NEW Musical Fidelity DAC

It does sound terrific. We have had some other upsamplers here that have been fine, but not a big deal to me. So they sit because if I don't get a groove from it I can't get behind it.

Thus far this has been quite a different experience. I have been so backed up I have not been able to spend hours with it. I am most curious about the switchable upsampling frequency option with different discs. And how it works with different transports.

My tax appt is Thursday. I was going to get the final stuff together Wed nite. I will try to do it tonite (Tuesday), and if I don't commit suicide, will use Wednesday nite to just play with the DAC without interruption.

I will say compared to another product I have had. this is built much better. More substantial. Esp for the price.

You can't buy a good review at Stereophile. I can assure you of that. I know from behind the scenes of a couple companies that have pulled big dollars not just for getting bad reviews or not getting mentions at shows. Sam Tellig certainly has given good reviews to Rega. Do you see a single Rega ad? Triangle hardly advertises at all...this month in the "showcase" section which is the least expensive.

I spend a lot of money there doing a full page every month, and I deal with an outside ad rep like everyone else.

On Musical Fidelity ..it couldn't be that the gear deserves it, can it? The product of the year awards from not just the US, but from the UK and Asia? Naw...it's the guy behind the grassy knoll that killed the president.

As to any reviewers likes and dislikes...I will say this. Some want to "be the first" to discover something. If they aren't, they may temper their words without even realizing it. If you piss them off, you may get a review that is lukewarm to bad. So on a personal level, yes, there can be a lot of ass-kissing.

No different than a new car introduction. You don't think that does not get special handling? Parties? Test track get-togethers? In most other industies it much worse than hifi because high end audio manufactures are small and don't have the money.

As to relationships and gear getting hand delivered, If you were the owner of a small company you would not make sure everything lined up? You'd be dumb not to.

Lastly, some people are fans of marques. I like BMW. In fact I LOVE BMW. So when they come out with a new model I will have interest and a pre-conceived feeling of its potential. I have a Chrysler Town and Country minivan too (I have to). My last one was a piece of crap, and though this one is better I still cast a suspicious eye. It's human nature.

One last thing. I've been in this a while, and when guys get into ultra high end, there is sometimes a notion that "if it's made in a garage, it's better". The small up-and-comer has "new" concepts and ideas...then that same company, after they get big and actually HAVE some REAL engineering experience (and they start advdertising)is suddenly not tweaky enough and everything they make is "good but does not exhibit emotion" or some such goofiness.

If I sense that, some customers will admit it, some won't. It's like that in watch collecting too. Most serious collectors hate Rolex and dismiss them as commercial mass made watches. Truth is they work and don't break.

They have covered many of the Musiacl Fidelity products..but NOT every one. But if the product is one that deserves it, why shouldn't they? They write about stuff that is interesting and in demand, whether that is from a small compamy or not.

Look at Creek. A bit of press there, eh? How many Creek ads are there? Zero I see.

If the statements made earlier rang true, there is a full color inside gatefold ad for YBA.

Mordant Short has a full page color. Where's the juice for that? So does Canton. And Ar. And Viola. How many more? It's silly. In fact it appears the reverse is true.

How about the Richard Gray's Power Company? He has a half page color and if my memory serves me well...that has not bought him a thing. I recall a review he may not have dug.

How about full color from SMART? Half page color for Acoustic Dreams? Where's the payback?

If I have any gripe with reviewers, it's that they may take a contrary position to a brand or model that's "hot" either consciously or subconsciously. Or if a brand is not "stylish" they won't say how really good it is...esp if it's a model or line that has been around or beat up anywhere else.

Good example is Sonic Frontiers which made amps that were no doubt some of the best ever. Class A..and you could not deny their performance and engineering...but the last reviews were written with less "oomph".

On the small company thing....some small brands overcharge like crazy...at obscene levels for what you get. I think every product should be judged on it's own merit. I also think that there are some brands that work on a lower margin, giving you more for your dollar.

Musical Fidelity is no doubt one of those, and it can be witnessed by taking the lid off and comparing them to Levinson and many others.

<< As to the build quality of MF, it is nothing special at all. >>

I don't agree. I just had a Levinson 383 $6500 integrated traded in for a Nu-Vista M3 $4995 integrated. The Nu-vista without the external power supply was more substantial and weighed much more. In fact the power supply by itself was about the same weight as the Levinson.

The A3CR Dual Mono Power amp has four transformers (two large chokes and two large toroids) for $1595. There may be a couple other American or Western made products that also have that to tout. I can't think of them, but there may be some. I am not picking on this name as the only thing to buy...just stating facts. People should buy what they like.

<< Start supporting the underground mags that don't accept advertising, return their review samples and pay attention to whom their employees associate with. Sean >>

I have supplied samples of gear and tubes to magazine reviewers, and in the case of Sam Tellig he was insistant on returning the product (at my expenense) in a very structured manner. I run a full page ad in Stereophile every month, and frankly was pissed at the content of the review (thought positive, I disagreed with its tone) and as you said, I am also a Musical Fidelity dealer, so THAT didn't help. I didn't even know when the friggin' review was coming out. I was in France at the time and had to read a fax of a fax and respond within a couple days.

OTOH, the only time I have not gotten something back is from TWO reviewers of so called "underground mags".

But Sean you are right if you say relationships count and will influence. It would be naive to say they would not.

Even in the "underground" where a "newer" writer may get starry-eyed by getting to talk to some famous name. Influence can take form in many ways. Especially if you don't get paid for writing.

<< They have a lot of good reviewers. In general, I think they're an excellent magazine. They also walk an interesting tight rope in their commentary, which is sure to draw commentary from the bleachers, and a few of their practices amplify the commentary. -Kirk >>

Right on Kirk. And I hope Sean did not get the wrong idea from my comments. Personal influence happens every day, from the guy that gets off on a traffic ticket to whatever. So we do agree on some things.

I think most reviewers are having fun with the hobby, doing the best they can. And they SOMETIMES will be influenced by liking or dis-liking someone, or special treatment.
My point is no magazine is immune to that. Impossible. Unless you hire robots.

I will say that advertising dollars have little to do with it. Reviewers are so removed from that. One of my best friends sells ad space for one of the biggest computer mags in the world, and gets hung out to dry for ad space orders when a product gets a bad review, but tells the manufacturer he has no control over content.

John Marks from Stereophile made a nasty personal comment about me, which is amazing since we've never met and I don't know him from Adam. And he was presuming a bit about me because he did not like my "woody" ad in Stereophile (this was a thread on Audio Asylum). I could care less, but it was suggested that I should be offended by some customers of mine that took offense.

I think there are bigger things to think about.

I did not mean to offend...I was using your 383 as an example of something that is nicely built and well respected, so used it as a comparison. It's a fine amp, and I happened to just take it in on trade towards the Nu-Vista. People change all the time as you pointed out. Thanks for the correction on weight. Levinson makes great stuff.

This was in answer to a post that said the build of MF gear is "nothing special" The fit and finish is as good as I have seen in 25 years in this biz. So good you have to at least see internal pictures if you have not.

And the weight (which is one of a few ways that you judge cost to build) is exceptional.

$4995 for 95lbs w/outboard power supply (Nu-Vista) vs $6500 for 65lb single chassis (Levinson 383). Not meant as a knock, just a comparison to another fine product in answer to a statement.

Hence Musical Fidelity setting up dealers. So you can go there and see for yourself. When I looked at the Audio Advisor ads I never got a sense of how they look in person, esp with the lid off. Now you can.

As to

"Lastly, your analogy of weight to claim the MF is superior, if we used that across the board, NOBODY would use 95% of MF gear!!!! …as they don’t weigh diddly in comparison."

Not true on any of their amps or preamps...compare them to most products made in USA or Western Europe. I know you can come up with an exception. But I mean most.

The new M250 monoblocs are 250w per channel and weight over 26lbs each for $1200 a pair. Made in England. If we think hard enough SOMEONE makes something like it. Maybe. Rotel made the MB100 for $1000 a pair, in China (not that there is anything wrong with that), and weighed less, with 100w channel.

Most folks that look closely see it. Look at what most British brands sell for once they get over here. Add 30% or more to the retail compared to what they sell for in the UK. Same thing for US products imported over there. Expensive. You cover transportation, import duty, wharehousing, at least two steps of distribution, advertising, and warranty. Being an importer myself I know the drill.

The Musical Fidelity A300 integrated (over 35lbs) sells in the UK for somewhere between $2100 and $2300 US dollars
(I have not checked exchange rates against the British Pound lately). Here it is $1695. IT'S LESS!

That is a skinny margin for them, but buyers can dig life.