Musical Fidelity XDAC/XPSU/X10 all V3

I got the Buffer and the PSU, all with stock cord and it took about 250 hours before it started to sound good.

acadie

I have the "3-pack" and I thought it sounded pretty good straight out of the box. I have it hooked up to a Rega Jupiter 2000 that I have always loved - so it wasn't like I was coming from a cheapo or unhappy digital experience.
Somewhat counter-intuitively, the 3-pack sounded softer and rounder at first and more resolving and airy with some break-in.
I agree the Din cables are abominable - they don't even make a halfway decent connection, popping right off at the slightest hint of stress. Any suggestions on replacement cables is very welcome!

I have been thinking of purchasing the "3-pack" as well, and looking for a decent (but inexpensive) transport to use. Since I am starting with a clean slate, do you guys think that it would be better to purcase a $2k player, or go with the "3-pack" and transport? Also, did you wind up spending a small fortune in cables connecting the XDAC / X10v3 to your systems?

From my experience, the 3-pack was a terrific upgrade to the $1800 Jupiter 2000. I can't speak for other players in roughly the same price range: Arcam FMJ, Musical Fidelity, certain Cary models etc - some of the newer machines "may" be significantly better than the Jupiter. That said, I love the 3-pack- they sound incredible, they have excellent build quality and they look very cool sitting on my shelf with their cool blue LEDs and all....
In terms of cable cost, I suppose that depends on what your requirements are. I bought a used DH Labs D-75 digital from Audiogon for around 50-60 bucks - the best value in a digital cable, IMO. As far as ICs go, you need just one extra to accomodate the X10 - I always have several lying around so that wasn't an issue for me.