Review and discussions - Audioengine D1 24/96 USB and Optical DAC/amp for laptops and computers
Jan 29, 2012 at 4:52 PM Post #61 of 398
ACDOAN:
 
So now that you've bought the AE D1, how would you compare the sound to the Fiio E10, in terms of how neutral it is, as well as the soundstage?  Is it worth the upgrade?  I'm looking at getting either this or the ibasso D7.
 
Thanks!
 
 
Jan 30, 2012 at 1:59 AM Post #63 of 398
Can the D1 drive the hd600 to uncomfortable listening levels while maintaining good dynamics? Or are all these usb powered dac/amps pretty much limited. Compared to a nuforce HDP for example, does the d1 power the hd600 just as good?
 
Jan 30, 2012 at 4:13 PM Post #64 of 398
How is the D1 compared to the Fiio E17 driving the Q701?   Am thinking about getting either one of these
 
 
 
Jan 31, 2012 at 9:46 AM Post #65 of 398
My D1 arrived.  I'm uploading the unboxing right now.  Listening to it on my MacBook Air and Sony MDR-V600 headphones.  The sound is forward compared to my Apogee Duet 2.  It's very high gain so I think it will not have any issues driving high impedance headphones.  Stay tuned for more.
 
Jan 31, 2012 at 10:37 PM Post #66 of 398


Quote:
How is the D1 compared to the Fiio E17 driving the Q701?   Am thinking about getting either one of these
 
 

I was just looking into buying the Q701s and was wandering the same thing. From the specs of both the D1 and Q701s it seems like it should have not problem at all. If there is anyone on this forum that owns both of these please share with us !!! Please !!!!
 
Feb 1, 2012 at 9:06 AM Post #67 of 398
Unboxing video.
 

 
Feb 1, 2012 at 10:33 PM Post #68 of 398
I want one of these USBs they get good reviews and the one that comes with the D1 does not fit so tight. 
BTW I just pulled the trigger on the Q701 
biggrin.gif
 GREEN hahahaha $235 on Amazon with free 2-day shipping.
Will see how these two sound together. 
beyersmile.png

 
Feb 2, 2012 at 10:17 PM Post #71 of 398
I just got a D1 and I have popping noises when I use WASAPI on Foobar. However, I've found that switching over to kernel streaming or lowering the buffer size seems to alleviate the problem somewhat, so those having problems with popping and cracking may want to try experimenting with that.
 
Feb 3, 2012 at 3:05 AM Post #72 of 398
when using wasapi, experiment by changing the buffer to around 200 to 500 or something then change the setting to 24bit instead of 16
 
Feb 3, 2012 at 7:41 PM Post #73 of 398
Just got my Q701 and hooked it up to D1. Sounds good so far but I do not want to comment on the SQ since they both have to be properly burned-in. 
If anyone has requests on what music they want me to try with this combo please let me know, I have quite extensive collection of FLACs .... 
 
Feb 4, 2012 at 5:25 AM Post #74 of 398
Would love to pair this with my A5's. Anyone try plugging the D1 into an Apple Cinema Display or something similar? I know it's recommended to go with a standalone USB port, but I wanted to see if plugging into the display was a viable option so that i don't have to plug/unplug into my laptop all the time...
 
Feb 4, 2012 at 10:41 AM Post #75 of 398
Got my D1 on Tuesday of this past week...and got my RMA # this morning.
 
First impressions...aside from its good looks - sounded no better out of the box than my Fiio D3 via toslink. I ran redbook and 24/96 flac tracks for comparison and could not isolate any real differences in sound between the two. Later that afternoon, I recieved a new (true) glass Toslink cable (Sonicwave) and tried again. Much better performance, however I found the Fiio to have better bass and detail.

In USB mode, I could only compare it to my Valab NOS DAC (redbook only) and the D1 got smoked. The D1 sounded rather shrill on the highs, flat and lifeless in the mids and seemed to be lacking for much punch or resonance on the low end. As a result of whatever drivers are automatically installed for the D1 by plugging it in the USB port (Win XP SP3), I was only offered the Direct Sound playback option in Foobar. The Valab was running a generic Ploytec ASIO driver. Not really an apples to apples comparison, but just a quick survey against some gear that I already know to sound good within the price point.

I didn't really do too much more as I didn't realistically expect nirvana out of the box. I setup the D1 plugged into a laptop with a Sheffield Lab burn-in track playing on a continuous loop for about 60 hours or so...

The Fiio D3 rocks for less than $30. Boxing up my D1 for return as there was no appreciable difference after burn-in. YMMV as I bought this DAC for a non-headphone application (tested only in this manner) with the added bonus of portability and headphone usage. Think I will continue looking. I apologize for posting my results in a Head-Fi forum, but seems to be the only place the D1 is being discussed.

 
 
 
 

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