Musical Fidelity V90 BLU5 HD

The V90 BLU5 HD from Musical Fidelity is a streamer that offers you exceptional high-end Bluetooth playback. It uses the latest Bluetooth 5.0 technology, which enables increased bandwidth and range. Equipped with aptX HD, it allows wireless transmission of high-resolution audio formats. Special features include a separate DAC and SRC circuit design with re-clocking and upsampling for improved sound quality. Another highlight is the flexible input extension, which enables easy integration into existing hi-fi systems. The V90 BLU5 HD impresses with a transmission performance that will satisfy even the most demanding audio enthusiasts.

• Bluetooth chip CSR8670
• Bluetooth radio specification v5.0
• SBC, Qualcomm® aptX™, aptX™ HD
• aptX™ HD max. 24bit/96kHz; 576kbit/s
• Carrier frequency 2.402 to 2.480 GHz
• Transmission power +10dBm (max.)
• Class 5 up to 240M range
  
• Class 2 up to 30 m range

• Burr-Brown PCM 1781D 24/192 DAC
• Burr-Brown SRC4392 re-clocking and up-sampling chip
• THD(+ Rauschen): <0,01% ('A' wtd)
• Frequency response: +0, -0.1dB
• Separation: -78dB
  
• Signal-to-noise ratio: -80 dB ('A' wtd)

• 1x line-level cinch
• 1x RCA coaxial up to SPDIF 24 bit/192 kHz
• 1x TOSLINK optical up to 24 bit/96 kHz

• 1x line-level cinch
• 1x RCA coaxial SPDIF up to 24 bit/192 kHz
  
• 1x TOSLINK optical up to 24bit/96kHz

• Dimensions - WxHxD (mm): 170 x 47 x 117
• Weight (unpacked/packed): 590 g/1.05 kg

• 1x 12 V 500 mA DC power supply unit
• 1x Bluetooth antenna
• User manual

The V90-BLU5 HD is an advanced Bluetooth receiver that is ideal for streaming high-resolution music formats from smartphones, tablets, MACs and PCs directly to your favorite hi-fi system. It features an improved Bluetooth 5.0 standard for greater range and transmission bandwidth, as well as aptX HD support. Compared to most Bluetooth receivers that use the integrated DAC on the Bluetooth chip itself, the V90-BLU5 HD goes the truly high-end route. It uses a separate DAC with re-clocking and upsampling, based on the first-class Burr-Brown PCM1781D chip. Bluetooth has never sounded so good, and finally there's proper integration for high-end systems using Bluetooth for serious music listening. Get the warmth, detail, transparency and dynamics from your music that is so often missing from other Bluetooth implementations.

The vast majority of Bluetooth receivers use digital-to-analog converters that are integrated directly into the Bluetooth chip. These are usually of mediocre quality as they are designed for hands-free car kits or small portable mobile speakers that do not require parameters that meet the requirements of high-end audio. Their low quality has a negative impact on the sound. V90 BLU5 HD uses a separate DAC based on the first-class Burr-Brown PCM1781D chip. The digital signal from the Bluetooth receiver is re-clocked and up-converted. It is then processed by the D/A converter.

A high quality sample rate converter from Burr Brown whose job is to re-clock all signals and convert them to 24 bit and 192 kHz. The upsampling performed in this sophisticated and clean implementation allows us to achieve the lowest levels of distortion and maintain and improve the integrity of your Bluetooth wireless audio.

Most Bluetooth receivers use standard hands-free chips. The V90 BLU5 HD features a hi-fi audio chip from leading manufacturer Qualcomm. The CSR8670 is a premium product designed for high-quality wireless audio performance and supports the development of highly differentiated, premium wireless audio products. CSR8670 even has a relatively high quality onboard DAC - also with 24/192 capability. However, after extensive listening tests, we realized we could do better and designed and built our own digital section consisting of a separate SRC and DAC in typical Musical Fidelity fashion. The result was worth it, because we have probably made the best Bluetooth receiver on the market!

Bluetooth 5.0 is the latest version of the Bluetooth wireless communication standard. It contains various improvements, but these only come into effect when used with compatible peripheral devices. We were able to increase the range of the Bluetooth connection to up to 240 meters (compared to 30 meters with Bluetooth 2.0). Even with obstacles and walls, we can access more bandwidth so that we can guarantee consistently high bit rates for your aptX HD transmission. Of course, this requires a mobile device that also supports these standards. If you have an older phone without BT 5.0, the standard is still fully backwards compatible and simply reverts to earlier BT versions, albeit with a loss of range and bandwidth.

V90 BLU5 HD is equipped with aptX HD. It was developed to meet the growing demand for high-resolution audio. This improved codec supports 24-bit high-resolution formats over Bluetooth. For aptX HD to work, it must also be supported by your mobile device. Through careful engineering and expert PCB design, we have improved the signal-to-noise ratio, resulting in lower background noise. A lower distortion factor and no audible artifacts ensure that you can enjoy your music with virtually no interference. This means that we can now enable you to hear even the smallest details in your music with powerful dynamics and transient detail at a truly high-end level.

The V90 BLU5 HD can be integrated into any audio system, even if there are no free inputs available. It bridges the analog RCA input to its analog output and the digital inputs to its digital outputs. When a Bluetooth source is then played, the V90 automatically recognizes the signal and plays it back instead. If a free input is available, the V90 can be connected in the conventional way and expand the number of inputs via its own analog or digital inputs. We have also included digital outputs in case you ever want to connect your Bluetooth source to another DAC.