Review and discussions - Audioengine D1 24/96 USB and Optical DAC/amp for laptops and computers
Jun 29, 2012 at 8:26 AM Post #242 of 398
Quote:
Hi! Would you recommend the Audioengine D1 for Ultrasone Pro 750s?
Basic Specs
- Closed back
- Frequency range 8-35.000 Hz
- Impedance 40 Ohm
- Sound pressure level 94 dB
- Driver 40 mm titanium-plated

I would not recommend the D1 for a headphone with an impedance of 40 ohms. The reason is that the D1 headphone amp has a 10 ohm output. Using the 1/8 rule, you should only use headphones that are > 80 ohms for optimal sound quality.
 
Jun 29, 2012 at 10:59 PM Post #243 of 398
I disagree I had a Ultrasone HFI-780 that is a ohm of 35 and it benefited from being amped as it bass improved vs being unamped.  Also I used to ohm a pair of AKG 702's which where 64ohm which benefited alot from being amped. If you didn't amp it , it doesn't sound like it should.  So you really can't just look at the ohms  alone of a headphones to judge if they need a amp or not. Of course there are headphones that low ohms that are faily easy to drive without a amp.
 
Jun 30, 2012 at 3:11 AM Post #244 of 398
Quote:
Hi! Would you recommend the Audioengine D1 for Ultrasone Pro 750s?
Basic Specs
- Closed back
- Frequency range 8-35.000 Hz
- Impedance 40 Ohm
- Sound pressure level 94 dB
- Driver 40 mm titanium-plated

 
I don't have a problem using the D1 with low impedance phones like the D7000, so Pro 750 might be just fine.  Some say the 10 ohm output impedance would cause a bump in the phone's mid-bass, but I'm not sure that's all that noticeable enough to make a difference.
 
Quote:
 Compared to ODAC?
 
Also, what you would recommend with a optical and usb input?
 
Thanks,
John

 
Don't have an ODAC.  Are you asking for other choices with optical and USB input?  In the similar budget price range there is the SuperPro DAC707 but it performed best with an upgraded PSU - note it's not powered by USB power alone, and it's USB performance is not nearly as good as the D1, although optical is very good.  
 
There is also the iBasso D10 or D12, but the cost is a little higher, as is the Headroom Micro DAC.  Those all have good sound, and their USB is better than the SuperPro, but their USB is not as good as the D1. The uDAC-2 doesn't take optical input like the others I mentioned.
 
Quote:
Sorry if this was posted and I missed it. I did a quick search of this thread for the string "volume knob" and didn't find anything regarding my question. I just purchased a D1 and noticed that the volume knob has quite a bit of play in it. It functions correctly and is very quiet with no channel imbalance, but I can wiggle it side to side and up and down pretty easily. Without straining anything, I can probably get the end of the volume knob to move 1/16" of an inch left, right up, or down. I contacted audioengine support and they told me that some amount of play is normal. Since this thread seems to have the highest concentration of D1 users on the entire internet, I'm asking here to find out if you all are experiencing the same thing. D1 owners, please let me know if you have any side to side or up and down play in your volume knob. Wiggle it gently. I woudn't want anyone to do any damage to satisfy my curiousity.
Please note, that I am not posting this information to voice any discontent or dissatisfaction with audioengine. I love all of the audioengine products I have used, and my experiences with audioengine support have been absolutely satisfactory. In fact they have gone above and beyond for me in the past, and have already assured me that I have warranty coverage for this issue if it is a problem for me. However, if the behavior I've described above is normal, there is no sense in going through an exchange process. So I'm hoping to get a little bit of input from other users regarding this issue.
Thanks in advance for your help!
George

 
Mine also wiggles a little bit, and it wasn't something I noticed during the review because it's only a couple of mm at the most.
 
Jun 30, 2012 at 7:03 PM Post #245 of 398
Quote:
Don't have an ODAC.  Are you asking for other choices with optical and USB input?  In the similar budget price range there is the SuperPro DAC707 but it performed best with an upgraded PSU - note it's not powered by USB power alone, and it's USB performance is not nearly as good as the D1, although optical is very good.  
 
There is also the iBasso D10 or D12, but the cost is a little higher, as is the Headroom Micro DAC.  Those all have good sound, and their USB is better than the SuperPro, but their USB is not as good as the D1. The uDAC-2 doesn't take optical input like the others I mentioned.

So basically, get the D1. 
Thanks, This was exactly what I was looking for.
 
Jul 4, 2012 at 2:13 AM Post #246 of 398
Do you have a thread reviewing the uDAC-2SE you mentioned you had in the beginning? Or more specifically comparing the 2SE to the D1? I have both the D1 and 2SE now and am in the processing of testing them, reviewing them, and within about 10 days I'll have to pick one to keep and one to return. They are different (at least in my rig) ...
 
Jul 14, 2012 at 7:23 AM Post #248 of 398
sounds like you will be going through 2 pre amp stages therefore IMHO, not worth doing.
 
Jul 14, 2012 at 2:32 PM Post #250 of 398
it contains a pre amp stage, line in , volume etc
 
Jul 15, 2012 at 2:45 AM Post #251 of 398
Quote:
Do you have a thread reviewing the uDAC-2SE you mentioned you had in the beginning? Or more specifically comparing the 2SE to the D1? I have both the D1 and 2SE now and am in the processing of testing them, reviewing them, and within about 10 days I'll have to pick one to keep and one to return. They are different (at least in my rig) ...

 
I added some uDAC-2 SE impressions to my uDAC-2 review closer to the end of the thread, possibly around the time I did this review.  The jump from uDAC to uDAC-2 is bigger than the jump from uDAC-2 to the uDAC-2 SE, but the improvement is there.  I only compared the D1 to the SE.
 
Aug 1, 2012 at 4:25 AM Post #253 of 398
Looking fwd to testing my D1 out when it arrives with my M-stage, and my Pro900's, and then Hifiman HE-400s when THEY arrive :)
Yay!
 
Hope I don't have any issues with optical as that's what I'm planning on using at this stage
 
Aug 2, 2012 at 8:52 AM Post #254 of 398
Quote:
Sorry if this was posted and I missed it. I did a quick search of this thread for the string "volume knob" and didn't find anything regarding my question. I just purchased a D1 and noticed that the volume knob has quite a bit of play in it. It functions correctly and is very quiet with no channel imbalance, but I can wiggle it side to side and up and down pretty easily. Without straining anything, I can probably get the end of the volume knob to move 1/16" of an inch left, right up, or down. I contacted audioengine support and they told me that some amount of play is normal. Since this thread seems to have the highest concentration of D1 users on the entire internet, I'm asking here to find out if you all are experiencing the same thing. D1 owners, please let me know if you have any side to side or up and down play in your volume knob. Wiggle it gently. I woudn't want anyone to do any damage to satisfy my curiousity.
Please note, that I am not posting this information to voice any discontent or dissatisfaction with audioengine. I love all of the audioengine products I have used, and my experiences with audioengine support have been absolutely satisfactory. In fact they have gone above and beyond for me in the past, and have already assured me that I have warranty coverage for this issue if it is a problem for me. However, if the behavior I've described above is normal, there is no sense in going through an exchange process. So I'm hoping to get a little bit of input from other users regarding this issue.
Thanks in advance for your help!
George

 
George - I just received my D1 yesterday and it does have this excessive play that you mention.  Even worse, the volume cuts in and out as I rotate the knob and have to apply pressure to it so that it doesn't attenuate.  This really is a shame as otherwise the sound and build is top notch.  I contacted Audioengine yesterday evening, hope to hear from them today.  Cheers.  -Norm
 
Aug 2, 2012 at 3:19 PM Post #255 of 398
Hi Norm,
I'm sorry to hear that about your DAC. I have had no problems with volume cutting out, just with a little bit of play in the knob. I don't know if you've heard back from Audioengine yet, but based on a couple of experiences with them, they will do a great job of taking care of you. The sound just seems to get better with use as well on this DAC. So here's hoping that they get you a new unit sent out soon, and you can start putting some hours on it.
George
 

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