The brand Musical Fidelity, founded
in 1983 by amateur clarinetist Anthony Michaelson, probably needs
no further introduction to most audiophiles. MF has also been
represented in Finland for several years now. In addition to the
SACD-player auditioned here, the TriVista range consists of the
TriVista 300 integrated amplifier, the kW pre- and power amp, a
vinyl player and a separate digital-to-analog converter. The
trademark of this range, with the exception of the vinyl player,
is the use of the Trivistor miniature tube, which is said to have
a significantly longer lifespan than the Nuvistor tube used in
earlier MF designs.
Technology
The TriVista SACD-player is built
into a chassis of the same size as the integrated amp of the same
series, and is quite a massive piece of equipment as far as
cd-players are concerned. The illuminated feet that change color
when the player reaches its proper operating temperature are a
nice extra feature. The feet are a reddish orange when the machine
is turned on, then gradually turn orange before turning blue after
about 35 minutes. The feet looked really nice in the dark,
especially when the player was placed on the Grand Prix Audio
Monaco equipment rack. The Monaco is equipped with acrylic
shelves, which reflected the light elegantly. In addition to its
other features, the TriVista can be used as an external
d/a-converter, with a DVD-player for example.
The display is big and functional
enough, being readable from a distance of several meters. The
round buttons for the different functions are quite large, but
located in a manner that takes some time to get used to. Because
of the thick faceplate and the modifications made to the transport
mechanism by MF, the placement of a disc on the drawer demands
some concentration. You have to insert the disc on the drawer
diagonally, while at the same time avoiding the greased support
bars on both sides of the drawer. The transport mechanism,
originally by Philips, was somewhat loud when operating, and the
given commands were carried out after a short delay. No problems
with the operating logic were detected during the test, and all
tested CDR-discs worked well. The plastic remote works with both
the TriVista player and integrated amplifier.
The logic behind the large chassis
became clear when the cover was removed. The analog/digital power
source is located at the front, containing two transformers and
two choke regulators. The large filter capacitors and their
regulators are placed on a separate circuit board. The voltage
from this circuit board is transferred to the analog and digital
stages through thick, pvc-insulated conductors. The digital filter
is a SM 5849 BF by NPC, with 8x oversampling. The upsampling is
handled by two Crystal CS 8420 chips and the d/a conversion by two
Burr-Brown PCM 1738E dac´s. The main working principles seem to be
along the same lines with the Lindemann D680 SACD/CD-player tested
earlier.
Two 5532 paired op-amps serve as
active components for the integrator and analog filters. The
output stage consists of two 5703 single triode tubes per channel,
after which the signal passes through a general-purpose bipolar
electrolyte capacitor manufactured by Jamicon. The analog output
is through RCA-type connectors only. The power cord is detachable
and equipped with a less common 16-20A connector.
The components are placed in an
"airy" manner and are mainly of "normal" quality, with the
exception of some surface-mount components in the digital signal
path.
I'm somewhat puzzled by MF´s
decision to use the 5532 circuit as an active component in the
integrator part, as this component is required to have a short
risetime, fast settling times after an overload and very low
noise. A more modern, fet-input op-amp would have seemed like a
more obvious choice for a player in this price range. On the other
hand, if a TriVista owner is bothered by this detail, he can
always have the circuits changed at a later date.
Preparations
The TriVista seems to need about
one hour of operation before reaching its full potential. Due to
the somewhat uncommon power connector, I was unable to try more
than two different power cords, so it's possible I didn't quite
hear everything the player had to offer. I used two different
equipment racks with the TriVista, the Grand Prix Audio Monaco
and the Finite Elemente Pagode Master Reference. The Monaco gave a
slightly more defined bass and a somewhat more "liberated" overall
sound, so most of the listening was done using this rack. I ended
up using a so-called shielded solid core cable as power cord, as
it sounded somewhat better than the original cord. It has to be
pointed out, though, that the choice of power cords seemed to make
exceptionally little difference with the TriVista. The player was
a dealer demo sample, so it was well broken-in when the test
started. As a whole, I listened to the player over a period of two
weeks.
Listening Impressions
From the first notes it was
apparent that a high-class player was being tested, with
cleanliness and neutrality being the name of the game. The sound
contained none of the mechanical and clinical feel of many lesser
cd-players. The overall sound was pleasantly evenhanded. The bass
was sturdy and full of impact, if lacking the last word in
resolution. The full and well-defined midrange also attracted my
attention. As for the treble, it didn't quite attain the level of
my reference player, nor were the echoes of the recording venue as
apparent as with my reference. But on the other hand, many of the
distracting hard edges in the upper register were absent, the
highest octaves only came across as a bit less energetic and more
modest than with the reference player. Regarding overall pace and
rhythm the player at times seemed slightly "put off", but this
phenomenon was largely dependent on the type of music used. The
player did have more than enough dynamic headroom for large-scale
music, though.
The soundstage produced by the
TriVista was somewhat forward in nature, at the same time giving
an excellent sense of depth. In addition to this, the soundstage
was significantly higher and wider than "normal". My own reference
player is a bit more laid-back in nature, but still the greater
presence in the TriVista´s sound was in no way annoying, making
some music sound even better than the laidback reproduction I'm
used to.
With SACD´s the TriVista reached a
level of performance clearly unattainable with normal cd´s, but
the basic characteristics of the player still remained the same.
But then again, they didn't have to change. It's funny how even
the bass reproduction seems to be improved with SACD, the
phenomenon is especially apparent when comparing
the two different layers of hybrid discs.
This player further strengthened my earlier beliefs about the
differences between the two formats.
The overall sound of the Musical
Fidelity TriVista is, but for a few minor details, thoroughly
enjoyable. It's most apparent strength is the way it seems to
handle all areas of sound reproduction equally well. Some
listeners might feel the need for some more brute force, but I
never did. The sound as a whole was so good that I was in no extra
hurry to switch back to my reference, but once I did, the small
faults of the TriVista became more apparent. If not for the
reference player, the critique in this article might have been
reduced even further.
The listening tests using system 2
were in a way more interesting than those using my personal
reference system. The TriVista was clearly not at its best in
system 2. The end result was a balanced, but somewhat dull sound,
where the liveliness of the music was lacking. This system would,
in my opinion, have benefited from a player with more drive and
pace, like the Mark Levinson 390S.
Sound
Balance: The player clearly
represented the school of neutrality in terms of overall sound.
The balance was tipped ever so slightly by a certain fullness in
the midrange. This did not present a problem, however, as there
were no other easily discernible peaks or dips in the balance. At
most, this fullness made the sound a bit more beautiful than the
"real thing".
Resolution: Clearly better
than average. The slight damping of the highest frequencies caused
the sound of plates and cymbals to be extinguished a bit faster
than they should have been. This phenomenon was also present with
other acoustic instruments producing extended high-frequency
energies. The lowest registers were also plagued by a certain lack
of resolution that made an electric bass sound a bit more acoustic
than it should and in the midrange the lack of the last word in
resolution resulted in a somewhat diffuse presentation of, for
example, a grand concert piano. With Lied-music I had a problem
hearing the difference between a Bösendorfer and a Steinway, but
with less demanding material these characteristics might be
perceived as a nice softening of the overall sound.
Transparency: The overall
transparency gets a B+ from me. Due to the slight lack of
resolution in the upper registers, the TriVista failed to reach
the level of the best players I've heard.
Treble: The treble
reproduction was free of peaks in a positive manner, but on the
other hand it sometimes came across as a bit soft and somewhat
veiled. These aforementioned facts didn't bother me as much on all
the musical samples used in this test.
Midrange: The midrange
exhibits a certain fullness, good resolution and a warmish overall
sound.
Bass: The lower registers
are reproduced with plenty of power, but a slight lack of
resolution makes them come across as a bit soft.
Dynamics: Not quite at the
level of the best I've heard, but in no way modest. The player was
quite able to reproduce the dynamics of large-scale orchestral
music without strain. The subjective "speed" can be considered to
be at least better than average, if not quite the best available.
Soundstage: The soundstage
is very present, large, and opens up well into all three
dimensions. There's also a lot of layered depth information
present. The player didn't represent the last word in pinpoint
imaging, but as the musicians were surrounded by plenty of air,
this never bothered me at all.
Conclusion
Musical Fidelity can rightly be
proud of the SACD/CD-player they've created. The player is
impressive both viewed from the inside and the outside, and it
manages to combine this with excellent sound quality. The sound
produced by the TriVista will likely best serve a listener who's
tired of aggressive- and clinical-sounding players. But it is not
by any means a soft slouch, a thing I clearly noticed when my
favorite discs wound up spinning for longer times than planned.
The TriVista engages the listener in the music as a whole, not so
much on how an individual instrument sounds. The TriVista is by no
means a budget player, but it offers several things I've never
heard in cheaper equipment. On my own absolute scale the TriVista
gets a high rank, if some of the minor faults described earlier
were fixed I might even be tempted to change my present reference.
But even as it is, we're talking about a very pleasant listening
experience.
Reference Systems
System
1
- Loudspeakers:
Avantgarde Acoustic DUO SUB225
- Preamplifier:
Passive Attenuator (Elma
rotating switch and Holco H4
resistors)
- Power amplifier:
Solid state DIY (Audiophile
grade components, such as
Black Gate, Vishay etc.)
- CD/SACD: Lindemann D680
- Racks:
Grand Prix Audio Monaco, Finite Elemente Pagode Master
Reference, DIY isolation feet
- Cables:
Various DIY, Ensemble
Powerpoint MegaFlux
- Network filter:
DIY
System
2
- Loudspeakers:
Acapella LaMusica
- Preamplifier:
Passive Attenuator (Elma
rotating switch and Vishay S102
resistors)
- Power amplifier:
Goldmund Mimesis 28
- CD-player: Sphinx Project 32
- Platform:
Acapella Fondato Silenzio
- Cables:
various DIY
- Network filter:
DIY
Importer:
Audelec OY
Price: €7450
