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Review - Audioengine D1 24/96 USB and Optical DAC/amp for laptops and computers (in progress) - Page 19

post #271 of 312
9/13/12 at 7:24am

What kind of Sony receiver do you have?  Basically it boils down to whether you like the sound of the D1 better in your system then the DAC in your receiver.

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post #272 of 312
9/13/12 at 11:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dparker83 View Post

What kind of Sony receiver do you have?  Basically it boils down to whether you like the sound of the D1 better in your system then the DAC in your receiver.

 

I have a Sony STR-DE485.

 

Very Cheap toslink cable and very cheap 16ga speaker wire.

 

I do notice the sound getting muddy at some points similar to bad live mix at a concert. I can't pick out instruments or it doesn't have the range for uncompressed audio.

 

Could be my speakers? Could be my receiver? Could be my cables?

 

Sorry for all the ques ions, my knowledge is basic at best.

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post #273 of 312
9/13/12 at 12:14pm

Try running your toslink cable from your Apple Tv directly into your receiver instead of passing it through your television (you can still pass the video through HDMI to your television, and the Apple Tv will figure it out automatically).

 

Compare how this sounds.  If it sounds better, then you probably just have a very bad Toslink port on your TV that is introducing lots of jitter.

 

 

Another thing to think about is your room and how that is affecting the sound.  Identify specific parts of the track that sound muddy and play them back while sitting a few feet to the left or right, or forward.  If this is the case, then you probably need to think about doing some room correction. 

 

Honestly if I were you I'd save up and get a Denon AVR-1612 (about 275$ if you get on sale).  It will let you run all your HDMI connections straight into the receiver and the DAC is pretty darn good.  It includes room correction software that you can experiment with and see if it gives you a flatter frequency response.  Some folks report that it helps, but others say it messes the sound up.  Trust your ears.

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post #274 of 312
9/13/12 at 1:09pm
Thank you very much for the info. I will be working on/with all of this.

Final question: Is the Denon a better option than the D1?
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post #275 of 312
9/13/12 at 2:30pm

I think the Denon has more options for you that you can experiment with to get the best sound.  It also lets you have more hardware running through the nice DAC.  Running all your devices through the D1 using your television Toslink port offers very limited upgrade paths in the future.

 

But that's just my take.  :-)

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post #276 of 312
9/13/12 at 4:30pm

Thanks again for the tips!

 

I connected the toslink directly to the Apple TV, made a difference for sure. Opened the range up a lot. What I am realizing through all of this is that the Bose Series II have a ver small sweet spot and require the receiver to be at volume 50 out of 72(max). 50 is not overly loud but allows for the best range, I think. As for the room, it will have to stay the same, out of my control.

 

I will keep in mind the Denon as money comes together and possibly go for the D1 as my travel kit.

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post #277 of 312
9/15/12 at 4:04pm
Thread Starter 

The biggest advantage of the Denon AVR is that you can run everything through it, including 5.1 audio, not just 2 channel like the D1.  I'm pretty sure feeding the ATV optical out into the Audioengine D1 is going to be better than using the TV set's optical out in any form.  

 

You could use the ATV > D1 > receiver AUX input for 2-channel hi-fi listening, and still use the ATV HDMI > TV > optical out > receiver 5.1 optical input for your home theater listening.

 

I can't say if the Denon optical input (or HDMI digital input) will sound better than the D1, but it could be very close with 2 channel music.  I have a 2004 Denon AVR-1804 which sounds very good with ATV optical signals in my home theater, but I've never compared it to the D1 or other audiophile DACs for that matter.  I tend to keep my 2-channel and 5.1 gear separate, just because of the way I have things set up.

 

As far as bang for the buck, the D1 is a bargain.  I've spent as much as $400 for other optical DAC's that don't sound better via RCA output, like my Headroom micro DAC or upgraded iBasso D1 and D10.  When I compare using USB I find that my Pico DAC-only sounds almost the same as the D1, enough that I often make mistakes trying to identify which one I'm listening to blind.  I tend to think the Pico DAC sounds a little more spacious with more depth, but it's extremely close.  However, the Pico is USB only, so it won't matter in your case.  Same with the iBasso D4 and uDAC-2 SE that I compared the D1 to here in this review - USB input only, and sound output quality not much different from the D1.

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post #278 of 312
9/15/12 at 5:43pm

Thank you HeadphoneAddict for your input on this!

 

If I do end up moving my 2 channel setup to it's own location that is more ideal for critical listening, do you think it would be an option to use the: aTV> D1> N22 > Bose Series II? Is this a correct way of thinking or will it not have the juice compared to a receiver? I am trying to go minimalist with the 2 channel rig, something simple and clean.

 

Side note on that; the theater setup will include the Denon based on what has been said here.....I'm sold.


Edited by 2ChannelAnimal - 9/15/12 at 5:45pm
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post #279 of 312
9/16/12 at 1:05am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2ChannelAnimal View Post

Thank you HeadphoneAddict for your input on this!

 

If I do end up moving my 2 channel setup to it's own location that is more ideal for critical listening, do you think it would be an option to use the: aTV> D1> N22 > Bose Series II? Is this a correct way of thinking or will it not have the juice compared to a receiver? I am trying to go minimalist with the 2 channel rig, something simple and clean.

 

Side note on that; the theater setup will include the Denon based on what has been said here.....I'm sold.

 

Well, that 2 channel could be very nice, but I don't know enough about the N22 and the demand the speakers make due to efficiency.  A vintage Marantz receiver from the 70's is always a good bet in a 2 channel speaker rig.  I have a 2240 that I picked for a couple hundred bucks that powers speakers pretty well.  I'm feeding it an Audioengine D2 wireless DAC, and then into a pair of Epos ELS-3.  The D2 is actually a nice upgrade to the D1, as a DAC-only, even though it's wireless.  It beats my Nuforce HDP that I used to use in that rig, and might be closer to the DACmini in sonic transparency.,.

 

PS - I've compared the Audioengine D2 wireless USB to S/PDIF output to my Apple Airport Express wireless S/PDIF output and there is no comparison, the A2 is much superior.  The transparency, ambience, soundstage, and realism is quite a bit better.  And, even using the D2 analog out is a significant upgrade to my Airport Express analog output.  I need to give this thing it's own review!


Edited by HeadphoneAddict - 9/16/12 at 11:23pm
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post #280 of 312
9/16/12 at 6:12am

I tried my D1 with my main home rig today.

 

Dell XPS 420/Foobar WASAPI/D1/Towshend Isola interconnect/Prima Luna Prologue 2/Rogers LS5/9 speakers,

sounds very good.

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post #281 of 312
9/16/12 at 4:35pm
Just purchased the D1 with some nice signal cable and a glass sonicwave toslink. Ready to enjoy the ambiance.
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post #282 of 312
9/18/12 at 6:32am

Hello everyone,

 

This is my first post on this forum, and unfortunately it's for asking for help. I got delivered from Shorelinemusic a pair of Shures SRH-840 and an Audioengine D1 dac. The problem I have is that the D1 is not recognized by my laptop (which is running Win 7 64-bit) via USB 2.0. Shorelinemusic sold it as a closeout "open box return", but they assured me all the stuff sold as "open box return" is tested before reselling. Any suggestions? I won't be able to send it back, since closeout stuff is not covered by warranty (beside the extra cost for shipping...).

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post #283 of 312
9/18/12 at 7:41am

See the Audioengine FAQ page.  Also you can email them and they will respond.

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post #284 of 312
9/18/12 at 9:11am

Hi,

 

I have the problem described http://www.avforums.com/forums/hi-fi-systems-separates/1671986-usb-cable-dac.html

 

 

The D1 doesnt work with 3metre lenght cable, thats really weird. Is there any workaround? Does setup with powered usb hub helps?

PC - > 3m usb -> usb hub (http://www.amazon.com/D-Link-DUB-H4-Port-High-Speed/dp/B00488HQX4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1347984662&sr=8-4&keywords=dlink+dub+4)  -> 0.5m DAC -> phono...

 

 

 

Thanks for any advice.

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post #285 of 312
10/24/12 at 7:47pm

do you guys pair yours with an amp?

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Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Portable Source Gear › Review - Audioengine D1 24/96 USB and Optical DAC/amp for laptops and computers (in progress)