Nightcleaner
Super Member
I am moving my setup around all the time. It seems today it presently looks like This. The m3SI in charge instead of the A5 I rotate them. I must say i am very impressed With the USB input
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Musical Fidelity Owners Thread
I am moving my setup around all the time. It seems today it presently looks like This. The m3SI in charge instead of the A5 I rotate them. I must say i am very impressed With the USB input
This is A300 integrated #2 for me, you can see my previous post on page 1. I sold my stock version to buy this fully recapped/upgraded and slightly modified version. This is also an earlier model, revision 03, compared to rev. 05 of my original A300. I bought it from the original owner, who is an Intel employee and did all of the work himself. He mostly restores/upgrades hi-fi tape decks. It came with the original box, owner's manual and a different (nicer!) remote. Physically an easy 8/10.
First and foremost, all of the cheap Taiwan made capacitors are gone, both film and electrolytic. They were replaced with audio and computer grade caps in every spot. Notable upgrades include:
- Cornell Dubilier LX high-current 10,000 uF / 105°C power supply caps, bypassed with Epcos MKP
- long life, low ESR Panasonic FM/FC local power supply caps, bypassed with Epcos MKP
- Nichicon Muse bi-polar signal path caps, bypassed with Epcos MKP (for improved high frequency)
- Wima (red) and Epcos MKP (blue) replace existing film caps in signal path
- phono OP amp upgraded to a TI LME47920 (ultra-low distortion, low noise, high slew rate, neutral sound)
- Tiffany style chassis mount RCA's for Phono, CD and Preamp out
- thick OCC wire replaces thin original speaker output wire
- new / better heat sink pads
I noticed a few things that MF left out of later versions, perhaps to cut corners(?), i.e. the transformers on this unit have a metal disc with rubber bottom bolting them to the chassis and two large power supply transistors have heat sinks...both missing from later versions. Also, the soft-start circuit has it's own PCB, not on later versions.
Anyhow, here are the pics!
First and foremost, all of the cheap Taiwan made capacitors are gone, both film and electrolytic. They were replaced with audio and computer grade caps in every spot. Notable upgrades include:
- Cornell Dubilier LX high-current 10,000 uF / 105°C power supply caps, bypassed with Epcos MKP
- long life, low ESR Panasonic FM/FC local power supply caps, bypassed with Epcos MKP
- Nichicon Muse bi-polar signal path caps, bypassed with Epcos MKP (for improved high frequency)
- Wima (red) and Epcos MKP (blue) replace existing film caps in signal path
- phono OP amp upgraded to a TI LME47920 (ultra-low distortion, low noise, high slew rate, neutral sound)
- Tiffany style chassis mount RCA's for Phono, CD and Preamp out
- thick OCC wire replaces thin original speaker output wire
- new / better heat sink pads
I noticed a few things that MF left out of later versions, perhaps to cut corners(?), i.e. the transformers on this unit have a metal disc with rubber bottom bolting them to the chassis and two large power supply transistors have heat sinks...both missing from later versions. Also, the soft-start circuit has it's own PCB, not on later versions.
Anyhow, here are the pics!
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dogwan
Dogwan
Recent inductee here! Picked up a used A3cr preamp and fell in love. It displaced an ARC SP-16 after I got tired of fighting the high noise floor of a tube phono stage (bad RFI environment here). Didn't think much of the phono stage in the A3, but the rest of it was sublime! Shortly thereafter I stumbled across a screaming deal on the LX-LPS phono stage. That was the missing link. Everything has so much synergy now with my Acoustat ESL's running on tube servo amps. Dynamics to spare and 3D soundstage. Very happy. Totally sold on choke regulated PS.
The small rectangular thingy you see next to the LX-LPS is a 4000mAh cell phone powerbank I use to run it. Non-existent noise floor and it will run the phono stage for about 6 hours on a charge. Plugs right into the mini-usb power in on the MF.
The small rectangular thingy you see next to the LX-LPS is a 4000mAh cell phone powerbank I use to run it. Non-existent noise floor and it will run the phono stage for about 6 hours on a charge. Plugs right into the mini-usb power in on the MF.
JohnnyNapalm
Active Member
A new member of the club here. Just purchased a pair of M8 700M mono’s to take over my two channel amplification duties from my Bryston 4B sst2. I am eagerly awaiting their arrival. I will post pictures when they are in situ. Cheers.
Rinascita
Active Member
Congratulations my friend. Have fun! I’m sure you will.
JohnnyNapalm
Active Member
Thank you. I’m hoping for a more detailed experience from my Kef’s.
Nightcleaner
Super Member
See there quite an active Face book page For MF https://www.facebook.com/groups/1736448959950398/
JohnnyNapalm
Active Member
Well they are in and my initial impression is positive. I would say that they are a balanced sound and even more neutral than the Bryston they replace for 2 channel listening. I would add that they appear to have Greater depth and clarity and the soundstage has certainly increased.
RemoWilliams
Addicted Member
I still use an original V Dac .........
Nightcleaner
Super Member
Arcam IR2 Dac which has a nice headphone output IMOP. using Grado SR60's. I plug my Bluesound directly in to the A5 which has a 24/192 Cirrus Logic Dac
I
I have the V90 integrated amp with DAC. I use it for my Stax headphones. Is the V DAC far superior?
Nightcleaner
Super Member
My current system setup looks like this the second picture my preferred listening mood at night
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That’s interesting because the phono section in my Nu-Vista M3 is so good that I gave up my Graham Slee Acession because the two are almost identical in there presentation on my system . Nice system you have btw and welcome to AK.
Audiofreak71
dogwan
Dogwan
I feel the same way about the Phono stage in my A3cr preamp. The pre sounds fantastic, absolutely amazing. But, the phono is meh in comparison. I added the MF LX-LPS phone stage and it is amazeballs compared to the internal phono stage.
The phono stage may have been an afterthought with those models , but there excellent pre amps . I believe my phono stage in mine is excellent (to me) because it actually has one of there high end phono stages in the Nu-Vista M3 (I remember reading that now). Either way though MF makes some very good gear .
Audiofreak71
70'sMusic
Well-Known Member
Very nice DAC!
JohnnyNapalm
Active Member
Has anyone tried the M6 Phono as I am debating getting one but cannot go and have a listen myself due to location? Cheers.
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