Mutec MC-3+USB Audio Re-Clocker

[Ammonite Audio]

I've just ordered a Mutec MC-3+USB Audio Re-Clocker, which is basically a USB digital interface that fully isolates and reclocks the USB audio feed, with the highest precision while supporting all the streaming protocols that matter. My interest was picqued by Andrew Everard's review here https://andreweverard.com/2016/07/12...digital-audio/ . Mutec's own bumph is here http://www.mutec-net.com/product_mc-3-plus-usb.php

My home-brew music PC uses a SoTM PCIe USB card that isolates and reclocks the USB audio signal, but sound quality is significantly improved by the addition of an Intona USB isolator. So, clearly, it's not best practice to place the isolation and reclocking inside the PC case where it is still subject to all the electrical and RFI noise therein. Adding the Intona is certainly effective, but things do get untidy with extra USB cables, boxes etc, on top of a Gustard U12 USB/SPDIF converter.

The Mutec promises to do the very best job of a USB audio interface (which is basically what I'll be using it for, despite its much wider range of abilities) with one self-powered box, and the big question is "will it turn a modest little Lenovo sub-notebook into a killer digital source?" My home brew PC is ill at the moment with a boot problem that is possibly a failing SSD, so the laptop would be a nice substitute if it can be transformed from 'so-so' to 'excellent' serving my digital music library.

I have high hopes for this thing. It's not cheap, but it is made in Germany, so will hopefully be reliable and safe.

[WAD62]

I have high hopes for this thing. It's not cheap, but it is made in Germany, so will hopefully be reliable and safe.

Just how 'not cheap' is it Hugo? I see no mention of cost in the links...

EDIT; Ah about £610, so pretty 'not cheap'...however compared to the cost of my iFi USB link, Purifier2, USB Power, and Gemini USB chain it's not too bad...

I look forward to your review

[Ammonite Audio]

That's the price of the version without USB! The USB version is £820 from Affinity Audio in the UK. I'm just hoping that this turns out to be a simple and tidy way of getting PC based digital audio closer to vinyl.

[glenann]

I bought one of these last week from the Audio Barn to go with my Sonore microRendu. It's really, really good, made a big difference to my system. Solidity, detail, more space around instruments. I'm hearing things I've never heard before, but not just for details sake either, it all adds to the musical message being conveyed.
With the mR - Curious USB cable - Mutec MC3+ - Chord 2Qute, I have a front end that I never thought possible from my humble flac files...utterly awesome and engaging!

[Ammonite Audio]

My MC-3+ USB should be with me next week so I hope that I get the same improvement!

[glenann]

I'm listening to it all now. Everything is improved in my system. The instruments deep in the background mix can now be heard and easily followed. They're contributing to the song. The skins on the drums, the punch, all of it... man I love it!

[Ammonite Audio]

My Mutec MC-3+ USB arrived today and, after a bit of head-scratching with regards to setup, it is now playing music. Initial impressions are that it's pretty astonishing, compared to my previous USB audio chain of Intona USB isolator and Gustard U12 USB/SPDIF converter, feeding my Naim DAC-V1 via coaxial digital. Having worked out which menu settings actually result in music being played, the Mutec is delivering a lovely organic, sweet and detailed sound that places performers, instruments clearly within the recorded acoustic space. You really get to 'feel' the acoustic space with the Mutec in the system. All very nice, and (to my uneducated ears) musically articulate too.

One of the reasons why I bought this thing was to determine whether a cheap but convenient Windows sub-notebook could be elevated from so-so to a really good USB music source. I had already found out that a purpose-built music PC can be a significantly better source than the sub-notebook, but that involved a dedicated audiophile SoTM USB card, plus various SATA filters. That music PC has had some sort of SSD fit and won't boot up, but so far it does look like the Mutec gadget really is agnostic towards the source quality - it claims to fully isolate and re-clock the signal, and to my ears seems to do that successfully and to fulfil its original promise to me.

So, although it's early days and it will probably settle in like all new equipment does, I think this one can be chalked up as a resounding success. It means that one smallish and neat box can replace two existing ones, which is always a good thing, but more importantly digital music replay seems to be finally approaching what I get from vinyl. If you look at the Mutec from a value point of view, its cost is not so steep if it means a cheap computer source can be used instead of an expensive one, and it does a much better job of USB/SPDIF conversion than anything I've heard so far. Even better, it's German and properly supported in terms of drivers etc, which is often a problem with some of the Chinese stuff.

[WAD62]

My Mutec MC-3+ USB arrived today and, after a bit of head-scratching with regards to setup, it is now playing music. Initial impressions are that it's pretty astonishing, compared to my previous USB audio chain of Intona USB isolator and Gustard U12 USB/SPDIF converter, feeding my Naim DAC-V1 via coaxial digital. Having worked out which menu settings actually result in music being played, the Mutec is delivering a lovely organic, sweet and detailed sound that places performers, instruments clearly within the recorded acoustic space. You really get to 'feel' the acoustic space with the Mutec in the system. All very nice, and (to my uneducated ears) musically articulate too.

One of the reasons why I bought this thing was to determine whether a cheap but convenient Windows sub-notebook could be elevated from so-so to a really good USB music source. I had already found out that a purpose-built music PC can be a significantly better source than the sub-notebook, but that involved a dedicated audiophile SoTM USB card, plus various SATA filters. That music PC has had some sort of SSD fit and won't boot up, but so far it does look like the Mutec gadget really is agnostic towards the source quality - it claims to fully isolate and re-clock the signal, and to my ears seems to do that successfully and to fulfil its original promise to me.

So, although it's early days and it will probably settle in like all new equipment does, I think this one can be chalked up as a resounding success. It means that one smallish and neat box can replace two existing ones, which is always a good thing, but more importantly digital music replay seems to be finally approaching what I get from vinyl. If you look at the Mutec from a value point of view, its cost is not so steep if it means a cheap computer source can be used instead of an expensive one, and it does a much better job of USB/SPDIF conversion than anything I've heard so far. Even better, it's German and properly supported in terms of drivers etc, which is often a problem with some of the Chinese stuff.

Hi Hugo, glad you're enjoying it...

I notice your DAC has an asynchronous USB port, are you going to give that a try with the Mutec in place, or are you sticking with SPDIF ?

Edit; On inspection there's no USB out, so i doubt that's an option...

[Ammonite Audio]

The Naim DAC-V1 has a fancy asynchronous USB input that comes courtesy of Audiophilio, who have a good reputation; however that interface was easily bettered by the relatively cheap Gustard U12 USB converter, and even more so with an Intona USB isolator in the chain, so that combination has been my reference. The Mutec really does seem to be doing a much better job, and with a relatively poor PC source. Throughout my digital audio journey over the years, I have come to realise that absolutely everything can and will make a difference to streamed audio, and that includes the quality of the PC, drivers, streaming protocols etc. A magic bullet that can do away with such variables would be a lovely thing.

The Mutec seems to be a thoroughly well engineered interface that takes many of the variables out of computer audio, and it may well be that magic bullet. It has SPDIF inputs, so it does more than just isolate, and reclock USB audio, and I look forward to feeding it some bits from my CD player (presently loaned to a friend).

Rarely has a new addition to my system blown me away, but the Mutec has.