Clarifies the sound tremendously, especially in the mids through highs.

None that I can pinpoint.

This is a great product at at incredibly cheap price. I am using the Monarchy DIP Mk. 2 between an old Marantz 465 CD player using an RCA digital out and an MSB Link. The Link by itself was a great upgrade to my system; with the Monarchy DIP the sound is definitely moving to the sublime. Putting the DIP in had the effect of making instruments sound much more like the real thing: cymbals had more "cymbal-ness", trumpets more "trumpet-ness", drums more "drum-ness"--you get the picture. I think I can even identify on some recordings the brand of acoustic guiter being played (I play some and have a pretty good ear for such things). In terms of areas of sound that are improved, decays are much more realistic, microdynamics more discernable, imaging a little more precise, soundstage a little more defined, tonality seems to be improved. This is without adding etchiness. If you have a more modern and less jittery digital source the improvements may not be as noticible, but for a standard price of $199 from Audio Advisor, it has to be the cheapest way to make an improvement when you are running digital separates.

Associated equipment:
Marantz 465 CD
MSB Link DAC
Adcom 565 Preamp (run in bypass mode)
modified Hafler DH 220 amp
Snell E.5 speakers
JPS Labs Ultraconductor Digital connectors
JPS Ultraconductor Interconnects
AudioTruth Clear 3 speaker cables

Similar Products Used:

None

Excellent build quality. Converts icky Toslink digital out to coaxial out for your DAC or A/V receiver's digital input. Stunning improvements in CD AND DVD sound quality. Works splendidly with Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks! Can be used with Toslink and coaxial digital outputs. Under $200.

Absolutely none except that I'm buying two more: One for my DVD player and one for the toslink digital out on my laserdisc player.

I ordered one of these through Audio Advisor after reading about them on this site.

Got home and first played a couple of CD's that I was really familiar with before inserting the DIP Mk II into the chain. Then I inserted the DIP Mk II between the CD player and the digital input of my receiver. I only listen to CD's in stereo mode. No silly surround effects.

Immediately noticeable was that the soundstage was much, MUCH deeper, extending beyond the outside of the front speakers themselves. Imaging was much clearer with individual instruments clearly located within a point in space with a more rounded, three dimentional quality that I'd always associated with vacuum tubs and megabuck electronic gear. Bass was much tighter, much deeper, more transparent, and more powerful than I believed the Mission 774's were capable of without the help from a sub. There was a startling increase in overally clarity that was nothing short of jaw dropping. Music, especially percussion, sound faster as if the leading edge attack is faster and crisper with a noticeable improvement in decay as well. I kept taking the DIP out of my system and putting it back, thinking I'd somehow lost it and I was imagining it all. Thankfully the magic returned every time I inserted the DIP Mk II back into the chain. Suddenly my bread-and-butter cd changer sounds remarkably similar to a friend's $2500 transport/DAC combo. I borrowed the DIP to this friend and after a half-hour listening session, he got up and ordered one from Audio Advisor's website on the spot! The improvements weren't as obvious or dramatic, but it certainly improved the sound of his system as well.

On DVD, the changes were no less dramitic. On Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks, most noticeable was how dialogue (the Mission 77C is one of the best center channel speakers I've heard and I've heard a lot!) was even more clearer than I thought possible and the entire front speaker presentation had more depth while at the same time voices and other sounds had far more specificity than ever before. Surround information was far more clear and far more discernable than I'd hear in any home theater system including a few belonging to friens that cost several times more than my setup. Sub bass effects took on a level of force and speed I didn't think was possible within the format.

I invited a few tin-eared friends of mine over for listen and each of them reported the differences were immediately noticeable and made the system sound more like the performance was right there in the room with us.

The improvments rendered by the DIP Mk II are so dramatic and bring me so much closer to the music and the movie soundtracks that I'm buying two more DIP Mk II's my DVD, CD and LD sources. I can't recommend this product highly enough.

My system:
Sony CDP-CA80ES CD Changer w/Straightwire Toslink cable
Monarchy DIP Mk. II
Audioquest Digital Pro Coax(0.5M)
Pioneer VSX-26TX Dolby Digital A/V Receiver
MIT Terminator 4 (2 pairs, biwired, shotgun configuration)
Mission 774 Mains, 77C Center, 77DS Surrounds, 70as Sub
Toshiba 2109 DVD Player w/MIT T-3 Digital cable

Similar Products Used:

None.