Musical Paradise MP-DX DAC

[douxreveur131]

Hello.

 

True to the brand's philosophy. Year after year, Gary Huang continues to refine the devices he presents under the Musical Paradise brand.

 

The goal is to offer the best possible musical performance on a limited budget. Musical Paradise is a Canadian brand, but manufacturing and shipping take place in China, for obvious cost reasons.

 

Here's what Gary says in his preamble:

 

"The MP-DX DAC is the successor to the MP-D2 DAC. We've spent many years rethinking the circuitry and fine-tuning the MP-DX to take it to the next level. The MP-DX offers you the most musical, analog sound with a wide soundstage.

 

This is the main board of the previous (excellent) model, the MP-D2 Mk3 deluxe :

 

 

And here's the new MP-DX :

 

 

 

At the time of ordering, we are offered a choice of ES9068AS or ES9039MSPRO chips (two conversion chips are used here, not just one), analog output stage capacitors, preset clocks and audio tubes (this DAC accepts a large number of different tubes). 

You can also choose whether or not to equip this DAC with a USB card, or even whether or not to equip it with a Raspberry.

 

One of the unique features of this DAC is that users can change the output capacitors very easily, without soldering. I chose two 2.2 uF Miflex CPCU copper capacitors (they're huge!!). (And it's no longer possible to close the DAC case, which is no problem for me) + Duelund JDM 600 v 0.01 uF bypass capacitors The tubes are E-6SN7 Linlai Elite  with 6922 adapters.

 

 

 I also added a Synergistic Research Purple fuse and made a power cable sold by the meter ELECAUDIO CS-361B Câble Secteur OCC PTFE (Audiophonics - France). After a long running-in period of 250 hours (Linlai tubes require a very long running-in period of 250 hours and Miflex capacitors give the best results after 500 hours), the listening results are just breathtaking! Note that two capacitors and two tubes are enough for unbalanced RCA use, whereas four are needed for XLR connections.
 

There are videos on the already excellent old model :

 

 

 

The Musical paradise DAC is not the main focus here. This is a comparison between the Denafrips Pontus II, Venus II and Gustard R26 DACs. But at the end of the test, Loic from Hifi-cave, after listening to the winner of their test, the Denafrips Venus II, plugged in his Musical Paraise DAC (see at 6:11) and recorded his friend's reaction.

 

No comment ! 

 

 

Take good care of yourself and enjoy the music.

 

Sincerely from France,

 

 

 

Cordialement de France.

 

 

Edited April 15 by douxreveur131

[muon*]

So SS instead of tube rectification in the new one.

 

Edit: definitely looks like more has gone into the digital input side for things.

Edited April 15 by muon*

[douxreveur131]

10 minutes ago, muon* said:

So SS instead of tube rectification in the new one.

 

The answer is yes. 

 

I had discussed this point with Garry by email. 

 

He explained to me that, short of very expensive NOS rectifier tubes costing over $300, listening has demonstrated the superiority of the solid-state diode solution, in his new DAC. 

Both solutions have their advantages and disadvantages. Rectifier tubes in general provide greater smoothness, while semiconductor diodes offer greater silence and dynamics.

 

[ray4410]

3 hours ago, douxreveur131 said:

Hello.

 

True to the brand's philosophy. Year after year, Gary Huang continues to refine the devices he presents under the Musical Paradise brand.

 

The goal is to offer the best possible musical performance on a limited budget. Musical Paradise is a Canadian brand, but manufacturing and shipping take place in China, for obvious cost reasons.

 

Here's what Gary says in his preamble:

 

"The MP-DX DAC is the successor to the MP-D2 DAC. We've spent many years rethinking the circuitry and fine-tuning the MP-DX to take it to the next level. The MP-DX offers you the most musical, analog sound with a wide soundstage.

 

This is the main board of the previous (excellent) model, the MP-D2 Mk3 deluxe :

 

 

And here's the new MP-DX :

 

 

 

At the time of ordering, we are offered a choice of ES9068AS or ES9039MSPRO chips (two conversion chips are used here, not just one), analog output stage capacitors, preset clocks and audio tubes (this DAC accepts a large number of different tubes). 

You can also choose whether or not to equip this DAC with a USB card, or even whether or not to equip it with a Raspberry.

 

One of the unique features of this DAC is that users can change the output capacitors very easily, without soldering. I chose two 2.2 uF Miflex CPCU copper capacitors (they're huge!!). (And it's no longer possible to close the DAC case, which is no problem for me) + Duelund JDM 600 v 0.01 uF bypass capacitors The tubes are E-6SN7 Linlai Elite  with 6922 adapters.

 

 

 I also added a Synergistic Research Purple fuse and made a power cable sold by the meter ELECAUDIO CS-361B Câble Secteur OCC PTFE (Audiophonics - France). After a long running-in period of 250 hours (Linlai tubes require a very long running-in period of 250 hours and Miflex capacitors give the best results after 500 hours), the listening results are just breathtaking! Note that two capacitors and two tubes are enough for unbalanced RCA use, whereas four are needed for XLR connections.
 

There are videos on the already excellent old model :

 

 

 

The Musical paradise DAC is not the main focus here. This is a comparison between the Denafrips Pontus II, Venus II and Gustard R26 DACs. But at the end of the test, Loic from Hifi-cave, after listening to the winner of their test, the Denafrips Venus II, plugged in his Musical Paraise DAC (see at 6:11) and recorded his friend's reaction.

 

No comment ! 

 

 

Take good care of yourself and enjoy the music.

 

Sincerely from France,

 

 

 

Cordialement de France.

 

 

this guy should not drink,the whole review is a joke,

[MrBurns84]

3 hours ago, muon* said:

So SS instead of tube rectification in the new one.

 

Edit: definitely looks like more has gone into the digital input side for things.

Yep! I think the new MPDX dac is targeted to a consumer who just wants an all in 1 source with tube output and digital vol control. There's space for an RPi4 module to act as a streamer.   As i have the older deluxe model that uses tube rectification, i see little benefit upgrading IMO, unless I want to use the newer ESS dacs, which is a moot upgrade for me as I prefer the AKM modules over ESS.  I never liked the USB xmos module on the Deluxe model and removed it from the board and noticed a bit better noise floor from the dac without it.   This effectively neutered its capability to playback DSD but again, not a biggie for me as i only have PCM files anyway.  Another thing i noticed is that the toggle switch at the back is now used for Balance/Unbalanced switching where else on the Deluxe its a gain switch for better compatibility with medium gain tubes like the 6H6Ns.

 

Good to see the Amanero USB board used with the newer dac though and there's more space to put in those huge Miflex/Duelund 2.2uf caps on board.  Biggest i could fit on the deluxe was a 1.5uf Miflex and 1.2 uf Duelunds.

Edited April 16 by MrBurns84

[douxreveur131]

Personally, I prefer to use a Gustard U18 digital interface, as the DAC's USB input is sometimes used for a movie. Installation of the Raspberry in this DAC is optional. Personally, I'm not interested in this option. The source is a SOtM SMS200-Ultra network drive with power supply.

 

As for a possible upgrade from the old DAC to the new one, I won't comment. My old DAC was a Denafrips Ares II, and the musical difference between these two DACs is enormous. 

 

Finally, it's worth noting that the size of the capacitors means that the DAC cover can no longer be closed. It's a personal choice that doesn't bother me.

 

 

Edited April 16 by douxreveur131

[ThoFi]

Jean Louis,

very interesting DAC with multiple tuning options

is it also a preamp?

[douxreveur131]

Good evening Thomas. 

 

This DAC is indeed equipped with a volume potentiometer.

 

I prefer to use it with the volume at 100% and use the FEZZ potentiometer.

[xlr8or]

It is interesting to note that 4 6922 tubes are recommended for use in the circuit but yet using a 6SN7 tube with 6922 to 6SN7 tube adapter is preferred. The 6922 tube has a different operating point to the 6SN7 tube. The circuit would no doubt be preconfigured and tuned to use the correct plate and grid voltages and also transconductance and plate resistance values applicable to the 6922 tube. The 2 tubes types are not interchangeable. Also, running the additional 2nd pair for balanced XLR mode appears a complete waste. What happens when you use 2 tubes over the 4 tubes? What happens to the heater voltage and all other voltages? Do they change and increase because there is less load overall? Are they still within the correct operating range? I would suggest sticking with the 4 6922 tubes at all times for optimal results. There are also plenty of excellent sounding vintage tubes available at the same asking price as new production tubes.

[douxreveur131]

1 hour ago, xlr8or said:

It is interesting to note that 4 6922 tubes are recommended for use in the circuit but yet using a 6SN7 tube with 6922 to 6SN7 tube adapter is preferred. The 6922 tube has a different operating point to the 6SN7 tube. The circuit would no doubt be preconfigured and tuned to use the correct plate and grid voltages and also transconductance and plate resistance values applicable to the 6922 tube. The 2 tubes types are not interchangeable. Also, running the additional 2nd pair for balanced XLR mode appears a complete waste. What happens when you use 2 tubes over the 4 tubes? What happens to the heater voltage and all other voltages? Do they change and increase because there is less load overall? Are they still within the correct operating range? I would suggest sticking with the 4 6922 tubes at all times for optimal results. There are also plenty of excellent sounding vintage tubes available at the same asking price as new production tubes.

 

Thank you very much for your interesting contribution.

 

Garry from Musical Paradise has well anticipated the fact that the DAC can work with either two tubes or four tubes, and has done so since the previous model. 

 

I communicated with Garry that I would like to use 6SN7 tubes and this doesn't seem to pose any technical problems, but I don't have your knowledge. 

 

The list of different tubes that can be used with this DAC is on the brand page and there are many.

 

 

Edited April 16 by douxreveur131

[xlr8or]

32 minutes ago, douxreveur131 said:

 

Thank you very much for your integrative contribution. 

 

Garry from Musical Paradise has well anticipated the fact that the DAC can work with either two tubes or four tubes, and has done so since the previous model. 

 

I communicated with Garry that I would like to use 6SN7 tubes and this doesn't seem to pose any technical problems, but I don't have your knowledge. 

 

The list of different tubes that can be used with this DAC is on the brand page and there are many.

 

 

 

I would be extremely cautious here. If the DAC does not have a switch to select between 6922 and 6SN7 use with different operating points then the information you have been provided is false and misleading.

[douxreveur131]

OK.

[Falcon 500]

I read in the user manual there is a switch to cater for the difference for the two types of tubes.

[douxreveur131]

13 minutes ago, Falcon 500 said:

I read in the user manual there is a switch to cater for the difference for the two types of tubes.

 

The voltage switch is used to switch between 6.3 volts (6922, 6SN7 ...) and 12.6 volts (12AU7 or 12SN7).

 

[MrBurns84]

@douxreveur131 - Jean-Louis, i think its best to just link the vendor's product page here for the rest:

https://www.musicalparadise.ca/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=61&product_id=109

 

 

 

[MrBurns84]

2 hours ago, xlr8or said:

 

I would be extremely cautious here. If the DAC does not have a switch to select between 6922 and 6SN7 use with different operating points then the information you have been provided is false and misleading.

@xlr8or Kirk, to be honest, i never liked the sound of the 6922s on the earlier iteration of the MP Deluxe dac.  Im assuming that these have been set to at a much higher gain, without actually measuring the plate voltages. 6922s sound bright, glary, even with Gold Lions or EH tubes.  Also another thing to note, the Deluxe dac runs these 6922s hard, and as such the 6922s get microphonic and noisy with just over a few months of usage.   The longest lasting tube i've had in this preamp is the humble 6n6p :  https://www.thevalvestore.com.au/home/28-6n6p.html  Cheap well balanced sounding tube for the MP dac, at least from my experience.

Edited April 16 by MrBurns84

[MrBurns84]

@douxreveur131 The nicest tube i've heard on the MP dac was the 12v E80CC.  The good ones are too expensive these days, sadly, nearly unobtainable these days for sane amounts of money.

[douxreveur131]

10 hours ago, MrBurns84 said:

@xlr8or Kirk, to be honest, i never liked the sound of the 6922s on the earlier iteration of the MP Deluxe dac.  Im assuming that these have been set to at a much higher gain, without actually measuring the plate voltages. 6922s sound bright, glary, even with Gold Lions or EH tubes.  Also another thing to note, the Deluxe dac runs these 6922s hard, and as such the 6922s get microphonic and noisy with just over a few months of usage.   The longest lasting tube i've had in this preamp is the humble 6n6p :  https://www.thevalvestore.com.au/home/28-6n6p.html  Cheap well balanced sounding tube for the MP dac, at least from my experience.

 

 

Hello and thank you for these interesting tips on tubes that can work well in this DAC. 

 

Here's what Francis Ibre, who is a well-known figure in France on the subject of audio tubes, has to say about the use of 6922s in audio : 

 

" E88CC-6922s should not be used in audio: they are (or are becoming) microphonic.
In the 60s and 70s, ECC88-6DJ8s were used for audio, and E188CC-7308s for professional applications.
Both versions feature mica springs (a second layer of mica cut into an L-shape) to prevent microphonics.

But the E88CC-6922 were reserved for industrial applications, switching, automation controls, etc...
They do not feature these anti-microphonic springs.

 

Russian 6N23P-EV tubes are a good replacement option, and are very musical. Be careful to choose the EV version, which is equipped with anti-microphonic devices. " 

 

https://www.tubeampdoctor.com/en/6n23p-ev/6h23p-eb-nos/russia

 

There are also very good reviews of JJ 12BH7 tubes, for those of us who like warm tubes. 

 

https://www.banzaimusic.com/12bh7a-jj-gold-matched-balanced.html

 

A video here (in German, but the translation works well) on the MP-DX  that evokes these tubes :

  

 

 

Finally, I've been extremely impressed by the Linlai Elite E-6SN7 tubes, in this DAC, but also recently, on Thomas's kind suggestions, with my 300B SET FEZZ audio Mira Ceti amplifier. This tubes has a personality all of its own, with both great transparency and enormous imaging, but also a slight warmth on the vocals that's very seductive, natural timbres and great elegance, without any harshness, but after a very long break-in of at least 250 hours.

 

 

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/linlai-e-6sn7-tubes

 

Replacing the already good 6SN7 PSVANE CV181-Z Black Treasure, the Linlai Elite tubes have taken my amplifier to another musical level. They're well worth discovering, but don't judge them until you've run them in for a long time, as explained above. 

 

In the DAC, the tubes remain absolutely cold in operation. I imagine that the voltages used are low at the output of a DAC and that the tubes should last a very long time.

For the time being, I'll stick to this tube reference, but I'll keep your excellent suggestions in mind.

 

Edited April 17 by douxreveur131

[douxreveur131]

8 hours ago, MrBurns84 said:

@douxreveur131 - Jean-Louis, i think its best to just link the vendor's product page here for the rest:

https://www.musicalparadise.ca/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=61&product_id=109

 

 

 

 

Sorry, I wasn't sure if commercial links were allowed in this forum. 

 

Noted ! 

 

 

[muon*]

54 minutes ago, douxreveur131 said:

Russian 6N23P-EV tubes are a good replacement option, and are very musical. Be careful to choose the EV version, which is equipped with anti-microphonic devices. " 

Russian 6N23P-EV has twice the heater current pull compared to the 6DJ8 and 6922.

 

The non-EV 6N23P is a suitable replacement for the 6DJ8 and 6922

 

Edit: the 6N23P-EV may be OK in this MP DAC but be careful if using it as a replacement for 6DJ8 and 6922 in other gear.

Edited April 17 by muon*

[douxreveur131]

20 minutes ago, muon* said:

Russian 6N23P-EV has twice the heater current pull compared to the 6DJ8 and 6922.

 

The non-EV 6N23P is a suitable replacement for the 6DJ8 and 6922

 

Edit: the 6N23P-EV may be OK in this MP DAC but be careful if using it as a replacement for 6DJ8 and 6922 in other gear.

 

OK ! Merci

[xlr8or]

10 hours ago, MrBurns84 said:

@xlr8or Kirk, to be honest, i never liked the sound of the 6922s on the earlier iteration of the MP Deluxe dac.  Im assuming that these have been set to at a much higher gain, without actually measuring the plate voltages. 6922s sound bright, glary, even with Gold Lions or EH tubes.  Also another thing to note, the Deluxe dac runs these 6922s hard, and as such the 6922s get microphonic and noisy with just over a few months of usage.   The longest lasting tube i've had in this preamp is the humble 6n6p :  https://www.thevalvestore.com.au/home/28-6n6p.html  Cheap well balanced sounding tube for the MP dac, at least from my experience.

 

You've hit the nail on the head. What tube the MP Deluxe has been optimised for is a mystery. I can see this in part has been transferred to the MP-DX. The confusing thing is that I can add another dozen or more dual triode 6 3v heater tube types to the list. That includes 9-pin noval, 8-pin octal, 8-pin loctal and 8-pin rimlock tubes.

 

Unfortunately, one has to consult the services of a professional to study the circuit design and measure all the corresponding voltages to the tube sockets to determine where the correct operating points lie. Otherwise it easily becomes a big rabbit hole of spending more to second guess and establish which tube type works and sounds best.

[xlr8or]

2 hours ago, douxreveur131 said:

Here's what Francis Ibre, who is a well-known figure in France on the subject of audio tubes, has to say about the use of 6922s in audio : 

 

" E88CC-6922s should not be used in audio: they are (or are becoming) microphonic.
In the 60s and 70s, ECC88-6DJ8s were used for audio, and E188CC-7308s for professional applications.
Both versions feature mica springs (a second layer of mica cut into an L-shape) to prevent microphonics.

But the E88CC-6922 were reserved for industrial applications, switching, automation controls, etc...
They do not feature these anti-microphonic springs.

 

Russian 6N23P-EV tubes are a good replacement option, and are very musical. Be careful to choose the EV version, which is equipped with anti-microphonic devices. " 

 

Very interesting information being shared there about vintage ECC88/6DJ8, E88CC/6922 and E188CC/7308 tubes. Apologies, but I don't agree with the microphonics part. In the mid to late 1960's Philips, Siemens, Mullard and even Valvo manufacturing moved to the A-frame design to completely eliminate microphonics. Many collectors worldwide use the A-frame design in phono stages with great success. Also, the E188CC/7308 being the last comer to the family of tubes above was specifically designed to have no microphonics. I do agree that very late 1950's first revision D getter design was prone to microphonics. However, the next revision halo O getter design in the very early 1960's had eradicated microphonics significantly.

[douxreveur131]

23 minutes ago, xlr8or said:

 

Very interesting information being shared there about vintage ECC88/6DJ8, E88CC/6922 and E188CC/7308 tubes. Apologies, but I don't agree with the microphonics part. In the mid to late 1960's Philips, Siemens, Mullard and even Valvo manufacturing moved to the A-frame design to completely eliminate microphonics. Many collectors worldwide use the A-frame design in phono stages with great success. Also, the E188CC/7308 being the last comer to the family of tubes above was specifically designed to have no microphonics. I do agree that very late 1950's first revision D getter design was prone to microphonics. However, the next revision halo O getter design in the very early 1960's had eradicated microphonics significantly.

 

Very interesting !

[muon*]

14 hours ago, MrBurns84 said:

@xlr8or Kirk, to be honest, i never liked the sound of the 6922s on the earlier iteration of the MP Deluxe dac.  Im assuming that these have been set to at a much higher gain, without actually measuring the plate voltages. 6922s sound bright, glary, even with Gold Lions or EH tubes.  Also another thing to note, the Deluxe dac runs these 6922s hard, and as such the 6922s get microphonic and noisy with just over a few months of usage.   The longest lasting tube i've had in this preamp is the humble 6n6p :  https://www.thevalvestore.com.au/home/28-6n6p.html  Cheap well balanced sounding tube for the MP dac, at least from my experience.

Interesting.

 

My valve amp was designed using the Sovtek 6H30 as drivers, and when I tried 6N6p's in it in place of the 6H30's the amp lost all It's life and dynamics and became a sloth. So not always a great sub for the 6H30 as that link suggests. My amp circuit was optimised for the 6H30, but not for the 6N6p, it can only be optimised for one or the other and not for both.

Now the 6H30-DR is a completely different animal again.

 

Edit: I actually tried two different versions of the 6n6p, the other being the 6n6p-i .

 

Edited April 17 by muon*