Review: Micromega MyDAC, Part I

internals of the MyDAC, from What Hifi

Micro Size, Mega Sound!
Review: Micromega MyDAC, Part I
Talk CAS: Onkyo ND-S1 Digital Media Transport, Part I
Follow Up: Miraculous Transformation of my Reference System B (Kondo, TAD)

Read Part II here

(Micromega MyDAC official Literature)

History of Micromega
I am a HUGE Micromega fan. I have always intended to write a Micromega Overview, but that would take an immense effort to research and collate semi-vintage data sorely lacking on the internet and, believe me, I do make an effort to reasonably thoroughly research my subject, even if the article presents my views. Over the past 20 years I have used more Micromega products than almost anyone I know in person or on the internet. But given the premium of time, my overview shall have to wait, though I have put it on the agenda.

To make a long story short, I have used Micromega's epoch-making and -defining Trio, Duo and Solo, plus the later (and troubled) Drive 1 and DAC1 (and matching Amp 1). I have also collected their entire Micro series (Microdrive, Microdac, Variodac, Microamp). All of them gave me GREAT pleasure. There is no better digital in the 1-bit era, and even today old Micromega digital products sound great. Certainly, in the 1-bit era the dominant players like Philips and Marantz and the bit-players like DPA did not do better. Digital with a human face that makes music that goes right to the soul - that was Micromega's genius.


Micromega's History can be glimpsed on its website, but it is admittedly a revisionist's version, understandably omitting its troubled days of using Philips CDM-12 and subsequent near-demise. Although the company had their share of troubles, those are behind them now and their accomplishments far exceed what detractors would claim.

Compare size and internals and parts with the old Microdac (pic from the net)

Deja-Vu: MyDAC
Since Micromega's recent and miraculous phoenix-like rise from its ashes (how wonderful!) I had been watching. I had intense interest in their current CD player offerings, the CD-10, -20 and -30. To Micromega veterans, these look uncannily familiar (outwardly like the old Mimium's; inside more like older separates).

Micromega had also done very well in CAS, even in the ultimate frontier, wireless, where it amalgamates its own technology and Apple's. I am not a CAS fan (though an occasional peruser) but have full confidence in Micromega's digital technology.

MyDAC has been out for a while, and you can read quite a few reviews on Micromega's own site. The most important one has got to be Robert Harley's TAS Blog article (as well as
full TAS article (pdf file). I am not a great fan of Harley's writing on subjective listening, nor the boring megabuck stuff that he usually reviews, but this time it pays to read carefully. No wonder the reasonably priced product received TAS' 2013 Product of the Year Award.

Deja-Vu MyDAC is the first product to see the light in Micromega's new My series. MyDAC instantly reminds me of the old Microdac and the diminutive My series can be regarded as the modern counterpart to the old Micro series I mentioned above. Of course, modern parts and technology can make things much smaller.

Having owned the wonderful Microdac before and having thought about buying the previous Aria and the current CD-10/20/30, I grabbed at the chance to own another Micromega DAC, even if I have little need for its USB functionality.

L: MyDAC and NS-D1 next to Sony DVP-PR50P

Mais Oui, Un Miracle!
Since I last wrote about it, my alternate system (description here) had undergone some change. I lent out my Studer A730 to my friend Karma, and substituted the humble Sony DVP. The Sony did not have the richness of the A730 but it had charms of its own, a rightness that is hard to fault. But to test out the MyDAC, I quickly installed it into this system, which is now:

Reference System B:
CD Transport: Sony DVP-PR50P (Kimber KCAG used as coaxial cable)
iPod Transport: Onkyo ND-S1 (stock optical cable)
(Preamp) Kondo M7 Line
(Integrated) Amp: Kondo Ongaku
Speakers: TAD TSM-2201
 
MyDAC Coaxial input To cut to the chase, the Micromega MyDAC transformed the sound to a degree I did not think possible. It simply made everything more articulate; in another word, it speaks - and I use this term only sparingly (previously used for the YBA WD202 DAC, coincidentally another French device). The first track I played was Tennstedt's live Mahler 7th, from this great bargain box set (which finally releases internationally his EMI live Mahler recordings), and from the first note I was captured by the ambiance, the gravitas of the music, which so few digital products capture (CAS needs not apply).

I was not entirely certain of my feelings based on just one CD. So I put one of my favorite Test CDs to work, the Manger Test CD. Over its 14 tracks (some of which I dislike, like the utterly boring Jonathan Taylor) I became more and more astonished by the accomplishment of this tiny device. Here, I discovered more rhythmic subtleties (like the Pulcinella track), more bowing nuances (like the Vivaldi track), more everything. The amplitude of the difference is like going from ordinary push-pull to Western Electric. I kid you not, my Kondo has never sounded better!

It should be emphasized that the I highly value Sony DVP-PR50P's own analogue output. Many people use this player as transport, but my experience tells me the external DACs they hook up usually do not sound as coherent as the onboard one, which is why the Sony was my Best Buy 2010. But the Micromega MyDAC is an exception - it is better by a significant margin.

Detour! The Onkyo NS-D1 Digital Media Transport Although it has CAS USB input capability, my interest in this device solely centers on its iPod digital output. I have the more expensive Wadia 170i, but frankly I like the looks of the Onkyo more. A second-hand specimen cropped up and I grabbed it.

The Onkyo had been well reviewed in the Uk and Europe (techradar, What HiFi), but appears much less known in the US. A later more expensive version with metal enclosure is named ND-S1000.

MyDAC Optical Input The Onkyo came with a cheap generic Optical cable. Since the MyDAC coaxial was occupied by the Sony player, I used the Optical Input. Now, I am not usually a fan of optical inputs, but the effect was surprisingly pleasant. Most importantly, even with the cheap optical cable, the MyDAC Optical Input still delivered highly articulate music! I did test out the generic optical cable by connecting it to the Sony player's optical output, and also by connecting the Kimber KCAG to the Onkyo's coaxial output. Surely, in both permutations the optical smeared things a little and the coaxial threw things into sharper relief, but MyDAC surely made the Optical Input useful. The AIFF file of Beethoven's Kreutzer sonata showcased Patricia Kopatchinskaja's astonishingly bold playing, fully matched by the excellent pianist Fazil Say. The sheer presence of the recording was marvellously conveyed, and that was from the iPod!

MyDAC USB I am sorry to say, that unfortunately shall have to wait till Part II. My old Windows XP did not seem to agree with the MyDAC (there is a short and unclear blurb on this on the official page). When I have time I shall set up playing with a Macbook, or perhaps it is time to get a new computer!

Conclusions:

• The Micromega MyDAC is a miracle (of an order even higher than the esteemable YBA WD202), offering sonic attributes that most high-end digitals fail so miserably to deliver. It goes to show talent and hearing acuity has nothing to do with price-points. Although many will view its USB asynchronous ability as its raison d'etre, based on my listening I beg to differ and say anyone with interest in digital playback (that is almost everyone) owe himself to listen to this one. In many ways, it is digital product of the decade for me.

• The Onkyo ND-S1 does an excellent job with the iPod. When I have time I shall compare it to the Wadia 170i.

• Once again, the system proves the synergy between Kondo and TAD TSM-2201. Kondo is also extraordinarily sensitive to the front end, and the MyDAC is the best of what I have tried so far, outperforming many more expensive stuff (I hope to try 47 Lab one day). The sheer refinement and details on offer now is nothing short of amazing.

The Yumcha Diaries: 20/02/10 and 27/02/10

The Yumcha Diaries: 20/02/10 and 27/02/10

Since the last entry, we were very happy to have met up with many old friends, sometimes boosting attendance to a baker's dozen, which is a lucky number in Chinese indeed, particularly for the New Year.

20/02/10 House-warming for tubediyer
Last week we even had a newcomer, Alex, to yumcha. Since quite a few at the table are Tannoy users, we're delighted that he too is one. After yumcha, most of us proceeded to tubediyer's place for a "house warming party". His rebuilt country house is spacious, yet feels cozy. With all his stuff, the brand new place already feels lived-in. Most interesting is an adjacent semi-detached room stuffed with LPs and parts, all covered with dust from construction.. A lovely place to hang out. I'm sure we shall return often.

(L/R: now/before; click on pics to enlarge)

To my chagrin, I found I had not replaced the card in my camera. Fortunately I had taken some pics in an earlier visit. For those who do not know, tubediyer, true to his moniker, not only DIYs but also designs and manufactures cheap and excellent parts, particularly transformers. Cheaptubeaudio indeed. Gears (due to DIY nature, changes all the time) used on this occasion:

Turntable: Technics 1200 MkV with Audio Technica AT33 (Shure V15Vx before)
Phonoamp: EAR 834P (on loan from me)
Digital source: Sony DVP-PR50P as CD player and transport
DAC: DIY DAC with 8x Wolfson chip
Preamp: On this day a DIY "Jadis 200" (NOT tubediyer's job) and a repaired Audio Note UK M3 with much upgrades
Amp: DIY "Ongaku" (silver secondary for the output transformer)
Speakers: Onkyo Scepter 5001 flagship with diamond tweeter and midrange!!!
Cables" cheap Gotham, Sommer etc

The "Ongaku"
We had listened to the previous incarnations of the "Ongaku" before. There is little question it is a very fine amp made even better, tonally balanced and powerful for its rating (<20 style="font-weight: bold;">I prefer using a preamp (especially with the low power on hand for such a large speaker), even a modest one, lest music gets stripped of dynamics and rhythm.

Diamond drivers
The Onkyo Septer 5001 was Onkyo's flagship. The finish is very beautiful and the speakers are quite neutral sounding, filling up the large room. Unlike some of their modern counterparts, the diamond drivers in no way call attention to themselves (Ditto the Beryllium tweeter of the Yamaha NS-1000, which is not colored like Focal's more recent effort). Whether beryllium or diamond, the Japanese had done it long ago. So much for the current hype on their (re-)use by some hi-end speaker manufacturers as innovation. One cannot help feel whereas past designers used breakthroughs primarily for improvements in technical matters, their modern counterparts use exotic material as gimmicks.

Some caveats: despite its rated 90 db efficiency and proclaimed extension down to 20 Hz (no +/- db given), perhaps due to the new woofer surrounds, but even more likely due to the limited power on hand, bass was on the lean side and extension not impressive. I suspect voicing with more powerful solid state amps (such as Onkyo's own Integra) . Next time we shall bring a beefy ss amp, perhaps Bryston?

pic: innards of the AN M3

DIY preamp vs Audio Note M3 (with upgrade options)
One of the greatest problems with DIY lies with balance. I'd say the majority of DIY gears I have heard (and I have heard many) are not neutral sounding, and much is way off in tonal balance. As I always said, the most important thing in DIY is emphatically not material building blocks, but the human ears. Great designers are also good listeners.

The DIY preamp on hand (the 2 small aluminum boxes in one of the above pics) is based on the Jadis JP-200. While it is well built and one of the better efforts I have heard, it too did not escape the common fault of mid-range leaness. Certainly, the sound bore NO resemblance to the real thing, and I am quite familiar with this preamp as an old colleague at work used it. I have to say here that I'm not overly fond of Jadis. I always thought that, maybe with the exception of the early JA-30 (KT88), cheap Jadis (like the Orchestra) is frequently a lot more cheerful than their expensive siblings.

It's funny, if you google pics for the Jaids JP-200, what you get overwhelmingly is DIY kits and not the real thing! :-) It's a veritable industry. A circuit board can usually be had for <<$100. When we switched to the Audio Note M3, there was just no comparison. With dual power supply trans, dual chokes and transformer outputs, it had an effortless ease and midrange splendor that the DIY preamp could not hope to match. As for what broke down before, I cannot tell. Just say it was quite alarming and costly.

Digital playback
The venerable Sony DVP-PR50P, nick-named "Sony-Studer" for its resemblance to a miniaturized Studer 730, served well as a transport for tubediyer's parallel dual-differential Wolfson 24/96 DAC. The sound of the DAC is crystalline and solid. However, overall some of us preferred the less solid sounding but more rhythmically involving analogue output of this humble player, no slouch! More on the player later.

Analogue Playback
During the last visit I set up the turntable for tubediyer for the Shure V15Vx. He hadn't used his Shure for 10 years, and the sound at first was sluggish. After a few play it started to slowly come to life. By the end of a few hours it emphatically outperformed the digital playback. This time at the request of tubediyer for a MC, whlee very quickly swapped in the Audio Technica AT33. Kudos to him, even without the help of alignment tools it tracked perfectly. It's a second-hand model and sound was just a little too sluggish for me at this moment. I prefer the Shure. oozz suggested that removal of the shell would improve the sound drastically.

Afterwards we had a wonderful BBQ, pics of which you must surely have seen.

27/02/10 yumcha saw 2 new friends, Wai and Patrick. The two came to my place to dig in some CDs. davwong also came and we shared some LPs together. A nice change from focusing on hardware.