M8XI – Integrated Amplifier

The M8xi is a Super Integrated Amplifier.

In 1990, Musical Fidelity made the first-ever Super Integrated amplifier: the A1000. lt received a rapturous welcome and, even today, second hand, is selling at high prices. The A1000 was the first of a long line of Super Integrated Amplifiers from Musical Fidelity. Its children: the NuVista M3, Tri Vista 300, kW500, M6/500i, NuVista 800 and NuVista 600 all were equally enthusiastically welcomed to the audiophile world. The M8xi is the latest and the best of the breed.

General Description

The M8xi is a separate preamp with two monobloc power amps sharing a common chassis. Each has its own heat sink and separate transformer. Genuinely dual mono. The preamp has its own separate power supply and is mounted close to the input sockets. Consequently, PCB tracks are very short. This elegant idea ensures that both channels’ signals are ultra-low impedance the instant they get into the amplifier. This is a significant detail. Each channel has twelve big bipolar transistors – 200 amps peak to peak is easily available. The metalwork is high quality. The front panel is a custom made fine line extrusion of milspec aluminum. The custom made heat sinks have outstanding dissipation characteristics and finish. The M8xi construction has a feeling of solidity and quality.

New Circuitry

Over the last 5 years our power amp circuitry has reached a high state of development. In our never-ending quest for improving performance and customer value we have been looking for ways to improve our designs. One of the prime directives was to keep the low feedback configuration unchanged .. continue with low feedback! The problem was how to improve efficiency and performance without affecting the sound quality. If I say so myself, I think we have come up with a brilliant solution. Our new M8xi power amp design gives higher power, lower distortion, and better sound quality. Incredible but true. The output stage efficiency has been increased thus yielding about 10% more power for similar power supply voltage. More importantly, the whole driver stage is pure Class A. We believe that this innovative approach has a substantial effect on the sound quality. The sound stage appears wider whilst the micro and macro dynamics have more impact. This effect is particularly noticeable on well-recorded piano. I am sure you all know the piano is a percussive instrument but in truth, this is rarely audible on most Hi-Fi systems. Using an M8xi a pianos percussive nature becomes instantly obvious and jumps out of the loudspeaker. lt is a surprising and satisfying improvement to the sound quality. Vocals have more subtly, detail and presence. Large scale music has depth, width, and incredibly dynamic presentation. All in all the M8xi is a consummate all-rounder. Mostly it sounds like a small Class A amplifier with huge power.

The DAC

The M8xi also features a 5 input DAC. DACs are increasingly common in integrated amplifier designs to add convenience when connecting a variety of digital sources, so the decision was taken to build-in a DAC that would perform to a high standard, independently of the amplifier. For added integrity, the DAC features its own power supply. Based around the Texas Instruments PCM5242 TI low-distortion and low-noise DAC chip, which is also employed in many other premium products in the hi-fi industry as well as in previous Musical Fidelity products, the M8xi has 2 x coaxial (S/PDIF), 2 x optical (S/PDIF) and 1 x asynchronous USB Type-B inputs. The coaxial and the USB inputs are capable of supporting hi-res audio streams up-to 24-bit / 192kHz, and the optical input is capable of supporting up-to 24-bit / 96kHz. For maximal performance, all data streams are up-sampled and re-clocked by an internal converter to reduce jitter and remove unwanted artifacts in the sound.

Technical Performance

The M8xi delivers 550 + 550wpc into 8 ohms. It is extremely stable and very linear. The distortion is low too; lower than 0.005% in the audible frequency range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. The M8xi has remarkable linearity and consistency. lt is unconditionally stable and will drive any loudspeaker in existence easily with ample power reserve.

Our Approach to Technical Measurements

In our view an amplifier should be completely neutral. lt is a straight wire with gain. Easy to say but hard and complex to do. We want to stress that we do not believe that the technical performance is an end in itself. lt is a method of validating the total amplifier system concept. The aim of our circuit/PCB designs is to have low feedback and achieve complete neutrality, transparency, and great technical performance. The proof that we are on the right track is the technical performance. We think that technical performance cannot be summed up by the distortion at 1 kHz. Our view is that an amplifier has to be able to satisfy a wide range of technical requirements before it can be neutral.

Linearity

Almost all loudspeakers have complex impedance and loading curves. An amplifier must be able to maintain its voltage virtually, regardless of loading. If an amplifier cannot maintain its voltage across the spectrum, then the ultimate frequency response and distortion will be nonlinear. This is not neutrality.

Distortion

The overwhelming majority of amplifier manufacturers only talk about distortion at 1 kHz. We believe that this is only a fraction of the story. From our perspective, an amplifier must have very low distortion from 20 Hz- 20 kHz and beyond. We believe that an amplifiers high-frequency performance proves the total performance of the circuit and PCB layout. The M8xi distortion hardly changes from 10 kHz to 50 kHz. An outstanding achievement and validation of the circuit design and PCB layout.

Noise Ratio

Amplifiers should be quiet. If they are not, low-level detail is irretrievably lost. Also, the dynamic range is seriously compromised. Dynamic range is not just how much power an amplifier will produce, it is also how quiet it can be. Dynamic range is the total from the quietest to the loudest. The M8xi excels in this respect.

Precision Volume Control

The M8xi has a precision volume control. This ensures perfect tracking right down to very low levels which is unattainable with standard potentiometers. This outstanding precision is achieved by laser-trimmed substrate resistors.

Sound Quality

The M8xi is effortless, fluid, and dynamic. lt doesnt sound loud. lt just sounds right. The dynamics are handled with no drama or fuss. They come and they go. There is no distortion; just pure undiluted music. lt sounds like a superb small Class A amplifier but with limitless headroom. Perfection!

REVIEW & AWARDS

Musical Fidelity M8xi integrated amplifier –Read More

“After reviewing six moderately priced integrated amplifiers (and at least one expensive one) in the past few years, I can say with confidence that the extremely neutral Musical Fidelity M8xi is not only the most powerful and least expensive of the bunch but also one of the best-sounding. It may not sound as brilliant and warm as the more-expensive and easier-to-lift Krell K-300i, but it delivers a similar share of seductive musical truth. Given that the M8xi also has abundant power to manage difficult speaker loads and convey dynamic contrasts generated by huge forces, it is a major achievement in its price range. Highly recommended.” – Jason Victor Serinus

Musical Fidelity M8xi review –Read More

“The M8xi has power to burn and that shines through in its muscular and authoritative nature. You can throw pretty much anything at this amplifier and itll never seem out of its depth, yet beneath all that muscle is a product that has enough emotional stretch to satisfy across a wide range of musical genres. The Musical Fidelity M8xi definitely belongs on the shortlist.” –What Hi-Fi?

Musical Fidelity M8xi Integrated Amplifier-DAC –

“Musical Fidelitys M8xi is a relatively straightforward class-AB integrated that includes a built-in DAC. It costs a bit more than two of those other integrateds, but its by far the most powerful, with build quality to match. It has little sonic signature of its own, instead, providing a clear window into recordings and hardly ever deviating from absolute neutrality. The M8xi would be perfect for those who value transparency and need an integrated amplifier than can drive to very high levels speakers that would otherwise require powerful separates. If this is the kind of sound youre looking for, youd be hard-pressed to do better for $6499, whether for separates or an integrated-DAC. Time will tell which path Musical Fidelity will follow under ATVs management, but the M8xi continues their 30 years of making powerful, high-performance integrated amplifiers. It seems a step in the right direction.” – Roger Kanno

Musical Fidelity M8xi Integrated Amplifier Review – Read More

“This is a very fine-sounding mega muscle amp that’s a positive bargain at its price. Although not cheap, it compares extremely well with its direct market rivals and sounds disproportionately better than many, only slightly less pricey products. Design, build and finish are excellent for the money, too. The worst thing is its size and weight, but all those watts have got to be dissipated somehow. So it’s true then when properly done, Musical Fidelity’s M8xi shows that bigger can be better.” –David Price

Musical Fidelity M8xi Integrated Amp/DAC – Read More

“If you’re of the persuasion that no amount of power is ever enough, or perhaps simply want to future-proof yourself against the unlikely purchase of impossibly insensitive speakers, then Musical Fidelity’s M8xi is your man. But this integrated amp, bluff exterior and all, is not only capable of driving a short piece of damp string, but does so with a dexterity and fleetness of foot that utterly belies its bulk. Chalk one up to Austria.” –Paul Miller

Musical Fidelity M8xi – Read More

“For those power-hungry obsessives of the opinion that no matter how much power is on tap itll never be enough, or those that are simply looking for an integrated suitably flexible that they can invest in impossibly finickity and insensitive loudspeakers in the future, the M8xi obviously ticks all the right boxes. However, to consider it a brute thats solely capable of boom and bombast is to miss the point. In the same way football commentators so often note: Hes got a surprisingly good touch for a big man if any forward over six feet tall shows a semblance of ball control, this is an accomplished performer thats just as comfortable precisely replicating the smaller lighter details as it is the big stuff. Fast, flexible and impressively faithful to the recording, its a superb amplifier and deserves to be right near the top of any wishlist”

Musical Fidelity M8xi Integrated Amplifier Review – Read More

“On paper, the M8xi exists to crack a very particular nut. It can drive any speaker to any level domestic or otherwise and do so with an effortlessness that is fairly addictive. The thing is, if this is the itch you need scratching, you can save 1,650 and buy the M6 500i which can do the same thing. The justification for the larger amp is something that makes itself felt the more time you spend with it. This is a more rounded performer than the 500i. It has nuances that the cheaper amp lacks and it can do things both with tempo and delicacy that Ive not experienced from Musical Fidelitys super amps before. This monster of an amplifier is something that can demonstrate some decidedly cuddly attributes when called upon to do so and, so long as you can accommodate its prodigious bulk, it is something that comes Highly Recommended. ” – Ed Selley

Musical Fidelity M8xi review – Read More

“I can certainly see why the many different judges bestowed these awards. The Musical Fidelity M8xi has more power than youll ever need, super-low distortion, inaudibly low circuit noise, a great digital front-end and an even-better analogue one, plus it sounds superb. ” – Australian Hi-Fi

A powerful and dynamic amplifier – Read More

“Musical Fidelity M8xi er like lydmessig imponerende som den er fysisk overveldende. Hvis du har plass og rd til kjempen, fr du et ubestikkelig tyngdepunkt i anlegget. Man kan ikke sette fingeren p noe i gjengivelsen, men det som gjr det strste uutslettelige inntrykket, er de dynamiske evnene, som er uovertrufne. Selv blant supertunge high-end-forsterkere. Med over en halv kilowatt per kanal til rdighet, er det pent for fritt valg av hyttalere. Skal man sette fingeren p noe (utover den stygge fjernkontrollen), m det vre mangelen p platespillerinngang og trdls tilkobling. ” – John Hvidlykke

Musical Fidelity M8xi Review – Read More

“If you’re of the persuasion that no amount of power is ever enough, or perhaps simply want to futureproof yourself against the unlikely purchase of impossibly insensitive speakers, then Musical Fidelity’s M8xi is your man. But this integrated amp, bluff exterior and all, is not only capable of driving a short piece of damp string, but does so with a dexterity and fleetness of foot that utterly belies its bulk. Chalk one up to Austria.”

Review: Musical Fidelity M8xi – Read More

“That you will lack power with the M8xi is unlikely, that you will enjoy the reserves is very likely. In short, the Musical Fidelity is a welcome, valuable addition to the segment of power amplifiers and can even be called affordable within its class. ” – Ren van Es

Musical Fidelity M8xi Review The most complete amplifier! – Read More

“So what we hear seems to be disconnected from the machines and hovering independently in front of us. Yes, the M8xi is bad with our speakers, whatever they are, it will lay them from the beginning as it will shake their speakers to the last micrometer of their journey.

A complete amplifier!” – Jonas Mller

hi-fi + 12/22

“This is not bludgeoning power either, its articulate and able to respond to the nuances of the material with remarkable speed.”

Hi-Fi World 12/2020

““speed and control (aka pace and timing), great insight and sense of restrained power that came from forceful dynamics.”

Outstanding amongst the best!”

hi-fi news 7/2020

“Most striking is this amplifiers speed as transient details fly from the speakers with fleetness that youd perhaps not anticipate from a great lump of an amplifier. The M8xi isnt just heavy, its also fast”

Audio Test 4/2023

“Musical Fidelity’s M8xi gets the most out of any speaker.”

HIFImaailma 8/2022

“Enormous power,Great sound quality!”

SPECIFICATIONS