The traditional concept is that the internal material design of Hi-End equipment should be "unwilling to compromise", and the materials should be used to the best and fullest regardless of cost, and the DAC, preamplifier, postamplifier, and even the left and right channels should be used. As an independent piece, this not only avoids the mutual influence of the various circuits, but also allows audio users to enjoy the fun of equipment matching. In contrast, the design of all-in-one is more common in consumer home appliances, and it is difficult to be Hi-End. Of the palace. However, for ordinary people, this kind of gameplay is expensive and takes up a lot of home space. In addition, such a system requires multiple signal lines and power cords. I think it is difficult for ordinary people to accept such "Hi- End" monster appeared at home.

However, the well-known French audio brand Micromega launched the M.One all-in-one equipment series in 2016. In addition to integrating a variety of digital playback functions, it also adopts the A/B category recognized by audiophiles, the exquisite design, and The exterior color can be customized by the user, which gives M.One a French-style fashion atmosphere, sweeping away the cheap impression of all-in-one equipment in the past. In addition to the M.100 launched at the beginning, this series also has the M.150 with higher expansion power. This time, the agent sent the M.150 to this site, allowing this site to experience how Micromega conveys the ever-changing world of music in such a slim case.

Micromega: The above-mentioned flip-up CD player has become famous

The launch of M.One has caused a lot of discussion in the market. In fact, this is not the first time for Micromega. In the past, the products launched by Micromega always showed breakthroughs in traditional thinking and attracted people''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s attention. Before officially introducing the M.150, we might as well take some time to review the history of Micromega.

Micromega was founded in 1987 by well-known sound engineer Daniel Schar. In the coming year, he will design the lift-up transparent acrylic cover to create a creative and unique CDF1-Digital, avant-garde design, which can be compared with B&O is on par, and the separate design of the turntable and the DAC is the basis for the CD player to reproduce the good sound. The flip-up type reading mechanism is more stable than the mainstream drawer type reading mechanism at the time, and it is not The classic CD player in the eyes of less enthusiasts. However, Micromega, like many well-known audio brands with a long history, has experienced financial crisis.（Abbreviated as Sicom）Acquired.

Fortunately, Didier Hamdi, the owner of Sicom, is an audio enthusiast himself, and Daniel Schar, the soul of Micromega, was able to stay in the company after the acquisition, continue to be creative and create amazing audio equipment, such as 2009 , They launched the AirStream WM-10 wireless digital player, allowing users to wirelessly play music on their mobile phones through a two-channel system, breaking the barrier between Hi-End and 3C. In 2012, they unexpectedly launched the desktop My series, which has everything from DACs, integrated amplifiers, phono amplifiers to speakers. Although they are made in France, they have extremely high sizes and prices. Affinity, successfully penetrated the young ethnic group market. In 2016, Micromega launched the M-One series of all-in-one design, with multi-functional and powerful playback capabilities, plus a thick chassis like modern metal sculptures, and a custom color appearance that escapes the traditional "MCF". Attracted the attention of many enthusiasts.

The French audio label that constantly breaks stereotypes

Micromega consists of two Greek roots "micro"（Small）And "mega"（Big）Composition. I guess that this name should not have been created out of thin air by Daniel Schar, because as early as 1752, the famous French Enlightenment thinker Voltaire launched a sci-fi philosophical novel "Micromégas". The protagonist of the novel——Micromé gas, is an alien who lives on a planet in the Sirius galaxy far away. All people and things on this planet are huge, Microm&Although eacute;gas has just entered the adult stage in the novel, he is already 670 years old and 39 kilometers long. Micromégas is particularly interested in insects. He wrote a book on entomology, but he did not expect to be condemned by a clergyman on the planet. MicromÉgas was disappointed, so he decided to embark on an interstellar journey to explore the alien world of insects.

He came to the solar system, first rested on Saturn, and met a Saturnian who was 2 kilometers long, and the two came to Earth together. Because the bodies of these two men are so huge, any creatures on the earth are too small for them to be immediately noticed by the naked eye. He broke the diamond on his collar into a microscope, only to realize that there are whales in the ocean. Later, Micromégas accidentally fished a boat on the ocean. He thought it was a creature on the earth, but he further discovered that there were more miniature creatures on the boat. Micromégas originally thought that these creatures were insects, but he discovered that these creatures can communicate, understand measurement, and have wisdom. It turns out that they are not insects, but humans.

However, Micromégas was disappointed after communicating with humans, because he found that humans were narrow-minded and short-sighted. Micromégas decided to write a book so that the people on earth could understand "the end of all things", and then left the earth with the Saturn people. However, when the people on earth opened this book to the end, they found all the blanks in the book, nothing was written.... Looking back at the history of Micromega’s products, it’s not difficult to find that their products are as their name, "big or small", and Micromega is like Voltaire’s alien protagonist, trying to explore audio with endless creativity. Various possibilities, breaking ordinary people''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s stereotypes about audio equipment.

M.C.F builds its own M.150

After briefly reviewing the history of Micromega, we will now return to the topic of M.150. When M.150 was launched, it attracted many people''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s attention with its exquisite appearance. Take the M.150 sent for evaluation this time as an example, its cabinet appearance is simple silver-gray, but it is not difficult to find that the cabinet shell is cut from a whole piece of aluminum alloy, and the thinnest part is also more than 0.5 cm visually. However, the height of the cabinet is only 5.6 cm, making the M.150 look less bulky, but a bit more slender and elegant, and the top of the shell is also engraved with two grooves and the Logo of Micromega, which gives this equipment a dissemination. The image of a boutique.

In addition, Micromega also provides M.C.F service, allowing users to choose the appearance color when purchasing M.150 to create a unique and exclusive M.150. In addition to the two classic basic colors of anode black and anode silver, M.C.F can choose from the five basic colors of white, black, red, orange, and blue with an additional purchase of 800 euros. For an additional purchase of 1,000 Euros, you can also choose your favorite appearance from 181 colors. Last year, the agent Baiming exhibited the bright orange M.150 in the major audio exhibitions, with the Focal Sopra speakers of the same color series, which made people''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s eyes bright. Although the M.150 delivered to this site this time is an anode silver basic model, it still exudes a delicate and elegant atmosphere. Compared with other equipment in the listening room, they are all inferior.

It is also worth mentioning that the remote control attached to the M.150 is not designed with a public version, but with the size of a smart phone. When operating, the remote control should be held horizontally, just like a video game remote control. , Full of fun, this design can quite capture the hearts of young people!

The slim case still uses a type A/B expansion circuit

Although M.150 is slimmer than ordinary audio equipment, but in terms of digital input, it has both Ethernet port, Wi-Fi, USB Type-B, AES/EBU, S/PDIF coaxial, Toslink optical fiber, etc. Different input methods. It is worth mentioning that the M.150 also has 2 HDMI terminals for receiving I2S signals. According to the original manufacturer, it is intended to be used with future CD players. In the analog circuit, M.150 has the functions of MM/MC phono amplifier and combined amplifier, which can receive analog signals from vinyl turntables, RCA unbalanced and XLR balanced. In terms of analog output, except for the speaker output terminal In addition, a set of XLR Pre-Out outputs are provided, and a 3.5mm ear amplifier output hole is hidden on the panel OLED screen. From this point of view, as long as the M.150 is matched with a speaker, a complete digital playback system can be formed, and the unique appearance of the M.150 can be placed flat or wall-mounted, which greatly saves space and eliminates the need. Trouble with equipment matching.

In addition to the stunning workmanship and multiple playback functions of the M.150, what is even more surprising is that Micromega still uses a type A/B amplifier circuit, and each channel is output under the resistance of 8 ohms. The power is 150 watts, which is 50 watts higher than the M.100 of the same series. Everyone knows that in order to save internal space, many all-in-one equipment will use the more efficient and smaller D-type expansion, but the original Micromega is stubborn and still uses distortion in the thin and light M.150. The lower and wider bandwidth A/B type amplifier circuit is based on the power transistor with higher heat resistance, and a balanced type A/B type amplifier circuit is constructed. Due to the low expansion efficiency of A/B type and easy to generate heat energy, the original factory designed a heat dissipation channel in the middle of the M.150 box, and set up heat dissipation similar to that seen on the same factory My-Amp on both sides of the box. In the heat dissipation channel, a low-noise magnetic levitation fan is also equipped to assist in heat dissipation. On the other hand, the M.150 small box is of course impossible to fit a bulky toroidal transformer as a power supply. For this reason, the original factory uses a high-efficiency LLC resonant switching transformer, and there is one left and right channel. The dual mono design prevents the two from interfering with each other, which can further improve the separation of the left and right channels.

Built-in M.A.R.S space correction

Although M.150 and M.100 are the same in appearance and circuit design, apart from the difference in output power, there is one biggest difference, that is, each M.150 has a built-in "M.A.R.S" spatial correction function. Inside the M.150 package, there is a microphone for measurement. It is made of aluminum alloy. It looks very sophisticated and professional. The texture is much higher than the small microphones attached to many AV amplifiers. It can be used to measure the listening position. The volume level and signal phase of the left and right channels, and the M.150 built-in DSP program will calibrate the signal based on the measurement results. This function can minimize the impact of speaker placement and spatial acoustics, making the headache of speaker placement easier.

Regarding the setting method and function of "M.A.R.S", this site previously used "Shadow Fist to Break the Limits of Space and Positioning"—— Micromega M.150 MARS Setup" has been described in detail. After field testing, even if the speaker placement is not ideal, after turning on the MARS Room EQ function, not only the left and right channels are equally balanced, but the sound field changes. More broadly, the shape and positioning of the sound have become more cohesive and clear. More importantly, the tone has not become distorted because of the effect of MARS. Compared with M.100''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s M.A.R.S function, it can only be obtained through additional purchases. M.150 has more comprehensive functions and more powerful thrust, making it more worry-free to use.

APP has a variety of intimate designs

Since M.150 has the DLNA network streaming function, the original factory designed the exclusive remote control APP "Micromega" for M.150. This APP adopts a white GUI design, with a refreshing layout and easy operation. As long as the M.150 is connected to the home''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s local area network, the APP will automatically search for the IP location of the M.150 after it is opened, and connect with the M.150. The user can edit the playlist, select the source and other basic playback operation functions through the smart phone. In addition, this APP also has a built-in list of Internet radio stations from all over the world. For users who like to listen to world music, it is undoubtedly a convenient way to explore the world.

Although most of the DLNA remote control APPs launched by various audio manufacturers are similar in function, the "Micromega" APP has many thoughtful small designs, such as the volume adjustment buttons on the side of the phone, which can directly control the M .150 volume, and when the phone enters the standby mode, the user does not need to unlock the phone to adjust the volume through this method. In addition, through this APP, users can also change the name of the source, for example, "Opto" can be changed to "TV" or "PS4", so that the source name is no longer a strange and cold code name.

Renoir''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s paintings are as bright and lively

During the audition, I played the audio files stored in the company''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s NAS using DLNA cable playback（All are Apple Lossless files transferred from CD via iTunes）, The matched speaker is Dynaudio Contour 60, and the power cord used on M.150 is TcM Transmission Cable Maestro power cord and DC-Cable Mix-2 speaker cord. Due to the small area of ??the M.150 backplane, which is covered with terminals, and the upper part is covered by an aluminum alloy case, I found during installation that if the wire terminal is too large or the wire is too hard, the installation will be more laborious. Especially if the speaker cable is Y-plug, it is more likely to scratch the inside of the metal casing. Therefore, when using M.150, the wire should be a wire with a small terminal body and a soft wire body.

The first one to be played is L’Arpeggiato Orchestra in "Via Crucis"（Virgin 50999 694577 0 8）The album performed the Baroque period Bohemian composer Biber''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s . At the beginning, the violin plays the bridge like a meditation. Even if the bow is fast, its sound is presented through the whole M system, and it always maintains a silky smooth and round texture, giving the music a mysterious and noble atmosphere. When the violin is played to the bass, M.150 can clearly show the resonance sound of the violin speaker, adding rich colors like oil paintings to the violin tone, as well as a unique cream-like aroma. As for Theoba, who is responsible for the bass accompaniment in the music, playing through the M.150, it sounds like a large pink pearl, rich in grain and exquisite, and exudes a soft and rich color.

Although the sound of Dynaudio Contour 60 itself is thicker and has a sense of weight, with the combination of M.150, I can clearly feel the clear and rich sound of M.150, which makes people feel that every air molecule is in the listening room. The lively vibration adds a dreamlike sense of hearing to the recording. The tone of Cornette is like a thin oil paint, the texture is light and thin, but the color does not lose the rich saturation.

Next, the French harpsichord player Pierre Hantai plays Baja''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s "Fantasy in A Minor, BWV944" and the "Prelude" of "British Suite No. 2"（Mirare MIR251）. Driven by the Micromega M.150 Dynaudio Contour 60, the harpsichord''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s playing sound has a silky texture and gorgeous color, just like the dome of the clock tower of Ivan the Great in Moscow, emitting golden light under the clear blue sky. Through the performance of these two harpsichords, I found that M.150 handles fast-paced music and slow-paced music very differently: like in the slow-paced "Fantasy", each key has a continuous after-touch. The ending rhyme creates an elegant and calm temperament; and in the fast-paced "British Suite Prelude No. 2", it also shows agile speed, each key touches the grain clearly, showing a lively mood.

Strong emotional rendering and rich expressiveness

To test the vocal performance of M.150, I first played Eva Cassidy in "Live At Blues Alley"（Blix Street Record G2-10046）"Tall Trees In Georgia" sung in. Although this slow song does not have the dynamic fluctuations of big ups and downs, it is a test of the system''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s ability to reproduce the rendering power and the sense of elegance. Pushing the Dynaudio Contour 60 through M.150, I heard Eva Cassidy’s singing voice, with a light quality and a clear breath, coming from the Dynaudio Contour 60 speakers, as if I could feel the breath of Eva Cassidy from the mouth, and the end rhyme of the song. The vibrato presented is more flexible and exquisite, and the string-like guitar accompaniment shows a quick dialing speed, the tone is like a glass sculpture, with clear and transparent, and rich in color. The whole sense of hearing, like a low-power high-efficiency horn speaker, is relaxed and comfortable, and has a strong emotional rendering power. Similarly, playing a heavy-voiced male voice like Song Dongye through this system also presents a lively and transparent music texture, but the shape is not compromised at all, and the dull, hard breath is not felt.

Finally, I will play the opera "William Tell" by Antonio Pappano conducting the Orchestra and Choir of the National Saint Cecilia Academy（EMI 509990 28826 2 8）Prelude. This prelude opens with a weak section of a solo violin. Even though the volume is as thin as a hairspring, through the presentation of M.150, you can still clearly feel the vibrato of the violin and the high handle at the end of the solo. Bit performance. Next, the whole orchestra played together, bringing a storm-like melody. At this time, through the presentation of M.150, the energy was soaring, which formed a strong contrast with the previous violin solo performance. It can be seen that the dynamic range of M.150 is very wide. Interpretation of music full of dramatic elements can be said to be effortless and easy, and the timpani in this section has a solid sound, a huge body, and a final rhyme that echoes in the space. Although the impact is strong, but It sounds so relaxed. When playing the most famous horse racing music, M.150 is also capable of fast rhythm and short performance. It is presented through M.150, and the notes are distinct without dragging, which vividly shows the scene of famous horses competing in a lively and lively atmosphere. .

It can be static and dynamic, and the performance of ear amplifying is not inferior to two-channel playback

M.150 combines multiple functions in one, and has excellent craftsmanship. Many people associate it with the Expert Pro series launched by Devialet. Previously, I have reviewed the Deivialet dual mono bridge version of the Expert Pro 440. Although the M150 did not compare the Expert Pro 440 at the same time in this audition, and the M.150 is not a dual mono bridge design, there is a lack of comparison between the two. Fair, but according to the impression of the audition at the time, the Expert Pro 440 is responsive. Whether it is playing fast-paced or slow-paced tracks, people feel the lightning speed of retraction, especially the bass part is more obvious, and M. 150 gives the impression of "quiet like a virgin, moving like a picture". When playing slow-paced tracks, it can present a clear sound ending rhyme, adding a gorgeous and elegant image to the music, and when playing fast-paced tracks , And can keep the details of extremely high definition, and will not make people have a muddy sense of hearing. In terms of sound quality, M.150 and Devialet Expert Pro 440 are also very different: M.150 is like the stipple of the impressionist painter Xiula, which disassembles music into many small molecules, each of which is colorful and lively. Sexy, creating a relaxed and comfortable texture; Devialet Expert Pro 440 is made of glass or stainless steel sculptures, dazzling and solid texture. All in all, these two all-in-ones with similar positioning have very different sound interpretation methods. For me, M.150 is good at expressing the elegant and delicate texture of classical music, while Devialet Expert Pro is good at interpreting roar. Sir Bo''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s aura of mobility.

Although this audition was mainly based on DLNA playback and a two-channel system, I also used Sennheiser HD595 to test the performance of M.150''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s ear amplification. As a result, I found that Sennheiser HD595 promoted the playback of "William Tell" through M.150. The horse racing music in the music has strong strength and solid density, and the left and right width of the sound field seems to extend more than one meter away from the earphones, creating a broad sense of space. It is worth mentioning that the M.150’s ear amplifier has a built-in "binaural" function, which, through DSP processing, allows users to listen to headphones with a strong sense of space like a dummy head recording. The "binaural" function has three levels of "high", "medium" and "low". In field tests, the effect of "low" mode is obviously the most excellent, and it will not cause obvious distortion to the sound field and tone of the original music. , And the music image that was originally vacant in front of the forehead is immediately filled up as soon as the "binaural" low gear is turned on, making the audio and image more complete, as if listening to a two-channel system; as for the "high" gear, although the front is filled The sound image of the music video, but the sound field is obviously slightly reduced; and the "middle" position seems to pull the orchestra far away, and the sense of space it presents is as if I am sitting at one end of the corridor, and the orchestra is located in the corridor. Playing on the other end is very strange, so I don’t recommend it to everyone.

Turn dreams into reality

Compared with most audio equipment on the market, the M.150 chassis is not too big. In terms of function, one M.150 can be used for multiple units, and the price is not too high. Under the constraints of the chassis and cost, the original manufacturer has to cram different circuits into the chassis, and also takes into account the sound performance. The design difficulty is definitely much higher than that of the one-piece design of Hi-End equipment. However, Micromega’s R&D team is like a sound magician, successfully integrating various circuits and functions, while presenting users with a beautiful experience of hearing and vision. In particular, the M.150 is lightly lifted and changes lively, making it easy to feel the recording. The changing mood of music has a touching rendering power. Through the M.150, Micromega once again broke the established impression of ordinary people on audio and turned dreams into realization. 

Equipment specifications

Micromega M.150

Type: DAC + combined amplifier

Standby power consumption: 1W

Operating power consumption: 185W

Rated output power: 2*150W（8 ohm） 2*300W（4 ohm）

Signal-to-noise ratio: digital input: 107 dB(A)

Balanced analog input: 103 dB(A)

Unbalanced analog input: 100 dB(A)

MM phono input:>75 dB(A)

Output impedance: 15mΩ@250Hz under 8 Ohms 

Damping factor:>500

THD:<0.005%（8 Ohms, 1 kHz）

Crosstalk:<100 dB（1kHz）

Analog input sensitivity:

Sing and play MM（47 kOhms）: 12 mVRMS

MC（110 Ohms）: 1.2 mVRMS

Unbalanced: 1.4 VRMS 

Balance: 1.7 VRMS

Subwoofer output crossover point: 400Hz

Dimensions: 430 x 350 x 56 mm

Weight: 9.3kg