Musical Fidelity M3X DAC

Musical fidelity M3X DAC is an affordable high-end DAC with superb technical performance. The DAC upsamples PCM signals to 24-bit at 192kHz. This helps to lower the distortion and improves the resolution. Careful PCB design coupled with excellent build quality is utilised to provide a very clean, stable and musical sound with lots of detail.

The output stages are low noise and each has its own output buffer. The power supply is also a low noise type for reduced interference. You can connect four digital devices at the same time and balanced outputs are available.

Upsampling DAC design

The M3X DAC uses an upsampling DAC design, that re-clocks all the PCM signals and converts them into a 24-bit 192 kHz format. This is done with a sophisticated, high-end sample rate converter from Burr Brown. The result is jitter-free and stable audio, with the lowest possible distortion and mush. DSD files are not upsampled but fed to the PCM1795 DAC chip, as is.

Low noise output stages

The balanced and unbalanced outputs of the M3X each have their own output buffer. The buffer delivers superior audio quality due to its large output voltage swing and high current drive. The buffers also have extremely low distortion.

Super silent power transformer

The power supply of the M3X DAC uses a Super Silent Power Transformer. High quality power sockets and EMI filters. The filters stop any interference and hum, from ever reaching the sensitive analogue circuits.

Additionally, the toroidal transformer itself has a low core saturation and is intended for audio applications. It is especially good for analogue circuits.

Circuit board design

The analogue and digital parts of a circuit have different PCB layout requirements and shielding requirements. Analogue circuits are more prone to noise pickup. Hence why a balanced design is used. While digital circuits work at high frequencies the timing can be affected by interference. This has to be shielded from the analogue circuits. The PCBs used in the M3X DAC, both measure well and sound well due to a careful and knowledgeable design.

Connectivity and build quality

The M3X DAC is not only a good performer but also has a rigid and uncompromising construction. The front panel is milled from an extruded aluminium profile. The case is also made of heavy steel. This protects the internals and provides good electromagnetic shielding. It also protects any other nearby equipment from interference.

The front panel is clean and elegant with a power/standby switch, as well as LED indicators for the PCM and DSD sample rates. There are also indicators that show which input has been selected. You can connect up to four digital devices without lead swapping. There are two coaxial digital inputs as well as two optical inputs. There is also a USB input for a PC or hard drive. Finally, analogue output is via gold-plated RCA connectors, or two 3-pin balanced XLR outputs.

A choice of DAC

DACs form the heart of most modern audio systems. They have to deal with a wide range of codecs and sampling rates. Hence the chip used is important, as is the PCB layout. Cheaper DACs do not always use the best components. Therefore, Having a high-end stand-alone DAC, such as the M3X, will always be a major upgrade on using built-in DACs.

There are degrees of separation and having a well shielded DAC will improve the sound quality. For example, the built-in DACs used for PCs and laptops are usually a compromise, while integrated amplifiers may have a limited number of digital inputs. The M3X DAC will provide a massive upgrade for most systems.