Ah ok cool. I am still thinking of pairing the tube out with an O2 or the new Asgard2 for my DT990 600ohm which would be nice to be able to use my lower end phones and higher end phones. The Maverick is great but completely useless with lower end phones due to the massive gain I am experiencing. Still when I get those volumes right it can go from a nice wide soundstage to a bass machine depending on the song.
Who knows when I get my company bonus I might just get a compass 2 to compare.
I would also like to point out that the stock headphone out on the unit is dismal. It pales in comparison to actual standalone headphone amps as it should.
I've been reading that this thing may not have the best headphone output SQ and especially for IEMs. I know it would work well with my 2.1 system as a preamp but anyone comment on just the SQ of the headphone out and how it would work with IEMs. Thanks.
For my MadDogs and DT990/600 it sounds ok, I think it could sound better but deciding on an amp is a nightmare when you want to avoid tube rolling. To many great choices out there.
For low ohm/low voltage headphones like the CALs it is a NIGHTMARE. I Hate it! IEMs would be a friggin awful nightmare. I had to hook my E9K up to deal with that.
Sold my Schiit M&M Stack to pick up the Maverick D1 Plus and so far I have absolutely zero regret!
When I had the Schiit Stack, my music sounded flat and very "directed." Now with the D1+, music became so much more spacious! Very wide soundstage and I'm loving it. Only complaint so far is headphone out is pretty lame. Nothing special whatsoever with it.
Overall, still need some break-in time before I can make any final conclusions.
Pretty please to all new owners ... do mention what options you got or if it's a basic unit. The OPA627 and GE tube upgrades make a major difference in the sq ...
Also, if you're running low impedence cans ... Maverick did play around with the basic gain quite a bit before settling on what's current. Lotsa folk wanted to be able to drive lotsa different types of phones, and what yall got is a compromise. There were quite a few attempts to tailor the circuit to specific phones with good results. Mostly involving swapping out a resistor or two. You can either check back thru 2600 some odd posts (some odder than others) or hope somebody who's done it drops by and takes the mystery out of it. Better yet, check back to the index on page one and look for mod links ...
And no help here ... I've got some phones, but never really use them. I went so far as to plug mine in to make sure it worked.
And yes ... tube rolling can have some amazing results ... problem is that those of us with self control issues don't know when to stop ...
Somebody stops me!! <G>
PS ... my current favorite is a 1972 JW WE 2C51. Real strong performer with a nice smooth curve top to bottom. I've also got the stock Chinese 6N3 and a Tesla 6CC42. Mostly if I do swap out, it's to the Tesla - brighter and lower output than the WE, but all in all a good performer that still needs some more hours on it to make it sing ...
Oh. Also worth mentioning ... All S/PDIF (optical and coaxial) is not created equal. A LOT of computers have ***** components - Mine was one of them. I got MUCH better results disabling the onboard version and adding an expansion card. I recently rebuilt the HTPC and the new board is better than the old one with the expansion card, so if you're not happy with it, that could be the problem. Yet another swapping opportunity ... somebody hep me!
I have been eyeing this for my HD650 for a bit now but reviews seems to be mixed on it. Correct me if I'm wrong but from reading the posts here it's basically a good DAC but the Amp section is weak and you did need another get another Amp?
Thanks my take on it, I am currently looking at the TianYun Zero , its little cheaper and seems to do all the things I need as well as being a decent headphone amp.
For the price and what the Maverick is capable of supporting it is pretty hard to beat for the price. Next up in the price range for an amp/dac that supports analog as well as digital in is the Compass2 from audiogd but it is about 200more.
The amp section is fine, I just didn't like the hardcore gain with the stepped attenuator. I could never find a comfortable volume. With powered speakers though this isn't a problem. Hence why I went back to my E09K/E17 setup it is just better for my needs.
IMO it is a better Dac then AMP/DAC. But if you don't need analog in then there are a lot more choices out there.
This just in for all you folk with the volume control questions.
The volume control is disabled for the analog out from the factory, BUT ... it can be enabled by switching a couple jumpers on the main board.
Those jumpers basically replace the bypass switch that was on the D1. They still recommend you leave things as is unless it's a real problem. It's all about keeping the signal path as short and clean as possible.
When you enable the volume control, does it allow the D1+ to function as both a DAC and Preamp? I bought a D1 (and upgraded the tube and opamps) for my son but I was thinking about getting a D1+ and giving it to him ( I would take his D1 and use it with a little Dayton DTA-100a amp and a pair of monitor Audio S1 speakers). The D1+ will be used as both a DAC/Preamp with a Class D Audio CDA 254L digital amp and PSB B6's speakers. Also, does any one know how it compares in sound to the Grant Fidelity DAC-11. I use a GF with an upgraded vintage Holland made Amperex ECC88 1962 non-A frame tube which lends tremendous air, sound stage and bass.
Its been about a year or so but life has been crazy and my D1 was put away.
I'm still having popping/hissing/static issues with the D1. No longer plays anything but that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atCqlz7fSJM
I shot a message to Ryan despite it being way out of warranty but perhaps I could pay to have it fixed. I just have no idea whats wrong. Every source has this same noise. No matter the connection, speakers, or cable combinations.
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