"Oodles of Power and a Refined Yet Gutsy Sound"
Musical Fidelity's M5si combines a high performance DAC with a true high end amplifier. With its significant power output of 150 watts-per-channel and a high current delivery, it will drive virtually any loudspeaker easily. A very low noise and distortion, high-quality preamplifier completes the integrated amplifier giving a perfect sound from a compact looking full size unit.
The M5si DAC delivers superb music playback via a USB interface and a high-quality phono stage for great performance with your turntable. Naturally, it sounds as amazing as you would expect, and even more, since it is a Musical Fidelity product.
"Keenly-priced classic integrated offers sharp looks, oodles of power and a refined yet gutsy sound. A must-listen!" raves the April 2016 issue of Hi-fi News & Record Review.
Independent Monoblock Internal Construction
The M5si boasts very low distortion, outstanding noise ratio, and an extremely flat frequency response. It produces an extraordinary sweet clear lucid sound. Significantly, it was developed in the wake of Musical Fidelity's amazing legendary Nu-Vista 800. Consequently, some of the Nu-Vista 800’s subtle PCB layout solutions have found their way into the M5si to great advantage.
Internally the M5si is configured as two independent monoblock amplifiers with a separate preamp, but all of the internal components are mounted on a single circuit board. The technical performance of the M5si is approximately equal to the performance of its 'bigger' sibling, the far more pricey M6si.
A System's Worth of Connections
When it comes to inputs and outputs, the M5si has got you covered. On the input end, it features four pairs of line level RCA connectors (CD, Tuner, Aux1, and Aux2). One of the Aux inputs is configured as an Auxiliary / Home Theater input which is configurable via a rear panel switch. In the Home Theater mode, this input is unaffected by the M5i's volume control, allowing the volume control on an external home theater processor to be used directly. There's also a phono input and a USB interface, plus a trigger in.
Outputs consist of a fixed line level output as well as a variable preamp output. There is also a trigger out.
Low-noise Phono Stage
The M5si features a low noise MM moving magnet phono stage, which allows you to plug your turntable with MM moving magnet phono cartridge directly into the back of the amp with no separate external phono stage required. The phono stage has very accurate RIAA equalization, within ± 0.5dB from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, maintained out to 50 kHz. The signal-to-noise ratio is an impressive >70dB 'A'-weighted.
Asynchronous USB
Using Musical Fidelity's highly regarded implementation of digital circuitry, the 24-bit 96 kHz asynchronous USB input distills the finest details from computer-sourced music. Jitter is virtually eliminated, noise is incredibly low, and distortion is virtually nonexistent.
"Excellent, Hunky Build Quality"
The M5si sports what Musical Fidelity's Antony Michaelson terms an "excellent, hunky build quality." It projects a deep and wide stereo image with very extended bass and a crystalline top end without a trace of harshness.
Available in sleek black or silver finish, the M5si will aesthetically match any future M5s series product as well as current M3s and M6s series products. Such combinations will yield one of the best hi-fi systems available at anywhere near price – delivering true musical fidelity.
