Marantz HD-DAC1

[PhantomNyan]

Well y’all, sad to say I sold my marantz, for really cheap lol.
I changed my desktop set up and it just didn’t fit, even tho I have a side table, I wanted everything under my monitor. My son is nearing two years old and grabs everything so I attempted to de clutter and have smart cable management.

I will say with resolving headphones it was easy to spot things with the marantz that got beat out by newer amps newer dacs. For my preferences, the sound signature was great. It’s smooth top end and more natural sound sig actually made me have a bit of dislike for brighter more aggressive equipment. It changed my preferences quite a bit. My dragonfly red I used to fill in at times is too lively on top now.

It was especially pleasing in stereo speaker set ups. That’s where most of the marantz products live (and home theatre) so that’s not surprising. The dac1 was better then the dac in my Cambridge Audio CXA80 integrated amp by a little. I eventually added the Cambridge Audio CXN V2 and that’s where the marantz couldn’t quite keep up. cxn is cleaner and more resolving. Clarity was immediately evident.

Headphones wise, I’m moving on to a Mytek Liberty for my desk. I kind of wish I could compare but I think I’ll know right away what the Mytek does better, assuming it’s overall better lol. I did listen with the marantz nearly everyday for months either through headphones or speakers. I am afraid the Mytek could be too clinical for my taste but I can always match with a warmer headphone amp. Anyways…

So DAC1 owners, enjoy and farewell. It’s been fun!

I was actually thinking of at some point buying this thing (despite it being a massive monster for a desk) thanks for your review you now convinced me not to buy it

 

[fattycheesebeef]

Pairing the trusty old HD-DAC1 with HD650, bliss!

 

[MacMan31]

I've done the same recently. I have the DAC1 and a Valhalla 2 on my desk at work with HD600's. There wasn't a drastic difference between the Valhalla 2 and the DAC1, so I have my Valhalla 2 for sale locally (annapolis, md if anyone is interested).

If you put a gun to my head, i'd give a slight edge to the Valhalla. But just having the DAC1 on my desk is a much cleaner package.

Were you using the stock tubes on the Valhalla 2? I don't have my HD-DAC1 anymore but I sometimes wish I still did. I may end up selling my Valhalla 2 as I now also have a Lyr 3.

 

[Mink]

I just got myself a used Marantz HD DAC in mint condition!
So far I am really impressed. Not in the sense of resolution, detail delivery or sound staging (which are as expected very fine, just like every other DAC I own/have tried, the supposed improvements in DACs the last decades are exaggerated in my opinion, my CD players, early 2000s have kept up), but in the way how natural and fluid this Marantz sounds.
The last couple of hours listening to this amp/DAC makes me think I prefer Marantz' implementation of the Cirrus Logic chip over every Burr Brown and AKM type DAC I have auditioned. I liked TEAC UD 503 for its utterly smooth (colored) velvet sound, but with many headphones I own this sound can get too bassy and smooth, like a contemporary Technics MASH. A DAC should be neutral for the most part, imo. I even prefer this Marantz DAC over the PCM1702 in my Denon DCD1450.
A couple of months ago I got an Audio GD R2R 11 Amp/DAC which I like quite a bit for its fluidity and naturalness, but I find the Marantz even more natural and fluid sounding, deeper and wider as well. Marantz's treble is rather sensational, not rounded but still without a hint of hardness or grain. Audio GD's sound is smooth because it appears to be rounded and softened. Marantz seems to be smooth naturally? Note that I only listened with headphones, neither units I have tried as pre-amp. Maybe run over speakers the Audio GD sounds better?
I don't know how Marantz does it, but the mids have this warmth which almost seems intrinsic, the mids don't appear to be colored, well certainly not like those AKM velvet DACs. Not sure what part of the Marantz is more responsible for its excellent sound, the amp or the DAC? Unfortunately I can't bypass the DAC to test the amp on its own.
A thing about the looks.
Those fake wooden, plastic side panels aren't that bad actually. I have seen lots of authentic wooden panels that are polished and lacquered to look just as fake as this LOL only when you touch the panels you clearly notice it is plastic. Besides that, it also gives of an old bakelite vibe, you know the predecessor of today's plastic.
I chose the black unit. Normally I would pick the silver or champagne version, but with these brown side panels the black one just looks more classy.

 

[Mink]

It is a couple of times mentioned in this thread, but the popping sounds using USB can be annoying.
I don't mean the relais click in the device itself, but the pops you hear over headphones every time it connects (or locks the signal)?, at the start of a new track or video.
With Spotify it only occurs when you select a track yourself, when you let the album play out itself, meaning when you let a song finish and just wait for the following track to play there will be no pop, it is only when selecting a song yourself this pop occurs. With Youtube however there are instances in longer videos that this connection/lock pop occurs frequently in a video. The same with Netflix. Not always, but it just shouldn't happen at all in my opinion.
I have set under advanced sound settings in Windows the sample rate and bit depth fixed at 48K/32 bits (unchecked the exclusive mode) hoping this would fix these pops, reasoning that the DAC may reconnect and lock because of different sample rates in a particular video? To no avail.
Fortunately it is only a luxury problem I can just use my Audio GD for the USB media and the Marantz for the coaxial connection with one of my CD players...but still, it doesn't sit well with me

 

[Smoothstereo]

It is a couple of times mentioned in this thread, but the popping sounds using USB can be annoying.
I don't mean the relais click in the device itself, but the pops you hear over headphones every time it connects (or locks the signal)?, at the start of a new track or video.
With Spotify it only occurs when you select a track yourself, when you let the album play out itself, meaning when you let a song finish and just wait for the following track to play there will be no pop, it is only when selecting a song yourself this pop occurs. With Youtube however there are instances in longer videos that this connection/lock pop occurs frequently in a video. The same with Netflix. Not always, but it just shouldn't happen at all in my opinion.
I have set under advanced sound settings in Windows the sample rate and bit depth fixed at 48K/32 bits (unchecked the exclusive mode) hoping this would fix these pops, reasoning that the DAC may reconnect and lock because of different sample rates in a particular video? To no avail.
Fortunately it is only a luxury problem I can just use my Audio GD for the USB media and the Marantz for the coaxial connection with one of my CD players...but still, it doesn't sit well with me

I used to own the Marantz DAC1 and I paired it to an Android phone and have never heard any pops thru my headphones. I mostly listen to wav files all in 44.1khz and its was trouble free. The only thing it did do was the relay clicks, but thats when I start my session and end my session which is understandable.

 

[Mink]

I used to own the Marantz DAC1 and I paired it to an Android phone and have never heard any pops thru my headphones. I mostly listen to wav files all in 44.1khz and its was trouble free. The only thing it did do was the relay clicks, but thats when I start my session and end my session which is understandable.

When using the front USB port there aren't any pops indeed, but the USB port at the back (USB-DAC) while connecting laptop/PC has this 'problem'.

 

[jamca]

When using the front USB port there aren't any pops indeed, but the USB port at the back (USB-DAC) while connecting laptop/PC has this 'problem'.

I have never heard any clicks and pops except the normal relay sound. It should be an issue with your unit.

 

[Mink]

Well then history seems to repeat itself. My beloved Marantz PM7200 amp has an annoying loud transformer hum that is audible over the headphones out in the left channel.
And now these relais clicks of my HD-DAC1 manifest themselves in the headphones output.

Edit: it is related to my Windows laptop. My Audio GD does this popping at the start of a video as well, only less consistent.

 

[Smoothstereo]

That is weird then. The relay clicks that I hear are coming from the DAC1 itself, not thru my headphones.

 

[MellowGold]

Same here, the clicking is happening inside the unit when it locks into a new signal (USB only). I should also say that this has never been an issue for me and I've had the unit for several years.

 

[Mink]

Well then history seems to repeat itself. My beloved Marantz PM7200 amp has an annoying loud transformer hum that is audible over the headphones out in the left channel.
And now these relais clicks of my HD-DAC1 manifest themselves in the headphones output.

Edit: it is related to my Windows laptop. My Audio GD does this popping at the start of a video as well, only less consistent.

When I connect my iPhone to the USB dac at the back (recently bought a dedicated cable) there are no pops and clicks, so this confirms that my Windows laptop is the popping and clicking culprit.
But I am not really hearing the supposed better sound using the USB DAC at the back instead of the port on the front....which is fine, because the sound is just wonderful.
True, SPDIF or coaxical connection is just a tad better overall, as it is with my other DACs in comparison with USB, but the difference is less obvious with this Marantz.

What I have noticed as well is that the amp's gain setting at medium seems to result in a better sound overall, with all my headphones.
And for what it is worth, the amp/DAC is dead quiet. No noise, no incidental high pitched swirls of jittery thingies. Pitch black. No need for an IFi iPurifier.
To be frank, the jittery stuff never bothered me much with my previous DACs or the headphones output of my laptop, but it is nice to hear...erm it is nice to not hear any of that any more.
Taking all this in account, this Marantz must be one the best bargains in recent hifi history, and I got a unit in mint condition for only half the price!

 

[pbarach]

When I connect my iPhone to the USB dac at the back (recently bought a dedicated cable) there are no pops and clicks, so this confirms that my Windows laptop is the popping and clicking culprit.
But I am not really hearing the supposed better sound using the USB DAC at the back instead of the port on the front...

It's the same DAC regardless of what digital input you're using. The back USB port accepts much higher-res files than the front does. But who would out hi-res files on an iPhone anyway?

 

[Smoothstereo]

Based on my memory when I had the Marantz DAC1, when I put a thumb drive on the front usb input with wav files in 44.1khz and compared it to same files on my Android phone running USB Audio Player Pro using the usb port on the back was a noticeable improvement. I tested several times and always coming to the same conclusion. So I preferred the back USB input.

Funny thing is, the person I sold my DAC1 to, had the exact same feedback.

 

[chaturanga]

As far as I know front USB is designed to work optimum with ipods or apple devices. Back USB port is the way to go if you are setting DAC1 as an external DAC to your Windows or Android device.