In practice, the operation of the MC-3+USB proves itself easier than it first seems. All settings are controlled by only two buttons on the front panel. Pressing the Menu button invokes the basic function menus, which generally correspond to the vertical LED rows from left to right. Subsequently, individual functions can be selected by using the Select button within a basic function menu, which means switching between the individual LEDs within a vertical LED row. Once you got used to it, it works amazingly well in practice whereas I have the feeling that the manual is not really helpful.

My review of the MC-3+USB turned out to be much more extensive than I had originally planned. In the last few weeks and months, I tried the MC-3+USB in many different configurations and was repeatedly very pleasantly surprised. But let us take one step at a time. I started with my Sony laptop, running a special installation of Windows 10 that was optimized as far as possible with the program AudiophileOptimizer which I will cover in a separate article. The installed media servers include MinimServer and the media players JPLAY and JRIVER 19. Since we work with Windows, first the corresponding USB driver has to be installed for the MC-3+USB which behaves like a DAC in this respect. Then I connected the MC-3+USB’s input with the laptop via a USB connection and its output by S/P-DIF with the Mytek Brooklyn’s appropriate input. At any time, even with the often critical switching between files with different sampling rates or data formats, the USB connection worked perfectly. In JPLAY, the extreme settings for the DAC connection could be fully thrashed out. Apparently, the ever so important matching of the USB driver and USB input module is a brilliant success.

The MC-3+USB provides a significant tonal improvement that is instantly audible without any major difficulties. All recordings - no matter what genre - sound a lot cleaner and more natural. The treble gains in suppleness, the important timing is much tighter and there are clear changes in spaciousness. This sonic gain can be very well perceived at the ‘Intermezzo from Goyescas’ of Enrique Granados with the New Philharmonia Orchestra, directed by Rafael Frübeck des Burgos (Decca Legacy Volume One - FIM UHD). Without any harshness, the expressive string entries at the beginning and in the middle of the piece gain a lot of charismatic power. Without the MC-3+USB, the comparison appears almost coarse-grained. The horns, which lead to the song’s climax stand no longer more or less diffuse in the room but suddenly become clearer defined in terms of their size and their placement in the orchestra. Applying to all musical genres, the spaciousnes of the recording thereby improves considerably, less so in absolute depth but in clarity and concision. With one of my favourites ‘Don’t know why’ (Norah Jones: Come Away With Me; 96 kHz), Norah Jones' wonderful and sensitive voice is now clearly focused while the instrumental accompaniment at the same time shows much more to advantage. It's simply fun!