[Maxx134]

What are you using as source and what are you using at the output? Also what file types are you playing?
I had mine on burn-in the week before and had a listen to it that weekend. Maybe I am still to imprinted by my Teac. I just can't get the Arcam to excite me. My ODAC sounds more impressive. So I am wondering if I am doing something wrong.

I found a similarity in your experience until I was able to use the USB 2.0 switch with the arcam driver and increase the maximum resolution and adjust further with "low latency" setting..
It is a different animal and has a lot of detailing yet never harsh, always smooth and cool.

 

[Maxx134]

Update:
Upon selecting the software to keep unit always on" and not auto on/off,
I have been burning unit in leaving my laptop on all day for a few days.
I don't listen enough for "brain burn" to take effect, and so only have my memory impressions..
I also upgraded to a "silver" plated USB cable..
So now the update is it no longer sounds smooth, or anything for that matter..
It is the most transparent DAC I have ever herd thus far..
A keeper for me

 

[schneller]

Has anyone auditioned the irDAC against the Schiit Gungnir USB2 by chance?

 

[shultzee]

  Has anyone auditioned the irDAC against the Schiit Gungnir USB2 by chance?

 
 
 
I would like to know as well.  The  irDac is intriguing. 

 

[nephilim32]

I

I totally agree with Maxx134. I've been using irdac for a week now & couldn't be happier
Amazing dac for the price.

Amen to that. I've had mine for a month and a half and the bloody thing sings to perfection. I can't imagine pairing a better DAC with in my sound chain. So happy with it.

 

[dizzyorange]

It's really good.  Only negative I can think of is that the sound doesn't have the "weight" of some other different voiced DACs.  There's a sense of lightness to it that you may love or hate or be indifferent to.  But it's great at just about everything else.  Terrific smooth treble extension with tight bass.  

 

[tuamtuem]

Has anyone tried irDAC and Matrix mini-I pro?

 

[nephilim32]

Tgat

It's really good.  Only negative I can think of is that the sound doesn't have the "weight" of some other different voiced DACs.  There's a sense of lightness to it that you may love or hate or be indifferent to.  But it's great at just about everything else.  Terrific smooth treble extension with tight bass.  
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That lightness and clean trasparency is well warranted with me cause I have the HD 800's so it's a wonderful pairing cause those 800's pick up every little detail with bright and clear accuracy.

 

[SearchOfSub]

Hi, does anyone know if the irdac will improve if I run it through fmj a19 accesory power input? It was designed for the rDAC but was wondering it it would still work with the irDAC. Thanks in advance.

 

[unsleepable]

Hi, does anyone know if the irdac will improve if I run it through fmj a19 accesory power input? It was designed for the rDAC but was wondering it it would still work with the irDAC. Thanks in advance.

I'm afraid you can't plug the irDac there. It requires more power than the accessory plug in the A19 or the A39 provide.
 
The accessory plug only works for the smaller devices.

 

[sheldaze]

UPS truck just arrived. How long do you recommend burn-in? Do you suggest burn-in with music playing, or is it adequate to simply have the DAC powered on? Once the DAC is burned in, does it need warm-up time to again sound its best? A side note - I already heard noticeable improvement within the first hour!
 
Quote:

  Has anyone auditioned the irDAC against the Schiit Gungnir USB2 by chance?

 
That is my plan.
 
More specifically, I feel that I leap-frogged what I would call "state of the present" DAC options, such as the fourteen D-S options listed in the DAC comparison by Gary in MD in December 2013. I upgraded straight from Bifrost Uber w/ USB2 to the Gungnir Multibit. My self-addressed question, and my reason for buying the irDAC, is to determine if my ears can detect the R2R-ness of the DAC. According to the DAC comparison thread, this was one of the indistinguishable options. So I feel it should make for a good baseline comparison.

 

[SearchOfSub]

UPS truck just arrived. How long do you recommend burn-in? Do you suggest burn-in with music playing, or is it adequate to simply have the DAC powered on? Once the DAC is burned in, does it need warm-up time to again sound its best? A side note - I already heard noticeable improvement within the first hour!


That is my plan.

More specifically, I feel that I leap-frogged what I would call "state of the present" DAC options, such as the fourteen D-S options listed in the DAC comparison by Gary in MD in December 2013. I upgraded straight from Bifrost Uber w/ USB2 to the Gungnir Multibit. My self-addressed question, and my reason for buying the irDAC, is to determine if my ears can detect the R2R-ness of the DAC. According to the DAC comparison thread, this was one of the indistinguishable options. So I feel it should make for a good baseline comparison.

It sounded good out of the box for me. transparent warmth. I just left mine on all the time.

Not the case with A19 though. would not recommend the amp

 

[sheldaze]

It sounded good out of the box for me. transparent warmth. I just left mine on all the time.

Not the case with A19 though. would not recommend the amp

Thanks!
I'll probably just let it sit for a day then, to satisfy my personal Idiosynchronicities 

 

[sheldaze]

Immense difference 24 hours later. It becomes so much harder to tell one DAC from the other. I hear it, but it is no longer the glaring difference that it was when the irDAC was fresh out of the box. I would highly recommend at least a day to warm. Though because the DAC is new to me, I will let it warm further to see if anything changes further.

 

[tretneo]

I've been eyeing the Arcam irDAC for some time (currently using a Modi 2 Uber) but at $699 MSRP I just couldn't justify it. I just ordered it for $409 shipped (New, sealed) from a dealer in Italy via eBay. Ordered on Tuesday, scheduled to be delivered tomorrow.
 
Arcam irDAC - $409
 
I don't get why this DAC is so overlooked, maybe its price point+availability? Every review I've read leaves the reviewer singing its praises. One thing I'm looking forward to is the smoothness (without losing detail) that many reviewers have reported. It might be nice w/ the ever so slight brightness of the HE-560 paired w/ the Gustard H10. We shall see.
 
What Hi-Fi review
ToneAudio review