MUSICAL FIDELITY M6S DAC TAKES CENTRE STAGE
Entering the wonderfully presented co-efforts of Triangle and Musical Fidelity at the Munich MOC for the High End Show, one couldn’t help but notice the brand-spanking new and eagerly anticipated M6s DAC from Musical Fidelity.
After all, it was strategically placed on a pedestal in the centre of the room.
And with good reason. The M6s DAC slots nicely into Musical Fidelity’s M6s Series of products that in their own words, offers “exceptional sonic talents matched by premium fit and finish: this is high-end hi-fi you’ll be proud to own – all at an attainable price.”
Complimenting the existing range that includes a CD Player and two Integrated Amplifiers, the sDAC is a 32bit/768kHz DSD DAC with no less than 7 inputs, with the added benefit of a high-performance headphone amplifier.
It will also up-sample all inputs to 32bit/768kHz.
With 3 x coaxial inputs, 3 x optical inputs and 1 x USB input, the M6s DAC is designed to be the digital hub of your HiFi system.
Both single ended and balanced outputs are provided and said to offer ultra-low distortion, wide bandwidth and very low effective output impedance.
The output stage employs state-of-the-art components and circuitry which Musical Fidelity say delivers superlative technical and sonic performance and exceptional load driving characteristics. The M6s DAC will drive just about any combination of cable, length, and electronics flawlessly.
Outputs can also be switched between fixed or variable.
Musical Fidelity are understandably very proud of this latest offering with Dave Waters, the company’s Export Manager proudly telling us:
The M6SDAC has incredibly low distortion, just 0.0004% at 20kHz. Stereo separation is better than 120dB while Noise ratio is better than 119dB down. Linearity is better than 110dB.
Music is presented on a black velvet background and the M6s DAC simply excels in every technical area.
The headphone amplifier circuit also uses the same design philosophy and implementation and with very low output impedance will drive any headphone to its maximum potential.
The M6s DAC's immediate sonic impression is of effortless grace and transparency. There is a sensation of communication from the artists that is both hypnotic and compelling.
The imaging, as you would expect from better than 120dB separation, is excellent: side to side, image placement, a palpable sense of the recording venue that places the performers in real-time holographic space.
We look forward to hearing the M6s DAC when it becomes available around November this year. Local pricing will be confirmed shortly.
For more information visit the Musical Fidelity brand page.
Marc Rushton
StereoNET’s Founder and Publisher was born in England and raised on British Hi-Fi before moving to Australia. He developed an early love of music and playing bass guitar before discovering the studio and the other side of the mixing desk. After writing for print magazines, Marc saw the future in digital publishing and founded the first version of StereoNET in 1999.
Posted in: Hi-Fi
JOIN IN THE DISCUSSION
Want to share your opinion or get advice from other enthusiasts? Then head into the Message
Forums where thousands of other enthusiasts are communicating on a daily basis.
CLICK HERE FOR FREE MEMBERSHIP
Trending
applause awards
Each time StereoNET reviews a product, it is considered for an Applause Award. Winning one marks it out as a design of great quality and distinction – a special product in its class, on the grounds of either performance, value for money, or usually both.
Applause Awards are personally issued by StereoNET’s global Editor-in-Chief, David Price – who has over three decades of experience reviewing hi-fi products at the highest level – after consulting with our senior editorial team. They are not automatically given with all reviews, nor can manufacturers purchase them.
The StereoNET editorial team includes some of the world’s most experienced and respected hi-fi journalists with a vast wealth of knowledge. Some have edited popular English language hi-fi magazines, and others have been senior contributors to famous audio journals stretching back to the late 1970s. And we also employ professional IT and home theatre specialists who work at the cutting edge of today’s technology.
We believe that no other online hi-fi and home cinema resource offers such expert knowledge, so when StereoNET gives an Applause Award, it is a trustworthy hallmark of quality. Receiving such an award is the prerequisite to becoming eligible for our annual Product of the Year awards, awarded only to the finest designs in their respective categories. Buyers of hi-fi, home cinema, and headphones can be sure that a StereoNET Applause Award winner is worthy of your most serious attention.