Gromit
08-02-2012, 21:09
Amongst my recent search for a different dac, Keith (of Purite Audio) very kindly stepped in and offered me the chance to hear the new M2Tech EVO dac, but not only this tiny little box of Italian tricks, he also sent out the latest EVO USB/spdf interface...oh, and the M2Tech battery psu aswell.
3 very neat little boxes...(the third one is at the back btw)...
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e320/Gromit011/DSC00185.jpg
Took less than 5 mins to work out where all the connections went - hooked into this rig was my Pioneer DVD player (which works very well indeed as a transport) and my MacBook on which are a fair few hi-res files. I use Decibel as a media player on the MB.
The general idea was to gradually build up the heat of the EVO set up, starting with just the dac on its own, with its own wall-wart psu, but of course I'm way too impatient so went for broke and used the dedicated battery psu, with the MacBook playing into the EVO interface with the new 12S connection into the dac.
First impressions? A satisfyingly natural musical presentation - not slow, but it just allows music to breathe, for it to unfold naturally in an unhurried manner. Very 'un' digital if you like in that it's probably a sound to win over those who are still not really convinced as to how good digits can sound. Married to this sense of ease though is the M2Tech's ability to really hit hard when needed - it doesn't sound 'bright' of 'dull' or 'warm'. Such descriptions are I feel a tad clumsy. This is easily the best digital sound I've heard in my system and by some margin, giving me many a late night, spinning tunes until the early hours.
I was going to make a list of the music I'd put through the EVO set-up but totally lost track of it all - safe to say that whatever I played, it just let the music do its thing. During the hushed, tension-ridden start to the 3rd movement of Shostakovich 11 (which sounded magical through the EVO) there's a sense of musical occasion - an aspect of a system which I find so hard to achieve but is of vital importance to creating a proper musical event. Hard to describe, but easy to understand once it's felt. You know what's coming in the music, the unleashing of massive orchestral forces, and that will have an effect on how the hushed start is played - if that is missed out on, if the system doesn't 'get it' then the power of what's coming bears no relation to that hushed start and the plot starts to fail. However, get it right, and the picture of the musical interpretation makes sense and snaps everything into focus - it becomes an event not to be missed. I've long felt that digital audio has taken big leaps as of late - helped of course by the availability of decent hi-res-mastered downloads - and I'm genuinely excited about the future. I fully appreciate there are those who are well ahead in terms of their experience of such and I'm the young kid with the bright eyes running around in the new toy shop but it doesn't stop me enthusing about it.
Back to the kit...
I did have a bit of a play around with the connections though - and with the various psu options. Running off the battery is easily the best - switch from 'charge/reg' to 'battery' on the psu and the change in sound is obvious. The mains powered setting is slightly more mechanical, less free of its musical shackles - switching back to battery the locks are opened. Battery is also smoother, with less glare. Simply put, it just sounds 'better'. One battery charge lasts approx 5 hours (I think!). I just left it on to charge overnight then that was enough for the following day's listening. Switching the dac on and off seemed to make no difference to sound quality - it sounds great from the word go.
There are 3 options for connecting the interface to the EVO dac - coax, optical or 12S. Now, 12S is a new one on me (I'm not exactly a tech head so bear with me!) but using it makes it fairly obvious that, or certainly made me feel, that the EVO system is designed to be used this way. The increase in clarity, sense of space - both acoustically and musically - is immediately obvious.
For the time being, until I've heard something better, I'd buy this in a heartbeat - sadly I'm not able to afford to at the moment. One may consider the 3-box set up a little OTT perhaps and would prefer a one-box solution. I'd counter that by saying it gives one the chance to build up the system as and when funds allow - and when mine do I'm pretty sure this little rig would be No.1 on my shopping list. I loved it. :)
Thanks again to Keith for being a true gent and letting me hear this set-up - as an example of his product portfolio he clearly knows what's good out there. :)
3 very neat little boxes...(the third one is at the back btw)...
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e320/Gromit011/DSC00185.jpg
Took less than 5 mins to work out where all the connections went - hooked into this rig was my Pioneer DVD player (which works very well indeed as a transport) and my MacBook on which are a fair few hi-res files. I use Decibel as a media player on the MB.
The general idea was to gradually build up the heat of the EVO set up, starting with just the dac on its own, with its own wall-wart psu, but of course I'm way too impatient so went for broke and used the dedicated battery psu, with the MacBook playing into the EVO interface with the new 12S connection into the dac.
First impressions? A satisfyingly natural musical presentation - not slow, but it just allows music to breathe, for it to unfold naturally in an unhurried manner. Very 'un' digital if you like in that it's probably a sound to win over those who are still not really convinced as to how good digits can sound. Married to this sense of ease though is the M2Tech's ability to really hit hard when needed - it doesn't sound 'bright' of 'dull' or 'warm'. Such descriptions are I feel a tad clumsy. This is easily the best digital sound I've heard in my system and by some margin, giving me many a late night, spinning tunes until the early hours.
I was going to make a list of the music I'd put through the EVO set-up but totally lost track of it all - safe to say that whatever I played, it just let the music do its thing. During the hushed, tension-ridden start to the 3rd movement of Shostakovich 11 (which sounded magical through the EVO) there's a sense of musical occasion - an aspect of a system which I find so hard to achieve but is of vital importance to creating a proper musical event. Hard to describe, but easy to understand once it's felt. You know what's coming in the music, the unleashing of massive orchestral forces, and that will have an effect on how the hushed start is played - if that is missed out on, if the system doesn't 'get it' then the power of what's coming bears no relation to that hushed start and the plot starts to fail. However, get it right, and the picture of the musical interpretation makes sense and snaps everything into focus - it becomes an event not to be missed. I've long felt that digital audio has taken big leaps as of late - helped of course by the availability of decent hi-res-mastered downloads - and I'm genuinely excited about the future. I fully appreciate there are those who are well ahead in terms of their experience of such and I'm the young kid with the bright eyes running around in the new toy shop but it doesn't stop me enthusing about it.
Back to the kit...
I did have a bit of a play around with the connections though - and with the various psu options. Running off the battery is easily the best - switch from 'charge/reg' to 'battery' on the psu and the change in sound is obvious. The mains powered setting is slightly more mechanical, less free of its musical shackles - switching back to battery the locks are opened. Battery is also smoother, with less glare. Simply put, it just sounds 'better'. One battery charge lasts approx 5 hours (I think!). I just left it on to charge overnight then that was enough for the following day's listening. Switching the dac on and off seemed to make no difference to sound quality - it sounds great from the word go.
There are 3 options for connecting the interface to the EVO dac - coax, optical or 12S. Now, 12S is a new one on me (I'm not exactly a tech head so bear with me!) but using it makes it fairly obvious that, or certainly made me feel, that the EVO system is designed to be used this way. The increase in clarity, sense of space - both acoustically and musically - is immediately obvious.
For the time being, until I've heard something better, I'd buy this in a heartbeat - sadly I'm not able to afford to at the moment. One may consider the 3-box set up a little OTT perhaps and would prefer a one-box solution. I'd counter that by saying it gives one the chance to build up the system as and when funds allow - and when mine do I'm pretty sure this little rig would be No.1 on my shopping list. I loved it. :)
Thanks again to Keith for being a true gent and letting me hear this set-up - as an example of his product portfolio he clearly knows what's good out there. :)