Musical Fidelity to launch second series of V DAC

[praveeng]

While searching for a DAC for my set up, I found that Musical Fidelity would be coming up with V DAC II and V LINK II in the month of september. Has anyone of this?? googled but couldnt find anythin on this.
Got this info from a Thailand dealer whom I mailed to get details on Musical Fidelity products as a friend of mine is in Thailand right now.

If the news is true then I am thinking about givin a wait to these second series after good reviews of V DAC.

please share if anyone is aware of the new launch.

 

[vasishta.sushant]

Thats a good news. I was contemplating buying vdac for those velvety vocals but then reviews somehow leaned towards dacmagic. But now this version would seemingly exceed the original vdac. I think I should wait till then.

 

[praveeng]

I hope that V DAC II performs even better than V DAC..

having read many comparisons between DACs i somehow prefer V DAC over others not for value for money but simply for better sound quality..

hope V DAC II has better connections (inputs and balanced output etc) as well as dynamic music output..

 

[denom]

Praveeng,

how much are you getting the V DAC II for???

 

[praveeng]

I have asked the Thailand dealer if he cud provide the price details..but he has not responded back..

i donno if he wud be in a position to tell the prices this soon..

 

[denom]

Thanks, keep us posted on any future developments.

 

[praveeng]

Mr. Thaweesook, Thailand dealer has replied back and its so kinda him to share good details of VDAC II. U can check his site just in case- http://www.titan3d.co.th/index.php

 

[praveeng]

hey guys

no comments on this new DAC

 

[vasishta.sushant]

I liked the new additions but the looks still are far from being called as pleasing. Its still quite raw.

Nonetheless, welcome the changes.

 

[sound and music]

I look forward to the new version.

I already got 2 vdacs and enjoy them. They are much better than the udac which i bought recently. Of course, there is a substantial price difference too besides vdac could be used with digital sources besides computers.

 

[praveeng]

Hey I liked even the earlier VDAC too..

anyways..the features of VDACII mentions asynchronous USB input..which is supposedly not there in VDAC..does it mean significant improvement or it wint cause much of difference in the sound quality output..

can someone throw light on this coz i am thinkin abt buying one..if VDACII claims to show significant improvement then i might wait for it for september..

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

According to this, V-DAC has USB input

 

[praveeng]

Hey Thad you got me wrong..i mean cummon i know VDAC has a usb input but not asynchronous one..

If you read the pdf file about VDAC II that i have attached in the earlier post, it says -"To get the best out of computer audio, you need an asynchronous USB input. The original V-DAC did not have this."

so i wana know whats the diff between a normal usb input and a asynchronous one..

this would help me decide whether the new DAC is significantly improved over previous and if its worth the wait and extra money..

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Whoops!

Missed point error

 

[ravi_d]

so i wana know whats the diff between a normal usb input and a asynchronous one..

Here are two article which talks about Asynchronous vs Adaptive USB connection.
Asynchronicity: A USB Audio Primer | Computer Audiophile
and
USB audio - Synchronous/Asynchronous

The Benchmark DAC1 USB which is one of the best DAC which sells at a premium price don't have asynchronous USB interface.

 

[Bluu]

so i wana know whats the diff between a normal usb input and a asynchronous one..

In short, async USB allows bi-directional communication which allows the flow of data to go both ways. This allows the DAC to control the clock on the PC so that there are fewer (or no) timing errors.

Thus, async is better than adaptive.

 

[venkatcr]

The Benchmark DAC1 USB which is one of the best DAC which sells at a premium price don't have asynchronous USB interface.

And this is not really a bad point. Though the DAC1 is asynchronous, its has a unique and proprietary implementation of their UltraLock system. The UltraLock completely removes jitter, and re-clocks the incoming signal at the DAC end. This process is completely isolated from the clock of the PC.

Cheers

 

[venkatcr]

Thus, async is better than adaptive.

This may not be necessarily true. Though technically asynchronous may be better, it's implementation is a nightmare and only a few such as dCS have really got it right. And there are a number of USB to S/PDIF and Coaxial converters available in the market from companies such as Musical Fidelity, Halide Design, Bel Canto, HRT, Lindemann & Stello. For a couple of 100 dollars these will convert any adaptive DAC to an asynchronous one.

Cheers

 

[praveeng]

thanks all for the info.

So can it mean that someone who has to choose between VDAC and VDACII, might go as well with VDAC without really waiting for VDACII??
I mean wont VDAC be a bad choice either??

 

[venkatcr]

So can it mean that someone who has to choose between VDAC and VDACII, might go as well with VDAC without really waiting for VDACII?? I mean wont VDAC be a bad choice either??

Yes, and no. DACs are very strange animals, though I am sure both the VDAC and VDAC II will have the same stripes in the sense that they will sound very similar. MF will not dare to change the sound signature of the VDAC that has made it so famous.

In my mind DACs have to be listened to and not bought blind. Each DAC has a unique sound signature and that has to be sampled before you commit. I have close experience with 3 or 4 DACs, and all of them sound completely different from each other.

For example, the rDAC from Arcam and the DAC1 from Benchmark are both excellent DACs. But I am currently leaning towards the DAC1 as it has, to my ears, a very miniscule advantage in micro dynamics and sound stage. At the same time, the DAC1 is so brutally transparent that it may give ear fatigue after a few hours. I have listened to the rDAC for some 8 hours continuously without any ear fatigue. For Indian film music, the rDAC beats the DAC1 as it tames the high pitched sounds of singers like Lata Mangeshkar while voices like those of Mukesh and Rafi take on an extra magic.

If you are serious about music, do listen to a DAC before buying it.

Cheers