REVIEW: Forssell Technologies Inc. MDAC-2 DAC Processors

Model:	MDAC-2
Category:	DAC Processors
Suggested Retail Price:	$2950
Description:	Two channel digital to analog converter
Manufacturer URL:	Forssell Technologies Inc.
Model Picture:	View

Review by robertopisa on March 11, 2012 at 11:14:07
IP Address: 87.10.206.79 Add Your Review
for the MDAC-2

I have been pleased with my active ATC pro speakers, so I wanted to try a DAC from the pro audio industry. There are many DACs currently available, and also several hypes: companies are introducing new DACs at a steadily pace and many claim the latest ones are incredibly good and cheap when compared to the past ones... Probably it is not that difficult to assemble a good DAC with today's technology, but who is performing critical listening to this myriad of DACs?

So the choice was difficult for me as often there are controversial opinions on the forums for the same DAC, and AB-comparisons are complicated to organize for so many products. My system is hybrid (audiophile + pro): my choice for pro DACs was motivated by the fact that they undergo extensive testing by several sound engineers in their studios before getting an offical release on the market.

After bumping into several forums dealing with DACs for a couple of years, I opted for the MDAC-2 by Forssell Technologies Inc (not to be confused with Forsell audio brand). The European dealer and master engineer, let me try the unit for two weeks, which is a rare event here in Europe (contrarily to US). I then decided to keep it since I'm happy with that. To make a long story short: the MDAC-2 definitively changed my stereotypes on how a high-end DAC should be... read next.

Fred Forssell is a very respected engineer in the pro audio industry, he designed digital circuits also for Manley Labs. In a blind-test shootout in the Gearslutz forum, the Forssell rig was one of the most appreciated DACs. (Actually, it was the MADA-2; here, some audio files were sent through the AD-DA chain, and one could compare the original audio files versus their public copies gone through the AD-DA chain, see the Web link at the end.)

Here are my direct impressions after listening the MDAC-2 in my system, using a computer transport: Audirvana Plus -> Imac -> Lacie USB flatcable -> M2Tech Hiface integrated inside a Behringer SRC2496 -> Silver XLR AES/EBU cable -> MDAC-2.

First, the bass is there... it's round and well controlled at no cost in terms of transparency (a requirement in the pro audio). I noticed that several digital sources suffer from having a thin bass (someone in a forum wrote as if the pick-up in a turntable did not get enough weight). This is not the case.

Second, the sound-stage is amazing and holographic. I will use lights as a metaphor: each sound/instrument is like a light that quickly appears on the right spot in space and at the right time. Wider sound-stage than that of the internal DACs of my reference Marantz SACD player (using it as just a transport is ok). Interestingly, the same impression was independently reported by my friend, a musician.

Third, the internal design is impressive in a certain sense. I expected big trafos and caps, dual-mono DAC chips, discrete components (no opamps), world clock (master-slave configuration), internal dual clocks for multiple frequencies of 44.1 and 48, etc. etc. Nothing of that... surprisingly. Two simple boards at the opposite ends of the chassis with a large empty space in the middle: one board for the PS unit and the other board for the digital input, the DAC BB 1794A chip, the class-A JFET output stage. No fancy connectors, it uses SMB components, and digital input upsampled to 192/24... Even if it is apparently so simple, the MDAC-2 has undergone the critical judgment of several sound engineers, so there should be something special in the design that I cannot grasp. Test how good it sounds as a black-box and you will understand me.

Some observations are in order for this unit (serial number 131). It requires a short break-in (good). It can be equipped also with unbalanced output (see the user manual), not needed in my case. One drawback is that it is subject to external vibrations... since it is a pro item, it is conceived to be hosted in a closed pro rack that isolates it against air vibrations. In my case, I do not use a pro rack. So I adopted Barry Diament's hip joints idea (see his website) for vibration control. In any case, you have to dump its chassis and connectors against vibrations and decouple the unit, which is the main point to circumvent if you want to use it in an audiophile setting.

Summing up, the MDAC-2 successfully finalized in my system, now my room is the last bottleneck, I have to improve the room treatment.

Product Weakness:	Rack chassis subject to vibrations, have to decouple it. No USB input.
Product Strengths:	It sounds as it should... intriguing, transparent with highs and rich in bass.

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: no amp since speakers are active
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Marantz SC-11S1
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Marantz SA-11S2, modded Behringer SRC2496 with integrated M2Tech Hiface + iMac
Speakers: ATC SCM50ASL PRO active speakers (active crossover, each tri-amplified as 50W+100W+200W)
Cables/Interconnects: Custom cables (4-way brading silver signal plus extenal spiral for ground), Lacie USB flatcable
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Pop, Rock, Blues, Classical
Room Size (LxWxH): 3.80m x 3.80m x 2.80m
Room Comments/Treatments: Cathedral Sound room dampening panels, GIK Acoustic bass trap, RPG BAD ARC panels, carpet, crystals as resonators.
Time Period/Length of Audition: Two months and half.
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

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Amplifier:	no amp since speakers are active
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Marantz SC-11S1
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Marantz SA-11S2, modded Behringer SRC2496 with integrated M2Tech Hiface + iMac
Speakers:	ATC SCM50ASL PRO active speakers (active crossover, each tri-amplified as 50W+100W+200W)
Cables/Interconnects:	Custom cables (4-way brading silver signal plus extenal spiral for ground), Lacie USB flatcable
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Pop, Rock, Blues, Classical
Room Size (LxWxH):	3.80m x 3.80m x 2.80m
Room Comments/Treatments:	Cathedral Sound room dampening panels, GIK Acoustic bass trap, RPG BAD ARC panels, carpet, crystals as resonators.
Time Period/Length of Audition:	Two months and half.
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

REVIEW: Forssell Technologies Inc. MDAC-2 DAC Processors

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