Sound quality
Connected to a Cambridge Audio 851A and a
pair of Audio Note AN-Ks, the CLiC was simplicity itself to connect to a
network and talking to the various servers on it. Kicking off with the
wonderful Machines of Love and Grace by Martha Tilston, demonstrated that the
CLiC has many behavioral traits in common with the M1 DAC and is none the worse
for that. The presentation is impressively natural and free of any digital
fingerprint, but has an engaging sense of life and rhythm. If there is a beat
to find, the CLiC will latch on to it.
The other impressive area of performance is
the bass. The CLiC manages to go impressively deep and has good levels of
detail and texture while it does so. There no unnecessary emphasis to this and
neither does it seem forced or unnatural bit if you return to the CLiC after
listening to other devices, you find yourself impressed at the grunt involved.
The soundstage helps too – the Musical Fidelity creates a believable and
convincing layout of instruments and voices that sympathetically matches the
space of the piece from claustrophobic booth to live stadium.
The
only real limitation of the CLiC is control rather than sound, related
As a high resolution product, the
performance with 24-bit recordings is suitably convincing. The Face of Mount
Molehill by the Neil Cowley Trio is a wonderfully vivid and compelling
performance. The piano that underpins many of the tracks is absolutely and
unambiguously real. It has a weight and decay to it is rare (although not
impossible) to hear with 16-bit recordings and the effect is superbly natural.
The CLiC has sufficient talent with high res that it rather makes you wish
there was more of it.
The Internet radio and iPod sections also
worked well. The vTuner selected stations in particular are good enough to
warrant ditching your DAB, if not necessarily your cherished FM unit. The iPod
connection if fast and easy to access but has the same limitation that all USB
interfaces have in that it will directly access the ‘iPod’ section of the
device and won’t let you use an iPod Touch or iPhone as a method of accessing
streaming services on the cheap. You could easily make use of an iPod transport
connected to one of the digital inputs to achieve this.
The only real limitation of the CLiC is
control rather than sound, related. As a preamp, the analogue sources connected
sound much the same coming out the other end, and the digital inputs have the
same impressive musicality that the streaming section does. The problem is with
the control of the preamp itself. I would say that the control app is essential
as the volume ramping via the remote is slow and has a tendency to overshoot.
Even via the control ap, there is a sense that the CLiC could benefit from more
volume increments, as there were a few occasions where I found myself wishing
for a volume point between two selectable levels. This is an area where the
M1HPA excels, and the difference is noticeable.
Conclusion
Musical Fidelity’s CLiC is a very
impressively specified and highly capable device, one that has much to
recommend it. As a means of collating your sources, the inclusion of the
analogue inputs effectively puts the CLiC in a group of one. As a preamp, the
limitations of the digital-only volume with no physical control means that the
M1HPa is still probably the most capable member of the family in this regard,
but as a means of extending the flexibility of a preamp with limited inputs,
this is a fantastic place to start looking. Sonically, the CLiC realizes the
potential of high resolution audio and manages to sound rather good with CD
quality material as well. There is no shortage of competition at the price, but
the unique specification and sonic ability of the CLiC means that you would be
foolish to ignore it. It’s a stonkingly good streamer, no less!
The rivals
Since it was launched some eighteen months
ago, a number of rival streamers have popped up out of the woodwork, but
interestingly there’s still really nothing around that does exactly what does
exactly what the CLiC does, so well, and/or so easily.
In operational terms, Pioneer’s N-50 is the
closet to the CLiC – offering as it does high quality color screen which gives
a very nice user interface should you wish to do things the old fashioned way
and not have to go off and find your smartphone in order to change the track!
It also gives good sound, but you’d hardly put it in the same league as the
(admittedly more expensive) Musical Fidelity. The N-59 is clean and open but
lacks the tonal warm and soundstage depth of the CLiC.
Marantz’s NA7004 is up there with MuFi in
terms of sonics, but feels positively Paleolithic from a user point of view;
it’s wired Ethernet-only and lacks the visual fireworks and flexibility of the
luxurious CLiC.
Connections
Connections
1.
RCA line input
2.
iPod input
3.
Wi-Fi antenna
4.
Coaxial digital in
5.
Optical digital in
6.
USB digital input
In sight
In
sight
1.
Fascia control and display assembly
2.
Non-magnetic aluminum chassis
3.
Main audio board mounted to chasses
4.
RCA phono analogue input board
5.
Stream Unlimited streaming board
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Specifications
§ Product:
Musical Fidelity M1 CLiC
§ Origin:
UK/Taiwan
§ Type:
DAC/streamer
§ Weight:
3.3kg
§ Dimensions:
(WxHxD) 220x100x300mm
§ Features:
Color LCD screen
§ 4xRCA
Phono inputs, 2x RCA coaxial, 1x TOSLINK digital input
§ 1
front & 1 rear USB type A socket, 1 USB type ‘B’ connector
§ Distributor:
Musical Fidelity
§ Website:
musicalfidelity.com
Our verdict
§ Sound
quality: 5/5
§ Value
for money: 5/5
§ Build
quality: 5/5
§ Features:
5/5
§ Like:
Clean, open, musical sound; excellent streaming implementation; easy NAV via
color screen; features
§ Dislike:
nothing at all at this price!
§ We
say: one of the very best value streamers on sale today, this is an essential
audio
§ Overall:
5/5
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