I hope this will become a full review. My system's been in turmoil (old, interim, and new speakers) for a while. Once I settle in for a while with the new speakers and really understand what they're doing, I'll expand on these observations.
In the meanwhile, I've now tried this DAC in three different systems. And, the results in all three systems have been consistent. The owners of the two other systems were listening with me had some of the same observations.
System 1 - mine - Tubed Modwright/Music Hall CDP, Modwright preamp, Red Wine Audio Clari-T, homebuilt Fostex speakers.
System 2 - Late-model, top-end Krell CDP, Krell integrated amp, Sonus Faber Concertino speakers.
System 3 - Arcam 8SE CDP, Arcam integrated and standalone amp biamped to current B&W 805s.
In each system, I plugged the Monica-2 into the digital outputs of the respective player, except in my own system I was comparing with a 15-year-old Technics player as transport.
This device has made me understand what the writers refer to as "digital sound". I have always thought the term to mean bright and analytical, but I think it's much more than that. Jitter is referred to as timing issues between the transport and output stage of CD playback. I believe this device solves, at least mostly, this problem.
Compared to the Monica-2, what I hear in common with all the mentioned CDP's is glassy cymbals, disorganized treble generally, unclear vocal sections, and muddy basslines. The Monica-2 organizes the data and lays it out much more realistically.
Initially, the reaction is that the Monica-2 is somewhat less dynamic and possibly rolled off by comparison. I adapted very quickly to the sound though and found it, in all cases, to be a more natural rendition of the signal. Matching playback levels can be an issue, as the Monica puts out about 1/3 the voltage of a "standard" player.
Now, I haven't spent a lot of time in these comparisons. But, having similar results with all the compared players and systems is significant to me. I feel the Monica-2 provided an upgrade to all the players in all the systems I have heard it in. And, at $500 it's a downright bargain. I think this unit plugged in to just about any transport is a KILLER, affordable digital solution that works with the CD's you already have.
