MOTU UltraLite-mk5 Review (Audio Interface)

[Biblob]

If anyone has experience using the Ultralite MK5 as a MCH DAC on Windows, I'd appreciate if you could help me out with my MK4. I've made a separate thread for it.

 

[mdsimon2]

This is what I see under Windows 11 with the Mk5. It gives all of the stereo pair outlets and I can select one I want to use as a default.

In REW I can select any output device I want and play tones / noise through it.

What is it that you want to accomplish that you cannot?

Michael

 

[rkrd]

I'm having issues with my new Ultralite regarding Cuemix, it cannot identify my Ultralite MK5 whilst Windows 10 has it properly setup and I can use the Main 1/2 Inputs and Outputs. Has anyone else had this issue in the past? MOTU Tech support seems to be absent and hasn't replied.

 

[Advadva]

I was looking at the different pictures of mk5 pcbs that are available on the net. I noticed they are of different revisions and parts varies.
FPGA chip could be Altera or Lattice. Some pictures missing electrolytic capacitors array next to the line input and OP amps are also different.
Just wondering if anybody else noticed this too and whether latest revisions are as good as the reviewed one.

 

[redeyes]

I was looking at the different pictures of mk5 pcbs that are available on the net. I noticed they are of different revisions and parts varies.
FPGA chip could be Altera or Lattice. Some pictures missing electrolytic capacitors array next to the line input and OP amps are also different.
Just wondering if anybody else noticed this too and whether latest revisions are as good as the reviewed one.

Really? Can you post some links?

 

[dwkdnvr]

Interesting suggestion. I guess it makes sense that with them being unavailable for so long, they might have had to make production changes due to parts availability. Hopefully nothing that would impact performance, but it's not an unreasonable question to ask.

 

[Advadva]

Really? Can you post some links?

These two articles displays r1.6 internals

声卡领域的产业革命已悄然降临，这一切始于 MOTU UltraLite mk5 - Midifan：我们关注电脑音乐

声卡领域的产业革命已悄然降临，这一切始于 MOTU UltraLite mk5,midifan：我们关注电脑音乐

m.midifan.com

MOTU UltraLite MK5 звуковой интерфейс

MOTU UltraLite MK5 – профессиональный звуковой интерфейс с двумя предусилителями, микшером и аппаратным DSP

prosound.ixbt.com

This video shows r3 pcb

Mk5 Teardown • DcSoundOp

MOTU Ultralite mk5 teardown in 4k with data-sheets linked in the description and lots of hi-res angles of the electronics inside!

www.dcsoundop.com

 

[Grooved]

These two articles displays r1.6 internals

声卡领域的产业革命已悄然降临，这一切始于 MOTU UltraLite mk5 - Midifan：我们关注电脑音乐

声卡领域的产业革命已悄然降临，这一切始于 MOTU UltraLite mk5,midifan：我们关注电脑音乐

m.midifan.com

MOTU UltraLite MK5 звуковой интерфейс

MOTU UltraLite MK5 – профессиональный звуковой интерфейс с двумя предусилителями, микшером и аппаратным DSP

prosound.ixbt.com

This video shows r3 pcb

Mk5 Teardown • DcSoundOp

MOTU Ultralite mk5 teardown in 4k with data-sheets linked in the description and lots of hi-res angles of the electronics inside!

www.dcsoundop.com

Right, the main difference I see is "all ESS" instead of ESS+AKM

So,
R1.6 has Altera and 2 x ESS ES9026PRO DAC + 1 x AKM AK5578 ADC (and it looks the same for the one tested by @Julian Krause )
R3 has Lattice and 2 x ESS ES9026PRO DAC + 2 x ESS ES9842QPRO

 

[redeyes]

AKM for the win, which is what I have. So Julians measurements will not apply to the new revision.

 

[Grooved]

AKM for the win, which is what I have. So Julians measurements will not apply to the new revision.

For the win? There is no reason to be sure of that.
It depends on how it's implemented but:
- AK5578 in 8 channels mode : -112dB THD+N and 121dB dynamic range
- ES9842QPRO in 4 channels mode (there are 2 x 4 channels chips) : -116dB and 122dB

So by data sheet numbers, the new Revision with ESS ADC is better.
To be fair, it's mainly because there are 2 x ESS ADC compared to 1 x AKM ADC because the AKM in mono mode can reach 130dB dynamic range, ESS reaching 128dB

 

[redeyes]

Well the win is the specs he measured were very very good.

 

[AnalogSteph]

To be fair, it's mainly because there are 2 x ESS ADC compared to 1 x AKM ADC because the AKM in mono mode can reach 130dB dynamic range, ESS reaching 128dB

An 8ch ADC in mono mode is obviously going to have a 3 dB noise advantage over a 4ch ADC. Apples to apples it would be 130 dB <-> 131 dB (8ch mono) or 127 dB <-> 128 dB (4ch mono).

With datasheet numbers for DR being that close, the difference in practice is anybody's guess. Which filter setting they are using on the ESS would be the more interesting question. Minimum phase fast rolloff perhaps? I am still not 100% happy with any of them as they tend to be either super flat with so-so stopband rejection or vice versa, but a lot of them would be a substantial improvement over the potato-level AK55xx filters at 48k/96k in particular.

 

[redeyes]

But those filters affect over 20khz when running 48 right?

 

[Biblob]

Does anyone have any experience using the Toslink as input? I connected my Topping BC3 via a Toslink cable with the Motu, but when I started sending music to the BC3, the Motu blasted white noise through killing my ears. I read somewhere about misalligned clocks, but selecting optical as the clock source, it doesn't lock the clock while the BC3 is connected or disconnected. I have an MK4 btw.

 

[redeyes]

Yeah I have toslink ran into it and, no issues at all. Odd.

 

[Grooved]

An 8ch ADC in mono mode is obviously going to have a 3 dB noise advantage over a 4ch ADC. Apples to apples it would be 130 dB <-> 131 dB (8ch mono) or 127 dB <-> 128 dB (4ch mono).

With datasheet numbers for DR being that close, the difference in practice is anybody's guess. Which filter setting they are using on the ESS would be the more interesting question. Minimum phase fast rolloff perhaps? I am still not 100% happy with any of them as they tend to be either super flat with so-so stopband rejection or vice versa, but a lot of them would be a substantial improvement over the potato-level AK55xx filters at 48k/96k in particular.

Right, and it would not be hard to just let picking the filter you want to use. It's there in DACs with ESS chip, so they could do that with audio interface too. It's just one more line in the menu

Does anyone have any experience using the Toslink as input? I connected my Topping BC3 via a Toslink cable with the Motu, but when I started sending music to the BC3, the Motu blasted white noise through killing my ears. I read somewhere about misalligned clocks, but selecting optical as the clock source, it doesn't lock the clock while the BC3 is connected or disconnected. I have an MK4 btw.

Are you sure to have set the optical output as Toslink/SPDIF? it might be set as ADAT

 

[redeyes]

If I swap that connection to ADAT it just cuts out and is silent.. so I am not sure whats going on.

 

[Biblob]

Right, and it would not be hard to just let picking the filter you want to use. It's there in DACs with ESS chip, so they could do that with audio interface too. It's just one more line in the menu

Are you sure to have set the optical output as Toslink/SPDIF? it might be set as ADAT

Yeah I did, so that's not it unfortunately

 

[Grooved]

Check also that you are really sending two channel (set both as stereo pair and send it to the optical output).
Check that you have no loop in the routing settings.
If everything if OK, it's strange that it doesn't work

 

[mdsimon2]

At least on the Mk5 you need to do the following to use a TOSLINK source.

-Set clock source to optical
-Set optical input to TOSLINK (not ADAT)
-Set sample rate to match your source sample rate, it will not automatically switch
-Route TOSLINK input to desired output using Cuemix or your DAW

Michael