A Few Taps More To celebrate producing a - Chord Electronics
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REVIEW
HI-FI WORLD
A Few Taps
More
Chord Electronics release a unique product – M Scaler. It's a one-million tap digital filter
that transforms CD, they say. Noel Keywood listens.
T
o celebrate producing a produce better sound! one optical via a TOSLINK socket,
one million tap digital filter To clarify the purpose of for connection to an external DAC.
Chord Electronics have this product, it is to get the very This can be any DAC, not just one
released M Scaler. M Scaler best from CD, by first scaling up from Chord Electronics – if with
isn’t a product you’ll find sample rate from the low 44.1kHz limitations I’ll explain later. For Hugo
elsewhere, even though – necessary in 1982 when Philips TT2 and other Chord Electronics
upscaling is not a new idea. However, and Sony were developing CD – to products there is also a Dual BNC
M Scaler doesn’t just upscale, it also 705.6kHz that will run on today’s (DBNC) output pair that outputs at
possesses a Watts Transient Aligned silicon. Then the stream is passed the full 768kHz sample rate.
(WTA) filter in its most advanced through the WTA filter and on to an Input wise, there are two
ever state because of those mile- array of outputs. There are standard electrical BNC socket inputs, two
stone one million taps. That’s what S/PDIF digital outputs in the form of TOSLINK opticals and one galvan-
you pay £3495 for. And trust it will one electrical via a BNC socket, and ically isolated USB for connection
www.hi-fiworld.co.uk APRIL 2019 HI-FI WORLD
REVIEW
but Chord Electronics disarmingly
HI-FI WORLD
indicate in a chart within M Scaler’s
handbook that there’s no sound
quality improvement, except when
blue (x2) is selected (why white also
at x2 gives no improvement I have no
idea).
To summarise simply, M Scaler
works best with CD and 48kHz
sample rate files, with output taken
from the DBNC socket-pair to a
Chord Electronics DAC with DBNC
input.
Queried about the special
DBNC connection, Rob Watts
told me it is an AES S/PDIF
dual-mono mode with
changes to the data
bits to flag this status.
DBNC does not
bypass all Hugo TT2’s
filters by the way; the
first of three stages is
bypassed, the second two stages
remain active.
Like Hugo TT2, build and finish of
M Scaler is impressive, its case
being machined from solid
at a sample rate alloy, making it wonderfully
that suits such DACs, strong and with superb
meaning you can’t input contours and detailing. Case
24/96 hi-res and upscale dimension are 235mm wide,
Under the cover – another x16 to a sizzling 1.5MHz 236mm deep and 40.5mm
cover! This one with non- ‘cos there’s no DAC out high, with weight of 2.55kgs.
removable screws to shield there able to take it – and Power is supplied by
cables become an issue too. the same Chinese external
from prying eyes, as well as
Consequently, with a 96kHz switch-mode power supply
provide further RF screening.
input M Scaler upscales x8 block used with Hugo TT2,
At front in a line are the acrylic
to 768kHz max, but only delivering 15V at a high 4A
spheres that act as illuminated
through its DBNC output through a cable 335cms
switches.
sockets to feed Chord (11ft) long in total.
Electronics products like There is a video mode
to a computer. Both a front panel Hugo TT2 with a matching that reduces filter time
spherical button (2nd from left) or DBNC input. The single delay (0.6secs) so speech
the remote control can be used BNC outlet for other synchronises with the
to step between inputs, the button DACs is limited to 384kHz picture, achieving this by
changing colour to show selection. under all conditions so as reducing the number of filter
Output sample rate is set by an to suit both their DAC chips and taps.
illuminated spherical button third-in commercial interconnect cables. The USB input did not accept
from left. Lit red the unit is set to I mention cables because optical DSD from my MacBook Pro laptop
running Audirvana, that is packaged as
"Like Hugo TT2, build and finish DoP code. It may accept native DSD
from a PC, but you can’t get a Mac to
of M Scaler is impressive" do this. M Scaler is about improving
PCM, not reproducing DSD.
bypass, then with CD x2 upsample TOSLINK cables barely work past SOUND QUALITY
to 88.2kHz is green, x4 to 176.4kHz 96kHz, not just because of internal I used M Scaler mainly with CD
is blue and max upscale of x16 to losses and low bandwidth of the delivered in optically from our Oppo
705.6kHz is white. Now on to practi- cheap plastic optical conductor, but BDP-205D Universal player acting
calities. also because of imprecise termination as a CD transport. Unsurprisingly
M Scaler as a real world product in TOSLINK sockets – wiggle ‘em perhaps, it does not change the
must feed external commercial DACs at high sample rates and see what sound of Hugo TT2 so much as
and at present most DAC chips work happens! So the optical output of M magnify it to a degree that was eye
up to but not higher than 768kHz; Scaler is restricted to 192kHz for popping. With Nils Lofgren’s Keith
older designs 352.8kHz. So whatever entirely practical reasons. The data Don’t Go the sound stage became
goes into M Scaler must come out still passes through the WTA filter even larger and more densely
www.hi-fiworld.co.uk APRIL 2019 HI-FI WORLD
REVIEW
HI-FI WORLD
At left, two gold plated BNC digital inputs, two optical inputs and a USB for computer connection
(centre). Then optical and BNC outputs, and right twin DBNC outputs for Chord Electronics products
with matching DBNC inputs.
powerful, as if images had gained muddle from the sound of M- was unspectacular, but a compli-
physical weight. There was more DAC+, separating images and events, cating factor was I had to use the
internal detail too. The only slight retrieving more atmosphere from Arcam’s unbalanced outputs to feed
alteration, rather than amplification, recordings and also broadening the Creek’s line input and volume
was a subtle smoothing of the sheen the sound stage with firmer and control; neither Arcam or Creek have
on strings, from Nigel Kennedy more strongly embodied images. volume adjustment on their balanced
playing Massenet’s Meditation. Even better, the full bodied sound lines. So perhaps some muddle crept
in as a result. Whatever, whilst this
"the sound stage became larger combo worked at a functional level, it
did not convey the sonic benefits of
and more densely powerful, as M Scaler.
The warning here then is M
Scaler has problems interfacing with
if images had gained physical DACs other than Hugo TT2. Yet at
the same time I thought its coupling
weight" with M-DAC+ was sublime and, for
me at least, I would rate this pairing
worth hearing. The extraordinary
However, with Marianne Thorsen of M-DAC+, with its on-board high cleanliness, composure and timing of
playing Mozart’s Violin Concerto in current, low noise linear power M Scaler, as well as its sound staging
G Major (24/96) her violin was still supply was retained, even slightly properties were all passed to M-
sheeny, but this recording has always enhanced by the smoothing effect DAC+ that in turn sent out a sound CHORD
been so. M Scaler, like Hugo TT2, of M Scaler – I fell in love with this that was big bodied and easy going.
ELECTRONICS
does not euphonically process such combo! Korsakov’s Dance of the
HUGO M SCALER
recordings so much as expose their Tumblers (24/96) became even CONCLUSION £3,495
intrinsic character. larger, orchestral instruments more Chord Electronics M Scaler embodies
M Scaler’s benefits become less distinctly separated. Diana Krall Rob Watts view of how to perfectly
apparent at higher sampling rates singing Narrow Daylight (24/96) came reproduce digital. I thought it was OUTSTANDING - amongst
used in hi-res recordings (e.g. 24/96). into stronger focus, accompanied by devastating. You get to clearly hear the best
With Marta Gomez singing Maria a slightly smoother quality. how CD can sound when all the
VERDICT
(24/96), images were densified and The one wrinkle here was M- rubbish is swept away, performers If you want the best from CD,
the sound stage hardened up, but by DAC+ would only see 176.4kHz and instruments all being placed in M Scaler is a must-listen.
a smaller if still useful degree than sample rate maximum, falling silent solid form on a wide and clear sound Expensive but worryingly
the changes heard with CD. at 352.8kHz from M Scaler, so x4 stage. Add in almost-peculiar bass good.
The idea of putting M Scaler was available, not x8. Changing cables timing and resolution and you end up
FOR
in front of a DAC other than the made no difference. with a sound not available elsewhere.
- sound quality
distinctive sounding Hugo TT2 With an Arcam CDS50 CD It’s expensive – as you must - small size
could be very interesting I thought, player interface difficulties became expect from a technological exercise - build quality
or a damp squib. It was both. Our strange. The Arcam flagged up sample dedicated to FPGA silicon to make
Audiolab M-DAC+ was a prime rate from M Scaler as 44.1kHz it happen and commercially available. AGAINST
- inconsistent with ext. DACs
candidate and a qualified success; an only where M-DAC+ had already It works most assuredly with Chord - no DSD
Arcam CDS50 CD/SACD player a shown it varied as stated. I tested the Electronics DACs having a DBNC
failure. See my column. CDS50 on a digital generator and it input and is for PCM, not DSD. Book Chord Electronics
From CD through to hi-res correctly showed input sample rate, a demo and have a listen. This is a +44 (0)1622 721444
www.chordelectronics.com
M Scaler quite clearly removed so no fault here. Worse, sound quality unique and extraordinary product.
www.hi-fiworld.co.uk APRIL 2019 HI-FI WORLD
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