Ratings: 4/5
Price: $180
Musical
Fidelity V-CAN II
No headphone output on your amplifier? Musical Fidelity’s V-CAN II may be just the
thing for you. For the reasonable sum of $180 you get a simple yet well-made
unit that produces a rather good sound too.
Features are limited to a single stereo
input and output, plus a volume control. Unusually, though, there are both
3.5mm and 6.3mm headphone outputs on the front panel.
An improved performer
This Mk II version of Musical Fidelity’s
headphone amplifier is a smarter looking affair than the original incarnation,
featuring tweaked circuitry to improve performance.
Play Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite
and the V-Can II is in its element. It conveys a pleasingly open and expressive
sound packed with a high level of detail.
The music’s dynamics are delivered with
fluidity, and there’s a pleasing amount of weight and richness to the low
frequencies.
Move onto the likes of Johnny Cash’s
version of I Won’t Back Down and the Musical Fidelity
continues to shine with a nicely nuanced rendering of Cash’s voice and a lovely
full-bodied sweetness to the presentation.
It’s only when asked to deliver hard
charging, rhythm-driven music such as Blur’s Song 2 that the Musical
Fidelity begins to struggle a little. There’s no problem with insight or
refinement, it’s more that the amplifier has a little trouble in communicating
the energy and rhythmic precision in music such as this. It’s not an enormous
problem, of course: the results are never less than enjoyable, but it trades in
a little too much excitement for our tastes.
Overall, Musical Fidelity’s V-Can II
remains a fine product for the money. Its presentation might not be as totally
rounded as we’d like, but is never less than enjoyable to listen to. And for
that if nothing else, this likeable headphone amp is well worth a serious
listen.
Use it with
Grado SR 80i
An informative pair of headphones that sound great.
