Mutec MC-3+ USB

[Confused]

Guys,

Do you think that the Mutec + USB would add/ improve my setup? Currently I am running with an Aurender N100H as source to USB!

Any thoughts?

If you want a short answer, I'd say yes, almost certainly, and even if I'm wrong, you can buy the Mutec with a 30 day return deal.  So it is fairly low risk, if you hate it, you can send it back.

As a more considered response, the Mutec offers two benefits.  One is that you end up using the AES/EBU input of the Devialet rather than the USB, this should improve sound quality, secondly you get the benefits of the re-clocking.  As I have posted in the past, I have noticed a slight drop in the definition of the bass when using the USB input.  Not just with my current microRendu but also when auditioning a Melco N1Z.  However, running the microRendu via the Mutec, this issue has gone.  It occurs to me that you could experiment with this yourself without spending anything.  I note that you have a Moon CD player that has AES/EBU output?  Why not select a favourite track, something with decent deep well defined bass, try it on the Moon via AES/EBU, then via the Aurender, and see if you can pick up the difference with the bass.  If you can, I would say the Melco will mitigate this, as well as offering much more.

Also, for the sake of argument you could say that an N100H's USB output is probably fairly similar to that achieved from a microRendu.  For me I find that if comparing the microRendu direct to the Devialet vs microRendu + Mutec to Devialet, the latter is better in all areas.  Clearer, sharper, but at the same time sounding more realistic, a neat trick!  Soundstage is better, the bass issue I mentioned is gone.  In summary though, I'll keep it simple, last weekend I did a fair bit of casual listening with the microRendu + Mutec, it sounded great, un-fatiguing and quite simply a very good listen, I enjoyed it!