[Spamateur]

I don't get the whole too warm thing with the AGD PCM1704 implementations. I have an Oppo HA-1 (which many have called the DAC section overly bright) and compared with the DAC-19 (stock configuration) listening through the HA-1 balanced headphone out they don't sound vastly different on a macro tonality scale. They do sound vastly different on a detail and timbre scale. The DAC-19 sounds like real instruments and the HA-1 has 'digititus'.

 

 
I know this is an older post, but wanted to comment that I wholeheartedly agree. My previous DAC/amp setup was the Oppo HA-1 as well, and it doesn't seem any more detailed than the DAC-19/Violectric V220 setup. The biggest difference is in timbre, smoothness (returned the HA-1 due to the fatiguing nature of the treble) and realism. Granted, I'm listening to that chain with the HD650 as well (went back to these after I sold my LCD-X) so it's obvious at this point that I prefer a warmer-than-neutral tilt.
 
What's really funny is the DAC-19 has changed what I listen to significantly. I've been listening to a lot more acoustic instrumentation and well-mastered music that features stringed instruments, as the DAC-19 lets you hear everything while sounding shockingly non-digital and analog. You can hear and feel strings on a guitar being plucked, picked and strummed, and it is beyond delightful.

 

[Luckbad]

   
I know this is an older post, but wanted to comment that I wholeheartedly agree. My previous DAC/amp setup was the Oppo HA-1 as well, and it doesn't seem any more detailed than the DAC-19/Violectric V220 setup. The biggest difference is in timbre, smoothness (returned the HA-1 due to the fatiguing nature of the treble) and realism. Granted, I'm listening to that chain with the HD650 as well (went back to these after I sold my LCD-X) so it's obvious at this point that I prefer a warmer-than-neutral tilt.
 
What's really funny is the DAC-19 has changed what I listen to significantly. I've been listening to a lot more acoustic instrumentation and well-mastered music that features stringed instruments, as the DAC-19 lets you hear everything while sounding shockingly non-digital and analog. You can hear and feel strings on a guitar being plucked, picked and strummed, and it is beyond delightful.

 
The Audio-GD PCM1704UK implementations as well as some other R-2R dacs out there do a superb job of exactly that. I listen to many songs and genres I don't normally appreciate, especially if there are strings or wood instruments The pluck of acoustic guitars is so incredibly satisfying and real and upright bass is impactful and gorgeous.

 

[aamefford]

Agreed on the two posts above.

 

[sling5s]

What are the three settings for? 1,2,3

 

[Quinto]

What are the three settings for? 1,2,3

usb, coax, opt

 

[sling5s]

Ah...dump question.

 

[HiAudio]

I received a few pins. I know they are to be put inside to change settings but I haven't dug into details of that on how and why and what benefit we can gain from doing that.

 

[bimmer100]

I received a few pins. I know they are to be put inside to change settings but I haven't dug into details of that on how and why and what benefit we can gain from doing that.

I'm assuming you are talking about jumpers? Those would be for setting up the dsp for over sampling or NOS. also has option to turn off PLL or phase locked loop. This is great if you have a really really good USB source, disabling it I mean. Otherwise PLL should be on. Also you can bypass the dsp and use a software based dsp if your PC is setup for that.
I believe the factory shipped settings are good ideal in most situations. Especially if you don't know what they do, it's best to leave them alone. Always power the Dac down before installing any jumpers. Do not install jumpers when the power is on! Dsp requires a reboot or power cycle to have new setting to take effect. You may or may not hear any difference depending on your gear. I just spent an hour or two the other night trying everything again. I decided to turn off Phase locked loop since I have a PPA3 ocxo USB card. Also leaving the dsp enabled. Basically only the top two jumpers are bridged. That's what I'm setup as now.

 

[HiAudio]

I'm assuming you are talking about jumpers? Those would be for setting up the dsp for over sampling or NOS. also has option to turn off PLL or phase locked loop. This is great if you have a really really good USB source, disabling it I mean. Otherwise PLL should be on. Also you can bypass the dsp and use a software based dsp if your PC is setup for that.
I believe the factory shipped settings are good ideal in most situations. Especially if you don't know what they do, it's best to leave them alone. Always power the Dac down before installing any jumpers. Do not install jumpers when the power is on! Dsp requires a reboot or power cycle to have new setting to take effect. You may or may not hear any difference depending on your gear. I just spent an hour or two the other night trying everything again. I decided to turn off Phase locked loop since I have a PPA3 ocxo USB card. Also leaving the dsp enabled. Basically only the top two jumpers are bridged. That's what I'm setup as now.

 
Thanks. Great to know. Someday I will attempt this.

 

[fakamada]

Hi. I just got my DAC19. Overall it's nice. Very smooth. Resolution is average. But the bass is quite slow. Does it improve over time? It's on for about 40 hours and it's not getting better. 

 

[bimmer100]

Hi. I just got my DAC19. Overall it's nice. Very smooth. Resolution is average. But the bass is quite slow. Does it improve over time? It's on for about 40 hours and it's not getting better. 

That's interesting. Not a common thing to hear as a first impression of the dac19. What amp are you using? And what interconnects?

 

[fakamada]

Amp is tube 2a3 SET amp. I'have a direct comparison with heavily modified Behringer DEQ2496 based on DeltaSigma AK4396. It's very analitycal (too dry and bright for me) so it's a complete oposite.Still. Low frequency control and resolution, feeling of "being there" is on another level.  

 

[jdpark]

The bass is an interesting issue some people have mentioned, and it does take a few dozen hours to either burn-in, or for your brain to get used to it, from my experience. I don't know which it is, but it was one of the only things I wasn't fully satisfied with at first, coming from an HRT HD, which has quite a lot of bass. I'd imagine if it was Behringer, it had some kind of boosted bass, but I don't know.
 
Also, tubes are known to be a bit slower on purpose--it gives an extra romantic feel to the sound. That amp looks pretty good, but I'm sure it's not 100% neutral. A fast solid state amp with a smooth top end would probably settle any speed issues and still sound nice.
 
But if you like the amp and the bass texture seems lacking, you can also play around with various factors in the pre-dac chain, from what kind of computer software you're using, to the cables... All these may have a noticeable effect, and cumulatively, they can have a pretty major effect, though obviously with diminishing returns. I find that going from my Windows 10 laptop, using jplay in hibernate mode and fidelizer pro in extremist mode (which completely shuts down every non-music related process and kernal streams the bits to the dac), with a Chord USB SilverPlus cable gives me a dramatic improvement all around than from an early 1990s Denon CD player into the digital input (#2). It's like having a different dac. There are probably even more tweaks, but these have greatly improved on an originally good dac, by adding greater spacial precision, PRaT, and instrument definition. (It's possible with a high-end transport, #2 can gain as well.)  

 

[Youth]

Has anyone heard both DAC 19 and Master 7? Wonder how they compare.

 

[sling5s]

Reading about Jitterbug and Schiit Wyrd got me thinking.  Which is better? DAC 19 with optical or USB with Wyrd?
I always assumed coaxial and optical was better because of the USB noise interference but with Wyrd or Jitterbug got me thinking.