Rega vs MF m1 dac

[wee tee cee]

Managed to get a lone of the Rega dac for the weekend to compare with my musical fidelity.The rega is the shops demo one fully burnt in.I fed both dacs with the MF v link and tried both optical and co-ax.Predominantly co-ax.
Well....I was hoping for a valve like sound or as the reviews said a warmer sound from the rega but what I got was emphasis of both frequency extremes.I dont get along with sibilance in my set up and was dissapointed the top end was quite pronounced.What was really different was the bottom end,The rega was really boomy.It was really overwhelming in my set up.I tried differnt cables and amps on the bass and treble units but couldnt get it to my liking.
The mid range was very similar to the MF and the soundstaging seemed about the same.
The Rega didnt improve on the MF in any area and in my set up and in respect of the frequency extremes was far more pronounced.I must have gave it about 5 hours in total before I abandoned mission.
Both my wife and son really didnt like it either.
My system/room/ears the MF is staying in position untill I hear something that betters it.

[DSJR]

The Rega aint boomy nor is it trebly either. I suspect your speakers are being set off - what are they again? What interconnect did you use, by the way. I know the difference here won't be fundamental, but Rega use and market the Klotz based "Couple" and this has a definite controlling effect on any excesses I found.

The ONE thing that "digital" sources can do is show up possible problems elsewhere. we've been there before many times (I have the scars to prove it), but decent digital doesn't soften or "charm" the ears on sibilance and cymbal work as analogue can and, believe me, so many speakers are awful in the treble regions, with ragged tweeters and apparently, some good tweeters can, just by their acoustic output I understand, make the partnering bass units ring at their uppermost resonance point, a severe issue on many metal-cone bass units apparently!

If you like your MF DAC, fine, but get a listen to some decent speakers as well, just to be sure :)

[wee tee cee]

Dave,
The speakers are kef iq 50s.The interconnects were the belkin co-ax used as stereo pairs.Im bi amping with two temple audio mono blocks and a bantum .Two different speaker cable a runs of tellurium black and some van damme.The co-ax is a techlink.
Ive demoed several sets of floor standers and stand mounters and find the kefs pretty even handed and open.The metal tweeter needs care partnering wise with cables and equiptment.
I experienced a definite boomyness with the low frequencies which resulted in a "GET THAT OFF" from my son and wife.
Tried swapping cables/amps but at the end of the day the DAC didnt work for my set up.
In glaswegian "the MF ripped the REGA up for arse paper"

[Butuz]

Agree with Dave R.

Butuz

[Tim]

Hmm, I've been hovering over the keyboard on this one, having just bought a Rega DAC in place of my Caiman which is on headphone duty right - so here's my 2 penneth.

What I can say is that Tony's description is not too dissimilar from my experience. However, the Rega continues to improve daily. Out the box I was a little disappointed, it was bright and harsh giving a very 'deeeetailed' sound with some bass bloom. None of these characteristic's were found with the Caiman. To be honest, it sounded like I had moved my Monitor Audio G60's back in the room :scratch:

I've had it 2 weeks now and it's been switched on all that time and has played music for 100+ hours and it's a long way from where it was straight out the box, sounding much smoother and controlled. It has a very 3 dimensional sound-stage, placing the music around the room as opposed to left and right and it is very musical. This is something I really like and I can certainly forgive it, for this characteristic alone. I would describe it's overall sound (at the moment) as detailed and dynamic, quite modern and crisp - what I wouldn't do is describe it as warm or analogue like, which are traits of the Caiman. I think I can build on it by changing my amplifier (which has always been the plan), which right now alternates between a Musical Fidelity A3 and an Albarry. I have future thoughts for the Rega Brio R an LFD Mk 4, but one of my favoured is a Leban CS-300XS, which I think could work very well with my Harbeth's, maintaining the 3 dimensional sound-stage of the Rega DAC, but smoothing out it's harsh tendencies. I think some Klotz interconnects as Dave suggests would be a good idea and worth trying out too?

I find the overall presentation of the music more lifelike from the Rega than the Caiman, but they both have things I like. What it has done is further endorse what stonking value for money the Caiman is, punching well above it's weight. I do notice big differences in the quality of recordings too, the Rega reveals all - Joan Armatrading's 'What's Inside' for example sounds truly wonderful, but put an early Porcupine Tree album on and you notice the difference immediately.

I do however think the Rega has some way to go yet before it's reached it's peak and I wonder how burnt in the one was you had on loan, as your experience matches what it sounded like about a week ago with 50~60 hours of playing time under it's belt?

(please excuse any of my clumsy terminology, as describing how something sounds has never been anything I'm good at)

[wee tee cee]

Tim,
Thanks,I thought it was just me.Albeit I dont know how long the DAC has been burnt in, I still dont believe its overall character could change enough for my ears.I would be very interested in your thoughts if you managed to get a listen to the MF in your set up.I cant help but think it would be right up your street.An awfull lot of recordings I thought were harsh and badly recorded have been transformed with the temple audio chip amps.Try to get a listen to anyone of them,You will be suprised.
Regards Tony.

[Tim]

Thanks,I thought it was just me.
Nope, not just you and the supplier I bought mine from mentioned his demo unit was reported to be the same on first use. It was burnt in by a customer for a few weeks first. However, as outlined it's vastly different now to when it first arrived and I really like the way it presents the music, a very natural presentation - if I can find a suitable amp to match I'm there. I just need to get the synergy right.

Would love to try some 'Crofted' Quad II's with it actually :eyebrows:

[DSJR]

IT'S YOUR BLOODY KEFS, I GUARANTEE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All of the more recent IQ series have a treble that will strip paint if not properly controlled. Sadly, KEF long ago abandoned their fixation with ruler flat responses and went all "commercial" with their designs. The larger ones, especially those with 2.5 way double bass drivers drone in the bass too. I haven't heard your boxes for donkeys years, but I bet I'm right.

If you feel able, look out for some good used Spendor S6's or the later S6e's, which work a treat single or bi-amped (I tried them both ways and they loved it) and seem to go for around five hundred notes these days. I PROMISE you your problems will disappear and you'll be playing more music than ever, no matter what DAC you keep............... The Spendors have magnificant cabinets too and can be used around a hands breadth out from walls - same as your KEF's..

P.S. DON'T look at any of the S5 series, as these were extremely fussy in use and nothing like as well integrated IMO as the S6 and the S8's which go for around £750 these days..

[wee tee cee]

Dave,
I know the kefs are the weak link, but it doesnt take away from my impression of the rega in my system.The spendors,If I could get them for a monkey it would be lovely,placement wise,finish etc. Had a wee listen to them in a dealers shop floor and they did sound lovely and smooth.I thought you could only single amp them.....
Regardless,thanks for your wisdom,
Regards TC.

[DSJR]

See if Reid Malenfant or someone else who's kind and good at it can recommend an "L" pad to reduce the gain on your tweeter amp by 3db or so. That might make for a reasonable compromise for now........

[Tim]

I know it's slightly off topic, but just for the sheer hell of it I tried something today. I needed to check myself a little about terms I have been using like harsh and 'deeetailed'. So I took out my nice (sounding better than it should for the price) copper Van Damme speaker cable and put in my old QED SA wire........ :lol: well that gave me a laugh, if I thought the Rega sounded harsh brand new, you should bloody hear it now! In fact I would invite any objectivist to not hear the difference in a cable when comparing these two in my current system?

I think I have forgotten how far I have come since joining AoS, but the acid test I guess is that I listen to music for hours now every day, instead of the odd hour every other day. Mostly I have to say because of the Harbeth's, which despite what RD may say about BBC influenced speakers, sound absolutely gorgeous to my ears.

:)

[wee tee cee]

Tim,
I couldn't have summed it up better myself.AOS has really made my listening experience far more enjoyable.I have great fun changing over cables/trying tips and just enjoying the pursuit of getting you system sounding as good as it can get.
Dave,
The temple monos let you alter the gain via the power button and the the rear panel has a high and low gain input.The Bantum has a volume pot I can use to tune the output if Im running it on the treble.I tried all this to no avail.
Doesnt preclude the idea I might open up the kefs and start buggering about with wires and resistors.
Regards Tony.

[DSJR]

Could also be too much breakthrough on the top of the bass unit's range for all I know, so complex is the idea of multi-unit speaker design...

[Gazjam]

tony,r
Id take your MF dac into Loud and Clear and compare it to the Rega in THEIR system.
I'll bring my modded Caiman/Gator/linear PSU if you like...different speakers might better show the MF's and Rega DAC's stengths?


Just a thought mate... :)

[wee tee cee]

Gary,
At the end of the day regardless of what I listen to its got to sound good in my listening room.Loud and clear have spent a fortune on treating their demo room to get the best from everything they demo.I went back with the kefs and demoed speakers at multiples of their value,I just couldnt justify it.
Bring the caman across and you can see what you think yourself.

Did you ever get the supra co-ax,I wouldnae mind a wee shot of that.
Regards Tony.

[Gazjam]

Gary,
At the end of the day regardless of what I listen to its got to sound good in my listening room.Loud and clear have spent a fortune on treating their demo room to get the best from everything they demo.I went back with the kefs and demoed speakers at multiples of their value,I just couldnt justify it.
Bring the caman across and you can see what you think yourself.

Did you ever get the supra co-ax,I wouldnae mind a wee shot of that.
Regards Tony.

Cannae argue with that mate.
Your ears, your room.

Lemme know when your shifts suit Tony, we'll arrange summit. :cool:

Gary.

[HighFidelityGuy]

I can't comment on either of the DAC's you're looking at but I noticed that someone mentioned attenuating your tweeters. I know that your Bantem mono's have variable gain via some jumpers, so maybe your other Bantem amp does. It's just a thought but tweaking the gain between the amps may allow you to fine tune the balance without having to resort to L-pads etc. :)

[mad-moon]

It's all down to synergy...I'm using a Rega dac with my icon audio passive and a home brew dual mono power amplifier..my speakers are Roksan Darius...and my system sings...If the rega dac doen't work for you..but the musical fidelity does...obvious answer is use the musical fidelity..and ditch the Rega...I've tried the Musical fidelity...which is a nice capable dac...but I found it dry..and clinical in my system...They are both fine dacs...it's just a case of which works for your system...as far as leads go..i'm using some home made MIT onewire a/v coax..made into rca interconnects..and they work as well if not better than some of my higher end leads..hi-fi..it's a funny old game.


Dave,
I know the kefs are the weak link, but it doesnt take away from my impression of the rega in my system.The spendors,If I could get them for a monkey it would be lovely,placement wise,finish etc. Had a wee listen to them in a dealers shop floor and they did sound lovely and smooth.I thought you could only single amp them.....
Regardless,thanks for your wisdom,
Regards TC.

[wee tee cee]

System synergy is crucial, but as I have came to learn "how do you like your distortion?". Set ups/rooms/music all play a part but at the end of the day one mans meat is another mans poison.

I have long since moved on from the MF which I really liked-having taken it to several bake offs it became apparent it had its own sonic signature that suited me. The Rega has came and gone,then returned to another members system and in his set up sounds sublime.

Both are really good DACs but well worth auditioning in your own set up to see which suits.