Hi Confused, thank you for your post! I'd be happy to share my findings as always with you guys.
The more I read about the Mutec the more I wanted to try it. I managed to hold it off for some time but eventually had to succumb. I do realize that this hunt for better performance and the speed of progress made in computer audio (especially those surrounding the "horrible" USB interface ;-)) holds the risk of always wanting to buy the latest & greatest or as some put it: the flavour of the month.
I do see a clear evolution in my purchases though, later also following the introduction of technical advances, and tried the following:
- mid level USB cable (Audioquest Carbon)
- dual headed USB cable with battery PSU (Kingrex)
- higher quality USB interface in PC (JCAT USB interface, JCAT/Bakoon battery powered)
- filtered USB cable (TotalDAC D1 cable)
- USB repacketize/impedance matching/injection of cleaned 5V power (Uptone Audio Regen)
(sidestep: Curious USB cables)
- full USB galvanic isolation/repacketizing of USB packets/impedance matching, cleaned up 5V power (Intona USB Isolator, industrial version)
- galvanic isolation, USB->AES/EBU conversion and thus bypassing the Devialet internal USB converter, high quality reclocking of AES3, S/PDIF signal (Mutec MC-3+ USB)
To do: determine if the Intona adds or detracts to/from the SQ provided by the Mutec. The Intona probably needs a factory installed firmware update first.
I've tried to make as little side steps as possible, like eg. replacing the Regen with a device providing similar functionality like a Wyred4Sound Recovery USB. With this I've hopefully been careful enough to not "fix the fix" through minor changes in functionality.
In hindsight could/should I have directly gone to the Mutec (which is a stayer) like Jan/"Gentleman" did (I believe he even tested Mutec MC-3+ USB prototypes)? Absolutely! But I then would have learned little and would not have had the fun in discovering myself. I really am a music lover but also have the 'nerd genes' so like the tinkering as well.
So far I like the Mutec very much. I'll provide more detail on my findings later (still forming an opinion) but at least it gives me as much as I had with the Intona plus more. It wasn't jaw dropping though thus far. I feel the Intona was a bigger step up from Regen. However I certainly recognize qualitative improvements I can now probably no longer do without (would I switch back). The amount of information extracted from recordings for example is simply stunning.
It's weird though, I feel a little bad about no longer using any of the Devialet's 'modern' digital inputs (USB, ethernet, WiFi) now since I use the Mutec as a USB->AES converter. In hindsight I could say the upgrade from D-Premier to 250 specs has been an expensive "waste" in a way, being more expensive than all items on above list combined. Not counting resale value here of course and also not really sorry about it, it's just a feeling.
The more I read about the Mutec the more I wanted to try it. I managed to hold it off for some time but eventually had to succumb. I do realize that this hunt for better performance and the speed of progress made in computer audio (especially those surrounding the "horrible" USB interface ;-)) holds the risk of always wanting to buy the latest & greatest or as some put it: the flavour of the month.
I do see a clear evolution in my purchases though, later also following the introduction of technical advances, and tried the following:
- mid level USB cable (Audioquest Carbon)
- dual headed USB cable with battery PSU (Kingrex)
- higher quality USB interface in PC (JCAT USB interface, JCAT/Bakoon battery powered)
- filtered USB cable (TotalDAC D1 cable)
- USB repacketize/impedance matching/injection of cleaned 5V power (Uptone Audio Regen)
(sidestep: Curious USB cables)
- full USB galvanic isolation/repacketizing of USB packets/impedance matching, cleaned up 5V power (Intona USB Isolator, industrial version)
- galvanic isolation, USB->AES/EBU conversion and thus bypassing the Devialet internal USB converter, high quality reclocking of AES3, S/PDIF signal (Mutec MC-3+ USB)
To do: determine if the Intona adds or detracts to/from the SQ provided by the Mutec. The Intona probably needs a factory installed firmware update first.
I've tried to make as little side steps as possible, like eg. replacing the Regen with a device providing similar functionality like a Wyred4Sound Recovery USB. With this I've hopefully been careful enough to not "fix the fix" through minor changes in functionality.
In hindsight could/should I have directly gone to the Mutec (which is a stayer) like Jan/"Gentleman" did (I believe he even tested Mutec MC-3+ USB prototypes)? Absolutely! But I then would have learned little and would not have had the fun in discovering myself. I really am a music lover but also have the 'nerd genes' so like the tinkering as well.
So far I like the Mutec very much. I'll provide more detail on my findings later (still forming an opinion) but at least it gives me as much as I had with the Intona plus more. It wasn't jaw dropping though thus far. I feel the Intona was a bigger step up from Regen. However I certainly recognize qualitative improvements I can now probably no longer do without (would I switch back). The amount of information extracted from recordings for example is simply stunning.
It's weird though, I feel a little bad about no longer using any of the Devialet's 'modern' digital inputs (USB, ethernet, WiFi) now since I use the Mutec as a USB->AES converter. In hindsight I could say the upgrade from D-Premier to 250 specs has been an expensive "waste" in a way, being more expensive than all items on above list combined. Not counting resale value here of course and also not really sorry about it, it's just a feeling.
PS Audio P3, Shunyata ΞTRON Alpha Digital and HC/Furutech power cables, Paul Hynes SR7EHD-MR4, DIY Roon Server & Roon Endpoint running AudioLinux Headless, Phasure Lush^2 USB cable, Audioquest Diamond RJ/E ethernet, Uptone Audio etherREGEN, Mutec MC-3+ USB, Shunyata ΞTRON Anaconda Digital XLR AES/EBU, Devialet Expert 250 Pro CI, Nordost Tyr Reference LS cables, Von Schweikert VR-5 SE Anniversary Edition, Anti-Mode Dual Core 2.0, JL Audio Fathom F112. More detail here.
The Netherlands
The Netherlands