Welcome to the world of muses user.
The chip measures almost perfectly and sounds excellent.
I was curious and I also used a RMAA pro.
I measure the muses board in a balanced configuration with my Fet Buffer and OPA1632 gain stage. So this is one channel of my preamp.
It bothers me only the 50 Hz peak, which comes from the built-in transformer in the ADC enclosure.
Have fun!
The chip measures almost perfectly and sounds excellent.
I was curious and I also used a RMAA pro.
I measure the muses board in a balanced configuration with my Fet Buffer and OPA1632 gain stage. So this is one channel of my preamp.
It bothers me only the 50 Hz peak, which comes from the built-in transformer in the ADC enclosure.
Have fun!
Stand alone pot with Muses
I really think that something similar to the following photos would be extremely useful and desirable for many diy-ers as a stand alone volume pot, and I really do not think it is something very hard to realize as collaborative effort.
Anyone interested in this beside me?
I hope my post is not irrelevant with this thread...
I really think that something similar to the following photos would be extremely useful and desirable for many diy-ers as a stand alone volume pot, and I really do not think it is something very hard to realize as collaborative effort.
Anyone interested in this beside me?
I hope my post is not irrelevant with this thread...
Attachments
A replacement for a potentiometer is quite reasonable , but in this case no remote control and no indication of attenuation is available .
In addition, a controller is located on the board and this I would like to separate from the audio circuit . Long wires from the back to the front plate and back to the audio circuit and an additional long connection of regulated supply voltages is also not desirable. I like to have the regulator on the spot.
That's why I also have a pre-amplifier on the bench, which is connected directly to the Muses Board and thus achieved very short signal paths.
I have two possible ideas to get the Muses in the signal-chain.
An even more complex module where the XLR inputs with input selection and XLR outputs with mute relays and an output drivers are on one board.
Thus, a preamplifier can be realized without a lot of effort. Also for Pro Audio Mux.
Or a Muses board with all supply voltages regulators without input selection, but still with an external controller. This Muses Board could fit on a printed surface of a motorized RK27 potentiometer.
Hard to decide what comes up next.
In addition, a controller is located on the board and this I would like to separate from the audio circuit . Long wires from the back to the front plate and back to the audio circuit and an additional long connection of regulated supply voltages is also not desirable. I like to have the regulator on the spot.
That's why I also have a pre-amplifier on the bench, which is connected directly to the Muses Board and thus achieved very short signal paths.
I have two possible ideas to get the Muses in the signal-chain.
An even more complex module where the XLR inputs with input selection and XLR outputs with mute relays and an output drivers are on one board.
Thus, a preamplifier can be realized without a lot of effort. Also for Pro Audio Mux.
Or a Muses board with all supply voltages regulators without input selection, but still with an external controller. This Muses Board could fit on a printed surface of a motorized RK27 potentiometer.
Hard to decide what comes up next.
Hi all
After reading the various reviews posted on this interesting and informative thread I decided to take the plunge and ordered a Musses vol co (remote version)f rom Acadamy Audio which duly arrived a few days ago.
Some initial thoughts.
So after fiddling with the power supplies and bolting it into my quick listen case I gave it a try out by comparing it to my DACT and Goldpoint switchers’. I started by playing Buffalo 3 Legato, Muses, myRef FE and to be honest it has lifted the performance of that set up hugely. So next I’m planning a gain stage into my turntable, Class A amp so hopefully the Muse will weave the same magic with that.
I’m pretty sure that Lenny must have given my unit a good run in as it sounded just superb right from switch on and a little warming but I’ve given it the overnight treatment anyway just to be sure.
The sound I’m hearing is so smoothly detailed with a huge wide and deep soundstage TBH it made the switchers sound a touch coarse and more than a little grey by comparison. The Muses unit seems to avoid the small amount of sibilance that I’d noticed in my set up previously.
Rolled off
Hell no the Muses is much extended at the frequency extremes.
It’s silent background noise wise which allowed all of the really fine detail through.(stuff that I’d not noticed before)
I always try to keep a healthy level of scepticism when it comes to new things but this unit really did have my eyes popping.
IMHO betters both the DACT and Goldpoint in just about every way.
It’s a no contest TBH.
and roll in the remote balance and volume control.
a no brainer
One sweet sounding Volco.
After reading the various reviews posted on this interesting and informative thread I decided to take the plunge and ordered a Musses vol co (remote version)f rom Acadamy Audio which duly arrived a few days ago.
Some initial thoughts.
So after fiddling with the power supplies and bolting it into my quick listen case I gave it a try out by comparing it to my DACT and Goldpoint switchers’. I started by playing Buffalo 3 Legato, Muses, myRef FE and to be honest it has lifted the performance of that set up hugely. So next I’m planning a gain stage into my turntable, Class A amp so hopefully the Muse will weave the same magic with that.
I’m pretty sure that Lenny must have given my unit a good run in as it sounded just superb right from switch on and a little warming but I’ve given it the overnight treatment anyway just to be sure.
The sound I’m hearing is so smoothly detailed with a huge wide and deep soundstage TBH it made the switchers sound a touch coarse and more than a little grey by comparison. The Muses unit seems to avoid the small amount of sibilance that I’d noticed in my set up previously.
Rolled off
Hell no the Muses is much extended at the frequency extremes.
It’s silent background noise wise which allowed all of the really fine detail through.(stuff that I’d not noticed before)
I always try to keep a healthy level of scepticism when it comes to new things but this unit really did have my eyes popping.
IMHO betters both the DACT and Goldpoint in just about every way.
It’s a no contest TBH.
and roll in the remote balance and volume control.
a no brainer
One sweet sounding Volco.
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Hi Mara
TP BP placid for +&-15V and a bog standard linear for the 5V but i have some Salas shunts to try also.
muses pot
I really agree in most of your comments, but there are also some huge advantages over traditional pots or mechanical switches that both of these "ancient" devices are horrible in terms of noise and channel tracking. In any way the "new" pot can easily be mounted at the back of the chassis and brought to the faceplate through extension, so keeping minimal distances should not be a problem at all. On the other hand, noise from accompanying digital circuitry should not be too disturbing as in any way the chip also contains digital circuits of its own and at least in my experience, with PGA and controller there is no reduction of noise of any type (measured or heard) when I moved the controller even 20cm away. So a simple solution as the one proposed will be most possible a huge hit among us DIYers in order to replace traditional volume pots in our amplifiers and preamplifiers and off course it should be also a cheap drop in replacement in most cases.
I really agree in most of your comments, but there are also some huge advantages over traditional pots or mechanical switches that both of these "ancient" devices are horrible in terms of noise and channel tracking. In any way the "new" pot can easily be mounted at the back of the chassis and brought to the faceplate through extension, so keeping minimal distances should not be a problem at all. On the other hand, noise from accompanying digital circuitry should not be too disturbing as in any way the chip also contains digital circuits of its own and at least in my experience, with PGA and controller there is no reduction of noise of any type (measured or heard) when I moved the controller even 20cm away. So a simple solution as the one proposed will be most possible a huge hit among us DIYers in order to replace traditional volume pots in our amplifiers and preamplifiers and off course it should be also a cheap drop in replacement in most cases.
Yes I have asked Alfred for some of those nice Paradise regs
.I’ve held off of using a shunt on the Digital 5V side as I’m uncertain how sensitive the Muses is to the slight over voltage at switch on.
I’m more than happy with the SQ as is
The DVDD is not very sensitive to light overvoltage (not exceed the 7V). If you like the digital voltage is not generated from the positiv analog voltage, make sure that there is a 10 kOhm in the DVDD line - pin 17.
The best thing is to stabilize the DVDD, only for the muses, down from the positive analogue voltage and a separate digital power for the controller.
And why at all a shunt for digital supply voltages?
The best thing is to stabilize the DVDD, only for the muses, down from the positive analogue voltage and a separate digital power for the controller.
And why at all a shunt for digital supply voltages?
Disagree, the electronic pot (20kohm) will be always equally (thermal noise) or more noisy ( on chip integrated resistors quality ..) as quality potentiometer (eg. ALPS RK27xxx or similar) with the same 20kohm value , but with electronic pot here are always frequency dependent distortions caused by nonlinear switches. The only advantage is better channel tracking.
For the MUSES we have received impressive specs figures from Stereophile, spiri (2x) and johncurtis.
The MUSES was auditioned from John Atkinson (Stereophile), spiri, Stefanoo, johncurtis and shoom.
Some of these people compared it in auditioning tests with best linear (resistor based) attenuators like DACT, Goldpoint and ELNA - the MUSES was always the winner.
And now you really want to make us believe that old carbon-based potentiometers like ALPS Rk27xx betters the MUSES except channel tracking?
You are kidding....
Anyway, as everything in life there are many compromises and many tastes involved. However, an integrated electronic pot of small footprint and easy construction costing lets say 30-50€ (wild guess based on Japanese offering) will be amazingly better than any other offering at the price (but maybe not constrained to) and excellent for experimentation and integration in our current and future diy projects. I would easily buy 10 units. Moreover, if somebody wants to get fancy, it can be done modular having provision for an external display and remote control too.
Just my 2c
Just my 2c
Thermal (Johnson) noise is inherent for each resistor... 20K value is too much for really top-notch noise performance. I used PGA´s, WM8816, MAS8116.. All suffer the same limitation - switch nonlinearity and excessive (for top performance) noise. And here you can clearly see it. Noise background, nonlinearity rising with frequency..Sure below audibility treshold, good, but nothing special. And that old RK27xxx for sure will not add nonlinearity, only noise ,the same as electronic poteniometer with the same value. It simply can not "improve" sound over resistor based attenuator , here is no possible way to do it.. If you have some (any..) measurement (no subjective listening tests..) to support Your claims, please post it here.
And I see no reason to use circuit like MUSES in aplication, where it is only manually controled,via rotary encoder, as simple potentiomer replacement.. The same (and better, except channel tracking), much simpler ,for lower costs, can do good potentiometer.
Try to measure distortion added by 10K RK27xxx potentiometer...And what about longevity for such rotary encoder, compared to ALPS??
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Then I wonder why e.g. Pass Labs does not use this top performing RK27xx and has changed finally to this bad MUSES.
I suggest you to give them some instructions how to do it better for much smaller total costs.....
FYI:
Until several months ago I have used a motorized 10k-RK27 in a shunt configuration in my balanced preamp; then I tried the MUSES.
Now you may guess why my new preamp will not have this Rk27.....
I suggest you to give them some instructions how to do it better for much smaller total costs.....
FYI:
Until several months ago I have used a motorized 10k-RK27 in a shunt configuration in my balanced preamp; then I tried the MUSES.
Now you may guess why my new preamp will not have this Rk27.....
Reason is simple, it is more comfortable , more convenient for remote control, it is simple to add some functions (eg. balance control, or sensitvity adjustment for each input -simple change in control program), without added costs. And for sound - "it is enough"..So why do it better and more complicated?
For sure they know how to do it better. And I know it, too, example in attachment..Whole preamp, 1V RMS output in 600ohm load. No harmonics higher than third..
