[Raksasa]

Quote:

I severly doubt that's a good idea, the D1 is recommended for up to 250 ohms I believe. My HD650s (300 ohms) I feel sound underpowered and lacklustre coming directly out of the D1.

 
Thanks 2Ears - I thought that would be the case from the info I read in the the thread.
I was hoping someone had tried it & found it was good.
 
This sounds like a great DAC with remote volume (very important for me), but I would need fixed & variable outputs to drive my power amp/speaker system and my HP amp, if the onboard amp can't drive my fones. Sounds ALMOST perfect for me. Oh well.
 
Cheers,
 
Raksy (John)
 
 

 

[sphinxvc]

I'm still not up to speed on this jitter issue yet.  It seems like the Anedio D1 is built w/ emphasis on jitter reduction/control.  
 
But wouldn't a good digital interface tackle the same problem?  

 

[project86]

Quote:

I'm still not up to speed on this jitter issue yet.  It seems like the Anedio D1 is built w/ emphasis on jitter reduction/control.  
 
But wouldn't a good digital interface tackle the same problem?  

It could. The problem is that many of the USB to SPDIF converters are not really very good in terms of dealing with jitter. Audiophilleo makes the best one from a specs standpoint. They have a similar attitude to Anedio as far as engineering and measurements. Here is a helpful link:
 
http://www.audiophilleo.com/comparison.aspx
 
Click on the "Jitter Simulator" towards the bottom of the chart for some more helpful info.
 
Measuring jitter is actually more tricky than you would be led to believe by some of these companies. Audiophilleo states 2.6ps RMS for their devices. Anedio gives 4ps RMS for the USB input and .7ps RMS for SPDIF (or 700 femtoseconds!) Those are all low enough where they shouldn't matter. 
 
So yes, adding an Audiophilleo device at $579 or $895 will put any DAC on the same level as Anedio as far as jitter performance. But most other digital interfaces won't quite get you there.

 

[sphinxvc]

^ Interesting.  Thanks.  
 
I re-read the Stereomojo review and this time I came away feeling that they liked the D1, but preferred the EE Minimax's presentation better. Probably just a question of synergy since they're using SS power amps.
 
For someone like me who's considering a WA6-SE or Sonett, I think straight neutrality from the source would be a better option.
 
Has anyone heard a Cary Xciter DAC?  Any thoughts on how it compares?

 

[pigmode]

project86,
What would be your recommendation for a solid state amp to upgrade the D1's built-in?
 
After rereading your comments in the review, I would think the Luxman P-1u to be near the top of that list. I also wonder about the Violectric V200, but its worrying to see the few comments that it is a warm amp. 

 
 

 

[project86]

Quote:

project86,
What would be your recommendation for a solid state amp to upgrade the D1's built-in?
 
After rereading your comments in the review, I would think the Luxman P-1u to be near the top of that list. I also wonder about the Violectric V200, but its worrying to see the few comments that it is a warm amp. 
 

 

 
Luxman P-1u is an effective but very expensive upgrade. If I could go back in time I probably would not buy it, despite the amazing sound quality. I know that sounds odd. I just think it should go for maybe $1700 or so, not $3k. Especially considering the fact that it doesn't have a balanced output, and it isn't suited to drive orthos very well. 
 
Violectric V200 is a great match with the D1. It is a little warmer than the built-in, but not overly so in my opinion. It also has tons of power to pick up where the D1 starts to run out (orthos, maybe Beyer T1). 
 
Aside from those the D1 is as good as or better than all my other solid state amps. Obviously tube amps are a different flavor but I think you need a rather nice one if it is to be on par with the built-in. I end up using the D1 headphone jack over my DarkVoice 337SE almost every time. 


 

 

[ZorgDK]

I'm also growing increasingly fond of the D1's amp. Now I only use the Lyr with the HE-6. The Senn HD650 and Superlux HD681 I prefer out of the D1. Funny, because I didn't like the HD650 out the D1 amp at first.

 

[project86]

Quote:

I'm also growing increasingly fond of the D1's amp. Now I only use the Lyr with the HE-6. The Senn HD650 and Superlux HD681 I prefer out of the D1. Funny, because I didn't like the HD650 out the D1 amp at first.

That is funny. I've had similar experiences with various equipment - initially you love it, and later not so much.... or vice versa. I can see why people have all kinds of interesting tweaks that they think drastically changes their system. Sometimes my system seems very different even when I haven't touched a thing.
 

 

[bobeau]

Hey Guys,
 
Such good news about the amp... purchased soulrider4ever's Anedio after finding my Minimax->SP Slam->Ed8 setup too warm/congested in the mids.  I actually prefer the Ed8 out of an HDP, go figure.  Didn't want to have to go down the long tortuous path of getting a good neutral SS amp, proper DI, then look into op-amps/tubes, possibly cables.
 
In any case it's waiting at the UPS hub right now and will leave work at lunch, should post initial impressions some time later today.  Haven't been able to find any comments about running this from the headphone out to Ed8s, so hopefully it will be helpful for others in a similar situation.
 
 

 

[project86]

Quote:

Hey Guys,
 
Such good news about the amp... purchased soulrider4ever's Anedio after finding my Minimax->SP Slam->Ed8 setup too warm/congested in the mids.  I actually prefer the Ed8 out of an HDP, go figure.  Didn't want to have to go down the long tortuous path of getting a good neutral SS amp, proper DI, then look into op-amps/tubes, possibly cables.
 
In any case it's waiting at the UPS hub right now and will leave work at lunch, should post initial impressions some time later today.  Haven't been able to find any comments about running this from the headphone out to Ed8s, so hopefully it will be helpful for others in a similar situation.
 
 

Cool! Looking forward to hearing your impressions with the Ed8. I have a pair myself but don't use them much due to comfort issues (my big head being the culprit). They sound fantastic straight out of the D1 though, from what little time I've spent with them, really open sounding. More in depth opinions would be appreciated.
 
Also, any direct comparisons to your EE Minimax would be helpful (assuming you still have it). A few websites have compared them but the conclusions and descriptions were pretty vague. 

 

[bobeau]

Quote:

Cool! Looking forward to hearing your impressions with the Ed8. I have a pair myself but don't use them much due to comfort issues (my big head being the culprit). They sound fantastic straight out of the D1 though, from what little time I've spent with them, really open sounding. More in depth opinions would be appreciated.
 
Also, any direct comparisons to your EE Minimax would be helpful (assuming you still have it). A few websites have compared them but the conclusions and descriptions were pretty vague. 

Yeah, the Ed8 is surprisingly small.  I'm a small guy  (5'5" w/ 6 7/8 hat size) and I'm 5 clicks down out of a max of 8 and the fit is sublime... clamp force, ear positioning... just seems to disappear and can go all day without discomfort.  Guess it's one of the reasons I like it, a headphone that doesn't dwarf my freakin' head 

 
The Minimax is gone.  I couldn't have done a proper comparo anyway, don't have a decent SS amp.  So this will be more noting how much of an improvement it is over the HDP, which I find pairs surprisingly well with the Ed8.
 

 

[ZorgDK]

Quote:

That is funny. I've had similar experiences with various equipment - initially you love it, and later not so much.... or vice versa. I can see why people have all kinds of interesting tweaks that they think drastically changes their system. Sometimes my system seems very different even when I haven't touched a thing.
 

Yes, and music will sound better when you're happy on a bright summer day, there's a lot of variables..
 
Regarding the D1 amp and HD650, I think it also depends on the genre, if I listen to vocal jazz I want the purest possible representation of the singers voice and the D1's amp is key here. With other genres certain tubes on the Lyr will have a bigger wow effect. 
 
Quote:

Hey Guys,
 
Such good news about the amp... purchased soulrider4ever's Anedio after finding my Minimax->SP Slam->Ed8 setup too warm/congested in the mids.  I actually prefer the Ed8 out of an HDP, go figure.  Didn't want to have to go down the long tortuous path of getting a good neutral SS amp, proper DI, then look into op-amps/tubes, possibly cables.
 
In any case it's waiting at the UPS hub right now and will leave work at lunch, should post initial impressions some time later today.  Haven't been able to find any comments about running this from the headphone out to Ed8s, so hopefully it will be helpful for others in a similar situation.
 
 

Congrats. I'm curious, did you prefer your EE Minimax DAC in solid state or tube mode?
 

 

[thegr8brian]

In terms of measurements, the only amp I have seen that measures better than the D1 built in is "The Wire" DIY amp.  

 

[khaos974]

In terms of measurements, the only amp I have seen that measures better than the D1 built in is "The Wire" DIY amp.  

The built in amps from the Benchmark DAC1 measures at least as well if not better than the amp from the D1, of course there may be others, but measures are not always available.

 

[pigmode]

Quote:

 

Luxman P-1u is an effective but very expensive upgrade. If I could go back in time I probably would not buy it, despite the amazing sound quality. I know that sounds odd. I just think it should go for maybe $1700 or so, not $3k. Especially considering the fact that it doesn't have a balanced output, and it isn't suited to drive orthos very well. 
 
Violectric V200 is a great match with the D1. It is a little warmer than the built-in, but not overly so in my opinion. It also has tons of power to pick up where the D1 starts to run out (orthos, maybe Beyer T1). 
 
Aside from those the D1 is as good as or better than all my other solid state amps. Obviously tube amps are a different flavor but I think you need a rather nice one if it is to be on par with the built-in. I end up using the D1 headphone jack over my DarkVoice 337SE almost every time. 

 
 
Thanks for the informative reply. I've been seriously impressed after listening exclusively to the D1's HPA for the past week, and never would have expected it to surpass the DNA Sonett for 80% of my needs.