[_Spanky_]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomjoneslookslike /img/forum/go_quote.gif My first actual post... so YEAH me... Hello all of you... Ok, so I'm confused. What's the general consensus on the best way to connect a macbook to the D1? I thought about optical out with an Optocoupler MKII into a CryoParts converter box and then a DH Labs D-75 digital cable from the box to the D1. Or, should I just run usb out of the macbook to usb in of the D1? All I listen to are 16/44.1 flac rips from cds. I'd like to achieve bit perfect (I think). All this talk about upsampling and resampling, I can't find up, so any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm a student of audio currently flunking!!!

If you want bit-perfect I think you should stay away from USB. I don't think anyone has gotten 16-Bit 44Khz bit-perfect with the USB in the D1 yet... I could be wrong.

 

[ninjikiran]

technically SPdif(Bit-Matched) should be bit-perfect to any external DAC or receiver. Or it is supposed to be, some people complain it can still be noisy.

 

[xcluded]

Hi everyone , i got my set today. Lovely machine that is.

I have one newbie question though. If i use optical from my computer sound card and connect to the D1 , am i doing double amping ? Is it a bit perfect situation ?

does anyone's D1 becomes very warm after some time of usage ?

Thanks

 

[Apollonius of Perga]

When you connect your computer to the D1 via an optical connection, your computer's sound card will be by-passed. The music file on your computer goes to the D1 and is converted from a digital file to an analog signal there (and amplified in the process).

Other comments here indicate that an optical connection is bit perfect.

The warmth of the unit comes from the tube. It's normal.

 

[xcluded]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apollonius of Perga /img/forum/go_quote.gif When you connect your computer to the D1 via an optical connection, your computer's sound card will be by-passed. The music file on your computer goes to the D1 and is converted from a digital file to an analog signal there (and amplified in the process). Other comments here indicate that an optical connection is bit perfect. The warmth of the unit comes from the tube. It's normal.

Thanks Apollonius !

This D1 is pretty amazing for the price. The price/performance ratio is great.

 

[dacseeker]

About the volume question.

I prefer to have the max at 3 o'clock.

I am strongly interested in the solution presented by ELP FAN, that is use a linear with two more resistors. I have seen this solution in doy projects and think it is a good one. And if we can avoid the knob with clicks, even better !

One small point about cosmetics is to have a led with much more reduced light.

 

[ELP FAN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dacseeker /img/forum/go_quote.gif About the volume question. I prefer to have the max at 3 o'clock. I am strongly interested in the solution presented by ELP FAN, that is use a linear with two more resistors. I have seen this solution in doy projects and think it is a good one. And if we can avoid the knob with clicks, even better !

The law faking buisness is there because Linear pots have no real control at low volume on their own..As you have additional restors in the signal path it's important to use the very best resistors you can get... Vishay 'VSR-J' bulk foils or minimum Holco metal film..Goes without saying the best pots, i've used Sfernice PII VYN metal film pots for years.but you'll have to check the pin layout size & value availability, they used to have a great variation in dual lins for the Sfernice.

 

[ninjikiran]

I actually like clicking volume, adds a level of tactile feel. Also lets you more deliberately adjust the volume rather than randomly tuning.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apollonius of Perga /img/forum/go_quote.gif When you connect your computer to the D1 via an optical connection, your computer's sound card will be by-passed. The music file on your computer goes to the D1 and is converted from a digital file to an analog signal there (and amplified in the process). Other comments here indicate that an optical connection is bit perfect. The warmth of the unit comes from the tube. It's normal.

Depends on the unit, on the creative cards through spdif the signal is slightly amplified and some kind of processing is applied. Only in audio creation mode you can enabled "bit matched" playback which seems to disable ALL enhancements.

 

[ninjikiran]

Double post because I am a looser

 

[djnagle]

I got mine Wednesday. DHL sent it from Cincinnati to Grand Rapids when it should have been sent to Detroit, so that added a day. No fault of Mav.

My first impression is that is very heavy for its size and, for its size, is built like a tank. It is truly plug and play. Stuck it in my system (hooked up to my MS with USB) and hit play on my music server. The look and feel of the D1 is outstanding and looks like a much more pricy unit. By the way, I like the click of the volume pot. It is wobbly but I saw that the feet still had little rings from the molding process and a little 220 took that off in an instant…..no more wobble. Very elegant looking piece of gear.

I am using this as a DAC/tube pre for my main system not a headphone amp.
My first impression from a sound standpoint, was “send it back”

I have an extremely revealing system and the D1 sounded terrible. Harsh, shrill, thin, lifeless, no bass, exaggerated highs. I had to turn it off. But I know that some things need to burn in, so I left it going for two days with the volume set to 1. At that setting I could barely hear it. So after two days of burning in, I sat down last night and started listening to is seriously. I got the upgraded tube just so you know.

OK, it sounds fantastic. The highs are extremely detailed with out piercing my ears. I can hear several layers of music and background that I’ve never heard before. The mids are very smooth with great openness and presence. The D1 handles the dynamics very well so when a singer is really belting it out, it does not seem over driven or ringy in the ear. There is great timber in the mids as well. The vocals sound just like they are supposed to sound. And like the highs, there is an incredible amount of detail. The bass is supper tight and I can hear the distinction between every note. My system is flat down to 18 Hz and I can tell the difference between 18 and 25 Hz. The midbass slams and kick like a mule. It really changed my bass tremendously…..I am very happy about that as I am on old washed up Bass player.

The imaging really came into focus as well. I can tell when the vocals are dead center or, in the case of CR&N, in the center, just left of center and just right of center. I can hear music 6” to the inside of my speakers and 2’ outside my speakers and everywhere in between. There is more vertical imaging as well so the hieght of the instument or vocals vary with the recording.

The soundstage is deeper than it ever has been. I played a Johnny Cash CD last night. It was like he was sitting 5’ in front of me and my speakers are 15’ way from me.

I have the Windmill Getter tube and the WE tube but will hold off on rolling them for a while until 1. The D1 is well broke in and 2. I really get use to the sound or it so I can identify the difference.

I do have a pair of Grado SR60 but only use them on the road on my laptop. I will give them a listen, but I don’t think I can give an accurate eval of those as I don’t have any experience with any other headphones.

My system consists of:

Speakers

* JBL 4530 Scoops with JBL 2225 woofers
* StereoLab 400hz tractrix horn with JBL 2441 compression drivers with Radian diaphragms
* Big Heil Air Motion Tweeters.
* 2 subwoofers with Martin Logan 12” drivers and BASH 300s plate amps

Amps

* Decware Zen amp for the mid horns
* Kegger PP EL34 for the tweeters
* Adcom 555 for the woofers

Source

* HP computer with 1.5TB hard drive for music only
* Custom TT with Hagarman Octal Cornet Phono Pre.

I tri-amp through a Pioneer 3 way active crossover.

 

[ninjikiran]

Arg mines is probably still in Chinese customs over the weekend.

@Djnagle You might have to burn in again with the headphones. They are two seperate paths. More an assumption though.

 

[Apollonius of Perga]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninjikiran /img/forum/go_quote.gif I actually like clicking volume, adds a level of tactile feel. Also lets you more deliberately adjust the volume rather than randomly tuning. Depends on the unit, on the creative cards through spdif the signal is slightly amplified and some kind of processing is applied. Only in audio creation mode you can enabled "bit matched" playback which seems to disable ALL enhancements.

Setting aside the question of whether things are "bit matched," I don't get the thing about a digital signal being slightly amplified. Even if it is, its job is to relay information as 1's and 0's. Whether amplified or not, it has to be changed into an analog signal in the DAC, and that signal and its properties will let the speakers turn it into sounds. Would an amplified digital stream result in a louder sound? I doubt it, but this is not really something I know a lot about.

 

[ninjikiran]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apollonius of Perga /img/forum/go_quote.gif Setting aside the question of whether things are "bit matched," I don't get the thing about a digital signal being slightly amplified. Even if it is, its job is to relay information as 1's and 0's. Whether amplified or not, it has to be changed into an analog signal in the DAC, and that signal and its properties will let the speakers turn it into sounds. Would an amplified digital stream result in a louder sound? I doubt it, but this is not really something I know a lot about.

I don't know what goes on but without Bit-Matched playback the sound is louder and I am pretty sure there is some effect going on (with crystalizers and everything of turns off)

Remember 1001 != 1101. Any change will corrupt the original bit stream, whether this has a large impact on resulting sound quality or not is debatable. I don't notice much of a difference besides loudness but its not Bit-Perfect. Essentially, no audio is bit perfect far as I can analyze, since changing the volume creates a new output but you want to try and keep any changes to a minimum until it hits its final destination(in this case the maverick dac). Even there it changes, hence OPamps color or equalize the stream.

Sort of like a CRC check, even 1 extra word or line of code will change it. It will be a new file/program in entirety. Or adding a black pixel to a huge bitmap image, the unchanged version will look the same but somewhere there is that extra black pixel hiding meaning they are not perfectly identical.

I am sure someone could explain in better detail, just making assumptions to how these devices work.

 

[vkvedam]

Outstanding impressions you've got there djnagle. Thanks a lot for sharing.

 

[xcluded]

Will it void warranty if the opamp is changed ?

any significant improvement(from stock) from doing so ?