Mutec USB Interfaces: MC-1.2 & MC-3+ Smart Clock USB

If you have a tube amp, turn off your cell phone data and run speed test over wireless, then inch your phone toward the tubes.

BLEEDEEP CLIGGAT BZZAT.

Same thing if your cell is near a tube when someone calls you, but different noises.

 

So I have a Lynx E22 here for testing, in no small part because I wanted to compare it against the Mutec MC-3+USB using its USB and AES inputs.

The very good news for my wallet is that it's no better to use the Lynx going into the Mutec with AES than it is to go USB into the Mutec.

 

How is the SPDIF output from the Lynx compare to the Mutec?

 

Not as good either. It's very good, but is brighter and less open.

 

FWIW - I've been running an Aries for 18 months and I prefer the AES/EBU output over USB, I also use wifi to stream from my NAS after a lot of comparisons with ethernet.

I actually think the Aries performs best when the internal USB power is not being used, either with a connection to the DAC or using the external HDD connection. Yes the differences are subtle but I will confidently say that USB is not better. I think anyone who says that the USB output is better on the Aries is probably influenced more by the quality of the USB implementation on their DAC vs SPDIF, rather than the Aries outputs.

 

That does bring up a good point where Dacs with USB optimized over SPDIF will sound better, assuming the quality of the spdif fed is as high as the USB? Not actually having an Aries, the Aries is then better mated to a non USB optimized Dac, a Schiit rather than an LH Labs?

 

Not sure USB is any more the devil than other packet transport protocols. I know my mac mini sounds best with the ethernet disconnected when using a USB dac. Also tried a little experiment using a copper mesh shield over a 6sn7 tube. Thought I heard a difference, but not sure if it was placebo so off it went. May have to revisit. Some Colorado friends doing lots of experiments with ERS Paper in the breaker box door with good results. I heard it but not sure if I will do it.

EDIT: Just saw @Luckbad post about cell phone near tube. Same here blat, blat, blat, but nothing with the copper mesh in place.

 

What about people who prefer a USB-SPDIf (or AES) converter to their DAC with the Aries? Are they influenced, too?

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Good point and the answer is I don't know. I was only commenting on my experience with the Aries and hypothesising why some might prefer USB. I guess using a converter would re-clock the USB signal and provide isolation from the Aries USB power supply, which begs the question: why would this sound different to using a straight AES connection? Maybe the converter does something else? (who knows). I have used a SPDIF re-clocker in my setup and soon discovered that the difference between AES, Coax & Toslink feeding it made absolutely no difference to my ears but I could tell the difference between AES & the other 2 options on the output feeding the DAC. I haven't used a USB converter but it would be interesting to try.

I went to a GTG last year where there were 2 other Aries owners. One of them preferred a USB connected HDD for SQ and the other preferred ethernet from his NAS, with my preference for WiFi from a NAS that made 3 differing opinions on methods to get the best SQ with the same product. I will admit that I am probably biased towards WiFi as it is the most convenient solution for me but I don't know if the other 2 also had some sort of convenience preference?

One thing is certain - we don't all hear the same way as was evidenced at that same GTG where opinion was split on 3 different sources at wildly varying prices

 

I'm hoping to get my Mutec 3+ this week, and I'll be posting my thoughts on this stuff after a week or two. When I just use my Wyrd, it got rid of the audio cut-outs I had on the two motherboard I've used (MSI Gaming 5 z88 and Asus Rampage V Extreme), so that was easily worth the money.

 

Yeah, check out those guys at the computer audiophile site. One guy mentions he likes the USB output best then others follow suit. The discussion then turned to which USB decrapifier to use after the Aires.

 

Did they ever reply?

 

I have a second AES cable arriving this week and will test to see if I can hear any difference between TASCAM DA-3000 (AES) -> Mutec (AES) -> Yggdrasil and MBP (USB) -> powered hub -> Mutec (AES) -> Yggdrasil.

 

Trying to find a used Mutec 1.2 is not being easy, my concero is on his way to the new owner tomorrow.

 

Hot damn! Apparently I won that MC-3+ USB from SonicScoop contest.

I guess I'll be returning my MC-1.2's hehe. Hopefully the MC-3 PSU indeed better and silent as it can't be run from USB power. But I'm in no position to complain either way.

 

Grats!

 

Hey, if the restock fee is high, maybe you should just sell it here!

 

Thomann's got no stinkin restock fees, 30 days no questions asked.

My price is shipping soon direct from Germany, nice..

 

For those of you using the MC-3+ what kind of latency are you able to use stably? Besides using my computer for music recording/production I also use it for gaming. I've found that using JRiver Schiit WASAPI has a higher latency than my Ciunas Dac running WDM Kernell Streaming. The lowest the WASAPI drivers can go is 10ms with smallest live playback buffer where the WDM Kernel Streaming with Ciunas can do 5ms. Not a huge difference in practice but I can feel/hear the difference when playing games. Running the Schiit WDM drivers the latency is fine but not bit perfect, which I'm trying to maintain. Thanks in advance!