GoodSoundClub - Romy the Cat's Audio Site - Musical Fidelity's V-LINK, USB To SPDIF Converter

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Topic: Musical Fidelity's V-LINK, USB To SPDIF Converter

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Posted by David on 06-11-2011

Just got a Musical Fidelity V Link Asyncronus USB to Spif. This unit cuts out the sound card completely and is producing some stunning sounds from my 4 way active system. One of the best upgrades value for money wise for a long time. From my sound card I favoured the coax Spif output with this unit in line it’s the optical output that is producing some stunning sounds.
Anyone else using this unit?
I still find ripping CDs at max resolution to the hard drive produces a better playback than direct from the CD?

Posted by Romy the Cat on 06-11-2011

I read a good feedback about it at Amazon, that all that I know about it.

http://www.amazon.com/Musical-Fidelity-V-LINK-SPDIF-Converter/dp/B004PH03GU

So, what you do, you play your PC CDR to the V-LINK’s own driver and then feed an external DAC? As I understand you find this result more preferable then to p-lay the CD on CD transport and out it to the same DAC via SPDIF. Does it mean that Musical Fidelity’s V-LINK has better driver and SPDIF Converter then you transport or it means the your transport? Possible. My main concern is that you find your PC CDR more preferable then you CD transport? (BTW, what is your CD transport?) . It never was my experience and my CD transport much more preferable by me then any PC CD-ROMs that I traded. When you say “ripping CDs at max resolution” what resolution are you talking about? CD has 16 bit, there is no “max resolution”, it is what it is and if you do rate conversion to 24 then you just add 8 empty bits. Also, when you say “produces a better playback”, might I ask you what specific employment you observe?

Posted by David on 06-11-2011

Keep in mind that CD players are an electro mechanical interface with all the possibilities of jitter etc coming into play. Streaming audio via the V link bypasses most of the nasties and is certainly a much cleaner sound than via the sound card.
I sited this as a cost affective way of getting quality sound out of a PC . It may well be that a dedicated CD player costing vast amounts of money will sound as good or better, I use a laptop and was talking about PC based sound. Of course the is a max resolution when people talk about FLAC and MP3 files.. What specific employment do you observe? Not sure what your question means here I don’t go much for listing my gear as though its some method of reassuring the HIFI gurus that only they know what’s best. MY ears, the differences are so vast I don’t employ test gear. Something that measures perfect can sound crap.

You do come across as hostile this is suppose to be pleasure.

Posted by Romy the Cat on 06-11-2011

David, I am not sure what your reply was all about and I am not sure where you saw hostility. You report that one way produces better result then other. I asked to elaborate what this “better” is in your observation and you went into talking about measuring and Hi-Fi gurus. Then all this talk about max resolution FLAC and MP3 files… So, as I understand you, were ripping CD from your laptop sound card and then you begin to use V-LINK interface. You feel that it is “better” but you can’t explain what “better” is. In the end you report that V-LINK is preferable that CD-ROM and sound card (no name by you brand and driver type) of your laptop. You are so excited that you feel a need to share with somebody. I think it is great; I really appreciate your time and faith that it gives a lot of pleasure to others. Ironically it says absolutely nothing about V-link devise but rather about methodological superficiality of your report. Saying it I would like to note that it is not my demonstration of hostility but rather my endorsement for you to become a professional audio reviewer.

Posted by KLegind on 06-13-2011

Many persons I have come across on the web propose that PC based playback of ripped CDs is vastly superior to regular CD playback. Often this happens in discussions of "vinyl vs. cd". (Potentially fruitful discussion but...) However, I have never heard this superiority demonstrated live. The few comparisons I have attended only proved that PC ripped CD playback sounded flat, dull and devoid of tone (please keep in mind that this was relative to the CDP). Certainly our judgement was coloured by the high expectations for the ripped medium, but this only goes to show that at least PC playback failed to prove conclusively better. I would like to hear a balls to the walls all out assault on the PC based topology though. I would hope it sounds 'better' rather than just 'different'.

Kris

Posted by Romy the Cat on 06-13-2011

I never was able to rip CD that sound more or less acceptable and all reposts out that that insisted that they did I found were not credible. It is like the guy above who report that his V-LINK unit sounds better then his laptop. I very much presume that he is correct but I hop no one would use the laptop CD-ROM, motherboard sound cared and windows mixer as a reference of “how CD shall be played”

Posted by joaco on 06-13-2011

David wrote:

Just got a Musical Fidelity V Link Asyncronus USB to Spif. This unit cuts out the sound card completely and is producing some stunning sounds from my 4 way active system. One of the best upgrades value for money wise for a long time. From my sound card I favoured the coax Spif output with this unit in line it’s the optical output that is producing some stunning sounds.
Anyone else using this unit?
I still find ripping CDs at max resolution to the hard drive produces a better playback than direct from the CD?

Some time ago I use the m2tech EVO , the new USB to multiple digital outputs from italy . At first impression was very good . But little by little I discover it took away all the things that I consider importants on my setup . I did get a more "perfect sound" but far away from what I wanted , I was not aware that this kind of device can took away the feeling of "real music" . I use it 3 months and sold it . At the end I could not stand the coloration that was giving . I do not know but for me the feeling of having real instruments was far away more important , plus all my equipment is towards that philosophy , so a little device that sounded "very good" at the beginning but kick away the noble characteristics of my setup ... was like dating a real pretty girl but being able to stand her words only the first few nights... I hope its different for you .
I guess those differences on sound compared to my mac were mainly because of the clock inside the EVO and the computer , Id like to see a real good clock that could make the job but without leaving that "metallic taste" that the EVO did . I guess it depends on how transparent is your setup also .

Posted by David on 06-16-2011

I think for a start there are so many different ways of getting a sound that is acceptable to the listener it pays not to be too dogmatic.
I am in the early days of developing my system with speakers from 4 different manufacturers running in active analogue mode. I started trying to sort out the sound I wanted with what I considered to be the weakest link, the electromechanical transducer which properly produces more measurable distortion than most other components? Room acoustics also play a massive role in how things sound. I am in the process of trying to get the best input but as with most people money is limited.
There are times when one has to accept that the elimination of a component in the chain is most times going to result in a cleaner sound hence the Musical Fidelity V Link Asyncronus USB . Even the same unit in a different system will sound different we don’t all have the same mains supply, connecting cables, DACs, Amplification, with active or passive systems.
Hence with my system bypassing the sound card with a Musical Fidelity V Link Asyncronus USB produced a much more dynamic clean sound with really clean production through the range. My sound card is only a cheap one. My DAC is also in need of an upgrade any suggestions would be welcome.

Posted by Romy the Cat on 06-16-2011

David wrote:
I think for a start there are so many different ways of getting a sound that is acceptable to the listener it pays not to be too dogmatic.
I am in the early days of developing my system with speakers from 4 different manufacturers running in active analogue mode. I started trying to sort out the sound I wanted with what I considered to be the weakest link, the electromechanical transducer which properly produces more measurable distortion than most other components? Room acoustics also play a massive role in how things sound. I am in the process of trying to get the best input but as with most people money is limited.
There are times when one has to accept that the elimination of a component in the chain is most times going to result in a cleaner sound hence the Musical Fidelity V Link Asyncronus USB . Even the same unit in a different system will sound different we don’t all have the same mains supply, connecting cables, DACs, Amplification, with active or passive systems.
Hence with my system bypassing the sound card with a Musical Fidelity V Link Asyncronus USB produced a much more dynamic clean sound with really clean production through the range. My sound card is only a cheap one. My DAC is also in need of an upgrade any suggestions would be welcome.

Generally if you are planning to update DAC then it would make sense to get rid of your beloved Musical Fidelity V Link Asyncronus USB. Your software the plays files on your PC and output stream to USB post does not use the PC internal clock. Instead it read the clock that is sitting in the V-Link unit. If you so like the USB out to bypass your reportedly bad soundcard then get a DAC with USB input. (most of the current DACs have it nowadays). This way you will have the clock that run audio part of your PC will be the same clock that does the D/A conversion.

The Cat

Posted by David on 06-17-2011

Thanks for that most helpful but the V-Link was just a cheap try out and has proved its worth.

I’m also interested in your CD transport which one is it and your DAC?

Thanks

Posted by joaco on 06-18-2011

OT :
David , it does not matter which DAC or component one is using in the way if I use the same DAC I will end up having a different result . It all depends on your whole implementation you cannot just buy the same component and expect same results . I do not know if you mean this by your last post . But my experience is that if one is able to itegrate a special system , no matter how or how expensive will be interesting . You see , high end audio is just like finding a perfect suit , you have to build one exactly for you .
-------
we are having wind storms in chile .

Posted by David on 06-18-2011

Thanks Joaco feedback is important all one can do is to research and find the best unit for ones budget. It is very difficult to do comparisons so this is where sites such as this are useful. Im going to try and find a dealer who can let me try the Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2 seems to have the qualities I need for my system. Still cannot get "The Cat" to tell me what he is using.

I grow plants from Chile Embothrium coccineum Lanceolatum (The Chilian Fire Tree)

Posted by David on 06-18-2011
fiogf49gjkf0d Now I can see where you are coming from Cat your research is better than mine. http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/415361/24bit-vs-16bit-the-myth-exploded

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