratio. I assume it is on purpose since they are Chinese products and don;t have a dealer network, etc. I understand and accept it is what it is. However, it is a shame when one spends 2-3X on equivalent products.
 
As for the USB cable I have a handful of different ones. At the risk of being attacked, I detect very little of no difference between their sound. Certainly no need to spend $100+, etc. However, I do think some are better at transmitting high bit rates with good shielding and little signal degradation. The best I have found and I use is the short: the NuForce Impulse Cable (~$29.95). It appears well shielded and has nice stiff braiding outer core.

 

[tonyo123]

CrazyBlue-
 
Question: I have the 01 US DAC not the USD. I bought it under the perception that if you had ample power out of your PC's USB port the 0-1 and 02 are equivalent in sound. So, I would be incorrect according to you. So you have listening experience that confirms that or is that an assumption? I must admit that not having an 02, I have not compared them or even checked them component vs component specs, etc.  I do assume the 03 is different and it takes a step up to 352 KHz.

 

[Teck1212]

Hey guys, I'm kinda stuck in an unfortunate situation.
I bought the Musiland in early 2009 which means that I cannot use drivers > 1.03 unless I upgrade the firmware/activate it first. However, I've been unable to do so because apparently the email address (activate@musiland.com.cn) to send your activation file to no longer exists, and there's no other method of activation as far as I know.
I've emailed every musiland contact I could find but I haven't received a single response, even after 30 days.
Did anyone else have a similar problem? I'm beginning to feel a little betrayed by Musiland for neglecting their early adopters...

 

[CrazyBlue]

Sorry, double post.
 
 
 
 
 

 

[CrazyBlue]

 
Quote:

CrazyBlue-
 
Question: I have the 01 US DAC not the USD. I bought it under the perception that if you had ample power out of your PC's USB port the 0-1 and 02 are equivalent in sound. So, I would be incorrect according to you. So you have listening experience that confirms that or is that an assumption? I must admit that not having an 02, I have not compared them or even checked them component vs component specs, etc.

 
 
Well, that's the assumption, based upon user reviews here and elsewhere.  I don't have the 01 to compare.
 
But they are different.  The Monitor 01 apparently comes in two flavors, one with analog out:
 

 

 
 
And one with digital out:
 

 

 
Besides running off an AC outlet, the 02 has both, and an (apparently) more robust analog section and headphone amp:
 

 

 

 
I could get by with the digital version of the 01, given my current setup, but I didn't have the dedicated DAC when I bought the 02, and used the analog out for a while.  Like I said, I am only assuming that the SQ of the 02 is better based upon user reviews, which I should probably know better than to take as gospel, given the variance of systems and applications into which review samples are inserted.  As we all know, synergy plays a role, as do subjective preference and room acoustics.
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[djdopson]

Does anyone know if the Monitor 03 suffers from the same AMD compatibility issues as the 02?