Musical Fidelity V-DAC review

Attractive DAC with a decent range of connections, at a reasonable price Tested at £175

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

Attractive DAC with a decent range of connections, at a reasonable price

Pros

  • +

    Rich, detailed midrange

  • +

    impressively sophisticated sound

Cons

  • -

    Not for fans of pumping beats and basslines

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

This little DAC from Musical Fidelity might look a tad ‘functional', but it's fairly well built and has a decent range of connections.

There are inputs for coaxial and optical digital sources, and a square Type B USB input – so make sure you have the correct cable.

In performance, the V-DAC proves itself, on the whole, to be true to its maker's sonic style: despite the reasonable price tag it offers a rich, detailed midrange, with lots of instrumental and vocal colour.

If anything, this richness could get a bit much at times – especially as it means a degree of compromise when it comes to rhythmic precision. Fans of pumping beats and propulsive basslines will find something better for the money elsewhere.

That said, the V-DAC is an attractive product for a very reasonable price, and renders an impressively dense and sophisticated musical picture for such a cheap upgrade.

It only loses a fifth star because there are better all-rounders in its price class.

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What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

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