I'm hoping some of you might have some insight to share...
I currently have a Hegel HD30 DAC, H30 amp, and Revel Concerta 2 F36 (the speakers may seem like the weak link, but they sound far superior to my ears compared to many other speakers I’ve had that cost multiples/thousands more... so I’m "dabbling" in Revel’s entry level before deciding to move up the stack). Cables are various Ansuz (C2) and I’m using power conditioning. Digital front end is an Aurender 100 (USB-out only).
Here’s my frustration... the system sounds incredibly high-resolution and nuanced, but yet lacks an organic musicality or "soul" that stops just shy of becoming emotionally involving. I suspect most of this signature is related to the digital front-end/DAC.
So I’ve been looking for a musical sounding DAC for some time but have been reluctant to buy blind... and also frustratingly most well-regarded DACs omit volume control which would necessitate the $$ purchase of a pre-amp (and additional pair of balanced cables).
So I’m theorizing... the Micromega M100 gives me several options... one of which is likely to improve sound quality along the lines I’m hoping for (more organic/musical/lush): A) use it as a pre-amp; B) use it as a DAC/Pre-amp; C) use it as a DAC/Pre-amp/amp. You get the ideal... basically it would allow me to see what changes in my system might move the needle of the sonic signature I’m after (DAC, Pre-amp, and even amp).
"It turns out that these have totally changed the way to connect these streaming services with the app. This explains your inability to connect to the streaming service from the Micromega app.
We are not able to update the IOS app currently and advise you to go through your Tidal app in order to stream on your M100."
"...anybody using the M-One as UPnP device without problems?"
After some early poor reliability, which a couple firmware reinstalls & reboots seemed to fix, my M-100 has been very reliable on the network as a UPnP renderer. I use the Micromega Android app to control volume and input sources only - other UPnP control point apps are much better, especially the BubbleUPnP android app (sadly not an option for iOS). On Mac OS I use upplay as control point app, also quite good if not rough in its ux implementation.
Direct-message me for a contact at Micromega en Boissy-Saint-Léger (he’ll connect you with a tech support person who can help).
I have a M-150. Sound is lovely, really, but I too experience some anoying problems, especially with its networking implementation. I don’t like the IOS app, it has as several problems. So I tried to integrate the M into my LMS ecosytem, via UPnP. Unfortunately the M-One quite often "disappers" as UPnP device. In this case neither the app nor any other UPnP component can find it. Ping works. The only solution is to do a reboot on the device (or pull and replug the 230V).
Is anybody from you using the M-One as UPnP device without problems?
I tried to contact the manufacturer regarding this issue and Roon inegration but they’ve never answered. I have flashed the latest firmware and network driver (in fact, several times...).
I have an M-100 but without the so-called M.A.R.S. room EQ kit (unlocked firmware + mic). You can read about M-One features from here: https://micromega.com/en/products/mone-range/. I’m not aware of any "user EQ".
ps: expensive ’audiophile' routers, nas’s and cables are poor investments.
"I’ve downloaded the app for iOS. I’ve never connected it successfully to my m100. The app always says “make sure your devices and smart phone are connected to the same network”
Did you reflash the M100 network firmware after the repair? If not do that - see the user manual for instructions (easy).
"do I need to connect the m100 to WiFi? I’ve not been able to figure out how I might do that. Seems others have connected no problem. Do I need a LAN connection to my home network for that to work?"
Yes you need a LAN connection - the M100 only has a RJ45-type network interface (ie wired), no built-in wifi support. So you need either a ethernet cable run from your main router to the M100, or a wifi router/extender bridged from your main router then a short ethernet cable to the M100. The former is waay preferable if your house layout allows it.
I realize this thread is a little out of date, but hoping the previous contributors might be able to respond. I just got my M100 back from repair where it apparently had an “intermittent fuse case holder”, and bad “varistors”. Anyway, seems fine now. On to my question. I’ve downloaded the app for iOS. I’ve never connected it successfully to my m100. The app always says “make sure your devices and smart phone are connected to the same network”
do I need to connect the m100 to WiFi? I’ve not been able to figure out how I might do that. Seems others have connected no problem. Do I need a LAN connection to my home network for that to work?
Quick update after few months with M100, I've added Isoacoustics newest Orea Bronze feets (3) under M100, and Gustard DDC-U16 between MacBook Pro and M100 via I2S input. Source is MacBook Pro with Tidal Hifi from Audirvana 3.5. @usery, you are right, M100/M50 sounds great no matter what input, however with a good USB Converter for my setup just gave that little extra push. The sound stage is deepen, a bit more 3 dimensional, and added micro details still amazes me each every listening session.
I did notice big improvement over lower end DAC from Schiit after I plugged in hiface 2, M2tech do make some reputable products and it's Italian company specialized in DDCs, and DACs. My toddler broke my hiface 2 before I can sit down and have serious A/B session, therefore I'm stuck with USB direct to M100 for now. Maybe my mind is playing a trick on me but I felt USB direct to M100 for some reason doesn't sound as alive and detailed compared to Hiface 2 to Coaxial. Anyhow, I'm looking into Audiophilleo 2 with pure power make sure keep it away from my toddler this time.
Yeah I’m wary of interfaces like that ... especially at that price, those reviews, and that it’s apparently a ’chi-fi’ product. I have nothing against ’chi-fi’ per se - IF the companies are well-established, with records of credibility and honest value (think iFi or iBasso).
@usery, thank you for the reply, unfortunately placement of m100 now is a bit difficult running RJ45 to it, and my toddler just snapped my M2tech hiface 2 (DDC), therefore I'm asking anyone here has done the comparison between each input. I guess I have just to suck it up and get another DDC and run RJ45 to do the comparison. I will report back my finding.
Do whatever's easiest? That any of those connection paths will make a audible difference for you & your hearing is the subject of lots of fighting and mumbo-jumbo.
From my LAN (and a inexpensive hub) I use the RJ45 (ethernet) connection on the M-100. To satisfy superstition, place laptop some distance from amp.
Just got M100 last month to pair with Martin Logan Clarity, it has been a wonderful experience so far and love the sound coming from this combo. Currently 100% listening done thu TIDAL streaming , and wondering anyone here has compared which connection is the best? Laptop USB >M100 direct? Laptop USB>USB to Coax(DDC)>M100 Coax or LAN by connecting to network?
thanks for your reply. i have tried numerous times on the website email 'form' and have not received a response. i'll try the m-one email address you show in your response -- again, thanks!!!
does anyone know (or has measured) the gain of the phono pre-amp?
p'diego,
Email Micromega and ask. They do respond.
Recent reply on update to the Android app:
-------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: Re: Micromega Android app avec M-100 Date: Thu, 21 Mar 2019 23:16:19 +0100 From: m-one@micromega.com
The new Android app is getting ready for certification with TIDAL, QOBUZ and TIDAL inside. I hope to release it within the next weeks.
It will not be long until i will be able to open the possibility to install the app as part of a BETA program in Google Play Store. Probably end of next week.
-------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: Re: Micromega Android app avec M-100 Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2019 18:57:41 +0100 From: m-one@micromega.com
Hope you doing fine.
Actually we are finishing the new Android version which should be ready more than soon.
CC'd the lead in charge of the development [who] would tell you more precisely when exactly we could expect the release!
I would believe about the end of March…
Have a great day,
> Le 15 mars 2019 à 11:49, usery a écrit : > > Bonjour, > > Is the new version of the Micromega Android app available yet? I am not seeing it on the Google Play Store - only the older version is there. > > Merci
When the extended M-100 "system" works, it’s a delight.
But only when it works. Network module continues to be intermittently and infuriatingly unreliable, such that the M-100 gets "lost" on my LAN and needs a f’ing amp and network firmware reinstall to recover.
M-One android app continues to be the outdated POS from 2016 ... waiting again to hear from Micromega with an update on the app update they said would be released in December 2018 : |
Just purchased an m100 with MARS. With a little luck it’ll be here before the weekend. Moving from a Parasound Halo Int. I’m geeked about trying the room correction. Everything I’ve read about it seems to be very positive.
Fun continues here too, M-100 such a champ and delight every time I listen. All genres, all recordings - including the bad ones, which M-100 is unabashedly, brutally revealing with.
Extending my speakers with dual Syzygy SLF870 sub's, eagerly waiting for them to arrive. Did lengthy research and shopping, skipped REL this time (current owner) and settled on Syzygy for all the reasons, esp. forward-thinking design & features. Will report with results in another appropriate thread.
I’m having so much fun again with music, I got a new set of speakers - Spatial Audio M3 Turbo S. I can confirm that the M100 is a wonderful match with these speakers. Warm, detailed, great bass. I can be happy for a long time with this combo.
regarding temperature, this was an area I too was concerned. i was unsure what would be considered too warm/hot, and my only point of comparison was my prior integrated amp (A/B) which only ran slightly warm (but also had a massive case and plenty of airflow).
i measured the surface temperature to be ~78 degrees when off. this was similar to ambient temperature in the room, if maybe a few degrees warmer. when running, after about 20-30 minutes it gets up to max temperature, which i measured to be approximately 105-107 around all sides of the outer case. after 3-4 hours of simply keeping the amp "on" (no music), the temperature stayed the same.
i emailed Micromega tech support with my questions and information. tech support was extremely quick to respond that they keep the amp "on" for 6-7 days at a time, never turning it off, and occasionally turning it off over the weekend (at their shop). they measured their temperature to be 107 F, and indicated "it's completely normal. the fan comes on when needed, and doesn't interfere with sound quality."
i've now owned my amp for 3-4 months and i enjoy it on a daily basis.
on a separate note, i've used the headphone jack a few times, sparingly, and concur with others that it may be underpowered? i've only tried it with Grado SR-80, and I turn the volume to 50-60 to be fully immersed. for reference, these headphones' impedance is 32 ohm with 99.8 db sensitivity.
I measure the top it an IR thermometer at 95F and at the side where the “vent” is at 97F both at idle and running. Can occasionally hear the fan with my ear close by but certainly not at listening position with no music on. I switched from fairly high end tube integrated and think the M100 sounds fantastic. As for Roon endpoint, I doubt anyone has it yet since they haven’t released it, but an email from Micromega assured it’s coming. I’m looking forward to it since Roon has been one of the best stereo/music purchases I’ve made. The ability to explore my collection in new ways is so worth the price. For me, free doesn’t always equal value.
Can anyone report back on the fan noise? Is it bothersome and does it run a lot? How about the temperature of the unit. Is it very high and something you worry about for longevity?
I have the M-100. I've heard no fan noise. External temp of the case is at best warm at end of the day (~6-8hrs powered on, with a couple 2hr listening sessions). I don't worry about longevity.
... Ethernet port will become an ROON end-point by the end of 2018. Does anyone have this feature implemented yet?
I don't use Roon. For me open-source (free) alternatives + UPnP/DLNA are better value. DLNA already supported by the M-One's.
How do you guys compare the sound of the unit ... Specifically with the layering of the sound and the air around instruments?
If sounds-like-Rolling-Stones-playing-Hey Negrita-right-in-the-room-with-you is equivalent to "layering" and "air around instruments", then yes.
Can anyone report back on the fan noise? Is it bothersome and does it run a lot?
How about the temperature of the unit. Is it very high and something you worry about for longevity?
I was told recently that the Ethernet port will become an ROON end-point by the end of 2018. Does anyone have this feature implemented yet?
How do you guys compare the sound of the unit. Is it comparable to a highish end integrated such as the Mark Levinson 585 or Luxman 509x. Specifically with the layering of the sound and the air around instruments? The new Mark Levinson 5000 series is a cheaper alternative to the ML 585 and something that I am also looking at for a small room.
I played around for a bit with my Sennheiser/Massdrop HD6xx both with and without binaural. For me loud is about 50 and I didn’t try to go up to 60. So far I think the circuit sounds a little dark and not too detailed, but I want to spend some more time with it. This is compared to my desktop Teac 501. The binaural light sounds pretty good but the medium and strong sound too processed. It would be nice to be able to add a little eq.
At first attempt the M-100 headphone-out circuit seems wimpy driving Sennheiser HD650's. Must pump volume all the way up to level 60 before it reaches dB levels I consider 'loud', and even then the HD650 characteristic 'dark veil' is present in the sound (indicating an under-powered source). By contrast my Creek 5350se drives the HD650's effortlessly and with buckets of dB's, lucidity, articulation, deep- and hi, blah blah quack quack, etc.
Maybe this is just the way M-100 is config'd from factory (ie really have to jack it with hi-impedance 'phones like the 300ohm HD650's)?
Or, the M-100 headphone-out is really anemic. I didn't find any specs for it in the docs (output impedance, power, etc).
Just another informational update. I had originally had my subwoofer hooked up to the binding posts. I received clarification from Micromega on the sub out. It outputs 20 Hz to 400 Hz while the binding posts continue to output full range. So I hooked up an RCA cable from sub out to my subwoofers low level line in (with a y built into the RCA cable) and readjusted the sub controls since I get louder output this way. I re-ran mars calibration and the system is sounding great. Not necessarily better but a much cleaner wiring hookup and I’ve bumped the bass up a tad as part of the process and the whole system sounds fuller. every time I turn it on, I’m struck by how much presence the human voice has with the M100.
"...they said they were going to integrate Qobuz in their app hopefully by the end of the year"
Yup, that’s what they replied to me when I asked about the outdated Android app. Looks like Micromega has outsourced that development to a 3rd-party, and from the reply there might even be contractual obligation to finish the work by end of year - which includes Qobuz integration
on 9/6/2018 3:33 AM <Micromega> wrote : ... Indeed we decided to go straight to and finalize the iOS version before Android. But as the software is very demanding in term of time, cost and development, [we] decided to work with a new software company dedicated & specialized in the Android development! [In] our agreement with them, [the] entire development including Tidal, Qobuz, deezer, web radio and audio server has to be completed by December 31st 2018. ...
Cordialement, AUDIS / MICROMEGA 13-15 rue du 8 mai 1945 Parc d’activité de la Haie Griselle 94470 Boissy-saint-Leger
I emailed Micromega and they said they were going to integrate Qobuz in their app hopefully by the end of the year. I guess about the same time Qobuz is suppose to be available in th US.
Totally agree with that. Let the spender of the money be the last word on what’s-worth-the-money.
"...upsampled to DSD or tried various filter settings that are features in the pay-for apps that I believe has a lot of potential?"
I haven’t tried any of that, but I’d like to. Have you tried such modded source material on the M-100? How would you describe the output from your speakers, compared to unmodified?
"...interface and ability to dig into your music collection in Roon is worth money..."
Yes that seems to be a Roon value-add that some people find worth the cost of the software.
"...the time when it was expected to pay for things related to music"
I think the institutionalized expectation of ’paying for things related to music’ has in large part created an industry where hype and ’manufacturing consent’ drive music-enjoyers to spend lots of money on products of dubious objective value. Whether there’s sufficient subjective value to the beholder, well, that returns us to let-the-money-spender be the last word.
Usery - I was interested in your statement “The hype surrounding the playback performance of some of the pay-for apps is just that: hype.” And whether you have upsampled to DSD or tried various filter settings that are features in the pay-for apps that I believe has a lot of potential. The “everything sounds the same” crowd, whether it is the resolving power of the system or the hearing, may dismiss, but changing pre-ring settings or some of the other filters in Audirvana result in real changes. And as I’ve said before, the interface and ability to dig into your music collection in Roon is worth money to me. Maybe I just come from the time when it was expected to pay for things related to music...
"...curious how many different music streaming programs or apps have you listened to on the Micromega or others?
benb: are you curious about observations on music "streaming" performance/features? That is, the 'transport' feature set that gets source material from point A to point B? Or something else?
Can't say about the phono stage but my normal listening levels on M100 for cdp digital in or streaming from my server or radio stations is about 22- 25.
I have the M-150 and have had it in my listening room for several months. I ignored the MARS (came stock) for about a month and then calibrated the room using the included microphone -- it made a tremendous difference as I have a challenging room full of concrete and glass... i know, i know... However, this is one of the main reasons I purchased this integrated and it's paying significant dividends.
I'll echo what's been said above that the streaming capabilities work very well and I typically run iTunes or Pandora via the airplay interface via the LAN input. I wouldn't say it sounds sublime, but it's the best I've heard considering the source material.
I use a Oppo 203 as a CD source, connected to the line input. I don't have fancy interconnects, but the CD sounds a little bright in general. Extremely detailed, however, and very enjoyable. I have also used the digital out of the Oppo connected to the optical input of the M-150 and this sounds much much smoother and refined. I have yet to explore further.
My turntable, a Linn LP-12, sounds tremendous via the MM input. Enough said there. I was skeptical, but it works. My only complaint is that volume levels need to near 45-60 for decent listening levels -- I'm not sure if that's normal for this amp or not and would be interested in others' perspectives. For the record (pun intended!), my cartridge is a Grado Silver2 and I believe the M-150 sensitivity for MM is 12 mvrms (1.2 mvrms for MC input). As an additional inquiry, if anyone knows, do I risk any damage to my phono stage or speakers if I plug into the MC stage? I have tried it and normal listening levels occur at 25 or so, which I rather like, but I'm not sure if there is any risk of damage to the system.
Happy to continue engaging in this thread, but these are some thoughts for now.
"I don't need jriver..." " All the M100 needs is a NAS with DLNA or like I said an old windows computer with DLNA enabled and a shared drive or folder."
djones51: right on ... am a big fan of simplifying and using what we already got and/or is freely available. The hype surrounding the playback performance of some of the pay-for apps is just that: hype.
Besides if I wamt to convert I can use Foobar convert the files ,save to my hard drive and the M100 will play it. All the M100 needs is a NAS with DLNA or like I said an old windows computer with DLNA enabled and a shared drive or folder.
I don't need jriver to sream my cd library the iOS app for the M100 finds my DLNA server and streams it direct. My router does DLNA I attach a usb drive to the router the M100 finds it, sounds great. That's what I like about the M100 I don't need a seperate streamer it is a streamer , I don't need jriver or any other third party media player. DLNA is built into windows I could simply share a folder on my computer and the M100 finds it, I have tried it works great as well. Now jriver or some of these other players can convert to higher rates and such but I have never noticed any improvement in SQ by doing that. A downloaded file already in a higher rate is different than upconversion which doesn't do much for me.
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