Is now everything fine using an MC-3+USB, fine in the sense that the quality of music servers or accessories, such as USB cables, does not play any or only a minor role? Unfortunately, I have to disappoint you. The difference between a "normal" Windows 10 system and a Windows 10 tuned with AudiophileOptimizer is also significant with the MC-3+USB. The same applies to the used player software. For me, the JPLAY Streamer ranks first. Obviously, the MC-3+USB cannot iron out all errors in the chain. Despite or just because of the MC-3+USB, I can still distinguish the JPLAY USB reference cable effortlessly – a review will follow – from any cheap USB wire. However, due to my gained experience, I would, next to the optimization of the operating system, first invest in the MC-3+USB, followed by a reasonable USB cable and, if necessary, some additional accessories.

Actually, my report would have ended at this point had it not been for a long phone call at the beginning of September with MUTEC’s CEO, Mr. Christian Peters that led to consequences. In the course of this conversation, he explained to me that the MC-3+USB could also be cascaded, that two devices connected in series could achieve yet an additional sonic improvement. As we quickly agreed that this would be worth trying out, at short notice Mr. Peters allocated me another MC-3+USB.

In my experimental setup, the cascade of connecting two MC-3+USB units via a BNC connectors equipped S/P-DIF cable worked right away. No matter what sampling rate the audio data has, both devices synchronize fast and reliably. I am amazed what additional positive effect another re-clocking has on the sonic image. Immediately, the improvements are clearly audible and given in the same direction as already described, meaning still more cleanliness and naturalness in combination with an improved spatial resolution and clarity. In the ‘Intermezzo from Goyescas’, the strings lose their remaining rest of sharpness. At this point corresponding a lot better to the piece’s character, the size of the horn instruments is reproduced even more realistic, appearing less obtrusive and at the same time more intense. It is always amazing how fast one can get used to an improved sound which becomes evident when you go back to the initial state, in my case to a single MC-3+USB. Quite obviously – not contradicting the MC-3+USB’s quality but being rather a nature of things – the effect of a re-clocking process is not limitless. Thus, a subsequent re-clocking process based on a very clean signal can achieve a further improvement. Do not get me wrong, the sonic improvement of cascading two MC-3+USB devices is not twice as much as one can achieve by using only one MC-3+USB. Here again the rule is true that the expenditure for a particular result does not increase linearly but rather exponentially with the progressive optimization. Still, two MC-3+USB units are better than one MC-3+USB alone!