New high end M2Tech Vaughan : 3 in 1 DAC / head amp / pre amp impression and appreciation thread

[rudi0504]

M2Tech launch their new high end DAC Amp : Vaughan
 
Voughan has very interesting high end DAC section :
 
- The designer use Four DAC IC's per chanel in MONO Mode
 
- The designer use High Current LiPo Battery for sophisticated low noise power supply base on high capacity
 
Please see below :
 
M2Tech
 

 

 

 
 

 

 
DETAILS
 
Highest quality digital-to-analog converter up to 384kHz/32bit from your PC or MAC, and from USB, I2S S/PDIF and AES/EBU. Ultra low jitter oscillators and proprietary drivers. Time shift driving of multiple DAC IC's for improved sound quality. Fully automated battery power supply. Remote control.
 
FEATURES
 
1) ULTRA LOW JITTER, LOW PHASE NOISE, HIGH STABILITY OSCILLATORS The Vaughan uses two custom oscillators with ultra-low phase noise (comparable to that of very expensive OCXO's) and very high precision. They are powered with ultra-low noise regulators to avoid phase noise increase.
 
2) PROPRIETARY DRIVERS The standard audio drivers available on the market (e.g. Microsoft Windows operating system) dictated constraints can be overcome thanks to our proprietary drivers: they allow for transferring audio data, maintaining the original file quality without any loss of resolution quality; also, sampling frequency constraints are overcome, while Microsoft and ASIO drivers oblige to operate at no more than 96kHz. When Vaughan is used together with a player application such as FooBar (available for free on Internet), you can listen to your digital music at 384kHz/32bits maximum frequency/resolution, avoiding undesired PC or MAC audio mixer data processing during the data transfer from hard disk to interface. Presently, Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 drivers are available, as well as Mac drivers for 10.4, 10.5, 10.6 and 10.7.
 
3) BATTERY POWER SUPPLY The Vaughan features a sophisticated low noise power supply based on a high capacity, high surge current LiPo battery. A dedicated battery charger is managed by the system controller for a totally automatic charge management.
 
4) TIME SHIFT DRIVE Four DAC IC's per channel used in mono mode are driven in a time shifting fashion to allow for an implicit low pass anti-alias filtering at analog buffer's inputs which uses no capacitors or other passive components.
 
SPECIFICATIONS
 
Connections
 
Digital input 1 x USB B type female, 1 x I2S RJ45, 2 x S/PDIF RCA female, 2 x S/PDIF 75 Ohms BNC female, 2 x AES/EBU XLR female, 2 x optical Toslink, 2 x optical ST, 1 x external clock 75 Ohms BNC
 
Analog output 2 x RCA female, 2 x XLR male, 1 x 6.35mm stereo jack (headphones) I/O Standard
 
Input USB 2.0 Format, S/PDIF Stereo Digital Audio Format
 
Sampling Frequency
44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4khZ, 192kHz, 352.8kHz, 384kHz
 
Resolution 16 up to 32 bit
 
Output level 2.7Vrms (RCA), 5.4Vrms (XLR), 6.5Vrms (headphones)
 
Output impedance 600 Ohms (XLR), 0,5 Ohm (RCA), 10 Ohms (headphones)
 
THD + noise -114dB (@ 1kHz, 20Hz-20kHz, A-weighted)
 
SNR 128dB (@ 1kHz, 20Hz-20kHz, A-weighted)
 
Dimensions 45(d) x 9(h) x 45(w) cm
 
Power Supply 90 to 265 VAC, 50-60 Hz
 
Battery duration 4 hours
 
Battery charge duration 4 hours Charge cycles up to 3000
 
Temperature from 0°C to 60°C
 
Weight 10kg approx.

 

[Happy Camper]

.

 

[rudi0504]

M2Tech Vaughan more info sharing from Australia :

http://www.wickeddigital.com.au/index.php/2011-09-04-22-32-08/news/155-m2tech-vaughan-dac-now-in-stock

Price list info for US customer :

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=m2tech%20vaughan%20review&source=web&cd=6&ved=0CEgQFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kaplanhtdesign.com%2FM2Tech.html&ei=1GlPUOTOKMqIrAeMzoCICg&usg=AFQjCNGRu6aW1Jr0AQ_8OnxhTaGCWxhnGA

Please use google translate to read M2Tech Vaughan DAC Amp review :

http://www.hifilive.es/2012/07/18/m2tech-vaughan-dac-2/

 

[rudi0504]

My Dac / head amp / pre amp M2Tech Vaughan just arrived yesterday

Quick impression :

Source : CD player T + A

Dac and pre amp : eximus Dp 1
M2Tech Vaughan

Power Amp : T + A mono block tube amp

Speaker : German Physik

Cable : DIY Xlr between pre amp and power amp
DIY coax cable between dac and CD player


Comparison between M2Tech Vaughan vs eximus Dp 1

High : Vaughan has more detail , clarity , and very clean than eximus Dp 1

Mid : Vaughan has very sweet, lush and more full body meet and better clarity than
My eximus Dp 1

Bass : Vaughan has very deep , very clean , more detiail and more powerfull compare my eximus Dp 1

Separation : Vaughan has about 3 times better separation compare to my eximus Dp 1 , that I can
Hear more clear and clean and more space from all the instrument for instrument placement.

Soundstage : Vaughan has about 2 times more room , better soundstage and better depth than my eximus Dp 1 , in other words better dimension , I can hear from the German physik speaker
More 3 D than Eximus Dp 1

I have not try with all my headphone collection yet

Will inform you more with my headphone collection

Conclusion :

Vaughan is my best sounding dac amp to date , has more lifeness and more body and much better
Rendering compare my eximus Dp 1

This is my personal impression

 

[rudi0504]

These are some fotos from Vaughan and my set up :

 

[Happy Camper]

Nice stuff.

 

[rudi0504]

Nice stuff.

Thank You Camper

 

[rudi0504]

For Head Fier friends in the USA can buy and do audition from music direct.

For me is my best dac amp to date , Vaughan is better than my previous dac amp Eximus Dp 1 ,

Much better than my friend Dac Audio GD ref 7.1.

The dac section is excellent

The head amp section is also excellent for driving my LCD 3

The pre amp section also excellent is better to my previous Eximus Dp 1


http://www.musicdirect.com/p-99144-m2tech-vaughan-dac.aspx

 

[DarKu]

Congrats on the purchase Rudi !
Actually this is the only DAC I'm interested in comparing the Chord QBD76 HDSD with.
Till this day QBD76 was best DAC I've listened to, and in the 2000 Euro region best DAC I've listened was M2Tech Young + Palmer battery supply.
After hearing what Young + Palmer can do, I immediately was curious how Vaughan sounds, maybe you have some experience with Chord gear.
Some day I should try it.
Do you think it pairs better with your HD800 or with your LCD-3 ?
I'm a little worried about that 10 Ohm output impedance that may not be very great for Audezes and low impedance headphones.

 

[rudi0504]

Congrats on the purchase Rudi !
Actually this is the only DAC I'm interested in comparing the Chord QBD76 HDSD with.
Till this day QBD76 was best DAC I've listened to, and in the 2000 Euro region best DAC I've listened was M2Tech Young + Palmer battery supply.
After hearing what Young + Palmer can do, I immediately was curious how Vaughan sounds, maybe you have some experience with Chord gear.
Some day I should try it.
Do you think it pairs better with your HD800 or with your LCD-3 ?
I'm a little worried about that 10 Ohm output impedance that may not be very great for Audezes and low impedance headphones.

It is better to pair with my LCD 3 , the best LCD 3 sound quality can be produce with Vaughan .
Now my LCD 3 sound zig more detail , more clarity , have 3 D sound room .
If you hear Vaughan with LCD 3 , please make attention to the bass impact , very low
Very deep and clean and full body sounding Bass I ever heard from my LCD 3 .

Vaughan is highly recommended for all rounder headphone , specially if you combine with
The Dac section from Vaughan.
You can hear more detail and clarity From all your headphones , that you never heard before.
I am very impressed and satisfied with my Vaughan.

 

[rudi0504]

Tonight I have time to try my Vaughan with my IMac 27 " quad core

First I must download the Vaighan driver from their website : www.m2tech.biz/download.asp

And I choose Vaughan driver

After finished download Vaughan driver , I connect my ACR silver reference 2 from iMac to Vaughan

And choose the driver from system preference : sound , that's is very easy to use Vaighan

Source : iMac quad wore 27 "

File music : all in WAV

Head amp / dac : M2Tech Vaughan

Sound quality : the best sound quality from USB DAC I ever heard from my iMac 27 "

I can choose with 32 bit sampling rate from 44,4 KHz to 384 KHz very excellent

High : more open , detail than my another usb dac from eximus Dp 1 , Audio GD ref 7.1

Mid : very sweet , clear and clean voice from the singer .
Has better body that I can hear the words from the singer more accurate and neutral and natural

Bass : the best bass reproduction from USB dac I ever heard , so clean , very deep , very low and very fast
And full body bass impact .

Separation : Also the best what I can hear from USB dac amp
I can feel the placement between singer and the instrument behind the singer.

Soundstage : the first time I heard the sound stage or better sound room , because very wide , very good depth
And high , I can feel as I am in very big concert hall

Conclusion : even with USB dac , M2Tech sound quality excellent

M2Yech Vaughan is the best dac amp for all my headphone collection fom Ortho LCD 2 rev 3 , LCD 3
Dynamic driver Hd 700, Hd 800, T 5 P latest badge , T 1, ATH W 5000 , Grado HF 2 until my elctrostatic
Headphone Stax sr 007 MK 2 and Stax sr 009.

 

[longbowbbs]

Rudi, it is fun to live through your impressions. Thanks for providing your perspective!

 

[rudi0504]

Rudi, it is fun to live through your impressions. Thanks for providing your perspective!

Hi longbowbbs

Thank you , it is pleasant for me to share audio gear in head fi with all my friend from round the world.
I was so happy with my eximus Dp 1 before I got m2 tech Vaughan
After my m2 tech Vaughan arrived , I was so surprise that the SQ from one high end dac can
Improve the whole set up so significant .
Now I am very happy with my new set up
Before I decided to buy m2tech Vaughan I have tried many dac amp and dac only in the same price range like calyx fempto
I do not like calyx fempto , the sound quality to analytical , for me no lifeness overall to improve all my headphone collection
I look like my eximus Dp 1 for all rounder headphone
And lucky I found m2 tech Vaughan to replace my eximus Dp 1 .
This is my personal impression , because the tease from every body is different

 

[longbowbbs]

So true. At the moment my Cambridge DacMagic Plus is a nice combo with my Decware CSP2+. Works well for me for now. The Vaughan looks like a great unit. Glad you are enjoying it!

 

[rudi0504]

So true. At the moment my Cambridge DacMagic Plus is a nice combo with my Decware CSP2+. Works well for me for now. The Vaughan looks like a great unit. Glad you are enjoying it!

Thank you , I am very happy now with Vaughan , the SQ improvement is almost 3 times compare to my previous eximus Dp 1
Congrats also for your dac magic set up