Mercury V3 Streamer/DAC Impressions

That choke is wired in series mode and IS the noise nuke. It can be much smaller because it only needs to be rated for 12V@4A max. The @atomicbob original was designed for higher voltage and current.

See here for the test results for it (you may have to scroll back a bit):

https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...ni-noise-nuke-measurements.13852/#post-424888

 

New Mercury V3 DAC images for Moode, Volumio and Ropieee are on the Mercury V3 DAC Page:

https://www.pi2design.com/mercury-v3-dac.html

 

My brief review includes a comparison with my Pi2, different power supplies, and a catastrophe (I bet
that'll get their attention).

I started by listening to the Merc with the stock power supply. It sounded very much like the Pi2. I used
music that I was familiar with. Then I changed to the Pi2 with the stock Meanwell. I could tell right away
that the Merc was superior in every way. Was it HMMG (Holy Mary Mother of God) better? No. But it was
noticeable.

Then I tried the Merc with a 12V AMB Sigma 11 LRPS, but didn't really notice any appreciable change to the
sound. I believe someone else here had the same experience. I also tried the stock Meanwell with a Noise
Nuke, but again, no change. I suppose Michael's built-in nuke does the job.

I also tried comparing to my Pi2 with the 5 volt mod (one 5V input feeding both boards) using a 5V AMB S11.
To me the Merc was still slightly better.

My final comparison was using the 24V Pi2 Meanwell through a 'Nuke'. When I flipped the switch on the
'Nuke' the lights on the Pi2 and RPi4 board start flashing. That's when I saw that I hadn't moved the DC
power cable from the 5V input to the stock 24V input. Adios Pi2. Both boards were 'nuked' so to speak.
Aaaaaaaargh!!!! Comparisons come to screeching halt. Brought to mind the formula: Stupid = Expensive.

Now I'm streamer-less. Two choices: 1) Build another Pi2 (cheaper) or 2) Buy a Merc. The choice was not a
hard one to make. I am now the proud new owner of a Mercury V3. 'Nuff said.

I also did compare the Merc's DAC to my own DAC (Gungnir A1 with a tube output stage). IMHO the Merc's
DAC is quite good. Very detailed and dynamic. I cheated a bit though as the Merc's DAC output passed
through a switch box/balanced to SE converter using Cinemag transformers.

Thanks to Michael for designing/building great audio pieces for us cheapskates.

 

You inner audiophile subconsciously wanted this upgrade. Resistance is futile.

 

The thing is, if there was a cure, would any of us take it?

 

There is a cure, many have taken it... it's called going outside

 

But it's scary out there. I live in Phoenix. Spontaneous human combustion and all that.

 

Mercury V3 Loaner Impressions

Chain
Streamer (Mercury vs Metrum Ambre) -> SFD-2 MK II -> Stratus V3

Headphones
Auteur Classic, RD-4, Caldera closed, HD 800

Other Notes
I compared against the Metrum Ambre which is my current favorite streamer (worth noting that I haven't heard many streamers, I also have a V1 Pi2AES in my secondary setup). I used Moode playing local files for both the Mercury and Ambre to keep the comparison as fair as possible (I used my own card and didn't change anything on the loaner's memory card).

Comparison
I think the Mercury is an excellent streamer and held it's own against the much costlier Ambre. I was surprised to find how much each streamer sounded different, it wasn't subtle.

Mercury

• More elevated highs
• Preferred with the Caldera closed

Ambre

• More elevated lower end, especially mid bass
• Smoother presentation
• Slightly more resolving
• Tone slightly more to my taste
• Preferred with the RD-4 and HD 800

Overall I preferred the Ambre but would be perfectly happy with the Mercury. Note that I didn't prefer the Auteur Classic with either streamer and it sounded really good with both.

 

Mercury V3 DAC vs Holo RED vs Lumin U1

Mercury vs RED

TLDR; The Mercury is a better sounding streamer in tone AND technicalities than the RED

both used as streamers - Tidal and Qobuz (never tried the DAC in the Mercury, wish it wasn't there TBH)

Chain
Mercury/RED -> Chord TT2 + Mscaler/PS Audio Directstream mkii APS modded -> EC Studio T, WA33, Liquid Crimson, DNA Stratus, Bigger Ben rev2, TA84, Pietus, Apos Gremlin

Headphones - all my own modded orthos - RD-4, RD-4z, my new RD-08 ortho iems (modded Letshuoer S-08), modded Abyss 1266

I haven't read through this thread as i just wanted to form my own opinion. i was expecting the RED to be better because of @GoldenOne 's super low jitter measurements and already liking it much better than the Pi2AES (which I did the 5v mod to and had it attached to a Sigma11 LPS) and just what a solid unit it is, super heavy, well built, rock solid software. But I was hugely surprised by the Mercury.

I read @purr1n talk aboiut them being technically on par, but the Mercuiry being more neutral and the RED being warmer and having peaky upper mids. I never heard the peaky upper mids but I did hear the warmer tone once I heard the Mercury.

But not only IME was the Mercury way more even and neutral and natrual tonally - making the RED seem syrupy and muddy, but the Mercury to me was much better technically. It is more resolving, more nuanced, more textured. I didn't even need to switch back and forth many times, after my first switch to the Mercury i just wanted to stay with it and i forced myself to switch back to the RED twice and just wanted to go back to the Mercury. Going to the RED from the Mercury, I felt it was not just colored in tone but actively muddy, dulling transients and really losing information.

I didn't find the Mercury to go in the other direction either, it didn’t' seem bright to me, it just sounds right.

I very quickly sold my RED for $750 and bought a brand new Mercury and wound up with cash in hand. And now I have a whole ethernet -> Wifi setup with FMPC fiber optic converters on NoiseNukes because the Mercury has built in WIFI. (but I'll save them for the Rokna Wavelight Server )

Not everything in audio can be measured, especially with one measurement. Jitter be damned.

edit: I thought I'd add in the Lumin U1

I hated it. It has good detail retrieval but it is incrediblly digital sounding (I actually never realliy knew what this sounded like until i heard the U1) and also very small sounding, It sounded so digital I could not even listen to it for more than a few minutes. it was like looking at a blown up 1mp image. Really awful, one of the most dissappointing experiences in audio in terms of expeectaions vs experience I've ever had. I prefer the og Pi2AES by far. And the U1 is also gigantic, the size of a Yggdrasil and the chassis has an overhang in the back over the cable jacks that I can't fathom the purpose of which makes them innaccessbile trying to reach over the unit, you have to pull it out anytime you swap cables. I was really surprised the U1 soiunded so bad, I wanted to hear the U2 but now I don't unless I have some easy opportunity.

I would rate the streamers i've heard something like this:

Lumin U1 <<<< Pi2AES w/5v mod and Sigma11 LPS << RED < Mercury V3 DAC

 

Just a tease of Mercury V5 proto (final coming Q4, maybe). It uses the PCM5122 as the clock generator (but not the DAC as it sucks):



I'll be very curious how this change the sound with various DAC's. Probably will do a Beta like we did with the first Mercury.

 

Will the Merc V5 have USB out? A lot of DACs including Schiit’s newest ones have excellent USB inputs.

 

yes, it will have a pair of USB three ports just like mercury V3. But, just like V3 they will be nothing special.

again, though, if you just want USB from a raspberry pie, don't bother buying our product. Just a waste of money. The sound quality and the ultra low clock jitter that we get is thrown in the trash when you use USB.

 

I'm still running a Pi2AES, would love to hear a Merc at some point. I had the Red for a bit and found that switching from RAAT to HQPlayer NAA was a bigger difference than Red vs Pi2AES. I could hear a difference between the two streamers, but it wasn't so monumental that it made me unhappy with the Pi.

 

The upcoming Merc mini does appeal to me. The tiny footprint of a Pi with a HAT has served me well, and it feels like it might offer enough functional upside in return for a modest size increase. Something that can run picoreplayer is a must here and it looks like it'll fit the bill nicely.

 

Was there a V4?

 

Yes, internally. But it was waiting for compute module 4's to become widely available again. By the time that changed we decide to move to the Compute Module 5 thus the V5!

 

Any interesting changes from compute 4 to compute 5? The 5 should have more cpu to do filtering but if it’s still 24/192 it might not matter to the hardcore upsampling crowd. I have a rpi5 that I have set up but haven’t tried to integrate it into my pi2aes setup just because the rpi4 one has been so trouble free so I’m not sure what any internal changes there were that might have impacted the sound.

 

V5 will support PCM or DSD over PCM up to 384 kHz. This is due to the PCM5122 driver which supports that. This is not really a factor of the compute module five, more of the PCM5122 driver.

We're still sorting the final feature set, but the jitter and the noise levels look fantastic.

 

Will 384 kHz be possible over AES balanced out, or is this USB only?