USB Nervosa Thread Decrapifiers, pro interfaces, and bears oh my

I received my standard version Intona isolator today and installed it to my audio-gd Reference 5.32 mod with Amanero USB interface setup: I get increased tone/texture separation and deeper sound stage. What appeared to be a single tone before is now multiple tones separated, though It makes some recording sounding less warm.

It also helps preserving the same high quality playback even my notebook is busy doing multitasking. I think the Intona is well worth the price if the computer using for playback is not a dedicated music server. My Intona is having the latest firmware which I find working flawlessly with my SMSL M8 DAC in my office with XMOS USB receiver.

I am using cheap two Foxconn OEM USB printer cables (1.8m and 0.6m), with ferrite beads on both ends, connecting the Intona to my notebook and to the Reference 5.32. The two USB cables cost me less than CNY30 (US$4) from taobao.

 

At our Denver meet a few weeks back, I had an opportunity to try a Mutec 1.2. I had my Studio rig out so friends could give it a listen. This rig is no slouch; USB Regen with custom PS, feeding a Yggdrasil USB, driving Studio. It was the very tail end of the meet when we swapped out the Regen / PS for a Mutec feeding Yggdrasil via the AES input. It took all of 30 seconds to sample a couple of songs and tell the Mutec was whooping arse on the Regen. We went back and forth a few times, but it really wasn't necessary. With the Mutec, everything was better..

After the meet I did some research and determined that I wanted the Mutec 3+ USB; better / cleaner clock, and an 'on the fly' conversion of DOP DSD to PCM. It took a week to get my hands on one. Dropped it into my chain on Friday. Wow. There's that sound again. One of the distinct advantages with the Studio and high end DAC's like Yggdrasil is that improvements 'down stream' are immediately apparent. Such is the case with the Mutec. I've tried a handful of these Decrapifier's, and none of them compare to the Mutec. As I've heard good things about feeding Yggdrasil via AES input, some of the jump in performance may be related to the input path/circuit of the AES input.

I have quite a collection of DSD music. With Yggdrasil, I've always relied on Audirvana's conversion not PCM which does a very good job. The built-in conversion to PCM that the Mutec 3+USB provides is better. One hitch though; the current firmware requires you to switch 'Reference' modes between DOP/DSD and PCM input. We're suppose to see a firmware version any time now that automatically switches between DOP & PCM.

I realize I'm light on audiophile jargon as to the improvement of Mutec 3+USB over Regen with PS. I'll just leave you with it's 'more better' top to bottom. Over the years I've spent quite a bit of time and money working through these devices; each one changing the sound - sometimes for the better. But even when better, it's been subtle. This device isn't cheap ($1K), but what it does for your stream (if your stream can reveal the improvements) is NOT subtle. Skip the Regen, the Wyrd, the Recovery, the Intona (haven't tried that yet, but as the Mutec provides full galvanic isolation...) - Just get a Mutec 3+USB.

It's feature set is beyond what most of us will use, but it's essential reclocking, isolation, multi-output (AES, BNC, etc.) is stunning. I've had Studio for a few months now, and have certainly enjoyed it. Still - it hasn't 'disappeared' as I expected from a chain of this caliber. With the Mutec it has. For the first time, I feel like I'm hearing everything.

I'll spend some time today listening to my dual mono AKM4495S DAC, fed via AES. I'm expecting good things.

For AES hookup, I'm using a Gotham GAC-2 Ultra Pro cable. Haven't compared AES cables, but basically picked one that has good shielding and is designed to 110Ohms.

http://www.mutec-net.com/product_mc-3-plus-usb.php

 

No worries - happy to share. A couple another related things I probably should mention:

1) keeping Regen upstream of the Mutec yielded slight, subtle improvements; at least to my old ears.
2) though the Mutec's internal clock is clearly very capable, at some point in the near future I'll plug in an external clock. I'm researching now, but it looks like I can source a good external clock without spending too much (< $500).

 

From my research of external clock, it seems that one of the more accurate word clock is the drawmer ones:
https://www.gearslutz.com/board/reviews/719246-drawmer-m-clock-dms-1-a.html

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/gea...-drawmer-m-clock-dms-1-vs-apogee-big-ben.html

at USD$1k, it's pretty expensive, but that's about what you going to pay for any kind of new in box clock:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MClockLite

 

Having tried the Mutec MC3+USB on both the Audio-gd Master 7(AES) vs Yggdrasil(AES). I would say that the Mutec does make Master7 able to match closer to the Yggdrasil interms of transparency and resolution. sound wise, Yggdrasil still dominantly more dynamic and reveals more details and have more spacial depth than the softer(treble) and more warmer M7.

On the input front, the yggdrasil seems to sound different with AES vs Coax/RCA vs Optical. My Yggdrasil had the 50ohm BNC issue, so I didn't use that input. RCA/Coax sounded most transparent, but AES seems to have stronger bass and higher treble.

What I notice most about the Mutec, is in the increased ease of listening, I can pick out individual instruments more often and things have become "de-blurred", with a improved flow/timing to the music.

 

Is this a known issue with the Schiit BNC inputs, and does/did it affect both Yggdrasil and Gungnir Multibit?

*Edit - nevermind, found the original CA thread.

 

Unfortunately Tape-Op doesn't have the article online but Dan Lavry (of Lavry):

Then again, this is slightly more recent, I think.
http://tapeop.com/reviews/gear/75/cc1-master-clock/

 

Although this is not playback, but do read this link and hear the recording samples here. It seems external word clock does have quite a significant difference to the recording's soundstage and clarity.

http://blog.zzounds.com/2015/09/10/shootout-black-lion-audio-micro-clock-mk3/

 

Yea, makes a lot of sense. Might simply not be worth it. If I do anything at all in that area, it'll be a DIY effort (clock module + custom LPS, etc). Re: @Hands comment - some have opened it up and bypassed the switcher. Might be worth it, but the clock performance as is exceeds any clock / reclock I've built / listened to. I imagine if they had any concerns, they'd go with an external unit. At least at $1K, you'd think so.

I'm enjoying the options that this device gives me. It's now really simple to leave Yggdrasil fed via AES serving SE to Studio, and my dual mono AKM4495S fed via coaxial serving balanced to Studio. As Mutec serves all output ports, this is simple and optimal.

 

Would like to hear your impressions of the mutec with the dual Mono AK4495S

 

Thanks for this, I've been searching for Mutec 1.2 and 3+ USB comparisons. I recall reading that the Yggdrasil sounding better AES and Gungnir Multibit with BNC, so this is totally helpful. The 3+ USB is 2.2 times more than the 3+, would you recall how close they sounded?

Also, am looking for a Berkeley USB vs 3+ comparo, but this segment is just exploding with options right now, so waiting might not be so bad.

 

Uh I'm not really sure how this works, of it's even appropriate/ allowed on here, but I've got an ifi Purifier 2 which I won at the recent CanJam Singapore and I neither have any use for it nor do I find it right to sell it off.

Just wondering if the SBAF community has some loaner thing going on for this kinda stuff? If there's any interest, I'd like to contribute by donating (or something like that)

 

That would be cool. No shipping would be needed within Singapore at least so that would save on quite some time.

 

If I'm understanding correctly, the Mutec 3+ USB is essentially serving the same function as the Adapticlock bits in Yggdrasil? And consequently we go AES out of Mutec so Yggdrasil can PLL sync with the Mutec?

 

@sphinxvc yep I'm located in Singapore.

sure thing. well it's a small device so I can ship pretty much anywhere, not just in the region. I've not been too active here lately to know if there's been a regen/wyrd loaner tour going on here but if there was, I'd suppose it'd make quite a bit of sense to tag the ipurifier 2 to it for A/B testing and what not?

just let me know whatever the community prefers. I'm on overseas trip at the moment and will be back in a week's time, so I can send it out anytime from then onwards!

 

Ok - curiosity got the best of me and a mutec 1.2 is enroute. I believe i've seen hands recommend a bnc connection to the Gungnir Multibit. Is there a decent bnc cable out there that everyone is using? Because it is transporting digital packets, does it matter (like usb?). Not trying to get into baskin audioquest's 51 flavors, but something the equivalent of a pyst cable or blue jeans.

This looks to fit the bill, correct? http://www.amazon.com/MPD-Digital-r...TF8&qid=1459299208&sr=8-25&keywords=bnc+cable

 

http://www.amazon.com/Cable-made-Ca...&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00