V-DAC musical fidelity

Have you bought one ?

What CD player are you running in to it?

what amp and speakers are you running the DAC to?


What Difference have you noticed?

Do you think now on Hind site is it worth the money you spent?

Any regrets?

I read the bumph on it I'm never going to be able to afford a decent CD player costing hundreds of pounds. From What I read. I think its the Ideal upgrade for me.

My system is


Sony CDP-XE310 Via QED Qunex connector into a Yamaha AX-396 into Monitor Audio Bronze 2 standmount speakers, via unbranded speaker cable

Would I notice Any Difference ?

Yes, I bought one but have since gifted it away to a relative.

I bought the VDAC thinking it may add some texture and body I thought was missing from my Musical Fidelity XRAY CDP. So, it was a surprise to me when I connected the VDAC to any audio system and compared the results to the XRAY that the XRAY has a better DAC inside in comparison to the VDAC.

Here is where I have found the VDAC to be a pretty good upgrade...connected to the USB port of a PC for listening to music off the hard drive. Also, I found the VDAC to be more musically correct that the NAD 521 CDP and preferred the VDAC over the Music Hall DAC when doing an A/B comparison.

My finding are that the VDAC is good value and a pretty decent upgrade to some systems depending on what you already have. The VDAC opens things up some and of course the quality of the interconnects helps to improve the overall presentation. The VDAC delivers pretty good bass but it's a tad loose and a tad slow with the rest of the music. Tonally, the VDAC is on the warm side of neutral and a pleasant listen and also the highs and mids integrate quite well.

In my case, since the VDAC did not give me the texture/body I was looking for...I went out and bought the Stello DAC and Stello Transport which better suits my tastes and preferences....but that sure was a big expense to do so.

I experimented with the VDAC on the following configs: Toshiba PC, Reference 3A speakers, Mordaunt Short speakers, Belles Pre-Amps and Belles Amps, Rega Brio 3, and Blue Marble Audio speaker wire, interconnects, digital coax, and power cords.

Ya, I think the VDAC would be an inexpensive upgrade to your system.

Your a star Le Roy many thanks for that.

Can you educate me now :confused5: What Do you mean By a tad lose and a tad slow can you define it for a novice so i can grasp what you mean

One thing Leroy I did read some where a guy said that he tried a coaxial cable and the bass was not very impressive. Then he plugged in the tosslink cable and said what a word of diffrence can you confirm this at all.

I Always by reading to many Magazines That the coxial digital cable was far superior to the toss link cable

Thanks




Thanks to everyone who replies BTW in advance

What I mean by the bass being a tad loose is while the bass note is played low it's not as well defined as I prefer. Said another way, the bass is played with much gusto just not with the bass note distinctions that I prefer. However, given the price point.....

What I mean by the bass being a tad slow....sometimes it lags behind the rest of the music just a little bit and enough to annoy me. Someone else may not notice it or even care but it just an irritation to me. ..Again, given the price point I am probably expecting miracles...

By the way, I've heard the Monitor Audio speakers before and I do like them. I think the VDAC would match up well with the already good midrange of your speakers and would help to smooth out the high end. It's the bass delivery that I would be most concerned about....as best as I can recall the M.A. deliberately slows down the pace of the overall presentation in order to get the accuracy right....given how the bass of the VDAC can be a tad slow...and you get the idea....the pairing might sound great overall but even slower still....but then it's all a matter of personal tastes....

With regard to connectivity...I only used the USB connection for the PC and the Coaxial for connecting to the Belles Pre-Amp. Of these two connections the coaxial far and away delivered the best results. I have no other comparisons to offer with regard to optical.

So, that you are better informed....the coaxial wire is cryo treated and the connectors are Sxhadows..My cable set is a custom job by my friend/local audio dealer at Blue Marble Audio.

Hope this info helps...don't hesitate to ask more questions if you have some.

Take care and now I'm off to quality control some Guinness. Have a nice day.

LeRoy

See below.

I think this reviewer did a dis-service by using only via the USB input.

I am using a VDAC using the Coax SPDIF inputs fed from a PC -> E-MU 0404 -> ASIO

I send it both 16/44.1 and 24/96 content.

This thing is really really good.

I have had other DACs in the past including Audio Research and PS Audio.

This is my current DAC ( VDAC ) and I am satisfied.

Unless the YBA or Shanling ( both around $800 ) are much much better this thing will stay.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mpanwar

I think this reviewer did a dis-service by using only via the USB input.

I am using a VDAC using the Coax SPDIF inputs fed from a PC -> E-MU 0404 -> ASIO

I send it both 16/44.1 and 24/96 content.

This thing is really really good.

I have had other DACs in the past including Audio Research and PS Audio.

This is my current DAC ( VDAC ) and I am satisfied.

Unless the YBA or Shanling ( both around $800 ) are much much better this thing will stay.

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I've not heard the AR or PS audio so I can[t compare the VAC to them since I don't know. Thanks for pointing out that I only mentioned USB in my prior post. I failed to mention that I also used the VDAC via Coax though my impression of the VDAC remains the same. Have you had an opportunity to listen to the Naim DAC?

Glad to know that you are enjoying your VDAC.

My local audio store has a v-dac for $190 used. Do you think it's still worth it now that there are better but more expensive options.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NinaPhoenix

My local audio store has a v-dac for $190 used. Do you think it's still worth it now that there are better but more expensive options.

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There were the original V-DAC and the V-DAC II; Musical Fidelity has now superseded with their current offering, the V-90 DAC. In their day, each has had good reviews. The current, V90 DAC can be had for US$300.

If your local store's V-DAC is the original model, $190 seems a little high. Personally I'd spring the difference for the the latest version.

Or if you have a very limited budget, you might consider an SMSL Sanskrit DAC which is available from various eBay sellers for around $110 including shipping. If you budget is less limited you ought to consider the Schiit Audio Bifrost DAC, see HERE. I have the Bifrost with USB and Uber Analog; it's terrific.