Without being revolutionary In the DAC market, Musical Fidelity does more than just assemble chips, they typically do extensive work on the power supply and various internal components. Described as the little brother of the very good M6x DAC, the new M3x DAC comes quite close, having an equivalent package and hardly simplified connections, but a lower quality conversion chip and less advanced features. A somewhat out-of-the-way device that is not aimed at all target groups.
My beautiful bar, with two takes less
The casing of the M3x DAC is both simple and slightly stylized, but above all imposing: 440 x 100 x 363 mm at 6.8 kg, which is what Musical Fidelity is accustomed to with its M6x and M3x ranges. This new device features an all-aluminum body with a thick beveled bezel at the top and bottom.
This facade is an opportunity to recognize that the manufacturer is not a fan of modern interfaces, including screens. Everything here is based on simple buttons and indicator diodes, each showing: the type of DAC output filter (between two choices); the sampling frequency of the incoming PCM stream, between 44.1 kHz and 192 kHz; the sample rate of the incoming DSD stream, DSD64 or DSD128; Input selectable via two buttons.
Most observers will have noticed that the M6x DAC is significantly more complete, supporting more sampling frequencies, in both PCM and DSD, being MQA compatible and offering access to no fewer than eight different filters.
So if it’s not the most complete unit in its category, the Musical Fidelity M3x DAC falls far short of the essentials in terms of connections:
- digital inputs: 1 USB-B, 2 coaxial SPDIF, 2 optical,
- Analog outputs (fixed): 1 stereo RCA, 1 stereo XLR (3-pin).
The M3x DAC thus exchanges the AES/EBU XLR input of the M6x DAC for a second SPDIF cinch socket. Above all, the device no longer assumes the preamplifier function, since its analog outputs are only fixed. We already understand that it’s more affordable compared to its big brother.
Ridge (brown) in spinach
Without being a pinnacle of modernity, the M6x DAC still featured a conversion stage consisting of a dual DAC assembly of Saber ES9038Q2M chips, the power-efficient version (commonly used in audiophile DAPs) of the very high-end ES9038PRO .
Here the formula is fairly simplified on paper, as Musical Fidelity opts for a single PCM1795 chip from Burr-Brown (Texas Instruments), a reference that supports 32-bit/192kHz PCM and DSD256 (although on the device with maximum 128 kHz is displayed). Facade).
Above all, Musical Fidelity allows itself to connect a small circuit consisting of the SRC4392 converter. This allows incoming PCM streams to be oversampled at up to 192kHz if they have a lower sampling rate. However, note that the PCM1795 chip itself, if we consider its characteristics in detail, internally applies 8x oversampling.
The power supply, of course, can’t be beat, featuring a “super-quiet” transformer and EMI filtering, all with low susceptibility to electromagnetic waves.
As for the technical characteristics, Musical Fidelity announces a frequency response of 20 Hz – 70 kHz (-1.5 dB) or even a SNR of 107 dB (A-weighting, below 1 kHz), two numbers that honestly say nothing really have something impressive. As is so often the case, it is necessary to take the manufacturer’s work into account, be it on the chassis, the design of the circuits or the filters.
In France, the Musical Fidelity M3x DAC converter is announced at a price of €1,500.
Specifications of the Musical Fidelity M3x DAC
- Type: Digital to Analog Converter
- DAC: Burr Brown PCM1795
- SRC4392 sampling converter
- Digital inputs: 1 USB-B, 2 coaxial SPDIF, 2 optical
- Analog outputs (fixed): 1 stereo RCA, 1 stereo XLR (3-pin)
- Compatibility: 32-bit/192kHz PCM, DSD256 (DoP or native)
- Ron tested
- Frequency Response: 20Hz – 70kHz (-1.5dB)
- Channel separation < -115 dB (10 kHz)
- SNR: 107 dB (A-weighted, below 1 kHz)
- THD <0.005% (1kHz, 0dBFS level)
- Output impedance (RCA and XLR) < 50 ohms
- Dimensions: 440x100x363mm
- Weight: 6.8kg
- Price: €1,500
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