Musical Fidelity M8xi Integrated Amplifier

A dual-mono, 550 Wpc integrated amp with DAC

 The musical Fidelity M8xi is a preamp with two monobloc power amps sharing a common chassis. Each has its own heat sink and separate transformer. The preamp is mounted close to the input sockets and so the signal paths are extremely short, and the power amps draw from an extremely low impedance signal. Each channel has 12 big bipolar transistors, and 200 amps peak-to-peak is easily available.

The metalwork is of a very high quality, with the front panel being made of fine line extrusion of milspec aluminum. The custom-made heat sinks have outstanding dissipation characteristics and finish. 

New Circuitry

The directive with the M8xi was to keep feedback levels low, and yet improve efficiency and performance without affecting sound quality. The drive stage is pure class A, and output stage efficiency has been increased, yielding about 10% more power for similar power supply voltage.

The sound stage appears wider whilst the micro and macro dynamics have more impact. The M8xi has the openness and directness of a small Class A amplifier, but with huge power.

The DAC

The M8xi also features a five-input DAC with its own power supply. It is based on the Texas Instruments PCM5242 TI and offers coax, optical, and USB inputs.  Incoming streams are upsampled and reclocked.

Specifications

Power Output (8 ohm, 4 ohm): 550 W, 870 W

Input Impedance (RCA, XLR): 25 KΩ, 50 KΩ

Damping Factor: 150

Analog Inputs: 4 x stereo RCA, 2 x stereo XLR

Digital Inputs: 2 x coax S/PDIF (192-24), 2 x optical (96-24), 1 x USB B (192-24)

Analog Outputs: 1 x stereo RCA line, 1 x stereo RCA pre, 1 x stereo XLR line

Digital Outputs: 1 x Coax S/PDIF up to 24 bit 192kHz, 1 x optical up to 24 bit 96kHz

Dimensions (WHD): 19" x 7.3 x 20" (485 x 185 x 510 mm)

Weight: 101 lb