Meitner MA-3 DAC

NightTiger said:
Yes and no )) As I know the LinQ native Roon-module unable to play Roon anymore, while HQP module can be managed by Roon.
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And HQP managed by ROON sounds noticeably better than ROON stand alone. BTW, Aqua recently introduced the new HQPlayer Core (Server) module for the LinQ? I must have missed that. Cost known yet?
 
the ma3 is here now for a month. burn in was long as mike has mentioned. since there was other changes in the system i lost track what is the dac and what not during that time. if i still had to describe the sound, i d call it fruity. ripe. i like it.
just a guess, if it had a more sophisticated ps, it could even be an outstanding dac.

the remote control is very very lovely. of all i ever had it is my favorite.
the frontplate of the unit is sandpolished in the highest possible quality with a silky feeling. i give it a 10/10.
unfortunately the volume knob has a different surface/feel and the color doesnt match the frontplate.
the knob....well, it is wobbling and the clicks are to cry for.
using the pre of the ma3 didnt work well in my case. sound felt somewhat collapsed. on top i had hum on it, a constant one that didnt react on volumesetting. the meitner people consulted to use xlr to the pre and to ground the unit. i didnt try that...used as a dac there is no hum even with rca and no grounding.
 
^ that is very good information to have... why these "quirks" aren't immediately noted by the Dealers representing them Ill never know. You literally have to buy it and be disappointed to know.
 
dznutz said:
^ that is very good information to have... why these "quirks" aren't immediately noted by the Dealers representing them Ill never know. You literally have to buy it and be disappointed to know.
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What quirks?
 
dznutz said:
Wobbly/clicky volume knob and “hum” when using the volume control function.
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Maybe it’s just his unit? The VC on the MA3 is excellent, not wobbly and there is no hum.

I think he may have a unit damaged in shipping.
 
unit is not damaged, the VC is made cheap. thats not a problem since everybody will use the remote control.
ma3 driving the audionet heisenberg direct with rca has hum. thats a fact of that very own constellation. other set ups may work well and again, i got recommended to use xlr and to try grounding.
by nature, one likes dac direct and one not.
dont get me wrong, i do like the ma3 and would buy it again as it is.
 
u-sound said:
unit is not damaged, the VC is made cheap. thats not a problem since everybody will use the remote control.
ma3 driving the audionet heisenberg direct with rca has hum. thats a fact of that very own constellation. other set ups may work well and again, i got recommended to use xlr and to try grounding.
by nature, one likes dac direct and one not.
dont get me wrong, i do like the ma3 and would buy it again as it is.
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I’m sitting in front of mine right now and it’s not “wobbly” or cheap. The VC is made of metal and not plastic. Here’s a video:

Meitner MA-3 Volume Control - YouTube


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coool, thx for the clip!!
yours seem to be a bit tighter, difficult to see. mine is not really wobbling around, but i would say it shifts a millimiter. certainly doesnt feel like the knobs of the ultra high end machines.
the clicks do not make a nice sound imho and if you turn the knob fast, it starts to scream.
even yours, i could hear that in the video (listening with my ma3, lol).
 
Mike,

Have you sold many of these? How does it stack up to your other offerings?
 
dznutz said:
Mike,

Have you sold many of these? How does it stack up to your other offerings?
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It’s currently flying under the radar. We use it almost exclusively in the front room, so it’s getting lots of exposure.
 
What exactly are you trying to compare? One is a SACD player that allows you to connect an external digital source... so your adding a third variable. The other is a digital streamer and Dac that wont play CD’s.
 
dznutz said:
What exactly are you trying to compare? One is a SACD player that allows you to connect an external digital source... so your adding a third variable. The other is a digital streamer and Dac that wont play CD’s.
Click to expand...


Sorry - let me be more explicit:
DAC to DAC when used in USB mode- assume the D08u has an excellent streamer such as a Lumin U1;
I am completely aware of the D08u's feature set; I do realize it is an SACD player; I understand that Mike has extensive experience with the D08u , as a Luxman dealer and knows the sonic performance characteristics of the D08u either in CD/SACD/ USB/Optical or other digital input modes; as well as filter setting options; Being an audio forum I was hoping Mike could weigh in on the subjective audio comparison between the D08u and the latest Meitner MA3; Both of these are digital to analog conversion devices and both of these can be engaged in USB mode; It is possible to compare the sonic qualities of such devices and coming from an expert such as Mike , his opinion carries significant weight.
Thank you;
 
dpac996 said:
Sorry - let me be more explicit:
DAC to DAC when used in USB mode- assume the D08u has an excellent streamer such as a Lumin U1;
I am completely aware of the D08u's feature set; I do realize it is an SACD player; I understand that Mike has extensive experience with the D08u , as a Luxman dealer and knows the sonic performance characteristics of the D08u either in CD/SACD/ USB/Optical or other digital input modes; as well as filter setting options; Being an audio forum I was hoping Mike could weigh in on the subjective audio comparison between the D08u and the latest Meitner MA3; Both of these are digital to analog conversion devices and both of these can be engaged in USB mode; It is possible to compare the sonic qualities of such devices and coming from an expert such as Mike , his opinion carries significant weight.
Thank you;
Click to expand...

Thank you. I consider the D-08u very very “vinyl like”/analog, even more so than the new D-10x, which is excellent in its own right and offers some advantages over the D-08u. However, the D-08u via USB didn’t shine as much as the D-08u with CD/SACD. Perhaps when the D-08u was first designed, some of the knowledge we have today with respect to USB wasn’t developed or as well know . Just look at the Taiko USB card setting a new benchmark today. But it was still an excellent analog like performer even from its USB port.

The MA3 is very good, smooth for a Meitner/EMM product, which tend to be more detailed and transparent and neutral. The MA3 is smooth, yet detailed. Will it fool you into thinking you’re listening to vinyl like the D-08u playing a CD/SACD? No. It is never the less enjoyable and never has bite. It’s also very capable as a Roon streamer, volume control, etc. as well.

The reality is that these two devices don’t compete in the same space, price wise nor function wise. One is relatively new and one is now discontinued to boot.

Which one would I buy? Neither. I would still pick the MSB Discrete at the $10k price point. NOTHING I’ve heard comes close. It even out analogs the D-08u (and that’s no small task).


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Mike said:
Thank you. I consider the D-08u very very “vinyl like”/analog, even more so than the new D-10x, which is excellent in its own right and offers some advantages over the D-08u. However, the D-08u via USB didn’t shine as much as the D-08u with CD/SACD. Perhaps when the D-08u was first designed, some of the knowledge we have today with respect to USB wasn’t developed or as well know . Just look at the Taiko USB card setting a new benchmark today. But it was still an excellent analog like performer even from its USB port.

The MA3 is very good, smooth for a Meitner/EMM product, which tend to be more detailed and transparent and neutral. The MA3 is smooth, yet detailed. Will it fool you into thinking youÂ’re listening to vinyl like the D-08u playing a CD/SACD? No. It is never the less enjoyable and never has bite. ItÂ’s also very capable as a Roon streamer, volume control, etc. as well.

The reality is that these two devices donÂ’t compete in the same space, price wise nor function wise. One is relatively new and one is now discontinued to boot.

Which one would I buy? Neither. I would still pick the MSB Discrete at the $10k price point. NOTHING IÂ’ve heard comes close. It even out analogs the D-08u (and thatÂ’s no small task).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Click to expand...


Thank you Mike, for your time and thoughtful response; It's super interesting that in the rarified air of $ dacs (and the like) that each manufacturer's solution has unique attributes- one is a tad more crystalline, one may be imbued with a bit more analog warmth, and another with tube-like lucidity, on and on; Supporting equipment: preamps, cables, amps, speakers, acoustics can be assembled to fully exploit (or diminish) the native characteristics of the source.
Our individual goal for what moves us (musically) drives the cycles of upgrades and tweaks getting things "just so"; Like many of you I've been at this for a long, long time, and while sometimes a frustrating discovery, I would not change a thing; Sorry for the sideways musings;
About 2 years ago I had the Meitner MA1 V1 (I performed the upgrade to the V2 myself); I was amazed with the DAC on DSD; It was so clear, open, and dynamic; It was very capable on other formats as well; All that said I feel like the DAC was bit forward and lean for my goals, and eventually moved on; I tried a bunch of DACs since then, including an MSB Discrete (with dual supplies), Chord TT2/Mscaler, PS Audio DSD (bridge II was a disaster- the dac itself is wonderful), Exogal Comet, Bricasti M3, and finally Luxman D08u;
For servers, Innuos Zenith MkIII, Aurender N10 class of "stuff"; While I do love the Roon user interface, I have been extremely frustrated by the frequent software updates, various Roon hiccups, and changing audio quality- I've experienced frustrating losses in fidelity- sound begins to dull and become flat;
Hardware re-starts, network upgrades, cables, audiophile switches, on and on have helped but the problems still surface with network/streaming and Roon; I have consistently found best audio performance with native apps, such as Lumin's, Aurender, or in the case of the Bricasti M3, the extremely simple MConnect; Roon of course tramples them all in terms of user experience and music discovery; Much of this frustration (various network gremlins, Roon sonic degradation), led to the eventual purchase of the D08u; I have a boat load of SACD's and CD's for absolute best playback performance (within the confines of my system), and the Lumin U1 mini seems to do a very fine job of keeping the Roon/ streaming Qobuz side smooth and a pleasant experience.
All this is well and good but, as you have said, with the advances in USB and such, i'm curious if the MA3 would be higher performance and overall smooth user experience with Roon (I could always grab a transport for cd playback); Supporting audio gear: Harbeth SHL5+XD, Luxman 509X;
Thanks for your time;
 
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