Audioengine d1 dac hd 598
Whenever I change anything, I use my headphones as a critical part of the evaluation process.
#Audioengine d1 dac hd 598 upgrade
Larry: Thanks for that suggestion.that reinforces Dale's point, so I will definitely consider that since I plan to keep the D1.īrooklyn: I remember your post about that.maybe the mac mini is just so good that it's not as big of an upgrade as it was for me when I used the D1 over the headphone jacks on my Dell? I know that not everyone really hears much difference when they swap out DACs, though, which is partly why I have felt as I have up to this point. For headphone listening, I much prefer having the buffer in the signal path. It's funny cause after the first hour or two of listening w/out it, I contacted my tube guy for suggestions on some 6SN7 tubes since I realized I never upgraded from the stock Chinese tubes that came with it. YMMV, but the buffer is what really helped me in taming the edge you mentioned. In fact, during my back and forth listening sessions over the last 36 hrs, I intentionally left my Yaqin tube buffer out of the loop so that I could minimize variables. I may pick up the amp to play around with, as well, since it's really not pricey at all. A buddy of mine also sent me a link to the new Micromega amp that is designed to mate with the MyDac.apparently this company has been around for a while, but they're going through a bit of a resurgence under new ownership. All I know is that as much as I've enjoyed the D1, it's been relegated to laptop duty.whatever is going on here, the Mydac is a significant improvement.still surprised by this.ĭjango: Very cool.I know it's designed and built in France, so I was happy about that. Seems to me I've heard over the years that the signal can be degraded when two volume pots were in the pathway? I dunno.I'll let you guys handle the technical explanations. I've always wondered if having the volume pot on the D1 detracted from the sound at all. Until recently, I've always had it as my dedicated DAC with my main headphone rig, so I needed the power outlet thing to accommodate that. I don't know if it makes any difference, but I have always run my D1 connected to a 5v USB outlet on my Belkin power strip. I don't have a ton of experience with DACs for the reasons mentioned above, so for all I know there are lots of others at this price point that perform just as well.but based on my limited experience, this one is very satisfying. With the MyDac everything is very distinct and delineated, and the music is a bit more three dimensional to my ears, particularly in terms of width, not quite as much in terms of depth.Īnyway, if anyone is looking for a DAC, I'd give this one an audition. The D1 does a fine job, but in direct comparison the D1 presents the music in a way that is a bit more blended, if that makes any sense. I'm not real good at using all the audiophile terms that are thrown around, but basically I'm hearing a more robust low end, much more "thwack" and crispness with the instrumentals, particularly with percussive instruments, and the overall separation among the individual aspects of the track is significantly better. It arrived yesterday, and so far I have to admit that the improvement over the D1 has been more significant than I anticipated. I saw that Amazon carried it, so since they have a liberal return policy I pulled the trigger on it. When I saw that it was priced relatively reasonably, my interest was piqued. Well, recently I came across a glowing review of the Micromega MyDac. I never had much interest in spending any more than the $149 that I spend on this little guy, although from time to time I would read about the latest and greatest and find myself tempted. I've been using a little budget DAC - the AudioEngine D1 - for the past year and been very happy with it. Gray areas for me have been amps and DACs, and it's the latter of the two that I'm writing about today. I've read all sorts of feedback on things like cables, power conditioners, etc.and my general rule of thumb has been that if there is all sorts of disagreement whether there is any difference at ALL, let alone the degree, then chances are I'm not really interested in spending lots of money in that specific area. Beyond that, my experience has always proved (to my ears) that most differences and upgrades are subtle. The only differences that I've ever agreed could be classified as "night and day" pertain to changes in room treatments and speakers. In both instances, I tend to fall right in the middle between the subjectivist and objectivist camps. I've been in the audio hobby for well over a decade now, even though I've only been dabbling in headphones for the past year or so.