Musical Fidelity X-Can v8 - where does it sound best?

[Charlie Jefferson]

I've had the MF pre-amp for a year or so now and haven't been overly impressed with it when looped into my previous Arcam P90/A85 or current Roksan (see sig for details) set-up. However, tonight I hooked it up to my Mac via the USB switch option and the computer's DAC output, and lo and behold it sounds pretty good. At the very least it sounds as good as through the Roksan's. My question is, how can this be? Is it simply that there's too complicated a signal path in my main hi-fi: for digital music; pre-amp/Chord DAC/source or for vinyl; pre-amp/phono stage/deck?? Anyone care to elucidate?

 

[idc]

Hi Charlie. How did you have it looped through the pre/power amps? That sounds like you connected a pre amp to a pre amp.

When you say you have connected it to your Mac with USB switch to the computers DAC, how is that done? That sounds like you have connected a DAC to a DAC.

 

[Charlie Jefferson]

idc:
Hi Charlie. How did you have it looped through the pre/power amps? That sounds like you connected a pre amp to a pre amp.

When you say you have connected it to your Mac with USB switch to the computers DAC, how is that done? That sounds like you have connected a DAC to a DAC.

hi idc,

Yes, my rather poorly worded description does give that impression!

1) My headphone amp is connected with rca interconnects from X-Can's ouptut to the tape line-in on the Roksan pre amp. (I think). That still sounds confusing. It's been a long, stressful day!!

2) My Mac is connected to my the X-Can via a usb cable. Is there another or better way to do this? Is there such a thing as a usb to analogue interconnect that could run from Mac to X-Can?

Er. . . now I've confused myself. Generally not too difficult, admittedly.

 

[idc]

It sounds like when you let the X-CAN do its own thing with both its DAC and amp producing the music from your Mac's digital signal it is sounding better than piggy backing the Rocksan where it takes its amped analogue signal and amps it again.

They way your set up works is either-

Mac - bypassing its sound card and sending a digital signal to the USB DAC in the X-CAN by a USB driver the X-CAN automatically installed when you first connected it to the computer - to the X-CAN's own purpose built headphone amp - to your headphones.

(You cannot do a USB to IC cable as that is a digital signal transmission and an analogue signal transmission together. There needs to be conversion from one to another, the DAC)

Rocksan sending an analogue signal that has been through its amp to the X-CANs amp to your headphones. So the signal is being amped twice, which it can do and the X-CAN range are designed to piggy back other amps. My original X-CANs piggy backed my Rega Mira amp and sounded great at the time. But I was never able to directly able to compare it to connecting it directly to the source (as you do when it is connected to the Mac). But thinking back, when I bought an ipod and connected it to the X-CANS as my source, I was thrilled by the sound. I wonder if I had been able to compare the two I would have found it sounded better not piggy backing another amp?

So maybe it is a case that the as perform better connected to a source than piggy backing other amps.

That would explain why I remember you being initially underwhelmed by the sound of the X-CAN compared to your own amps headphone out and have now found it sounds better connected to the source directly.

Hope that explains, helps and makes sense!

 

[Charlie Jefferson]

Thanks idc,

Yes that all makes perfect sense.

And yes, you have a good memory, I was initially underwhelmed by the MF X-Can when I compared it to the headphone input on my old Arcam A85 amp.

Directly linked to the Mac, it just about justifies the price, although I am tempted to upgrade my Sennheiser 600 headphones, to maximize my sound.

I haven't previously spent too much time listening via headphones, but a young family and late night listening through speakers isn't always an option, so needs must.