Klinemj's DC-1 Review

[klinemj]

The DC-1 has arrived! While I wait for the driver to install on my computer, here are some pix to start off the review. It really is a nice looking unit and feels solid. The remote looks & feels quite nice also...it's metal but not the big hunk of metal typical of other Emotiva remotes. It's nicely shaped and well-designed.

Now to the pix...

Nice box and manual:


Nice packaging inside:


Nice irony...modern DAC sitting (temporarily) on vintage Thorens TD 166:


As soon as the driver finishes installing, I will give it a listen. First, I will listen to just get familiar with the controls and how it sounds. Then, I will do some A-B testing.

FYI, in my first A-B comparisons, I will compare the following:

• Computer Feeding DC-1 w/FLAC via USB and JRiver Media Player, with DC-1 XLR outputs going to XSP-1's "BAL 2" input
• ERC-2 playing CD's with XLR outputs to XSP-1's "BAL 1" input

I will be able to toggle between a CD playing in the ERC-2 and the same music playing from computer via the DC-1 (and I will use the DC-1's volume control to match levels). And...if I can talk him into it, I will have my son toggle the inputs on the XSP-1 so I can listen "blind".

Tune it later for listening impressions!

Mark

[Porscheguy]

Lets us know soon!!

[klinemj]

Will do! I had the driver install hang on my ancient PC, so I had to re-do the install. PC is rebooting now, so I should be listening shortly!

Mark

[Porscheguy]

I heard it in Boston but I had no frame of reference to compare it to..

[thorcorps]

Mark, you'll also want to experiment with both the asynchronous and synchronous modes on the DC-1. I'm still using synchronous at the moment (asynchronous is the default) and I figure I'll change it back in a couple of days for further comparison.

[GreenKiwi]

I'm just using the asrc. On the DC-1, it supposedly functions at the native Sampling rate rather than forcing the sampling rate to 96khz.

It would be interesting to see what difference is there, but I'm guessing and hopeful it's quite small.

[thorcorps]

I know the explanation was that ASRC "should" be better (re-clocking, etc.), but I'm shooting for the "try it and see" approach. Of course I'm only using TOSLINK at the moment from my Squeezebox receiver and don't ever expect to use USB where we might see the most significant difference. Based on my first quickie back and forth, I've been using synchronous, but I'll try again for an extended period with asynch and try to decide.

[garbulky]

Klinemj Looking foward to your listening impressions.

Jul 25, 2013 14:41:49 GMT -5 thorcorps said:

I know the explanation was that ASRC "should" be better (re-clocking, etc.), but I'm shooting for the "try it and see" approach. Of course I'm only using TOSLINK at the moment from my Squeezebox receiver and don't ever expect to use USB where we might see the most significant difference. Based on my first quickie back and forth, I've been using synchronous, but I'll try again for an extended period with asynch and try to decide.

Thor if the xda-2 is anything to go by the USB input is asynchronous already. Enabling ASRC enables a different type of asynchronous jitter reduction mode on top of the asynchronous mode of usb2

[klinemj]

Here goes...first impressions from ~1 hour of listening... This is using the ASRC for now, FYI.

First of all...I am keeping it, it's worth it. I really like it over my ERC-2 and Oppo 105.

Now, for details...per the first comparison of equipment noted above, I listened to Steely Dan, Radiohead, Norah Jones, Johnny Cash, Jackson Browne, and Coldplay.

My overall perception is that the DC-1 has stronger/cleaner bass, more clarity/separation of sounds (instruments, vocals, etc.), and is overall less fatiguing vs. the ERC-2. That said...the ERC-2 sounds GREAT in my system. The DC-1 just sounds better. I could go on and on elaborating on specific details, but I'd be repeating myself on each track. The only track that sounds close was Jackson Browne "Running on Empty" (which is a pretty poor mastering relative to the others...). For music which is well-mastered/recorded...the bass tightness, overall clarity/separation of sounds is distinct and very noticeable with the DC-1 having a nice advantage over the ERC-2.

Is it "worth it"? To me it is...I spent a lot of $ on my nCores, my Maggies, and my XSP-1...so having a great source to feed these only makes sense. The DC-1 with FLAC from my computer is that source. Add to that the convenience of selecting tunes via a keyboard instead of getting up to swap CD's and this is a winner. Big time..

Mark

[creimes]

I'll just wait for the DC-2 hahahaha...

[deltadube]

Hi Mark.. thanks for the review.. wondering how it would sound with out the xsp 1 ?

cheers

[chaosrv]

Great first impressions!
Love the picture of the DAC & TT!

Just for completeness - could you try the ERC-2 connected to the DC-1's digital input?
I'm curious how much of the difference is due to the ERC-2's DAC and how much of it is the CD format.

[KeithL]

Correct.... and the ASRC works for all the inputs.

Jul 25, 2013 15:44:50 GMT -5 garbulky said:

Klinemj Looking foward to your listening impressions.

Jul 25, 2013 14:41:49 GMT -5 thorcorps said:

I know the explanation was that ASRC "should" be better (re-clocking, etc.), but I'm shooting for the "try it and see" approach. Of course I'm only using TOSLINK at the moment from my Squeezebox receiver and don't ever expect to use USB where we might see the most significant difference. Based on my first quickie back and forth, I've been using synchronous, but I'll try again for an extended period with asynch and try to decide.

Thor if the xda-2 is anything to go by the USB input is asynchronous already. Enabling ASRC enables a different type of asynchronous jitter reduction mode on top of the asynchronous mode of usb2

[garbulky]

Jul 25, 2013 15:48:50 GMT -5 klinemj said:

Here goes...first impressions from ~1 hour of listening... This is using the ASRC for now, FYI.

First of all...I am keeping it, it's worth it. I really like it over my ERC-2 and Oppo 105.

Now, for details...per the first comparison of equipment noted above, I listened to Steely Dan, Radiohead, Norah Jones, Johnny Cash, Jackson Browne, and Coldplay.

The DC-1 just sounds better. I could go on and on elaborating on specific details, but I'd be repeating myself on each track.

Mark

Thanks for the update. I like specific details and elaboration myself so don't feel shy about that. Maybe you can describe a section of a song like a solo melody, an instrument in the background or foreground /vocal and talk about the difference in perception between the two dacs? I like that because then I can play that same song like Norah Jones and listen for that and see how I percieve it to sound on my equipment.
For instance one track that I've found is an interesting measure of audio quality is supriisngly the rocky horror picture show soundtrack. Most of them are good things to pick out melodies. But specifically toucha touch me. It's not necessarily a good recording but that's what helps to make it. In toucha touch me, there's a background melody in the congested chorus that sounds like a keyboard playing. And depending on the speaker/DAC this comes through in varying degrees of clearness. On certain DACS/speaker placements the melody can be completely not heard. Also the background vocals ("tell us about it janet" and "you mean you've only kissed?") come through harshly or naturally depending on the gear/placement.

For instance check this song out with the two dacs. It's a poor quality recording but one of them will be more listenable and details will be more apparent than the other

[Porscheguy]

Thanks Mark. I'd you to listen to really well recorded, nonrock like, Fourplay, Diana Krall and Hiromi.


Get to it!!

[monkumonku]

Jul 25, 2013 17:27:50 GMT -5 Porscheguy said:

Thanks Mark. I'd you to listen to really well recorded, nonrock like, Fourplay, Diana Krall and Hiromi.


Get to it!!

First of all, thank you Mark for your first impressions! Now we're waiting for your subsequent ones.

And about Hiromi - just wanted to say today I watched her Live at Marciac DVD in 5.1. It's an incredible concert both in terms of the musicianship and the audio/video quality. As far as I'm concerned a BD has nothing on the DVD.. it sounds great.

[deltadube]

Jul 25, 2013 18:21:07 GMT -5 monkumonku said:

Jul 25, 2013 17:27:50 GMT -5 Porscheguy said:

Thanks Mark. I'd you to listen to really well recorded, nonrock like, Fourplay, Diana Krall and Hiromi.


Get to it!!

First of all, thank you Mark for your first impressions! Now we're waiting for your subsequent ones.

And about Hiromi - just wanted to say today I watched her Live at Marciac DVD in 5.1. It's an incredible concert both in terms of the musicianship and the audio/video quality. As far as I'm concerned a BD has nothing on the DVD.. it sounds great.

Hey Monkumonku.. maybe the fedex guys are testing out your dc 1 tonight...

cheers

[monkumonku]

Jul 25, 2013 18:36:48 GMT -5 deltadube said:

Jul 25, 2013 18:21:07 GMT -5 monkumonku said:

First of all, thank you Mark for your first impressions! Now we're waiting for your subsequent ones.

And about Hiromi - just wanted to say today I watched her Live at Marciac DVD in 5.1. It's an incredible concert both in terms of the musicianship and the audio/video quality. As far as I'm concerned a BD has nothing on the DVD.. it sounds great.

Hey Monkumonku.. maybe the fedex guys are testing out your dc 1 tonight...

cheers

I think so...

[creimes]

Mark, I take it you like Radiohead, do you have the AMOK - Atoms For Peace album with Thom Yorke doing vocals, great album to use auditioning or listening to new gear

AMOK

[Golden Ear]

Jul 25, 2013 18:36:48 GMT -5 deltadube said:

Jul 25, 2013 18:21:07 GMT -5 monkumonku said:

First of all, thank you Mark for your first impressions! Now we're waiting for your subsequent ones.

And about Hiromi - just wanted to say today I watched her Live at Marciac DVD in 5.1. It's an incredible concert both in terms of the musicianship and the audio/video quality. As far as I'm concerned a BD has nothing on the DVD.. it sounds great.

Hey Monkumonku.. maybe the fedex guys are testing out your dc 1 tonight...

cheers

The fedex guy maybe doing Rickie a favor so called "burn in" so it will sound great when he use it for the first time. I would like to hear from you since your review is what I crave and pay most of my attention.