Outboard DACs

With company founder Antony Michaelson on the cusp of retiring in 2018, the future of Musical Fidelity looked to be in the balance until Heinz Lichtenegger – CEO of Audio Tuning Vertriebs GmbH, parent company of Pro-Ject Audio Systems – stepped into the breach and saved the day. The two company directors had worked closely for many years as Audio Tuning Vertriebs GmbH was already Musical Fidelity's distributor in Austria. Perhaps, and with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, the outcome might have been predicted. Nevertheless the sale of the brand name and associated intellectual property was completed in May 2018, with MF's worldwide distribution, after-sales support and Far Eastern manufacturing left relatively unchanged. However, while 'Made in Wembley, England' is now replaced by 'Made in Austria' much of the new design thinking still originates from the UK and the pen of Simon Quarry. As the engineer behind some of MF's most iconic products of the past, Simon was persuaded to return and look afresh at what the 'new' Musical Fidelity might achieve. His debut product is the new M8xi integrated amplifier [HFN Jul '20] and winner of EISA's 'High-End Integrated Amplifier 2020-2021'. PM