X-CANV8P, now vs a modified X-CANS
May 3, 2009 16:09:16 GMT
Post by idc on May 3, 2009 16:09:16 GMT
I got my V8P about a week ago. It came courtesy of Musical Fidelity after I had sent my V2 to Mike for modification and he had found it had the X-CANS innards!
It already has a good 50 hours of use under its' belt, so I thought I would start a thread reviewing its' sound in comparison to the original X-CANS, and then after it has been modded.
I use an ipod classic as the source with primarily Apple Lossless files. The ipod is plugged in with a Russ Andrews GQ-24 cable which bypasses the volume in the ipod. Since the V8P has a DAC I now have a subscription to Spotify and plug the laptop into the amp via USB. I like it simple and cheap! My Headphones are Grado SR80s.
Out of the box the V8P is a step up build in terms of quality, but a step back in looks. I love the round X-Cans. The square X-Cans are better looking in the flesh, but lack a bit of character. Though as for build quality square wins by a mile. The huge volume knob is a joy compared to the little plastic one. The action is smooth, the range of use much bigger and the silver beveled edge glints nicely. Headphones click into place and there is no movement. The phonos at the back fit perfectly, rather than cables having to be shoved on. The delicate switch to change between USB and line is neat.
Musical Fidelity make a big point of emphasizing the V8Ps potential to be used as a preamp. But there is no mention of the DAC. Only the type B USB at the back reveals its' presence.
Initially there is not a huge difference between the two amps. The overall sound between the unmodified X-CANS and the V8P is similar. Both have the MF characteristics of a full, high clarity midrange, smooth sound and rounded bass. I quote from an e-mail I received from Antony Michaelson 'Just a few listening notes on the V8P compared to the V2 (sic, should be X-CANS!). Because the V8P has no effective voltage or current limit it will never clip into any headphone and always remain completely linier. This has a counter intuitive effect of possibly making it sound less "exciting" or "rhythmic". Its just that unlike any other headphone amp it doesn’t limit. Most audiophiles are so used to the sudden peaks of distortion caused by limiting and clipping that they think that that is a hi-fi sound. Little could be further from the truth.'
I have various tester tracks that I have been using for years to audition new kit and I know them intimately. Most noticeably the V8P has more detail and a larger sound stage over the X-CANS. Massive Attack's track Angel starts with a simple heavy bass and deep 'click' to a background of metallic bowed sounds. The bass has distorted on every system I have heard it on, with the exception of the Bose Sounddock. It distorted on the V8P, but not as badly as on the X-CANS. At about 20 seconds into the track there is a very brief 'whine' noise. On the X-CANS it is not there, but on the V8P is was very clear. Pink Floyd's Summer '68 track sounded very clear, very musical and the different instruments very easy to follow.
Next was the increased sound stage. Summer '68's stereo effects were far more noticeable than before. Gomez's Whippin' Picidilly at one point was going around my head. All of the music I listened to sounded partially outside my head and in the headphones, not just at the back of my head and behind me.
Moving onto the poorly recorded music I also use to audition kit; New Order's Regret still rocks along, and the high hat cymbals still sound like a tambourine. However, it was clearer and more musical than before. The same was the case with Ash's track Oh Yeah. It rocks along, is still a bit of a mess, but the clarity of the bass improved.
With each listen I am hearing more than before. After a while I realised that what I was actually doing was listening more to the music. I was not really listening to the amp at all. I had not really understood what a 'neutral' sound is until that point. The V8P is a very neutral amp.
Moving onto the DAC. Until I can sort out the hard drive with the music files, the laptop, all the cables and enough sockets to plug it all into, I will not be listening to the lossless files straight off the PC for a while. Instead I have a subscription to Spotify. This is equivalent to 265kbps files. With the exception of Pink Floyd, all the tester tracks are on Spotify. I went through each track and the DAC is not as good as the line in on the V8P, but it is not far off the sound of the X-CANS. That is with clarity, detail and soundstage. The main difference is a lack of bass weight. All the bass sound is there, but there is very little oomph to it. I still find it to be very musical, but I would like more bass weight. Eventually I will have access to my lossless files and can hook up a DAC such as the V-DAC to the amp. So it is not really fair to compare the DAC and the line on the V8P too critically.
So overall, the MF trademark sound is still there and the V8P is better using the line, as it should be, but the 'get you started DAC' (Antony Michaelson's words) is a surprise and its' sound is not far off the X-CANS.
(Note to Mike - the crackle noise that I was occasionally hearing that caused me to send the X-CAN to you, it went away, but has re-appeared! After all my trials it must be the headphones! Well they are 7 years old with thousands of hours under them. I have asked for money for my next birthday to get a new pair.)
Edit - I should also mention the stock PSU that comes with the V8P. It is far better quality than the one which came with the X-CANS. It is vented and does not get as hot, the cable is far more substantial and the DIN fits perfectly. It will, of course be upgraded to a Little Pinky!
It already has a good 50 hours of use under its' belt, so I thought I would start a thread reviewing its' sound in comparison to the original X-CANS, and then after it has been modded.
I use an ipod classic as the source with primarily Apple Lossless files. The ipod is plugged in with a Russ Andrews GQ-24 cable which bypasses the volume in the ipod. Since the V8P has a DAC I now have a subscription to Spotify and plug the laptop into the amp via USB. I like it simple and cheap! My Headphones are Grado SR80s.
Out of the box the V8P is a step up build in terms of quality, but a step back in looks. I love the round X-Cans. The square X-Cans are better looking in the flesh, but lack a bit of character. Though as for build quality square wins by a mile. The huge volume knob is a joy compared to the little plastic one. The action is smooth, the range of use much bigger and the silver beveled edge glints nicely. Headphones click into place and there is no movement. The phonos at the back fit perfectly, rather than cables having to be shoved on. The delicate switch to change between USB and line is neat.
Musical Fidelity make a big point of emphasizing the V8Ps potential to be used as a preamp. But there is no mention of the DAC. Only the type B USB at the back reveals its' presence.
Initially there is not a huge difference between the two amps. The overall sound between the unmodified X-CANS and the V8P is similar. Both have the MF characteristics of a full, high clarity midrange, smooth sound and rounded bass. I quote from an e-mail I received from Antony Michaelson 'Just a few listening notes on the V8P compared to the V2 (sic, should be X-CANS!). Because the V8P has no effective voltage or current limit it will never clip into any headphone and always remain completely linier. This has a counter intuitive effect of possibly making it sound less "exciting" or "rhythmic". Its just that unlike any other headphone amp it doesn’t limit. Most audiophiles are so used to the sudden peaks of distortion caused by limiting and clipping that they think that that is a hi-fi sound. Little could be further from the truth.'
I have various tester tracks that I have been using for years to audition new kit and I know them intimately. Most noticeably the V8P has more detail and a larger sound stage over the X-CANS. Massive Attack's track Angel starts with a simple heavy bass and deep 'click' to a background of metallic bowed sounds. The bass has distorted on every system I have heard it on, with the exception of the Bose Sounddock. It distorted on the V8P, but not as badly as on the X-CANS. At about 20 seconds into the track there is a very brief 'whine' noise. On the X-CANS it is not there, but on the V8P is was very clear. Pink Floyd's Summer '68 track sounded very clear, very musical and the different instruments very easy to follow.
Next was the increased sound stage. Summer '68's stereo effects were far more noticeable than before. Gomez's Whippin' Picidilly at one point was going around my head. All of the music I listened to sounded partially outside my head and in the headphones, not just at the back of my head and behind me.
Moving onto the poorly recorded music I also use to audition kit; New Order's Regret still rocks along, and the high hat cymbals still sound like a tambourine. However, it was clearer and more musical than before. The same was the case with Ash's track Oh Yeah. It rocks along, is still a bit of a mess, but the clarity of the bass improved.
With each listen I am hearing more than before. After a while I realised that what I was actually doing was listening more to the music. I was not really listening to the amp at all. I had not really understood what a 'neutral' sound is until that point. The V8P is a very neutral amp.
Moving onto the DAC. Until I can sort out the hard drive with the music files, the laptop, all the cables and enough sockets to plug it all into, I will not be listening to the lossless files straight off the PC for a while. Instead I have a subscription to Spotify. This is equivalent to 265kbps files. With the exception of Pink Floyd, all the tester tracks are on Spotify. I went through each track and the DAC is not as good as the line in on the V8P, but it is not far off the sound of the X-CANS. That is with clarity, detail and soundstage. The main difference is a lack of bass weight. All the bass sound is there, but there is very little oomph to it. I still find it to be very musical, but I would like more bass weight. Eventually I will have access to my lossless files and can hook up a DAC such as the V-DAC to the amp. So it is not really fair to compare the DAC and the line on the V8P too critically.
So overall, the MF trademark sound is still there and the V8P is better using the line, as it should be, but the 'get you started DAC' (Antony Michaelson's words) is a surprise and its' sound is not far off the X-CANS.
(Note to Mike - the crackle noise that I was occasionally hearing that caused me to send the X-CAN to you, it went away, but has re-appeared! After all my trials it must be the headphones! Well they are 7 years old with thousands of hours under them. I have asked for money for my next birthday to get a new pair.)
Edit - I should also mention the stock PSU that comes with the V8P. It is far better quality than the one which came with the X-CANS. It is vented and does not get as hot, the cable is far more substantial and the DIN fits perfectly. It will, of course be upgraded to a Little Pinky!
The next obvious step would be to mod the V8 and then compare modded V8 to modded V1 
