[MonkCanatella]

 
I would take that review with a gargantuan bag of salt.  His claim that the m9XX's crossfeed impacts the frequency response have been empirically disproven.  And I've not seen anybody else claim that its soundstage is wider yet shallower than the modi 2 Uber.  The only difference I notice between the M2U and m9XX in the DAC section is the m9XX being a bit more transparent.  Like a crazy subtle amount more, but it is there, to my ears.  To me the soundstage is indifferentiable between the two.  Imaging accuracy is a tiny bit better on the m9XX to my ears because of the greater transparency.
 
One additional issue is that this will vary more dependent on your computer's USB port, as the Modi has no process for eliminating noise from a mediocre USB port (ie something that performs the function of the Wyrd), while the m9XX does.  If you have an issue with a crappy USB port, the m9XX could sound dramatically better.  On my macbook pro that wasn't an issue I personally had with the Modi though.  

Cool thanks. I read your review and I'm closer to jumping on the bandwagon. I also found a direct comparison to the ZDAC V.2 from project86's review.

 
The Parasound Zdac V2 ($549) is a very enjoyable DAC. It falls on the warm and smooth side, with a dynamic punch that may exceed what the m9XX can offer. In contrast, the Grace unit is more resolving, cleaner, and more airy in tone, with a more precise soundstage and accurate imaging. I really like both models and would choose among them based on what associated gear makes up the system.

 
One difference between the two is that the ZDAC works with balanced XLR cables while not supported on the m9xx. I'm wondering if the balanced xlr output on the back of the zdac is meant for headphone use or not though.

I'll probably be going with the M9xx because I plan on grabbing a pair of th-x00s soon as they drop again. Plus it'll probably sound good with my R2As as well. 

 

[Psalmanazar]

Marv was using F1 the whole time. F2 has about the same size of staging as the Schiit M2U stack but the 2U is more resolving as the Grace has bass bloom (I checked with Immortal's Pure Holocaust where the drums were tape sped which incidentally pitch shifted them up robbing the kicks of bass) and weird treble timing issues with fast hits (triangle in Philip Glass's Mishima). The Grace is worth it if you want an all in one, transportable solution when you're not really going to get any better than it. Otherwise, the Schiit stack is better and cheaper unless you for some reason can't stand the slightly steely but neutral in volume treble. For at home use, there are better options than either with regard to analog sections and  topology for just a hundred or two more in Audio-GD, Schiit Bifrost + Asgard 2, or other solutions.
 
The real concern with the Grace M9xx is the gradated digital knob sucks. It was wobbly on the unit I tried and looser than the one on my decade old microwave; accidental hand brushes when reaching around my desk went up 20 steps easily. I don't know how long it would last if you tossed the m9xx in a bag and carried it around even with protection. The thing has a 5 year warranty thought so you always send it back.

 

[fjrabon]

  Marv was using F1 the whole time. F2 has about the same size of staging as the Schiit M2U stack but the 2U is more resolving as the Grace has bass bloom (I checked with Immortal's Pure Holocaust where the drums were tape sped which incidentally pitch shifted them up robbing the kicks of bass) and weird treble timing issues with fast hits (triangle in Philip Glass's Mishima). The Grace is worth it if you want an all in one, transportable solution when you're not really going to get any better than it. Otherwise, the Schiit stack is better and cheaper unless you for some reason can't stand the slightly steely but neutral in volume treble. For at home use, there are better options than either with regard to analog sections and  topology for just a hundred or two more in Audio-GD, Schiit Bifrost + Asgard 2, or other solutions.
 
The real concern with the Grace M9xx is the gradated digital knob sucks. It was wobbly on the unit I tried and looser than the one on my decade old microwave; accidental hand brushes when reaching around my desk went up 20 steps easily. I don't know how long it would last if you tossed the m9xx in a bag and carried it around even with protection. The thing has a 5 year warranty thought so you always send it back.

I think what you're calling bass bloom is simply the difference between A and A/B bass response.
 
still don't understand how you think bass bloom causes pitch shifting to become non-pitch shifted.  You're literally going beyond saying it's not linear to saying that you believe the m9XX actually changes the frequency of the drums.  There is also no measureable bass bloom (in the traditional sense of the word, not this "it changed the pitch" version I think you're claiming) as it measures linear and with an in phase time domain response as well.
 
I don't have any volume wobble issues on my unit, but Grace will certainly fix that for you if you send it back.  You're literally the only person Ive ever seen say the gradiated volume know sucks, almost everybody else has lauded it as one of their favorite things about it.
 
It's not a perfect unit, but I literally dont even understand some of your criticisms (you saying it makes pitch shifted drums no longer pitch shifted and you saying it throws away panning information). 

 

[Psalmanazar]

The drums have had the bass and impact sucked out of them. It's not A vs AB and not everything you hear is FR of course even if everyone (including myself) tends to describe sound in ways that could describe FR. F1 compresses the staging and pannings, it doesn't actually lose them, it just makes it them not matter as much as the staging is smaller, making open backed audiophile headphones sound more closed in. F2 is a lot better for this as with F1 I didn't really notice any real reduction to high frequency nastiness. I am just posting what I heard.
 
If your knob is much stiffer, then I guess they vary a bit and the unit I tried was a bad one.

 

[fjrabon]

  The drums have had the bass and impact sucked out of them. It's not A vs AB and not everything you hear is FR of course even if everyone (including myself) tends to describe sound in ways that could describe FR. F1 compresses the staging and pannings, it doesn't actually lose them, it just makes it them not matter as much as the staging is smaller, making open backed audiophile headphones sound more closed in. F2 is a lot better for this as with F1 I didn't really notice any real reduction to high frequency nastiness. I am just posting what I heard.
 
If your knob is much stiffer, then I guess they vary a bit and the unit I tried was a bad one.

I didn't mean that as harsh as it maybe sounded, I am just literally trying to understand what you mean by "pitch shifted drums no longer sound pitch shifted."  That sounds like something that's literally impossible for a DAC/amp to do (actually change the pitch).  I don't doubt your impressions, I"m just trying to get a handle on what it is you mean.  

 

[MonkCanatella]

Does anyone have any A/B comparisons with comparable audio gd products?

 

[Psalmanazar]

That was just the recording I used to confirm the bloom as Immortal are very Spinal Tap, wanted to go faster, and just sped up the tape, not caring about how doing so affected the sound of the recording. At first I thought M9XX bass sounded great, then just a little warm, and finally that added warmth began to tick me off a little bit so I put on Pure Holocaust to see how it bad it was. Despite the bloom and treble issues, I do admire how clean a sound Grace achieved over bus power. The m9xx would definitely have great synergy with helping to smooth out anything lean or etched like Beyer DT 880 250/600 ohms and the easier to drive Hifimen; just not stuff that doesn't need any help in sounding pleasant like the Sennheiser HD 6XX series.

 

[slex]

One additional issue is that this will vary more dependent on your computer's USB port, as the Modi has no process for eliminating noise from a mediocre USB port (ie something that performs the function of the Wyrd), while the m9XX does.  If you have an issue with a crappy USB port, the m9XX could sound dramatically better.  On my macbook pro that wasn't an issue I personally had with the Modi though.  

Talking about Wyrd, does anyone own the uptone USB regen connected to Grace ? I got the itch to upgrade my wyrd to uptone or perhap wait for Schiit Wyrd 2 in the future.

 

[Solarium]

  That was just the recording I used to confirm the bloom as Immortal are very Spinal Tap, wanted to go faster, and just sped up the tape, not caring about how doing so affected the sound of the recording. At first I thought M9XX bass sounded great, then just a little warm, and finally that added warmth began to tick me off a little bit so I put on Pure Holocaust to see how it bad it was. Despite the bloom and treble issues, I do admire how clean a sound Grace achieved over bus power. The m9xx would definitely have great synergy with helping to smooth out anything lean or etched like Beyer DT 880 250/600 ohms and the easier to drive Hifimen; just not stuff that doesn't need any help in sounding pleasant like the Sennheiser HD 6XX series.

If it helps smooth out anything lean of etched, would you think it'll pair well with the T1, HD700 (I'm thinking the HD800 is already a given)?

 

[sghound]

perfect pairing with the Ether earlier today

 

[Psalmanazar]

  If it helps smooth out anything lean of etched, would you think it'll pair well with the T1, HD700 (I'm thinking the HD800 is already a given)?

Nothing can help the HD 700.
 
The T1 is a fountain pen through eardrums so probably not. Maybe the gooiest, most syrupy tube amp possible for the T1 and some equalization on top but the easiest solution is to just sell the headphone and buy something else.

 

[olek]

 
... and buy something else.

like ... a fountain pen?

 
Sorry, could not resist to inject a little humor in this gravely serious conversation.
 
To take this conversation, perhaps, in different direction, I will be probably the first (audio)fool here to declare - I do not hear a damn difference between different filters in m9xx. F1 to F4, I am sure as hell I will be 50% wrong on average in blind AB test on any 2 of them. I am not quite yet deaf as a post (although, I am well on my way in that direction), and can hear difference between DAC's fairly easily on a good day, and can hear difference in cables easily (something that many apparently can't), but I could not hear a difference between F1 and F4 to save my life.
 
Probably that is because I used to own (and use a lot!) fountain pen in my youth.

 
Wonder if I am all alone in not hearing any difference between filters or others are simply ashamed to admit it

 

[sahmen]

  If it helps smooth out anything lean of etched, would you think it'll pair well with the T1, HD700 (I'm thinking the HD800 is already a given)?

i paired the Hd 700 with the Cavalli Liquid carbon, and it sounded smooth like butter, the smoothest I have heard it sound...  The Liquid Carbon is also great with the HD800 and the T1, but this is off-topic, so I shall stop here...  I just thought I should mention it.

 

[fjrabon]

like ... a fountain pen?

Sorry, could not resist to inject a little humor in this gravely serious conversation.

To take this conversation, perhaps, in different direction, I will be probably the first (audio)fool here to declare - I do not hear a damn difference between different filters in m9xx. F1 to F4, I am sure as hell I will be 50% wrong on average in blind AB test on any 2 of them. I am not quite yet deaf as a post (although, I am well on my way in that direction), and can hear difference between DAC's fairly easily on a good day, and can hear difference in cables easily (something that many apparently can't), but I could not hear a difference between F1 and F4 to save my life.

Probably that is because I used to own (and use a lot!) fountain pen in my youth.

Wonder if I am all alone in not hearing any difference between filters or others are simply ashamed to admit it :tongue_smile:

I'd say I don't hear a difference most of the time. There's a few isolated types of cases where I think it's obvious. Elsewhere it's extremely subtle. On some setups I think it's nearly completely unnoticeable. (having nothing to do with quality, if anything better setups are less noticeable as the filters are mostly aimed at fixing problems).

 

[159650]

like ... a fountain pen?

Sorry, could not resist to inject a little humor in this gravely serious conversation.

To take this conversation, perhaps, in different direction, I will be probably the first (audio)fool here to declare - I do not hear a damn difference between different filters in m9xx. F1 to F4, I am sure as hell I will be 50% wrong on average in blind AB test on any 2 of them. I am not quite yet deaf as a post (although, I am well on my way in that direction), and can hear difference between DAC's fairly easily on a good day, and can hear difference in cables easily (something that many apparently can't), but I could not hear a difference between F1 and F4 to save my life.

Probably that is because I used to own (and use a lot!) fountain pen in my youth.

Wonder if I am all alone in not hearing any difference between filters or others are simply ashamed to admit it :tongue_smile:

Brave man! Lol. Finally someone coming forward about the filters! I can't tell the difference either!