Musical Fidelity X10-D
Martin van den Berge
Hello,
Anybody out there using the Musical Fidelity X10-D? If so I'm really
curious about your experiences. Like, what kind of CD-player are you
using it with and which cables are you using.
I'm using the X10-D with a Denon DCD800, and I can't live another day
without it. As you can read in another message I'm looking for a new
CD-player, so that's also the reason why I'm looking forward to
reading other peoples experience with this genious piece of equipment.
And again bad experiences are welcome as well!!
Bye,
Martin van den Berge
mvdb...@pi.net
John Marks
John Marks says:
There is an add-on CD box coming that is even better, I have heard a
prototype. And I am the guy who first raved about the Margulies box
in Stereophile, May 1996. I have heard the X10-D, at a Stereophile
writer's house.
Thorens makes a gorgeous-sounding CD player, BTW.
I have no connection with any of these companies.
As soon as the new box is ready to come out, I will let everyone know.
In the meantime, what have peoples' experiences been with DTS audio
playback?
Regards,
--
John Marks
John Marks Records - We make gorgeous classical-music and jazz CDs
[rest of .sig deleted -- moderator bt]
Gary Leonard Koh
Martin van den Berge wrote:
> CD-player, so that's also the reason why I'm looking forward to
> reading other peoples experience with this genious piece of equipment.
> And again bad experiences are welcome as well!!
No bad experience but a great one. I use it with a Marantz CD63
Special Edition. The greatest benefit for me is a wider, more focussed
soundstage. Context of the system is Jolida SJ202 Vacuum Tube amp,
Mordaunt Short MS40 speakers.
Return to Forever
>I'm using the X10-D with a Denon DCD800, and I can't live another day
>without it. As you can read in another message I'm looking for a new
>CD-player, so that's also the reason why I'm looking forward to
>reading other peoples experience with this genious piece of equipment.
>And again bad experiences are welcome as well!!
I'm not using this device, but do have a question.
I have a Rotel 965BX CD player, going into a Sonic Frontiers SFL-1
pre-amp, then a Sumo Andro III amp, and finally through the VR-4's.
Will the tube qualities of the SFL-1 provide the same benefit as the
X10-D, or will this device further improve my system? In what way?
Martin van den Berge
Return to Forever wrote:
> I have a Rotel 965BX CD player, going into a Sonic Frontiers
> SFL-1 pre-amp, then a Sumo Andro III amp, and finally through
> the VR-4's. Will the tube qualities of the SFL-1 provide the
> same benefit as the X10-D, or will this device further improve
> my system? In what way?
The only right answer I can give you is that you should try it. If it
works as good as it works for me the results will speak for it self.
I'm no technical expert but I'll try to explain what the device
does. The X10-D plugs between your CD player and preamp or receiver
and dramatically improves the CD player's output--and sound--through a
pure Class A analog stage featuring two 6922 vacuum tubes. The output
stage of your cd player can be exposed to excessive demands of your
amps. And here's where the X10-D comes in. It will try to keep the
strain on the output stage as low and as continous as possible
resulting in greater dynamics and bass extension. Best improvements
are to be expected with cd-players priced till $2000. Next friday I'll
be auditioning the X10-D with a Rotel 980 and a Teac VRDS-10, I'll
keep you posted about my experiences.
Regards,
Martin
X-10D Specifications: Input impedance: 470K ohm. Output impedance:
less than 200 ohm. THD: less than 0.005% 10-100 kHz. Frequency
response: +/- 0.2 dB 10-100 kHz. Crosstalk: less than -90 dB. Noise:
less than -98 dB. Tubes: 2 x ECC88 (6922). Made in England. Price:
$250 + an extra pair of interconnects
Peter_Heinemann
I am using one with a Nakamichi OMS1A CD player; definite change for
the better. "warmer" sound to my ears; my non-audiophile wife felt it
added depth.
When I ordered it January I asked if Audio Advisor (sole distributor
in the US) if any had been returned (30 satisfaction policy); he said
a few, from owners of higher end CD units who had not noticed a
difference.
--
The opinions expressed in this communication are my own,
and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.
Eric Rulifson
Martin van den Berge wrote:
> Anybody out there using the Musical Fidelity X10-D? If so I'm really
> curious about your experiences. Like, what kind of CD-player are you
> using it with and which cables are you using.
> I'm using the X10-D with a Denon DCD800, and I can't live another day
> without it. As you can read in another message I'm looking for a new
> CD-player, so that's also the reason why I'm looking forward to
> reading other peoples experience with this genious piece of equipment.
> And again bad experiences are welcome as well!!
I am using a Audio Alchemy DDS3 CD player and X10-D upstream of a Naim
62/Hi-cap/110 driving Totem model 1's. The Naim preamps are said to
have line input impedance of 100 ohms, which is at least ten fold
lower than the AA's output impedance. The DDS3 is very balanced
tonally and does a good job of bringing out the mix, only it's
soundstage is flat as a pancake going through the Naim gear and it
gets a bit brittle and washes out on dynamic passages. I figured that
these deficits were symptomatic of impedance mismatch so I gave the
X10-D a try. At first I used it with the Tara Labs Prism22
interconnects recommended by Audio Advisor. Big mistake. I was ready
to return the thing. I then tried it using Naim interconnect which is
very low impedance/inductance cable. What an improvement! In my system
this X10-D definitely lives up to its promise of better dynamics and
soundstage. I am blown away by the sweetness and musicality coming out
of this system now. As far as cables go, anything that is supposed to
smooth highs will sound more muffled going through the X10-D. But low
impedance/inductance cable can make it sound great (e.g. XLO-1,
Kimber, etc..). But even homemade interconnects like 4-conductor fine
gauge shielded audio cable from Radio Shack with gold-plate RCAs
soldered on can bring the music out with this thing. I am now curious
to know if people are trying the power supply up-grade for the Musical
Fidelity soup can series components and getting good results.
Julius Moshinsky
Eric Rulifson wrote:
>
> Martin van den Berge wrote:
>
> > Anybody out there using the Musical Fidelity X10-D? If so I'm really
> > curious about your experiences. Like, what kind of CD-player are you
> > using it with and which cables are you using.
>
**I got one when Audio Advisor first listed them. The sound was
improved, but I was a bit disappointed, had expected perhaps more
liquidity and pseudo-depth. My transport was then a Theta Data Basic
I (since updated to II), Audio Alchemy active digital cables, DTI
Pro-32 (now with the second chip upgrade), and Creek DAC-60 DAC (old
now, but still pleasant--I haven't compared it to more modern units).
Analog interconnects are Cardas Cross.
Then I read about the Zman Audio Signal Enhancer. Got one, figured I
could sell the X10D. The Zman is somewhat better, darker, more
liquid. As an experiment I reintroduced the X10D in the signal path
just before the power amps. The sound improvement was dramatic.
Definitely erring towards liquid, plushy, but I loved it. The Basic
II upgrade added clarity and depth, lower distortion from top to
bottom.
Subsequently, placing the transport and DAC on Black Diamond Racing
Cones on Qart graphic blocks (in a Target rack--I'm going to try the
1/4" plate glass suggestion, I definitely cannot afford the Black
Diamond shelves--anyone try to fabricate carbon fiber shelves from
layers of fabric glued together?) brought back the clarity, and
mediocre to bad recordings don't sound as good as they did, but good
recordings sound better.
Yes, I know, too much stuff in the signal path. But this isn't LP's,
it's CD's. There's not a lot there, it needs to be massaged.
JeeChung
I got one of these cans to use between, take a deep breath, my passive
preamp and my power amp. I won't mention what brand of passive preamp
I use, but what's important is that they tend to need proper impedance
matching.
I was getting excellent transparency and imaging from my passive
preamp, but the relatively low input impedance on my power amp robbed
away some of the dynamics and bass output. Thinking that $200 could
be wasted in worse ways than on a can with vacuum tubes inside, I
order one. It took no less than a whole week to break in.
From the beginning, I feared that this tubular component could reduce
the transparency of my system somewhat. It did. But very, very
little bit. So little (after break-in) that what it adds more than
compensates for the slightly reduced transparency. It adds dynamics,
more bass, wider sound stage, more body, smoother highs. Lots of good
things.
The best $200 I spent on my system.
P.S. Some people expressed disappointment with X-10D when used with
the Tara labs cable that AA recommened. I had a friend who got an
X-10D to use with his Marantz CD63SE CD player and complained of
reduced transparency although he liked the added dynamics and bass. I
talked him into trying a pair of Kimber PBJ's and he was converted
overnight from a "cables don't make any difference" person to "wow!
what have I been missing?" person.
Oh, I also got the X-PSU external power supply. I am not sure if I
hear much difference, but with certain program material, the bass is a
bit more solid.
alan4g...@gmail.com
> Hello,
> Anybody out there using the Musical Fidelity X10-D? If so I'm really
> curious about your experiences. Like, what kind of CD-player are you
> using it with and which cables are you using.
>
> without it. As you can read in another message I'm looking for a new
> CD-player, so that's also the reason why I'm looking forward to
> reading other peoples experience with this genious piece of equipment.
> And again bad experiences are welcome as well!!
>
alfr...@gmail.com
Trevor Wilson
--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au
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Peter Wieck
>
> **Lipstick on a pig. The X-10D is a con-job.
Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA
Trevor Wilson
> On Monday, February 25, 2019 at 6:18:47 PM UTC-5, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>
>>
>> **Lipstick on a pig. The X-10D is a con-job.
>
> You are being far to kind!
>
a solution for a non-existent problem. Like most MF products, the
engineering qualities were seriously deficient. That said, MF are not
alone in this area. I recently worked on a Moon product and was
horrified at the poor attention paid by the assembler to thermal
coupling. Mind you, some MF products are far worse in this area.