Questions about Musical Fidelity M5si Integrated

I have no idea about the "common ground", but I have the Musical Fidelity M6si operating in a HT bypass capacity and it has functioned flawlessly. No snaps, crackles or pops.

My Musical Fidelity M6si amp is working fine in my 2-Channel home theatre system. I use my LG OLED 4K TV optical output to my Benchmark 3 HGC DAC to my Musical Fidelity amp. Every thing is working and sounds great.

Perplexity AI search said “The Musical Fidelity M5si Integrated Amplifier is not common ground[1]. It features a moving magnet phono stage input, 4 analogue inputs, fixed line level outs, and variable line level pre-outs for additional power amps[3]. The design includes a single circuit board with two independent mono block power amps and a preamp, offering well-designed channel separation[3]. The M5si is known for its high power, tonal mass, and soundstage, making it suitable for various setups, especially when paired with modern DACs or streaming DACs[3]. While it lacks digital inputs other than USB, it excels in delivering a robust and neutral sound profile with a focus on clarity in the treble range[3]. Overall, the Musical Fidelity M5si is a versatile amplifier that caters to audiophiles seeking a strong performance without compromising on quality or functionality”.

please send an email to musical Fidelity. They should reply. If not, please call them

musical Fidelity support link.

Thank you tony1954 and hgeifman for your replies.  Glad to hear your MF amps are working great.

I have tried contacting MF by phone and email and so far I have not received anything back.  It's been a while, too.  I've tried using an MF support email address and also a Focal Naim email address.  I'll keep at it.

If anyone has an M5si and can check continuity between the L/R speaker negative terminals, that would help greatly.

Thanks,
Greg

Unfortunately, Musical Fidelity is making VERY difficult to get your pre-sale questions answered.   Their web site says for product support, "If this is the case we would always suggest that you contact your local Musical Fidelity Authorized dealer or distributor".  THIS IS VERY DISAPPOINTING.

In any case, please contact the Musical Fidelity retailer or Distributor need your location and ask them.  Hopefully, they will be able to answer your questions.  Please keep us posted.   

I sent your post to Focal Naim.  Please  see their response below:

”Dear sender

We confirm that we have received your email request and thank you for your business with Focal Naim. We are currently experiencing a heavy volume and back log of requests and as we work in order of reception. In the goal of respecting our first come first serve promise, we kindly ask to refrain from responding on top of your original submission in order to keep your place in queue. 

Thank you 

Focal Naim “

Yes, I got that exact same reply when I emailed Focal Naim. I did get another reply from someone the next day, telling me that she was forwarding my request to another department who could help me. But nothing so far and it’s been nearly 2 weeks now. I also emailed Musical Fidelity but no replies either. I have also called the Focal Naim USA phone number a few times and have not been able to speak with anyone, but have left a couple of messages. Despite the number being for a USA division, all of the messages, prompts, etc are in French, so I’m not really sure if I left a message with the right people or not. This seems like a pretty easy question to get answered from the manufacturer, but proving to be more like a major project.

I've also called a local authorized dealer, and they tell me that they're trying, but still have not had an answer for me.

Results from Perplexity AI:  “ Based on the search results provided, it appears that some users have reported issues with the HT bypass input on the Musical Fidelity M5SI integrated amplifier, such as crackling, fading in and out, and other noise problems. Here is a summary of the key points:

- The crackling and fading sound issues seem to occur when connecting the Denon AVR-X4500H receiver to the HT bypass input of the M5SI, but not when connecting other sources directly to the M5SI[1][2][3][4][5].

- Users have tried different RCA cables but the problem persists, suggesting it may be an issue with the M5SI or the connection between the two devices[1][3].

- Some users speculate the issue could be a fault in either the M5SI or the Denon AVR, but the exact cause is unclear[1][3].

- The problem appears to be isolated to the HT bypass input, as direct connections to the M5SI do not exhibit the same crackling and fading issues[1][2].

In summary, while the exact cause is uncertain, multiple users have reported problems with noise and signal issues when using the HT bypass input on the Musical Fidelity M5SI integrated amplifier, particularly when connecting it to a Denon AVR receiver. The issue seems to be isolated to the HT bypass functionality”.  

does this help?

Yes, the comments referred to above are ones that I have read, which drove me to bring this up in this forum. I will definitely be using the HT bypass function, but not with a Denon AVR. So I’m not quite sure what to make of this. Sounds like there are many users of the M5si who have not had any HT bypass issues, but there are a few who have.

By the way, a very helpful person in the Polk Forum provided me with contact information for someone who used to work for MF and knows their equipment, has done mods, etc. He did reply and tell me that the M5si is indeed a common ground design. So it appears that I can use this with my Polk SDAs.

Focal Naim wants you to send them an email at:

[email protected]

I filed a request for you and they responded with an email asking you to send them an email at address above.  

Already sent a request to that email address back on March 15th. Someone replied and forwarded my message to their service department so they could help me. Nothing back yet, despite me sending a few reminders to both the first address and the service department’s address.

I’ve tried their phone lines too - no luck.

Originally I emailed Musical Fidelity directly, but didn't get any help/responses back either.

I will likely buy this amp, but it would nice to know that I was buying a product from a company who will respond when trying to get an answer to a simple question.

@rhythm5, I agree Musical Fidelity Customer support is not the best. In any case, I like my musical Fidelity M6Si amp very much. Did you ever get a response from your retailer on your question?

Hi hgeifman,

No, nothing yet from my nearest retailer, unfortunately.  I was hoping maybe they had a better line of communication with Musical Fidelity, but perhaps not.

I still think the M5si will be a good fit for me and will likely purchase.  It's good to hear how much you like your M6.  The only other integrated that I was still looking into is the Vincent SV-228.  It also has all the connectivity that I need, looks great (to me) and has me curious about trying an amp with a tube preamp section.  However, it's a little more expensive and has less power than the M5si (100/180 vs 150/270 at 8/4 ohms).  For my speakers, both have enough wpc, but I need some good current output and I know the M5si delivers in that area.  Not sure about the Vincent.

Ready to purchase the M5si.  It's been a while since I've bought any gear, so any input on dealer recommendations (or ones to avoid) would be welcome.  Thank you!

I recommend The Music Room. please see:

The Music Room Link

I also recommend Upscale Audio. please see:

Upscale Audio link:

Safe & Sound are also dealers. Nice, helpful people.

Safe & Sound

Audio Advisor also has it. 

Why would you still buy from MF after receiving such terrible customer service?

I never had trouble getting customer support for my Musical Fidelity M6Si amp.  MF might take a couple of days to respond BUT they always respond.  Their equipment is recommended and I like my amp very much.  

This thread is interesting and a bit discouraging. I had over this weekend kind of focused in on the same amp after some good reviews online. I have never heard this line but I recalled that it has had a good reputation for a number of years under the original founder. I know it has been sold to a new Eropean owner a few years back. I have seen a number of models for sale over the last few days online including from Underwood Wally. You might want to give him a call. I dont know the gentleman BUT he has a long standing reputation for being a straight shooter and no BS dealer. He runs his whole business on line but has been in the business for like 30 years. He also has his own lines that he has developed and manufactured in China and which get good grades/reviews. But, he represents a number of big manufacturers and seems to sell lots of volume and get good deals from manufacturers, likely when they need cash. So, that suggests to me that his is a good businessman and smart. You can find him easily on line. I intend to talk to him myself this upcoming week.

hgeifman, when contacting MF in the past, was it via email?

I emailed them at [email protected] and also their 'parent' company at [email protected]

Did you use anything different for making contact with them?

I used [email protected].

MF Support link

Well, Focal-Naim finally did get back to me and confirm it's common ground.  They apologized for the long wait, and the person who originally received my request had told me that their service department was pretty backed up.  Still, this did take a pretty long time, but at least they did reply.