@DrTone, initially I had some static issues at track transitions, but switching from Foobar2000 to JRiver fixed this. I listened to some DS256 tracks without any issues. The noise is almost non-existent with the D1100.
@JBob1, I am in the same boat as you in that there aren't any dealers close by where I can audition stuff. When I was buying headphones and gear that retailed for less than a few hundred dollars it wasn't a big problem - I bought some stuff I loved but bought some stuff I hated too. When I was ready drop what for me was some serious dough I went to CamJam. It is noisy so not the best environment for listening, but it does allow you to see and audition a lot of stuff in a short period of time. That helps to narrow down the list of things you are interested in. Even better, you can meet lots of people and talk about gear! That is where I met
@TSAVJason, and he has been tremendously helpfu.....Since there are no stores nearby to develop a relationship with, Jason has become my hometown shop, even though he is in CA and I am in NJ.
The DAVE is $10,500.00 USD and the McIntosh D1100 is $8,000.00 USD. A $2,500 retail difference. This was not a part of my decision.
I'll be honest and say that price was a factor in my decision, albeit not the only one. I'd been saving for the DAVE for months, but when Jason suggested the D1100 as another option the price point was a plus. Basically the price difference allowed me to get a nice balanced cable for my Utopias and TOTL interconnects. I also like the design of the McIntosh products - I'm not a girly-girl at all and couldn't care less about decorating and such, so the clean lines and minimalist design of the D1100 really appealed to me.
Purchasing decisions are really personal and everyone has different things that are important to them. If I had to skin it, the factors that went into choosing the D1100 over the Dave for me were:
- Recommendation/reputation: Jason spoke very highly of it, and I think he has a good grasp on what I like to hear. (And no, its not all Taylor Swift).
I looked online at reviews of older model McDACs and they were positive. Also, McIntosh has a strong brand reputation; I'm sure that a lot of non-audiophiles recognize it, and the company has been around long enough that I trust that they take care of their customers. When I was growing up, our neighbors who we referred to as "the rich neighbors" because they were both doctors had some McIntosh components, so there is probably some nostalgia there too.
- Balanced output: I've tried 3 different headphones (Utopia, Senn 650, and ZMF Vibro) with both SE and balanced outputs of the LAu, and to me the balanced just sounds better. I'm a Chord fan so read all the stuff about why they don't use a balanced design, but since the DAC was to pair with the LAu, this was a major factor.
- Price: See above
- Visual appeal: I love my Mojo, but to me the DAVE looks busy and kinda weird.
LAu is the periodic table abriviation for Gold. She and I both use the Cavalli LAu amp. She is using the D1100 and appears to be very happy. She's new to Headphones but we discovered in NY that her ears are quite good. We use the Cavalli LAu to achieve that beautiful sound it has and lots of headroom. Extra headroom means less amp stress making the sound cleaner at normal or higher levels. I have a Chinese wife so at times I need higher levels. She can get loud when she talks Chinese hahaha.
Sorry, my degree is in Chemistry and I don't type very fast, so I use "LAu" a lot.
Yes, I am very happy! My husband has a high frequency hearing loss, but it is not my fault...... I am Korean so my voice is low. LOL!
The D1100 and DAVE are both great products, you really can't go wrong. Hope this helps a little,
@JBob1 .
