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Product: Manunta Audio EVO3.1 - DAC
Manufacturer: Manunta Audio - Italy
Approx. price: ±€990 (direct sale from official website)
Author: Lucio Cadeddu - TNT-Audio Italy
Published: December, 2024

Foreword

The Italian brand Manunta Audio was born from an offshoot of M2Tech of which Marco Manunta is founder and CEO, always supported by his wife, designer and co-founder Nadia Marino, in an attempt to offer enthusiasts the same quality and sound of M2Tech products, but in a more life-style package: small size, ease of use and lower price. This has been made possible thanks to the cost reduction achieved through direct sales to the public. At the moment the catalogue offers the Evo Phono 3 phono preamp, the D2 EVO DDC 3.1 digital converter and this Evo 3.1 DAC on test.

A closer look

The EVO 3.1 is a small update of the EVO 3 DAC, and it is a very versatile component, despite being small in size (just 150x160x35mm). It offers four inputs (S/PDIF, Toslink, I2S, USB) and both balanced and unbalanced analogue outputs. The heart of this device is the AKM AK4493EQ D/A chipset, equipped with Velvet Sound Technology™, capable of 32 bits of resolution and to handle PCM signals up to 768kHz, and DSD512, with an impressive signal-to-noise ratio of 125 dB. It also handles MQA files. A convenient unified remote control for all Manunta Audio and M2Tech Rockstar Series components completes the package. The volume is adjustable, therefore this EVO 3.1 can also be used as a minimal preamp in a system with digital sources only (no AUX line input is available). From the remote control you can set muting and even phase reversal. There is also an app that allows you to control the device via smartphone/tablet, with some extra functions compared to the physical remote control. A small external (upgradable) power supply completes the package.

The construction is clean and with a good level of finishing, both externally and internally, it is clear that this is a product resulting from long experience in the field of DACs, as per M2Tech tradition. It lacks a display, but several LEDs indicate the selected input and the type of signal in use. Usage is intuitive, the interface with a personal computer via USB is immediate because the device appears as “USB Audio Device Class 2”. No additional drivers are normally required unless your computer has an outdated operating system.

Audiophile Lifestyle

In a market crowded with DACs of every shape, cost and feature, it has become complicated to orient yourself and even justify the introduction of new devices. This EVO 3.1 from Manunta Audio belongs to a generation of audio components that are more lifestyle- than HiFi-oriented and therefore is aimed at a clientele different from that of the classic audiophile. The substantially low price, then, winks at younger customers. All this, however, does not seem to have influenced the sound performance of the device, which is very serious, like a true HiFi component with all the bells and whistles. Generally neutral from a tonal point of view, the EVO3.1 offers an agile, refined and transparent sound. The bass is tight, controlled and quite powerful, albeit with some slight limitations in the first octave, audible only with speakers (and recordings) capable of descending towards the lower reaches of the audio range. Let me clarify better: in normal conditions it will be impossible to perceive this lightness. Once again, I remark that the power of the bass range and its depth are two aspects that are quite unrelated to each other.

Quite commonly, audiophiles measure the amount of low frequencies by looking at the frequency response, for example when it comes to a speaker. Well, it could happen that a component has a devastating bass in terms of power, articulation and control, but is unable to reproduce the first octave. The EVO 3.1 has a very good, powerful, articulated and controlled low range, without smudges or timing errors but a quick comparison with the new Fosi Audio DAC, the ZD3 (soon on these pages), highlights the slight shyness in the first octave I've mentioned above. On the other hand, the EVO 3.1 performs better than the ZD3 in terms of articulation and respect for the correct musical tempo, precisely in the low range. This proves, once again, that bass extension is not everything!

Having clarified this, let me underline the precision and cleanliness of the mid-high range, which possesses a very good harmonic content for the price range to which this DAC belongs. Of course, with very demanding musical programs in this portion of the audio spectrum, from time to time some hardness and some trace of breath-grasping appear, but obviously it would not be reasonable to expect the typical performance of DACs that cost 2-3 times more. Without a direct comparison with higher level components, the reproduced sound is substantially free of significant errors or faults. It is a healthy, correct and precise performance, which allows you to master all musical genres well, with a slight preference for acoustic music, where harmonic richness and transparency play a fundamental role.

The absolutely positive performance is completed by a good 3D image, which also extends laterally, and notable dynamics, especially in the medium-high portion of the audio range. These aspects make it clear that the performance of Manunta Audio's EVO 3.1 DAC goes far beyond what is required from a young and lifestyle product. In fact, you can build around it an audiophile system with excellent expectations and, given that the differences between DACs of similar price are always elusive, I would say that to obtain something significantly superior you would need a much larger budget, and a high performance system.

Complaints

Construction & finish.
Small, easily concealable, well finished, that's the EVO 3.1. The lack of a display is noticeable, but the space available on the front panel doesn't allow for more. To make it even less intrusive, I would have preferred a total black livery (front panel and cabinet) and, perhaps, even some bright colours on request. We are Italians, we must dare when it comes to look. The switches are really small, but quite accessible. It's true that the volume is adjusted via app and remote control but sometimes nothing is more practical than a small volume knob on the front. I know, it would be jarring, but how much more user-friendly would it be?
Sound.
The EVO 3.1 delivers a mature, correct, precise and transparent sound, respectful of musical tempo and harmonic content. Obviously the introspection in the medium-high range, the extension in the first octave and the fluidity of the sound of higher-level machines are missing, but it would be dishonest to have such expectations, given the target and the price. In short, certain refinements come at a cost.

Conclusions

I really liked the EVO 3.1 as it's well built, versatile, easy to use and home-friendly. It sounds correct, and for this reason it will perform well even in good quality systems. A little more courage from an aesthetic point of view (colours, for example) could open the doors to different customers, attentive to quality but who love to have components which are different from the rest. Italian companies should aim more on this aspect, because from abroad people expect an Italian product to be “Made in Italy” from all points of view. Not only that, but it is a card that Italians must play to cope with the increasingly ruthless technological attack of ChiFi.

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© Copyright 2024 Lucio Cadeddu - direttore@tnt-audio.com - www.tnt-audio.com

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