Tweakers Delight

[zerung]

MP-D2 MK3 DELUXE from Musical Paradise.

https://www.musicalparadise.ca/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=61&product_id=97

USD 998 on website

Cheaper on Taobao

 

Released 2014.

MK3 2019

 

So if you are a tweaker, if you love Lampizator for that. Then this DAC is for you.

 

There not much in the western press on this. Unless for Headfi. 

Even in Amazon the user extolls its virtues and laments its lack of attention from the buying public.

https://www.amazon.com/Musical-Paradise-AK4490-BALANCED-384Khz/product-reviews/B01EK6S0DS

 

In Headfi, things are a bit faster and they arguably do experiment more there with cheaper gears & look for value? 

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/musical-paradise-m2-d2-ak4490-balanced-dac-reviews.802557/page-35

 

But for my, it it this buffet table of sonic possibilities with Caps, chips, clocks,  and most importantly the Tubes that piques my interest.

 

I am using my friends MP-D2 MK3, the stock has lovely mid and high. Pretty much what Pat puts down on his Amazon review. but the lows are a bit lacking.

Tube Rolling with KR 274B and Mazda ECC802S makes a big improvement and the road ahead is for one to explore, promising quite a bit.

The warning is that NOS tubes can be quite expensive and will silently add to the overall cost.....unless if you have stash of these hidden away - like me! If every thing can be resolved, via tube and parts rolling and possibly from software intervention.. this DAC could be valued at Tesla Share level.......Which reminds me that i need to tube roll Tesla Nos tubes too.....

 

 

 

 

[zerung]

The inside of the DAC.

The gripe is that the cover does not allow you to easily tube roll. You need to remove this every time you change the tube...

Yup. I love the Mazda ECC802S.

I do love the KR274B, but other NOS one should be interesting too..

I can imagine Musical Fidelity going MK4........ and letting us have haemorrhage on tubes.....

 

As a caveat. Please don't compare this to the ultrahigh end DAC. This is a value proposition and I am hazarding a guess that if you are able to get this to a point in time, this may be it?