Musical Fidelity V-DAC MKII

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Price: $443.50    

Musical Fidelity V-DAC MKII Review

First off let me state my setup is not typical but when it all comes down to it I wanted better sound to come out of my PC.

I've been using a Cakewalk UA-1G USB Audio Interface for a while now. It does 24-bit/96kHz but with no upsampling. Overall the quality did sound nice but over the last couple of years I have gone from producer to listener. More so to handle all of the A&R here at the record label I run.

Last month I finally got around to buying the Musical Fidelity V-Link in hopes to replace the UA-1G. To be honest I really didn't hear much of a change but needed something that would allow me to go from USB to S/PDIF. My plans were to add the original V-DAC to my system but then I noticed the new V-DAC MKII. So I sent back the V-Link just in time and received the V-DAC MKII. I now hear what 24-bit, 192k upsampling can sound like.

Here is my current setup:

Musical Fidelity V-DAC MKII
Pangea Audio - P-100 - High Performance Power Supply
AudioQuest Forest USB
AudioQuest G-Snake audio cable
Yamaha RX-V867BL 7.2-Channel
KRK RP8G2 Rokit G2 8In Powered Studio Monitor Ea (Fronts)
KRK RP8G2 Rokit G2 8In Powered Studio Monitor Ea (Center Channel)
Fostex Powered Studio Monitor Pair Red (Rear)
KRK K10S Subwoofer

Foobar 2000

First I tried out some 24 bit wav files and let me say I was blown away by the clarity. The highs really shined through and the vocals and midrange seemed to be less harsh if that makes sense. Bass tightend up a lot for me. Plus in 2 channel mode I noticed a better stereo seperation. I mention it because I enjoy listening in 5.1 stereo mode as well. If your source files are high quality then the V-DAC MKII can really work it's magic.

I've read other reviews about the original V-DAC and curious if a proper burn in will sweeten it up even more.

As for the overall looks of this DAC I do like it and prefer it over their previous design. They got rid of the custom font and kept it cleaner looking. Very light weight and the case has a resemblance of some external hard drive cases I've seen in the past. It has 2 strips of rubber foam along the bottom to keep it secure.

I've listened to a ton of music already in all types of genres, jazz, funk, soul, trip hop, instrumental hip hop, and classic rock. I am hearing things I have never heard on some of these recordings.This is my first DAC and I am very happy with this to say the least.

UPDATED 2012.01.06

I replaced the stock power supply with a Pangea Audio - P-100 - High Performance Power Supply. Right off the bat I could tell a difference. Not a huge difference but a nice change in detail including better soundstage and the background seemed to change. Overall I'd say warmer with quieter backgrounds. As with another review I could hear differences with vinyl. Best way to describe it was that it just sounded bigger.

I hate trying to write what I am hearing but my ears do sense a change for the better and feel that I am really getting the most out of the V-DAC II now.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

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