[chaturanga]

"Click", yes, that's the better description! Good to hear it's not coming thru cans!
So enjoy your new musical partner!

Thank you, if you consider to buy don't wait First impressions are very good. It's a complete unit, a mature one. A mature effortless sound. I am happy not to go with a modern chinese DAC HD DAC1 has lots of details in a very listenable and enjoyable "slightly warm" fashion.

 

[Colonel Faulkner]

Ah, I'm already provided w/ my combo of a heavily-modded Asus Xonar Essence One MUSES as DAC (black unit) and an M2Tech Marley as SS HPA (silver unit) and a Brocksieper EarMax SE as Tube HPA (not pictured).
But maybe I consider to get the Marantz too - just for 'classic' purposes. Like you I'm not the greatest fan of the new wave of Chi-fi.

Spoiler

 

[chaturanga]

Ah, I'm already provided w/ my combo of a heavily-modded Asus Xonar Essence One MUSES as DAC (black unit) and an M2Tech Marley as SS HPA (silver unit) and a Brocksieper EarMax SE as Tube HPA (not pictured).
But maybe I consider to get the Marantz too - just for 'classic' purposes. Like you I'm not the greatest fan of the new wave of Chi-fi.

Spoiler

Nice, enjoy your setup. I was skeptical before buying HD DAC1 because it's an old device and there are lots of perfect measuring devices nowadays (most of them chi-fi), but what I read here and in other forums convinced me to buy, and it sounds very good. I hope you can like it if you buy.

 

[proglife]

I actually did have the Valhalla 2 when I had the DAC1 so I used the DAC in that to feed the Valhalla 2. I swapped the headphones between the two amps and to my ears there was very little difference in how the two sounded. I guess that is a testament to how good the HD-DAC1 sounded.

I've done the same recently. I have the DAC1 and a Valhalla 2 on my desk at work with HD600's. There wasn't a drastic difference between the Valhalla 2 and the DAC1, so I have my Valhalla 2 for sale locally (annapolis, md if anyone is interested).

If you put a gun to my head, i'd give a slight edge to the Valhalla. But just having the DAC1 on my desk is a much cleaner package.

 

[Skev]

Still a solid, massive tank if you ask me - but if I remember correctly the unit gives always some sort of distortion sound out when switching to another song, doesn't it?
I know it's built-in by design and not changeable.

There is no distortion. There is a relay that will unlatch/latch if the USB signal Unlocks, i.e. when changing sample/bit rates. The click is purely mechanical and cannot be heard through the drivers of the headphones but you will hear it with cans that don't isolate well.

I mainly listen to Spotify and just now the sample rate is obviously a constant 16Bit/48Khz so the relay will never click - When we get Spotify HiFi this may change.

For critical listening I use JRiver and run an album from start to finish, gapless, so again no issues with a clicking relay. The relay will click after the album is finished but I actually love this as it's a subtle prompt to say it's done.

 

[iFi audio]

Take a look at audioscience reviews WITH MEASURMENTS

Amir's funny, we like him

I have tried many of these with dacs over 500 euros and never hears any difference.

That's fair enough, but many other people did.

If you argue that these magic things make difference you should show us objectively measurements

Let's turn the table. If you argue that these "magic things" of ours don't do what we claim, please prove us wrong and objectively if possible

Any set of measurements can be challenged and having said that, internally ouir R&D makes A TON of them to know whether their work is spot on. However, we publish these results within a specific context that's actually useful:

https://ifi-audio.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/iFi_audio_xDSD_Tech-Note_Measuring_TimeFINAL.pdf

...and especially here: https://ifi-audio.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/iPOWER-Much-Ado-About-Nothing.pdf

 

[fattycheesebeef]

Guys do I need to install any driver or software? 44 Khz and 88 Khz files are playing perfectly through Foobar but, 96 Khz and 192 Khz files have problem. It's playing but very badly (a digitalized sound is coming, not listenable).

Edit: I am able to play those files on Windows Media Player, so it seems problem is about settings on Foobar?

Edit 2: It seems I solved, I downloaded driver file from following link

https://www.marantz.com/en-us/product/hi-fi-components/hd-dac1

I installed the driver and on Foobar I chose ASIO for Marantz, now both are playing as they should be

There's a Marantz driver you can install! Can't remember if it's still on their official website

 

[chaturanga]

There's a Marantz driver you can install! Can't remember if it's still on their official website

Yes it's still available. Before installing it in Foobar only Wasapi was available but now ASIO is also available for Marantz.

 

[Skev]

Well I had a good listen to the HD-DAC1 last night:

Firstly with the SRH1540's with some Aztec Camera, Billy Nomates, Two Door Cinema Club, Thom Yorke - The pairing slams pretty well with good speed, but still has great separation and detail.

Then the Sundara's with some Roger Waters, Bon Iver, Public Service Broadcasting - More relaxed presentation and super lush, almost completely transparent you forget about the gear and just enjoy the music.

Super happy with the HD-DAC1. It's not the last word in technicalities or that clinically clean & lean presentation but it's a homely mainstay that I'll definitely be keeping.

 

[chaturanga]

Well I had a good listen to the HD-DAC1 last night:

Firstly with the SRH1540's with some Aztec Camera, Billy Nomates, Two Door Cinema Club, Thom Yorke - The pairing slams pretty well with good speed, but still has great separation and detail.

Then the Sundara's with some Roger Waters, Bon Iver, Public Service Broadcasting - More relaxed presentation and super lush, almost completely transparent you forget about the gear and just enjoy the music.

Super happy with the HD-DAC1. It's not the last word in technicalities or that clinically clean & lean presentation but it's a homely mainstay that I'll definitely be keeping.

I agree with all of those above, HD DAC1 is a very good example for an "effortless presentation" and "mature sound", I don't feel loosing any details from some modern DACs I have tried before (I am sure about this because I have some reference tracks that I use all the time with a new gear) and what I gained is I am hearing those details in a more easy and effortless way. I am also very happy for that purchase, this seems to be a timeless device.

 

[chaturanga]

One more thing that I need to say is that, yes there are very good measured (even perfectly measured devices that seems to have no artifacts in audible area) modern DACs. Some of them are cheaper than Marantz HD DAC1 but, I think after some point the differences between measurements are found at inaudible area for people.

And over a certain measurement barrier, quality compononets and engineering makes more difference than further advanced measurements.

 

[iFi audio]

And over a certain measurement barrier, quality compononets and engineering makes more difference than further advanced measurements.

It depends and measurements really should be taken into account in a wide context. Some topologies (full-range drivers, amps with no feedback) often measure so-so but sound great regardless, some manufacturers use distortion to their advantage and so on so forth.

For example, to a great sounding amp with no feedback that measures average one could inject heavy negative feedback loop, so that this product would now measure extremely well but sound possibly flat and dull. Point being, one or two graphs rarely tell the full story.

 

[Bernard23]

It depends and measurements really should be taken into account in a wide context. Some topologies (full-range drivers, amps with no feedback) often measure so-so but sound great regardless, some manufacturers use distortion to their advantage and so on so forth.

For example, to a great sounding amp with no feedback that measures average one could inject heavy negative feedback loop, so that this product would now measure extremely well but sound flat and dull. Point being, one or two graphs rarely tell the full story.

Absolutely. Measuring stuff is often straightforward, interpreting the data is the skillful part. The caveat of course is that we've identified the correct measurands, but that's also part of the skill of a good engineer.

 

[iFi audio]

Measuring stuff is often straightforward, interpreting the data is the skillful part

...and measuring methods should be added to that as well.

 

[Skev]

The Topping L30 arrived so I gave it a quick whirl. Firstly, it introduced a buzz/hum into the headphone output of the Marantz, although no buzz/hum from the L30 output. A downside if you planned on using both outputs for different headphones/sound signatures.

The sound itself was immediately more forward in the bass & midrange regions especially, and mildly more energetic in the treble (I know that doesn't make much sense, however, they were volume matched as near as I could by ear). For me the presentation was a little too "in your face" to my taste, on the other hand it is likely to make all headphones sound full of life. The SQ didn't seem much different, and definitely not immediately noticeable, so I doubt there's any significant gain in detail retrieval/resolution to be had.

All in all having quickly tried the L30 it is evident that the 10 Ohm output impedance of the Marantz certainly isn't changing the FR of the SRH1540's/Sundara's enough to make a noticeable difference. Bass response/speed actually seemed looser than it is on the HD-DAC1, using a quick sine wave sweep it didn't reach any deeper either. So I can at least from this quick test put to bed the idea that the high output impedance of the Marantz is having a detrimental effect on the FR or damping of low impedance cans.

I tried an A/B with the Marantz and my SXFI Amp as well (<0.2 Ohm output impedance). Very very similar sounding actually but the Marantz is definitely more controlled and capable at higher volumes with less distortion.
To my ears I can't fault the Marantz. I'll just enjoy the music now