The Sound
Contents
It’s really fascinating how a digital to digital converter can make a difference. It’s the same 1’s and 0’s, right? Yes… that’s right… and still!
Exactly
What is noticeable is that the USB input Mutec MC1.2+ compared to the Mutec MC3+ USB plays a bit more precisely and a bit fresher. The MC3+ USB is a bit warmer and plays a bit bigger in terms of imaging, but also more fuzzy. This is really a striking difference: the MC1.2+ just focuses tighter. But also plays a bit smaller.
The timbre differences are actually striking. How can the Mutec MC3+ feel a bit warmer than the MC1.2+? Both converters are on the same USB card, are in the same ROON-zone and play the same file … and yet they sound slightly different. A neighbor who came to check it out heard exactly the same thing, so it’s not like we’re imagining things.
Combination
Now we must honestly admit that the Mutec MC3+ USB gives an enormous boost to the quality of the MC1.2+. If we put the Mutec MC1.2+ directly into the Sonnet Pasithea, of course it sounds fine. But if we put the MC3+ USB in between (with the REF10-120 reference clock active), then it really becomes a joy. The flow and the increase in organic reproduction is striking. The ‘digital’ sound really disappears. Once heard, you can not really go back.
However, if we then use the USB input of the Mutec MC3+ USB, we hear that it sounds just a bit fuzzier and a bit ‘darker’ than with the MC1.2+. So it’s really the combination of these two that completes the picture…. hmmm…. shoot… another box to be added.
Power supplies
The Mutec MC1.2+ allows you to use an external, 5V power supply. Mutec supplies a plug, so you can make a decent cable with some soldering. We made a simple adapter to get things working. Not optimal, but for a simple comparison, fine.
To be honest, the sound difference is pretty easy to hear. It’s not a world of difference, but it is consistent. We do estimate that it would take a very good power supply to realize a difference worthwhile.
What we hear with the Sbooster BOTW, is that it gets a little creamier and “slower. It’s nice, but we miss kick and energy. With a clean, standard switchmode power supply, it pulls to a bit fresher and faster presentation. Air comes back into the overall presentation. The internal power supply is certainly not bad, but as mentioned, a better result can be achieved with an external power supply. Unfortunately, we can’t take the Dodo, since it’s attached to the Jcat cards in the AlphaPC we use in this test.