Digital Transports - USB Solutions, CD and SD Players, DAPs, and More!

Oh... ok. I didn't thought about it . How dumb

 

Atta boy (or girl !). Bought the 1.2 and Gustard U12 and its very obvious the latter has to go....

 

Ranking what I have here right now:

Mutec MC-3+ USB
Mutec MC-1.2 w/ power cable
CI Audio Transient MKII (USB powered. I don't have an LPSU for it)
Mutec MC-1.2 w/ USB power
Audio-GD DI-U8

I was honestly caught completely off guard by the Mutec. I anticipated reviewing it, smugly deciding it was an inaudible improvement, and sending it back.

Instead, I bought two.

 

I had owned the MUTEC MC-3+ when my DAC was NAD M51. A solid performer for its price (could be had for a little more than $1,000 where I live), but its USB input was gimped compared to AES/EBU.

I wonder how much improvement the MUTEC would bring with Schiit Yggdrasil in the chain. I know its Gen 3 USB input isn't bad but not ideal.

 

I think this is a key observation. Although computers are much less finicky than in the past (IRQ conflicts, pinning DLLs and so on) that stability has come for generalized use, not specific applications, which is why we still see workstations certified for professional use by software vendors. USB itself is an example of a generalized use technology that's now being shoehorned into serving a specific professional-grade function. In my opinion if you're that serious about it, USB in its present form is not worth defuckifying to the tune of something approaching $1k, unless you're a professional and its making money for you. Thunderbolt ois a waaay better option and Ethernet better yet.

The appeal of Ethernet/AES67 is compelling - it's galvanically isolated, allows your computer to shunts bits around like it knows how to do, and externalizes all the hardware that does the sensitive streaming work. Oh, and able to access and route audio around however you could possibly wish. As a technologist I would rather throw 30% more money at a Ravenna solution, helping the industry to grow in the right direction and pay off some of that R&D, and demonstrate a market for this in the prosumer/consumer space than trying to turn the USB sow's ear into a silk purse.

It's telling, for example, that the Berkeley DACs don't offer a USB input, yet they have the 'best' USB defuckifier out there. The only conclusion I can draw is that there is no amount of defuckification that will fix USB properly. If you can afford multiple 1k+ devices maybe you need to reevaluate USB entirely?

 

My critical / comparative listening took place with Yggdrasil / Studio. With REGEN (LPS), I found images slightly more focused, and the sound stage slightly deeper. The improvement with REGEN was very slight (IMO). I'm really surprised it took anytime at all to hear the Mutec improvement; maybe BW1's resolving ability vs. Studio, maybe mains noise, who knows. Remember how clear of an improvement the Mutec 1.2 was at our mini-meeting with Studio? Aw well, give it time. We're going to have to work out you hearing it with an LPS - see if that brings more improvement for your chain.

 

Much of the reason I've invested what I have in USB is a) I spend my life in front of a computer, and b) ALL of my music is digital these days. Combine that with being an OS X user.... You may well be right in that no such devices will fix USB properly. I will say though, that the level of performance I'm getting today is pretty damn good.

 

I got around to testing out the DSD conversion and it worked. I have no real need of it given that I have no DSD files apart from the 2L test stuff I just grabbed.

A little birdie told me that the next driver update for the MC-3+ USB has:

1) Automatic switching between DSD/DoP and PCM audio data received via USB. Most wanted by many customers.
2) After first switching on or a software reset, the default PCM output clock rate is now set to 44.1 kHz when DSD/DoP is selected as reference (previously it was 88.2 kHz)
3) The ClockIN LEDs are now deactivated when no USB-link connections is achieved (previously they lit nonetheless)
4) The Audio LED is now also active when audio streams are received via USB (an appropriate USB data stream analysis was missing previously and only available for the digital inputs)

Should we just make a Mutec thread? I feel bad for stomping all over this thread now.

 

Basically I agree, but what are the ethernet ravenna devices that cost only 30% more than 1K?

 

Absolutely understand, I also spend my life in front of a computer and all my music is digital . The 'easy' options aren't there yet, but I feel we are close. Intel just announced a new NUC with Thunderbolt 3 via USB C, Ravenna has just emerged in the first high end consumer gear and so on. I was a hair's breadth away from building an HTPC with an AES card, but that comes to about $2.5K for fanless sexy enclosures plus the kit I'd want, which is in Merging Hapi territory. Hapi would make more sense, but I can also imagine we'll see another Merging product for half the price aimed at consumers in a year or so or a cheaper Thunderbolt option, so I am now in wait and see mode.

What is true is we're in a fantastic time for technology right now, on whatever OS. We truly are privileged in what we have access to!

 

I was referring to two Mutecs coming in at over $2k...Merging Hapi being 2.5...plus the GB Ethernet kit.

 

Oh! I'm not a crazy person who chains two Mutecs in series (some people on CA do that), I have one for home and one for work.

 

While sitting out this round of discovery (Mutec vs. Lumin vs. CAPs for me), Marv's point is well taken. If you have time try Fidelizer and Infinity Blade without the SPDIF. It will sound different, but different enough from just USB to a Schiit multibit DAC to satifsfy me. Its just a PITA to use, but ciould tide you over while the testing continues.

 

When was the last time you listened to your motherboard's analogue out?

I have to admit that I am not enough audiophile-recovered to do that as standard, but, the last time circumstances forced it on me, I discovered that, quite unlike my first attempts with PC audio a decade-plus back, it was surprisingly good!

 

The extent may be more arguable.

http://archimago.blogspot.co.za/2015/08/measurements-audiophile-sound-and.html

I think there are definitely problems that do plague USB, but overall computers are pretty reliable today. The audio issues propagating across USB are probably subtle relative to most people unless your machine is really crap or you have an obvious problem (usually power).

 

Yes, I agree - that's kind of my point that we're able to invest ourselves in nuance, which is just as valid an endeavour as any. Though my Dell monitor's audio is absolutely terrible, but it's not typical. I'm talking about easy in the sense that the next-gen interfaces are still targeted at industry, studios etc. Soon they'll trickle down to us and be cheaper to buy and easier to use than they are now. I'd class most onboard sound as "pretty decent easy-peasy" these days .

 

In my humble opinion, pairing the Yggdrasil with mutec 3+ would be end game setup for most folks here. Other than trying different usb cables/usb card, there's nothing much to upgrade to with this setup unless you want to spend 3000euros on mutec's upcoming word clock.

 

Anyone have any troubles installing driver for a mutec 1.2 on windows 10?

I went to mutec's website, found to appropriate driver, told windows 10 to install even though it says it could be hardful, and then says file not found and closes.

EDIT: Nevermind just windows defender and other virus programs fighting to delete this quicker than the other.

 

I'm out of touch. Isn't it still mostly firewire and USB? And USB2.0, at that?

As for ethernet/TCP stuff, I think Squeezebox was already mentioned: Slim Devices/Logitech were doing it a decade ago. We do not need some sort of super-audio version of networking: the ordinary kind will do just fine.

But... It is not an industry in which cheap and easy goes down well with either sellers or buyers