Meitner i upgrades

I got the DA2i upgrade and it is extremely impressive. Seems to remedy the DA2's weak spots and creates a transparent sound without artifacts, or really lacking anything in terms of space, imaging, resolution, texture, presence, punch, dynamics etc.

I would hope the MA3i is comparable, though I know the power supply is different and that is one of the biggest elements of the upgrade. 

@no_regrets 

I think the Premier is a little more resolving than the MA3 and also more dynamic. That’s probably what is being addressed in the update. If I knew about the update at the time, I probably would not have purchased the Premier. However, the Premier can easily be someone last DAC purchase. It’s a solid presentation that leaves nothing to be desired. That has nothing to do with price since I felt the same way about the LUMIN X1. I couldn’t keep it however because I needed a USB DAC. Happy listening. 

@spenav Thank you for your reply. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts!

Best wishes to you,

Don

This is what I have learned about the MA3i upgrade after speaking to Meitner. The improvements are based upon learnings as they developed their other product lines. I have not heard an upgraded unit so realize this is coming from the manufacturer.

Whats changed:

- Completely new analog stage

- New input stage, improved USB

- New network streaming protocol

- A few small tweaks to the FPGA

Impact of these changes:

- Increased bandwidth and lower distortion

- Better low end slam

- More visceral impact

Overall the changes do not fundamentally alter what we like about the MA3. However customers who have upgraded have provided overwhelming positive feedback. 

Personally I have a lot of trust in EMM/Meitner engineering so I am going to take the plunge with the upgrade. 

I got my upgraded MA3i last Friday and let it burn in for 96 hours, which is what the dealer recommended.  By the way, Rick Brown of Hi-Fi One handled the upgrade and he was great.  He took care of everything, kept me up to date, and coordinated with the factory to keep the turnaround time short.  Great service.

I’m very pleased I upgraded.  The noise floor is lower.  I can hear quiet passages, such as during a Mahler symphony, more clearly.  Micro dynamics are better.  It’s easier to hear subtle slight changes in volume.  Tone and timbre is better.  Instruments sound more like the real thing.  Horns have more brass, nylon strings more nylon, etc.

I can’t hear any downside to these improvements.  The new i doesn’t sound brighter, hi-fi, or analytical.  It’s still smooth.  There’s less fatigue because the music is more intelligible.  I noticed and categorized the improvements over the first few days, now I don’t focus on them much.  If you like the character of the original MA3 and want it to sound a bit closer to the real thing, I highly recommend it.