Customer Reviews

Musical Fidelity V-DAC MKII

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I upgraded my current audio setup. I purchased the V-DAC 2 weeks ago. After about 60 hrs burn-in, I have truly never experienced music on this level. Soundstage, articulation, tight bass, warm acoustics that will melt away everything that has troubled you the moment you sit down and start listening. I have never heard an audio system sound this good. I have a decent upper mid-level audio setup. The years have caught up to it, but after running all of my sources through the V-DAC, my setup now sounds like twenty grand.

This is the smartest and most rewarding purchase I have bought in a longggg time and the most amazing audio purchase I have EVER purchased. When I come home now, the first thing I do is listen to music. No, not just listen, experience it! I'm going through my entire collection. Revisiting songs I never thought much of, but now hearing new sounds, new layers of audio. It's really hard to put into words, but I guarantee that the MF VDAC won't disappoint.

My fiancee thinks I'm silly and doesn't understand my new fascination with my music collection...but I'm loving every minute of it!

**Please note that you MUST burn in the VDAC (run music through it continutally) for AT LEAST 30 hrs. Out of the box, it sounds fine. After feeding it some sound for over 30 hrs though, you will be rewarded with a warm articulated soundstage that doesn't come from any product you can buy over the shelf. Trust me...the VDAC literally transforms into a DAC that will cause you to sit at the edge of your seat and wonder, "So this is the sound that causes the audiophile bug!". Just so you know, I've had this Amazon account for many years and rarely review or comment on products. I thought it would be beneficial to help those of you who are beginning to upgrade your audio setups with quality components. The VDAC should be on your list...actually, it's a must if you need to upgrade to an external DAC!

My old and new music collection has been reborn...I'm loving every moment of it :)

I've had the Musical Fidelity V-DAC for just over a week now and put it through it's paces with a variety of rock, pop, jazz and classical music. The V-DAC definitely sounds quite a bit better than my Oppo DVD-980H's analog outputs or the Oppo connected via coaxial digital to my Onkyo TX-SR705. The difference is immediate: much deeper bass, wider and deeper "sound stage", instruments are clearly differentiated whereas before they sounded mixed up, much better tonal differences with voices, stringed instruments, even electronic music. I didn't find the Onkyo or Oppo thin sounding at all (quite the opposite), but the V-DAC sounds significantly richer and more "solid". For the money, I really couldn't be happier - it's a great little device. I also compared the V-DAC to the DAC built into my Marantz SR5300 A/V receiver and again, the V-DAC comes out on top.

** WARNING ** Don't try the following yourself unless you're comfortable experimenting with and modifying electronic components! **
One "tweak" I couldn't resist was to replace the wall mart power supply it comes with with a larger regulated power supply. The one I got came from Amazon at a very low price and I recommend it too: Pyramid PS3 3-Amp 13.8-Volt Power Supply. Changing the power supply does improve sound quality further - most noticeable as deeper and tighter bass, more "solid" images, and stronger dynamics. All of these attributes were already strong points even with the stock power supply. The V-DAC does run cooler too using the bigger power supply, so hopefully that will extend its life.

Even without the above "tweak", the V-DAC sounds just great, and should provide a noticeable improvement for folks who do not already own a high-end DAC or A/V receiver. I hope you have as much fun with the V-DAC.

Being a budget stereophile, I was looking forward to improving the sound of my Zone-2 setup, consisting of a pair Mordaunt Short 902i bookshelf speakers on BTech BT-77 stands Rocelco B-Tech Rocelco BT77 Ultragrip Pro Loudspeaker Wall Mount - Pair (Black). These speakers are connected to an Onkyo TX-SR604 a/v receiver Onkyo TX-SR604 7.1 Channel A/V Receiver (Black) and Pioneer DV-610 universal DVD player Pioneer Dv610av-s Silver Multi Region Code Free Hdmi 1080p Upconverting DVD Player with SACD and DVD-Audio Playback.

Background:

I have a very good collection of CDs that are mostly made in the European Union (E.U.). To make the best of my CD collection, I was initially planning on getting a budget CD player under USD500. I had rounded up on two budget CD players - Cambridge Audio 550C & Emotiva ERC-1. I had heard the Emotiva ERC-1 at a friends place and it was too good for the money - USD400. The slot loading mechanism of the Emotiva ERC-1 was a deal breaker for me. I have had bad experiences in the past with slot loading CD players. I especially hate the way they attract dust on the slot opening and they eventually leave soft scratches on the CDs. I w'd have surely bought the Emotiva ERC-1 if only it had a tray loading mechanism. It is otherwise a superbly capable CD player with functions such as a 12V trigger and a whole lot of other great features. Anyone who does not mind slot loading CD player sh'd surely give it a listen.

That left me with just the Cambridge Audio 550C CD player. I was at a point in my hobby where I was planning to get into Hard Drive / Server based music, sometime later this year. I was planning to rip all my CDs into FLAC or WAV and store them in a HTPC with an optical out or may be in a Network Media Player with an optical out. So I decided against the idea of adding a CD player and instead started researching budget DACs. I wanted to get started by just connecting the Pioneer DV-610 universal DVD player, I had at hand, to a DAC for improved CD playback and then later move on to a Network Media player such as LaCie Lacinema Classic HD 1TB 1TB LaCinema Classic HD Multimedia High Definition Media Player. I had rounded up on two very popular budget DACs - Musical Fidelity (MF) V-DAC priced @ USD300 and Cambridge Audio (CA) DacMagic priced @ USD400 Cambridge Audio DacMagic Digital-to-Analog Converter with USB, Black.

DacMagic vs V-DAC:

I ordered the MF V-DAC from Amazon & I managed to borrow a CA DacMagic from a friend for comparison. I used a Monster ILSR-1M Fiber Optic Audio Cable Monster ILSR-1M Toslink Fiber Optic Audio Cable (1 meter) & a pair of Monster 400i Stereo Audio Interconnects Monster MC 400I-1M Ultra-High Performance RCA Stereo Cables (1 meter) with both the DACs.

I felt that the V-DAC has the Magic & the DacMagic has the value. It's surely not the other way around. DacMagic offers a lot more bells & whistles for just USD100 more. It has multiple digital inputs, incoming signal strength indicator, sound filter adjustments etc. V-DAC is designed to be hidden behind the rack, while DacMagic is designed to be seen. Both are British DACs and they cost a lil' more in the US than in the UK. Both DACs immediately showed a difference in my system. There was more separation in both voice & instruments. The soundstage improved & the sound was more fleshed out, more like adding meat to bones. More realism than I have ever heard in my system before. The better the quality of recording in the CD, the better the realism. I'am rediscovering my music collection all over again. It's only after extended listening that U actually realize & appreciate the benefits of having an external DAC.

I preferred the midrange smoothness of the V-DAC & I preferred the dynamic range of the DacMagic. I liked V-DAC more with songs that were high on vocals & I liked DacMagic more with both instrumental & bass heavy music. I listen to all kinds of music & I felt that I could live with either DAC. Over extended listening, I found V-DAC a lil' more soft on the ears. Over all, I preferred the smooth midrange of the V-DAC over the dynamic sound of the DacMagic. It kind of grows on U over time. V-DAC has surely taken my system to the next level. Anyone considering to buy either of these DACs sh'd surely give them both a listen / demo. U'r surely going to prefer the presentation of one DAC over the other. Both DACs are not perfect and could have offered a lil' more for the money.

MF V-DAC c'd have improved on the following:

1) The AC-DC wall wart adaptor (rated @ 12V DC, 0.5A) is very ugly looking when U plug it in U'r home theatre power strip. The least MF c'd have offered is a well designed universal power supply unit (PSU) for the money, something in the lines of NuForce Icon 42W PSU NuForce Icon 42W PSU. I'm glad MF at least offers a PSU upgrade for its V-Series components: the MF V-PSU Musical Fidelity - V-PSU - Upgrade Power Supply.
2) MF c'd have offered a universal wall wart / PSU that works on 110V - 220V. This w'd have really complimented the highly portable MF V-DAC.
3) V-DAC c'd have offered at least one more digital input just like the DacMagic. This w'd have helped people to get more from other sources as well.
4) Build quality of the V-DAC is not really as bad as some people have stated. It's just plain & functional. It w'd have been great if it was also available in silver color just like the DacMagic.

DacMagic c'd have improved on the following:

1) The AC-AC wall wart adaptor (rated @ 12V AC, 1.5A) is worse than the one that comes with the V-DAC. This power supply really puts DacMagic to shame. CA sh'd at least give its customers a choice of buying a better PSU, depending on their needs. C'mon U can still offer this choice to customers who are not happy with their existing power supply.
2) An on/off switch on the DacMagic is good, a 12V trigger w'd have been even better. This w'd have helped to automatically turn on & off the DacMagic along with other components that have an inbuilt timer & a 12V trigger on it. Most a/v receivers these days come with a timer & a 12V trigger.

Conclusion:

Is spending USD300-400 on a DAC really worth it? Answer is yes and no. A DAC is purely for anyone wanting to improve server / PC based music or someone who does not want to waste space on their rack by adding a CD player. Others who want to improve CD playback c'd also consider investing in a good CD player for more robust playback functions such as shuffle play which most DVD / Bluray players are not great at.

I'm currently using the MF V-DAC with the MF V-PSU & I c'd not be happier with the improved performance. The ability to keep the power supply away from the DAC, in seperate enclosures, is a big advantage here. It keeps the Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) really low. The MF V-PSU takes the already superb performance of the V-DAC to the next level. I cannot imagine ever using the V-DAC again without the V-PSU.

In order to see how far I c'd go with the MF V-DAC & V-PSU combo, I also replaced / upgraded a few things (see pix) in my system like:

1) The Monster ILSR Fiber Optic Cable was replaced with the WireWorld Supernova 6 Glass Optic Cable.
2) The Monster 400i Stereo Interconnects was replaced with the Anti-Cables Anti-ICs with Eichmann Copper Bullet plugs.
3) The cheaply built 0.7m long AC/DC link cable that comes with the MF V-PSU was replaced with a 1m long AC/DC link Kimber Kable from Russ Andrews, UK.
4) The supplied cheap power cord was replaced with a Pangea AC-14 Signature Power Cable with a figure 8 connector Pangea Audio - AC-14 - Signature - Power Cable 1.0 Meter - w/ C7 Connector.
5) Replaced the internal 3.15A Time delay (T) fuse with a Hi-Fi Tuning Supreme silver (T) fuse. When opening the MF V-PSU, I was surprised to find 2 fuse slots / holders. One for 110V & the other for 220V operation. Just putting the fuse in the correct slot converted the PSU to operate in the desired voltage. In other words, the MF V-PSU is a universal power supply with a lil' secret tweak. Wow!

I'm surprised at the improvement each upgrade has done to my budget system. My system now sounds very fluid smooth, three dimentional & fatigue free. I'm giving MF V-DAC 4/5 stars only because of the above mentioned minor issues & the way it is priced. As far as performance is concerned, it's a 5 stars product. I chose the MS V-DAC over the CA DacMagic because with MF V-DAC one gets to upgrade it's PSU & other accessories. MF V-DAC is the tweaker's DAC. After all the above mentioned upgrades, the MF V-DAC is ahead of the CA DacMagic in every way.

For those not interested in tweaking, the CA DacMagic has all the bells, whistles & performance a budget DAC has to offer.

Just my $0.02.

Brgds.

I bought the V-DAC based on the glowing reviews done by Stereophile, amazon and other online reviewers. I was not disappointed. The sound was good and was exactly as people said, fluid, detailed, rich and a bit laid back.

When Stereophile reviewed V-DAC, the $299 was an absolute breakthrough in bring the quality DAC to the people at an affordable price. I know affordable means different things to different folks. For some, a $12,000 DAC is affordable and some $2000. But most people who shop amazon would consider $299 is much more affordable than a $800 or $1200 DAC. After all, Yamaha and Denon have brought us HD-audio capable receivers for less than $300.

Well the V-DAC sounds good but it is limited to 16/44 with its adaptive USB interface. It tries to overcome the jitter prone adaptive USB interface with its oversampling DAC and achieves its goal quite well.

Until recently, few USB DACs are capable of the asynchronous mode. The ones they do, are all high end products costing many times of the price of the V-DAC, until now.

When the HRT Streamer II and M2Tech hiFace came out with the asynchronous USB mode and hi-res music support, the V-DAC is no longer the king in this price bracket. The HRT Streamer II supports 24/96 with the native OS drivers. The hiFace supports 24/192 through its proprietary driver. Both are sold at $150. One can buy both with the price of the V-DAC. I did and love them both.

The HRT Streamer II, at 1/2 cost of the V-DAC, sounds every bit as good as the V-DAC and has a fuller sound than V-DAC. It has a more enthusiastic personality than the V-DAC. The hiFace is not a DAC but can work with DACs accepting the 24/192 input which include many AV receivers from Yamaha, Denon and others. The V-DAC would truncate (re-sample) the 24/192 input to 24/96 with its S/PDIF input.

I've had Musical Fidelity products in the past, so I knew their quality was good. The V line is a different approach for MF, rather than put tons of money into cosmetics, they have basically scrapped that for higher quality goods on the inside. This is the tradeoff for more value.

Bare bones cosmetics does not necessarily equate to "cheap, low quality" as within most products. The MF case is plain, it's down right utilitarian, but it is of high quality, no doubt. The V-DAC which I have, like the other two V products has inputs and outputs on both sides, which is a far stray from what is normal with everything in the back of the unit. If you want impressive looks, then this is not for you, but if you want quality and high end components on the inside, then look no further. This little black box might as well be turning lead into gold! That may be pushing it a little, but you get the point. When you bypass the internal DAC's of say your computer as I'm doing and run your digital music through a high quality DAC such as the MF V-DAC, the difference is, well, it's like the lead into gold!

I've actually taken to the design of it. By putting a high quality (read thick and big) glass fiber cable on it, it starts to look better. With the addition of spikes supporting, it, it becomes even better. Next thing in order for it, is a high quality external power supply to replace the ubiquitous "wall wart". I've been told that the addition of this piece is the most important upgrade for it. MF skipped cost on the power supply to stay focused on the inside, that's fine, because it holds the cost down, which is a large part of it. I guess they figured if anyone wanted a power supply upgrade that bad, then they would not mind adding that themselves.

If you want audio quality over looks and don't want to spend a bundle, then this audiophile grade product is worth taking a look at.

UPDATE: 10/24/2010 - Shortly after I purchased the MF VDAC I added a KingRex PSU as the main power supply for it. The KingRex is not much larger than the VDAC, but is a very chunky and excellently built power supply. Just do a search on it and you find it. They make a whole line. It's a fantastic improvement over the "wall wart".

The Musical Fidelity V-DAC is one of the most consistently-praised budget DACs on the market at the moment.

I really wanted to like it, despite its plain-jane appearance -- a compact black box bearing a large, garish white logo -- and limited functionality.

While I do not possess tens of thousands of dollars worth of high-end audio equipment, I am very sensitive to changes in my listening environment. My prior experience with external DACs is with a Maverick Audio TubeMagic D1, a Chinese DAC that includes a headphone amp and offers a wider ranger of functionality that the Musical Fidelity V-DAC does, as well as a lower pricetag.

I suspect I'll get flamed for saying so, but using the V-DAC resulted in little to no discernible improvement in sound quality in 90% of the configurations I tried. I realize that this puts me in the minority. If you have a V-DAC and love it, I am sincerely happy for you. I'm simply saying that I did not find it to be a cost-effective improvement for my systems. On the positive side, it is compact and reasonably unobtrusive.

I tested the V-DAC first with a Cayin tube headphone amp, paired with both a CD transport and an Airport Express. If anything, the Musical Fidelity imparted a slightly more muted or muffled sound.

Unfazed, since I know that synergy is everything in audio, I moved on to try the V-DAC with a CD transport and Airport Express playing through a Jolida tube amp and vintage Boston Acoustics speakers. I simultaneously hooked up the RCA outs of the CD player to another input on the amp, so that I could toggle between the V-DAC and the CDP for the sake of direct comparison. Again, no appreciable difference.

From there, I tried the V-DAC with a second generation AppleTV in a home theater, playing through a Denon AVR paired with Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1 speakers. This is where I was really rooting for the V-DAC to shine; alas, no discernible improvement in sound quality here, either.

Slightly fazed now, but still rooting for the MF, I tried the V-DAC in my office setup, with an Apple iMac and Ascend Acoustics CBM-170 speakers powered by a vintage Marantz receiver. Again, the V-DAC added nothing positive to the mix. In comparison to a Maverick TubeMagic D1 DAC in this setup, the V-DAC's sound seemed thin, pale, and uninvolving.

Amid growing thoughts of selling the MF, I tried it with a Virtue Sensation amp powering Focal 826V speakers. Finally, a noticeable difference!

Output from the Airport Express' optical out seemed smoother, with a wider soundstage; output from a CD transport's coaxial connection also seemed slightly improved. Neither was an order of magnitude greater, but it did seem to be a pleasant -- if minor -- improvement (certainly not the drastic, immediately-noticeable kind of change most other reviewers detail).

While pleased to be hear any improvement, I had to ask myself if it was an improvement worth $300. Honestly, my answer would be "probably not." While I could hear a subtle difference, I suspect any casual listener would not.

I've read lots of reviews of DACs and, like many shoppers, spent a lot of time deciding between the MF and the Cambridge Audio DacMagic. Maybe I made the wrong choice... or maybe I am just incapable of appreciating the subtle change it imparts. Or perhaps, as some folks claim, a DAC is a DAC is a DAC.

Whatever the case may be, I would definitely advise prospective V-DAC buyers to shop at a merchant that offers a flexible return policy, in case results are not appreciable in your system. I wouldn't go into it expecting a night-and-day improvement, but rather an incremental one, depending on your system.

It is tempting to want to hear a noticeable improvement when you've spent hundreds of dollars on a component. I know I did. Once I got past my wishful thinking, I realized that the $300 probably would have yielded far greater sonic dividends had it been saved and applied toward a future speaker upgrade.

I am surprised to say it, but I find the Maverick TubeMagic D1 a more useful product. It offers tube as well as solid state outputs, 2 analog inputs, as well as coaxial, optical and usb inputs. Tubes for it are inexpensive, as are op amps, which are socketed for easy user upgradability. I thought I might have been missing out on something using a cheap DAC like the Maverick. I'm not wondering any more. I definitely appreciate the high value quotient of the Mav. The verdict is out on the MF.

As with all audio purchases, your mileage may vary.

Happy listening!

PS - Update from early October 2011 - To anyone considering the V-DAC, please note that Musical Fidelity has just released its successor, the V-DAC II (and it is available for $349). Form factor is roughly the same, but the case is now made from machined aluminum.

From the product description: "The new V-DAC II has an asynchronous USB input - exactly the same technology and programming as used in Musical Fidelity's highly successful, enthusiastically reviewed V-Link. The V-DAC II offers 24-bit, 192k upsampling and improves upon the original V-DAC's benchmark performance, with half the distortion (0.002%) and improved stereo separation.

"Musical Fidelity also listened closely to what was said about the aesthetics of the V-DAC and made a substantial investment in the extrusion fabrication techniques for the new V-DAC II. The result is that it looks classy and technical at the same time, which is a perfect combination for a DAC. The fine line extrusion with premium finish brushing exudes quality and the front and back end pieces are now made from machined aluminum that's twice as thick as before."

Don't be fooled by the cheap appearance of this DAC, the sound is great! I was already familiar with the Musical Fidelity sound: smooth, warm, slightly laid back. This unit has it. Supposedly they kept the guts and scrapped the cosmetics to keep the price down.
To use the USB input you need your own USB cable, but no drivers need to be installed. You plug it in, set the Playback output in foobar to DAC, and it plays the music.
The sound was good right out of the box. However, on careful listening the highs were a bit harsh, the lows lacking and just not right (with dance music). After a couple of days of break-in the sound became more balanced and the harshness was gone. After a couple of weeks of break-in the bass became full and now it handles any genre effortlessly. It's very musical: rich, detailed, warm, with great soundstage. I'm using it with the original power supply, and never unplug it. Runs warm, but never gets hot.
Tried in an A/B listening test the USB input (PC with Vista + foobar + wave files) and the coaxial input (Oppo Bluray player + CD), with the same material. The sound is almost the same, with the USB input faring slightly better in my setup.
It excels with acoustic music (jazz, classical) but does well with dance music and techno too. It's very revealing and unforgiving, if the source file is poor (some old recordings or low bitrate mp3s) it will not make it sound pretty. The sound is unbelievable with some audiophile grade recordings: transparent, excellent detail, balanced tonality, excellent soundstage.
It's a fantastic unit for the price.

As long as your headphone and headphone amplifier are good enough to do it justice, the Musical Fidelity V-DAC will transform the quality of your audio. Obviously, the USB input is leagues ahead of the cheap DAC in your computer. If you also use it to upgrade the quality of a DVD player or CD player, you are naturally starting from a higher point. But the difference is also startling. Everything good that has been said by other reviewers is true.

I bought this along with the Pyramid power supply. If you are not comfortable with experiments, the wall wart that comes with the V-DAC is fine, though if you can afford it, the V-PSU would be worthwhile. If you are comfortable with a little experimentation, the Pyramid is a fantastic bargain that transforms an already excellent DAC into something of wonder. Particularly notable is the stronger yet absolutely articulate bass.

For the neophyte, the challenge is to connect the Pyramid to the V-DAC. Don't damage the wall wart; keep it as a backup. You can inexpensively buy a substitute plug and cord. I found mine at Parts Express via Amazon 090-484 ASIN B000LFRT8K. For those for whom this is not obvious: the wire with a white sleeve is positive and goes to the red terminal on the Pyramid; the plain wire is negative and goes to the black. You do not want to get this wrong.

Again, my highest recommendation for the V-DAC. FYI, I am using it with the coaxial output of a Pioneer DVD player. From the V-DAC, the analog signal goes to a Purity Audio K.I.C.A.S. headphone amplifier (another outstanding product from a boutique audio company in Canada that charges modest prices for its audiophile creations) to a Sennheiser HD 560 headphone (made in 1989 and still simply first class, especially with this rig). Don't hesitate for a moment to get the V-DAC.

Some reviews say that the optical input sounds better than the USB connection. I read a review that said the USB chip is made by Texas Instruments and the optical chip is made by Burr Brown therefore there may be some credence to what the previous reviewers are saying (although Burr Brown was purchased by TI). Personally, I use both and feel that they are excellent and far superior to how my system previously sounded. The optical may be a bit more dynamic but the USB is no slouch and is probably as good as it gets when compared to other USB DACs. This is, by far, the best DAC available for the money. My V-DAC is connected to a Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amplifier. For loudspeakers, I have Epos ELS3 and Focal Chorus.

I purchased this V-DAC to improve my PC based music server that is run through an 8 room home audio system that i have put together. My system consists of a PC running i-Tunes, the V-DAC connected to the PC through the USB connector, The V-DAC connecting to the receiver (Onxyo 706) with powers a 5.1 home theather in a living room and 2nd zone powering the 8 home audio with a Onxyo Amplifier handling 4 of the 8 zones.

I previously had my PC music server running through the PC sound card (Dell) and out the mini stereo jacks split into a RCA and to my receiver (Onxyo 706). Obviously compared to that PC sound card system, the V-DAC is far superior to the PC sound card and PC analog output. Since my PC and receiver are not located in the same room I had to over come a fairly long run from my PC to my receiver (~35 feet). Before the V-DAC I ran a RCA cable between the PC and the receiver. Since my home was new I had wired a Cat 5e cable from my PC location to my head-end audio (receiver). The Cat 5e now carries the USB signal using a "USB over CAT 5" (from Amazon) connector to transmit the digital signal from the PC to the V-DAC. The V-DAC is installed right at the receiver to minimize the length of RCA cable for the analog output to the receiver.

The V-DAC is doing exactly what i had hoped it would do, significantly improves sound quality of my music library using i-Tunes, allows the digital signal to be run to the V-DAC bypassing the PC Soundcard, completely eliminated the noise distortion over the long run from the PC to the V-DAC by transmitting digital through the USB connector.

Installation was simple, truly plug and play, my PC running VISTA instantly recognized the V-DAC.