OK, my last post regarding microRendu SQ finished as follows: 'If the Mutec could mitigate this very slight bass issue, then the mR pulls away or matches AIR in all areas. It is a very specific issue though, I think the only way to find out would be to try one. Of course the Mutec should in theory offer improvements in other areas, which together with a more appropriate PSU should be a combination that outperforms AIR comfortably. To be continued..... '
Well, the Mutec is set up and running. I posted elsewhere about how hot the mR got when connected to the Mutec, this has been resolved nicely by a sophisticated cooling system I found in my garage. This consists of a case with a flat steel base for maximum heat transfer, the case contains many cylinders of different diameters for maximum cooling properties, in addition the cylinders are each fluted to maximise heat transfer area. The mR is trapped between the heat transfer box and the top of a steal cased Pioneer Blu-Ray player, this system is working well and I am now very happy with the mR temperatures.
For those that worry about burn in time, the Mutec has been plugged in an warm for days. It has only been playing music for about 4 hours though. Anyway, has it helped with the bass issue I mentioned before? Short answer, yes, it appear that it has. I have just run through about six tracks with which I had previously noticed the issue, and now the bass is laser sharp. Not only has the slight fuzziness with the lowest bass gone, but things sound far more real, with things like kick drums having, well, kick and sounding like real drums. All good! Electronic stuff was laser sharp too, down to the subsonic transition. To be honest, I'm slightly relieved! I had been worrying a bit about spending more and more cash on un-auditioned kit, mR, then Mutec, PSU planned, would the end game just be disappointment? Anyway, so far so good! Next plan is to run through the tracks I used auditioning the Melco, Cad Cat, Aurender and dCS rig. Also, my long suffering blind tester should be showing up in a couple of hours time, it was a bit of a struggle separating AIR and the mR last time, how will this one pan out? It is perhaps worth mentioning that I did use the mR a lot last weekend, not 'critical listening', just playing music. I have been enjoying the mR, there is something about it that is a very good listen, the bass issue remained, so I guess it was a case of mR preferred at 100Hz and above, AIR being the winner at the low end. It does strike me that I found the same bass issue with the otherwise 'state of the art' N1Z, I am more convinced now than ever that this has nothing to do with the 'front end', but is a quirk of the Devialet's USB input. I suspect it might be more apparent with the Blades than some speakers, the Blades do not have the most impressive figures for bass at -3dB on paper (40Hz), but the drop off is slow and with the opposed drivers, everything remains sharp and relatively undistorted. Plus, in my room the bass 'humps' as you would expect, and drops to roughly the 0dB 'parity' level at 15Hz (per REW), and I can't hear 15Hz, being as I am human. But there you have it, in my system, the bass issue is solved by the Mutec. I think the issue was clear at the OAC streamer day too, when an Aurender N10 was demoed with USB then XLR, most of the room noted clearer bass via XLR, this was with Sasha II's. Anyway, so far so good.
Now for more listening......
Well, the Mutec is set up and running. I posted elsewhere about how hot the mR got when connected to the Mutec, this has been resolved nicely by a sophisticated cooling system I found in my garage. This consists of a case with a flat steel base for maximum heat transfer, the case contains many cylinders of different diameters for maximum cooling properties, in addition the cylinders are each fluted to maximise heat transfer area. The mR is trapped between the heat transfer box and the top of a steal cased Pioneer Blu-Ray player, this system is working well and I am now very happy with the mR temperatures.
For those that worry about burn in time, the Mutec has been plugged in an warm for days. It has only been playing music for about 4 hours though. Anyway, has it helped with the bass issue I mentioned before? Short answer, yes, it appear that it has. I have just run through about six tracks with which I had previously noticed the issue, and now the bass is laser sharp. Not only has the slight fuzziness with the lowest bass gone, but things sound far more real, with things like kick drums having, well, kick and sounding like real drums. All good! Electronic stuff was laser sharp too, down to the subsonic transition. To be honest, I'm slightly relieved! I had been worrying a bit about spending more and more cash on un-auditioned kit, mR, then Mutec, PSU planned, would the end game just be disappointment? Anyway, so far so good! Next plan is to run through the tracks I used auditioning the Melco, Cad Cat, Aurender and dCS rig. Also, my long suffering blind tester should be showing up in a couple of hours time, it was a bit of a struggle separating AIR and the mR last time, how will this one pan out? It is perhaps worth mentioning that I did use the mR a lot last weekend, not 'critical listening', just playing music. I have been enjoying the mR, there is something about it that is a very good listen, the bass issue remained, so I guess it was a case of mR preferred at 100Hz and above, AIR being the winner at the low end. It does strike me that I found the same bass issue with the otherwise 'state of the art' N1Z, I am more convinced now than ever that this has nothing to do with the 'front end', but is a quirk of the Devialet's USB input. I suspect it might be more apparent with the Blades than some speakers, the Blades do not have the most impressive figures for bass at -3dB on paper (40Hz), but the drop off is slow and with the opposed drivers, everything remains sharp and relatively undistorted. Plus, in my room the bass 'humps' as you would expect, and drops to roughly the 0dB 'parity' level at 15Hz (per REW), and I can't hear 15Hz, being as I am human. But there you have it, in my system, the bass issue is solved by the Mutec. I think the issue was clear at the OAC streamer day too, when an Aurender N10 was demoed with USB then XLR, most of the room noted clearer bass via XLR, this was with Sasha II's. Anyway, so far so good.
Now for more listening......
1000 Pro - KEF Blade - iFi Zen Stream - Mutec REF10 - MC3+USB - Pro-Ject Signature 12
