WHAT HI-FI? May 2000

The X-Can V2 ... boasting a completely new circuit designed using experience gained developing the £1200 Nu-Vista preamp. The company claims the result is a fuller, more detailed sound, the V2 being able to drive the most difficult headphone load with ease.

And the new X-Can delivers ... what strikes is the greater clarity and resolution on offer compared with the original design, along with the way the presentation loses much of the unwanted 'in-head' feel.

Whether it's a Bach concerto or the soundtrack to The Beach, there's a ton of timbre and texture to be enjoyed, while the balance has a correctness we find hard to fault ... the sheer separation here means you're never left feeling short changed.

What really sold the new design to us though was a night spent ... spinning some of Steely Dan's better-recorded LPs ... Seldom have we found a sound so sweet.

HI-FI WORLD April 2000

This is the improved version of the X-Cans ... And, like the rest of the range, they've (almost annoyingly) got it right again.

The X-Can V2 aims (and succeeds) in giving a totally neutral sound. Everything ... was open and detailed. Space between voices and instruments was even more pronounced than usual through the [headphones], so that a truly out of the head sound was experienced.

You have to remember that headphone listening is vastly different to stereo 'speakers, and the V2s take one step further in making the two closer by bringing depth and breadth to the picture rather than merely blaring music into your lugholes! Highly recommended!

GRAMOPHONE June 2000

The MF is a valve design, with the sweet-sounding EC88s powering your cans retained from the original design, but wired into an all-new circuit based on that found in the £1200 Nu-Vista preamp.

Those familiar with the original will immediately notice the greater separation and precision on offer here, the V2 sounding far crisper and cleaner than the X-Cans, and better able to bring out the intricacies of the mix thanks to a dose of extra detail.

The V2 [has] some nice taut bass and a treble that glistens with sparkle and air.

Play the Glinka and you're treated to a presentation that treads a fine line between spaciousness and weight. Cellos have real substance yet are never lacking in slam, the brass has superb bite yet never sounds abrasive, and the strings are conveyed with both fury and finesse. Overall, there's a correctness to the presen-tation that's hard to criticise and which never robs the powerhouse orchestral play of its excitement.

Similarly, load up the Schubert Sonata and the V2 delivers all the dynamics of the staccato opening along with plenty of tonal colour. There are some good acoustic clues as to the size of the recording venue. As for the Mozart, voices are conveyed with fine presence and clear articulation and are perceived to be standing well forward of the orchestra - despite being heard over headphones. Better still, the V2 manages to capture fully the spirit of the piece and at times is capable of rare magic in that it conveys a sense that the performance is happening 'right now'. For the money, the Musical Fidelity amp is a star. Compared with the other head amps tested, "for sheer value for money, the Musical Fidelity really stands out. It is tight, airy and offers greater insight into the music...it's a fine buy.

Specifications
Output power Typically 1W
Input impedance 47kOhms
THD <0.015% 20Hz-20kHz unweighted
<0.005% 20Hz-20kHz 'A' weighted
S/N ratio >96dB unweighted ref. full output
>108dB 'A' weighted ref. full output
Frequency response 30Hz to 75kHz <+/-1.0dB
Power requirement 12V AC 500mA (via mains adaptor supplied)