CD Transport Musical Fidelity M1 CDT
Recently published a series of Musical Fidelity M1 allows you to build a relatively inexpensive system optimal configuration and capable of easily scalable. Series components can easily be integrated into existing systems, adding only what is required. Some of them we have already tested it phone-corrector M1 VINL, external DAC M1 DAC and music controller M1 CLIC, which can also serve as a network player. Integral part of the "designer" are two amplifiers, headphone jack and terminal, as well as CD-transport M1 CDT, with which we are now acquainted.
Like all other components of the series, M1 CDT combines solid performance (front panel - made of thick metal) and a minimalist design. Modest two-line display, the loader Slot-In (it is believed that this type of drives are better protected from vibrations), under it - a number of control buttons - everything is simple and practical. Remote control included there, and he also made in the same style as modest reliability. The high class machine says a full set of digital outputs, including AES/EBU connector to XLR.
Player is equipped with a high-precision clock generator - it provides minimal jitter. In principle, from good transport requires just that - the most accurate reading of the information and its transfer to the DAC. No other details about the structure M1 CDT manufacturer does not report, so I go to audition.
The first step is to pull out your old cabinet CD-player Denon DCD-735. Shortly before "retirement" he has undergone modernization, one element of which was the organization of a separate power supply for analog and digital circuits, and was replaced by the laser pickup, so that old age it mainly moral. Both devices are connected to the DAC PS Audio PerfectWave DAC, Denon - optics (another digital output it does not), M1 CDT - coax. Three tracks enough to realize that my old player completely uncompetitive - he made a sound noticeable distortion, whereas transport Musical Fidelity played clean and detail.
The second stage of the test is more complicated: rival M1 CDT is a specialized computer - the same that was used in the test interface converter Musical Fidelity V-Link II. Sounding CDs compared with their counterparts in the file FLAC.
To start checked as transport handles discs equipped with copy protection system - all right, anti-piracy compacts play, although the slight rustling heard from the drive. "Defenseless" releases reproduced without extraneous overtones.
Sources connected to the DAC parallel to different inputs, then they changed to exclude the influence of the interface. In all cases the transport disc sounded a bit louder (that's you and "figure"), but, after a DAC module Digital Lens (this diagram jitter) the difference in the volume decreased. With a strong desire you may have noticed that the computer source sounds a bit smoother and rhythmically exact, although in reality the differences are minimal. Whatever it was, but the guilt of transport in this - the impact of the shortcomings format CDDA, in which there is sufficient data integrity protection. I recall that when copying CDs to files with an algorithm reading multiple sectors that ensures maximum accuracy of information transmission. In turn, my specialized computer reproduces files previously placed in a RAM-drive, which reduces the jitter. In contrast, most CD-transports read data in one pass, so all blocks are processed uncertain correction circuits, and their effect on hearing markedly. And this is one of the reasons why the future of quality music playback - for files. But as long as we live in the present and M1 CDT work there.
