Musical Fidelity has released the M3x DAC, intended as an affordable high-end entry-level model.
The new Musical Fidelity M3x DAC is firmly influenced by the model just above it, the M6x. According to the manufacturer, the M3x delivers “virtually equivalent” performance to that DAC. But at a significantly lower price. In short: the ideal entry-level model for anyone who wants a cautious taste of the wonderful high-end audio world without going bankrupt.
The M3x is built around an upsampling Burr Brown SRC4392. This chip reclocks all PCM audio signals and converts them to 24 bit /192 kHz. The latter values, by the way, are also the maximums the converter can deliver. Furthermore, DSD up to DSD 256 is supported. In terms of outputs, you have the choice of unbalanced RCA and balanced XLR. In which, according to Musical Fidelity, you’ll notice “exceptionally low distortion”. In terms of power supply, as in the M6x, we find the proprietary toroidal transformer, which they call Super Silent Power Transformer there. A sleek steel chassis with aluminum front panel finishes it off.
The Musical Fidelity M3x is available immediately, at a cost of £1349.