[Dvdlucena]

One word answer EQUAL ?!?

It has a dedicated headphone stage with the HDAM-SA2 module according to Marantz website. Wouldn't be surprised if they are exactly the same 

A lot of these new compact lifestyle amplifiers also from the likes of Quad, Cyrus and Denon have dedicated and presumably good quality built in headphone amps. If you have speakers as well as headphones this means you don't necessarily have to have another box anymore. The features these amps have makes a lot of the headphone amps out there look very expensive. Of course a lot of people on headfi will remain dismissive of integrated amplifiers.

The CD player (see above) that has been added to the range also has the same module. Hence for someone (like me, mainly) who listens to headphones only via CD that's probably a nice one box solution as well

and how about sound quality? I saw that the dac chip is different from the dac 1 vs amp 1.
Have you or someone else made this comparison?

Thank you

 

[audionewbi]

I have had the HD DAC 1 for a while. As much as I enjoy it (it is my only desktop unit) I am not into desktop that much and I only listen to headphone once a week. In large I am very satisfied with DAC1 but than I tried HQplayer and DSD128 upsampling. In short I cant get enough!
 
I highly encourage you guys to try DSD upsampling of HDplayer. I am still learning and the music file I listen to arent mine as I am using my friends laptop as I dont have a HQplayer yet, but I will buy it soon. 

 

[pbarach]

I recently bought an HD-DAC1. As a headphone amp handling an analog signal from my CD player, it wasn't noticeably different in SQ from the Burson HA-160 amp that I already have. However, when used as a DAC in a 2-channel system with coax input from an Oppo 103, it offers better SQ than either the Oppo's DAC output or my AVR' DAC (Denon x4000). It's hardly a night and day difference, but what I note is greater depth and width to the soundstage and more precise imaging. I level-matched the inputs before making the comparison, for which I used FLAC and WAV files at CD-resolution.

 

[JR1911]

First: Question. Does the DAC click EVERY time it gets a new signal? Like its switching on or switching signals. It does not happen with a continuous sound in-put and its not that annoying, but if I click from one song to another the DAC makes a switch/click sound. Also windows sounds like hitting the back button on a file window. 
I am assuming this is just the dac doing its job (and this is only in USB mode. I didn't notice in the optical input mode... but only checked that for a few minutes) 
EDIT (I found the answer to the this. High end DACs add a relay switch instead of letting the DAC chip do the switching. It reduces strain on the dac chip and sound noise in the output signal while) 

 
I know this is an old post I'm quoting but I'm thinking of getting HD-DAC1 and I'd like know does the clicking noise come from the device itself or is heard from speakers/headphones? I just got a Denon DA-300USB dac and it makes an extremely annoying popping sound from the speakers and headphones whenever it gets a signal or loses one, for example whenever I start or stop/pause a YouTube video. This is so frustrating that I'm considering replacing it with another DAC.

 

[superuser1]

 

First: Question. Does the DAC click EVERY time it gets a new signal? Like its switching on or switching signals. It does not happen with a continuous sound in-put and its not that annoying, but if I click from one song to another the DAC makes a switch/click sound. Also windows sounds like hitting the back button on a file window. 
I am assuming this is just the dac doing its job (and this is only in USB mode. I didn't notice in the optical input mode... but only checked that for a few minutes) 
EDIT (I found the answer to the this. High end DACs add a relay switch instead of letting the DAC chip do the switching. It reduces strain on the dac chip and sound noise in the output signal while) 

 
I know this is an old post I'm quoting but I'm thinking of getting HD-DAC1 and I'd like know does the clicking noise come from the device itself or is heard from speakers/headphones? I just got a Denon DA-300USB dac and it makes an extremely annoying popping sound from the speakers and headphones whenever it gets a signal or loses one, for example whenever I start or stop/pause a YouTube video. This is so frustrating that I'm considering replacing it with another DAC.

 
I am also contemplating getting a DAC for my home setup with DSD capabilities and this seems interesting. Has this product been refreshed since its initial release? I had a marantz consolette (Airplay speakers) which i loved back then and they just went out of production. I have heard people talk about the clicking issue and would be interested to know more. Can anyone suggest any other DACs at this or a lower price point. 
 
Thanks 

 

[PopZeus]

   
I know this is an old post I'm quoting but I'm thinking of getting HD-DAC1 and I'd like know does the clicking noise come from the device itself or is heard from speakers/headphones? I just got a Denon DA-300USB dac and it makes an extremely annoying popping sound from the speakers and headphones whenever it gets a signal or loses one, for example whenever I start or stop/pause a YouTube video. This is so frustrating that I'm considering replacing it with another DAC.

 
The relay click comes from the device itself and not through the headphones or speakers. 
 

   
I am also contemplating getting a DAC for my home setup with DSD capabilities and this seems interesting. Has this product been refreshed since its initial release? I had a marantz consolette (Airplay speakers) which i loved back then and they just went out of production. I have heard people talk about the clicking issue and would be interested to know more. Can anyone suggest any other DACs at this or a lower price point. 
 
Thanks 

 
Marantz released the HD-AMP1 a little while ago. It isn't quite a refresh, as it has a slightly different feature set and costs more, but it's an option if the DAC1 isn't quite what you want. As far as general DAC recommendations, 

 

[pbarach]

^^
 
I just bought one. The relay click comes from the device and is not audible on either its line-out analog outputs or its headphone output. It is not loud or disturbing at all (to me).
 
The Oppo Sonica DAC has the same retail price but no headphone output. I haven't heard it.
 
Isn't the HD-AMP1 essentially the same DAC and headphone amp as the HD-DAC1 with the addition of an amplifier for speakers?

 

[VoyagerDude]

Yeah the relay clicks when it's switching sample rates only.
And it's a good think because it turns off the output.

 

[VoyagerDude]

The newer HD AMP1 uses a SABRE ES9010K2M dac.
HD DAC1 had a Cirrus Logic CS4398.

 

[geomoondog]

That's weird.  I don't have that issue.  

 

[uelover]

The clicking issues come when the sampling rate is switched.
 
If you use it with SPDIF (i.e. coaxial or optical) with your computer or CD player, you won't get that issue. It is only with USB input that you tend to get that switching sound.

 

[geomoondog]

I have ted via USB and don't have the switching sound. I wonder if the correct driver is being used?

 

[VoyagerDude]

I have ted via USB and don't have the switching sound. I wonder if the correct driver is being used?

Clicking is only when you go between tracks with different sampling rate. Like from a flac 16/44 to a DSD. Are you saying that yours doesn't click in this case?

I'm using with a mac so no driver.

 

[JR1911]

  The clicking issues come when the sampling rate is switched.
 
If you use it with SPDIF (i.e. coaxial or optical) with your computer or CD player, you won't get that issue. It is only with USB input that you tend to get that switching sound.

 
So there's no clicking when the audio signal simply starts or stops, like when starting or pausing a YouTube video?

 

[KSB1978]

  I have ted via USB and don't have the switching sound. I wonder if the correct driver is being used?

 
Mine clicks when I go from a 44.1kHz track to a 96kHz track, or when I start another media (music to video) etc.
I wonder if it doesn't click if everything is played through windows audio and is output through at the same rate as per windows audio output?
 
I usually wear a closed headphone, so I haven't heard it in a while...