[gavtorn]

The Stratus is coming in a couple of months' time according to Donald's estimation. Are you using the set-up primarily with LCD-3 now? What tubes are you using for the Stratus? I hope I am getting good enough results from Ifi USB and Gemini cable, that combi is recommended by some reviewers.

 
Yep - love the 3's - running the stratus with the Sophia Princess tubes.
 
The iusb gear is good.  Check out MQn player / jplay too..

 

[gavtorn]

The stock tubes that ship with the stratus aren't great.  Be prepared to upgrade

 

[froger]

The stock tubes that ship with the stratus aren't great.  Be prepared to upgrade

Yes, I have ordered the upgraded tubes, Shuguang Natural sound 2A3 and EML 5U4G, thanks for the advice. I actually thought of the Sophia princess, just worried it will be too warm sounding, pairing with the Dp-777. Apparently, you are enjoying them! Will probably try those Sophia tubes at some point of time.

 

[Smeckles]

   
I have read that the AMR CD-77 is meant to be better than the AMR DP-777.  What units did you like more than the CD-77?

I loved the soundstage put up by the Aesthetix Pandora/Romulus  (Pandora is the standalone DAC; Romulus is the CD Player based on the Pandora DAC).  It's similar to the AMR in that it's a tube/transistor hybrid, but in the context of my system, it offered a much much wider stage and deeper one as well.  But I believe the Pandora is about $2k more than the DP-777.
 
I ended up preferring the EMM CDSA cd player over the CD-77, again within the context of my system, and bought that one.
 
Other DACs which I preferred the CD-77 to included the Berkeley Audio Alpha 2 + Berkeley USB, the Antelope Zodiac Gold + Voltikus, the Weiss DAC2 (not the DAC 202), although with a FireWire enabled system i.e. an Apple-based system, the DAC2 has some real benefits and a Roksan unit.

 

[gavtorn]

Thanks for your comments, Smeckles - appreciated!
 
Not much of that gear is available to audition in Oz unfortunately - another unit to look out for is the Phasure Nos - 1 DAC.
 
Cheers,
 
gav.

 

[Currawong]

It must be a very warm DAC if it makes the M7 sound "hi-fi".

 

[froger]

It must be a very warm DAC if it makes the M7 sound "hi-fi".

I am not sure if sounded 'hi-fi' is the correct description. Basically, too much air I thought to my liking, sounded almost too hollow.

 

[gavtorn]

  It must be a very warm DAC if it makes the M7 sound "hi-fi".

 
I know you liked the master 7, but I was very disappointed with it after my audition..  Especially after owning & liking the audio-gd ref 5 and ref 7.   
 
A friend and I had the ref 7 beside the m7 for comparison and we both thought the older dac was much better (using same pc / spdif converter / amp / hp's etc...), making the m7 sound closed in and clinical in comparison.  Kingwa has stated that the m7 is tuned to a studio style sound, so maybe the "musical flavour" SA-2 would be more to my liking.
 
The AMR is in a different price bracket to the A-GD's making it a tough comparison.

 

[froger]

Yep - love the 3's - running the stratus with the Sophia Princess tubes.
 
The iusb gear is good.  Check out MQn player / jplay too..

I am using Audirvana Plus+. It appears that Damien, the software developer for Audirvana is also using DP-777.

 

[FSonicSmith]

Thanks for starting this thread. I have "coveted" this piece of gear since Art Dudley reviewed it in February or March of 2012. I even arranged to audition one back then, but then changed my mind when I realized that if I loved it, I would be unable to wrangle up the purchase price. I am a vinyl aficionado and have bared used my twelve year old Classe CDP.5 in the past three years despite it being a very smooth glare and edge free CDP and despite having hundreds of cds. 
By chance, when I was not really looking for one, I found a mint condition used one on A-gon for just over half-price. It was black when I preferred the look of the silver but I was happy to see when it arrived that it was indeed mint, right down to still having the protective plastic over the info screen. Mine was billed as having approx 200 hrs of use, and if anything that would seem an over-estimate. Now that it is in my system, it is still well under 300 so the burn-in continues. 
If anyone is interested in this unit, you really need to read one of the better reviews (and I think Dudley's is the best) and visit AMR's website to appreciate the technology involved. The Cliffnote edition with my own editorial is this; ever since Gordon Rankin of Wavelength Audio came up with his "Streamlength" algorithm most current DAC's have USB optimized over S/PDIF. The AMR's BNC 75ohm input is engineered to be as good or better as the USB input, using (naturally) entirely different circuitry and techniques for each. 
Someone else in this thread claimed that the CD-77 is "better" than the DP-777. I think the answer to that is "yes" and "no". Yes, the CD-77 belongs to AMR's upper line of gear whereas the DP-777 is in the second, lower price point/tier, but that is relative to other CDPs. In other words, comparison of the CD-77 to the DP-777 as a DAC is not fair-TO THE CD-77! At shows, the US importer, Darren Censullo uses the CD-77 as a transport and leaves DAC duty to the DP-777. Sure, this is partially to show off as much gear as possible, but this is also to get the best possible sound. 
And speaking of Darren, you will never find a more enthusiastic, engaging, and generous source of info on a product than Darren. Call him and and have a big cup of coffee at the ready, maybe a pot, just to keep up with Darren's stream of things he will want you to know. Anyone who has ever talked to him in person or on the phone knows of what I speak. 
On a completely different topic-the DP-777's pre-amp; one can not underestimate just how good the built-in pre-amp is. My stand-alone pre-amp is one of the best ever made. A bold statement, but one I will stand by. I won't go into details there, but it is tubed, has a huge outboard PS, umbilical to the separate pre-amp thick as a fire hose, dual stepped attenuators, etc. etc. For the moment, I have taken the stand-alone pre-amp off my rack and I am running my two turntables and phono stages right into the DP-777's two sets of analogue inputs. The sound is different, but equal to the stand-alone. My criticism of the unit as a pre-amp is that it would be nice to have a tape loop. I can't hook my Violectric V200 up to it unless there is some work-around I can't think of. 
I will report further about the burn-in process and my related impressions. I am busy ripping about four hundred CDs to a music server which is taking up much of my time that would otherwise be spent listening. 

 

[preproman]

I must say.  The DP-777 is one of the most enjoyable DACs I've heard.  After a three DAC "shoot out" so to speak  QB-9 @ 3K, DP-777 @ 5K, MA-1 @ 7K.  I called Darren pronto.  
 
The MA-1 is a great sounding DAC as well - I would go as far as to say even more detailed that the DP-777, just not as enjoyable.  
 
The USB input beats the USB input of the MA-1.  The QB-9 DSD as a good USB input as well, it better had - it's the only input the DAC has.  
 
The DP-777 was the most picked DAC out of the three.  This was done back against the setup.  "No headphones"  This was a speaker setup with mono block amps and a preamp.  At 3K the QB-9 went toe to toe with the others, again just not as enjoyable as the DP-777.
 
 
When are the tubes used - only when using the SPDIF inputs?

 

[froger]

I must say.  The DP-777 is one of the most enjoyable DACs I've heard.  After a three DAC "shoot out" so to speak  QB-9 @ 3K, DP-777 @ 5K, MA-1 @ 7K.  I called Darren pronto.  


 

The MA-1 is a great sounding DAC as well - I would go as far as to say even more detailed that the DP-777, just not as enjoyable.  

 

The USB input beats the USB input of the MA-1.  The QB-9 DSD as a good USB input as well, it better had - it's the only input the DAC has.  

 

The DP-777 was the most picked DAC out of the three.  This was done back against the setup.  "No headphones"  This was a speaker setup with mono block amps and a preamp.  At 3K the QB-9 went toe to toe with the others, again just not as enjoyable as the DP-777.

 

 

When are the tubes used - only when using the SPDIF inputs?

 

Preproman, while I enjoy arguing with you, I am happier that we finally find something we agree on! I always think there is something special about the sound produced by DP-777, which makes everything sound so 3-D, coherent and believable. Some of the tracks/albums that I have written off in my collection in the past are given a new life on the DP-777. I know you also don't care much with DSD like me, so I guess DP-777 not being able to play DSD is hardly a deal breaker to you.

 

[preproman]

 
True, DSD is of no concern to me.  
 
The DP-777 was the only DAC that didn't do DSD, as a result we used "NO" DSD files.  This is a really a natural (believable) DAC.  The trumpets sound like trumpets. The piano has the tones of real pianos.  Sounds very refreshing to my ears.
 
I would love to have it side by side with the PWD2.  Still have to hear it in a headphone rig.  Want to focus on the low and high end of the frequency range, bass slam/thump, how it nails the macro and micro dynamics. 
 
How does it compare the your other DACS in those area?

 

[froger]

Well, I have Eximus Dp-1 with me now. Side by side, I will say Eximus Dp-1 seems to slam harder and sounds more eager to impress, and DP-777 sounds a bit mellow in comparison. While I have no complaints in Dp-777 extension at both end, I can imagine someone looking for more slam which you are more likely to get from a more typical modern DAC. I actually enjoy this presentation more, and it allows me to listen to my music for 2-4 hours on the HD800 without feeling any listening fatigue.

On top of that, the dp-777 excels in so many other areas. The layering of sound is outstanding. As I have mentioned before, it could make my originally flat sounding red book tracks sound so 3-D and alive, something that none of the DACs I have owned so far can do. You are absolutely right about the tonality, which makes music sound so believable that you get suck into into the music easily. I think that is the "you are there" effect.

 

[preproman]

My order is placed with Darren..