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Post by fyrn on Sept 18, 2014 10:21:05 GMT -5
Looking for some input from the people in the know.
I have a XDA-1 and would like to upgrade (mainly for SQ). I know the DC-1 is a better dac than the XDA-2 and under normal circumstances a no brainer, however the xda-2 price has drop and now the difference is quite significant.
1. At the current prices is the xda-2 a better bang for the buck than the dc-1 would be?
2. Would the upgrade be a significant upgrade to begin with?
Thanks for any input
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Post by AudioHTIT on Sept 18, 2014 10:34:54 GMT -5
I upgraded from the XDA-1 to XDA-2 and felt it a worthwhile upgrade at low to average listening levels, at the current prices I'd say it's certainly worth the probably $100 it would end up costing (selling your XDA-1 in the low $100's). I'm using both the XDA-2 and DC-1 now but in different systems, the DC-1 is excellent but to me that doesn't detract from the XDA-2. If you don't want (or can't afford) the DC-1 get the XDA-2. Caveat: I use these as preamps, if you just use it as a DAC behind a preamp then don't bother.
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Post by GreenKiwi on Sept 18, 2014 10:52:11 GMT -5
I would just jump to the DC-1.
Pick one up used to save a few bucks.
I didn't think that the xda-2 was enough of an upgrade.
Or wait for the xda-3 (or its equivalent)
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Post by fyrn on Sept 18, 2014 11:08:31 GMT -5
If you don't want (or can't afford) the DC-1 get the XDA-2. Caveat: I use these as preamps, if you just use it as a DAC behind a preamp then don't bother. I use mine as a dac and USP-1 as pre (mainly for the bass management feature). Are you saying that in this scenario the upgrade is not worth it at all, or just between the dc-1 and xda-2? |
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Post by garbulky on Sept 18, 2014 12:59:01 GMT -5
Looking for some input from the people in the know. I have a XDA-1 and would like to upgrade (mainly for SQ). I know the DC-1 is a better dac than the XDA-2 and under normal circumstances a no brainer, however the xda-2 price has drop and now the difference is quite significant. 1. At the current prices is the xda-2 a better bang for the buck than the dc-1 would be? 2. Would the upgrade be a significant upgrade to begin with? Thanks for any input 1. NO. Not at all. 2. Yes. But a caveat. Whether one hears a difference in electronics depends on lots of things like speakers, the rest of your electronics and also how your speakers and room is placed and setup. also room treatments, carpetting etc make a difference. I've heard places where it was impossible to tell DAC's apart and places where it was relatively easy. The room itself may make the character tic of one DAC be better than the other. For instance if there was a treble suckout, a DAC with glare in the treble - which is usually not wanted may sound better etc. So, I can't tell you how you will hear it. But I can tell you it was a significant upgrade for me. If I had to make the choice again, I would just go with DC-1. It's only weakness. It is a better pre-amp than the other emotiva dacs (XDA-1 included) but isn't as balanced top to bottom as say using a dedicated pre-amp the $900 XSP-1 alongside it to use as a volume control. And that's a very subtle difference. Here is my review and I was VERY critical with it and I still found it the best DAC I have heard: emotivalounge.proboards.com/thread/33501/garbulkys-review-love-female-voice |
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Post by fyrn on Sept 20, 2014 21:13:50 GMT -5
Does the USP-1 take away from the sq of the DC-1? Its suppose to be transparent (usp-1)....correct
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novisnick
EmoPhile
CEO Secret Monoblock Society
Posts: 27,222 
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Post by novisnick on Sept 20, 2014 21:21:34 GMT -5
Does the USP-1 take away from the sq of the DC-1? Its suppose to be transparent (usp-1)....correct The USP-1 is an older unit and I wouldn't go that route!!! The DC-1 should not be messed with, if you have to run it through anything else it should be the XSP-1, no question! Please don't do it,,,,,,,,,,,,please |
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Post by garbulky on Sept 20, 2014 22:21:42 GMT -5
I would agree with Nick. The USP-1 has slightly better dynamics but in terms of clarity and 3 dimensional depth I think the DC-1 has more of it. But on the whole I would side with just the DC-1. But if you happened upon an XSP-1, I wouldn't be disagreeable to that unit.
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Post by yeeeha17 on Sept 20, 2014 22:48:54 GMT -5
USP-1 sounded really good in my system. Only reason I upgraded because it didn't set my speakers to full range in HT bypass and it wasn't fully balance to match my amps  . The ups-1 is great if you don't care for setting your speakers to full in HT bypass. Btw the volume control is kinda touchy lol |
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Post by fyrn on Sept 21, 2014 7:39:39 GMT -5
Right now I'm using an ERC-1 to an xda-1 to an USP-1. I wanted to keep the USP primarily because I like my 2.1 set up.
From what I gather, eliminating both and upgrading to the DC-1 would be the only (worth doing) way to go? Maybe I should consider an ERC-3 instead, since most of what I listen to are CD's.
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Post by garbulky on Sept 21, 2014 8:24:13 GMT -5
Right now I'm using an ERC-1 to an xda-1 to an USP-1. I wanted to keep the USP primarily because I like my 2.1 set up. From what I gather, eliminating both and upgrading to the DC-1 would be the only (worth doing) way to go? Maybe I should consider an ERC-3 instead, since most of what I listen to are CD's. No need. There's lots of ways to do this. For instance the reason we are telling you that the DC-1 direct is better is because the DC-1 sounds BETTER than the USP-1. So your goal of keeping the USP-1 in by using say an ERC-3 doesn't change that the sound will not be as good as the DC-1 it will just be as good as the USP-1 can make it. The USP-1 will be the bottleneck. I.e If you use the DC-1 with the USP-1, the sound will still be as good as the USP-1 can muster - does that make sense? Using a different unit will not make the sound BETTER with the USP-1 if that helps. So no, you don't have to eliminate anything! Leave the ERC-1 in the system with the USP-1 and the DC-1. Use the digital output from the ERC-1 to the DC-1 and use the analog output from the DC-1 to the USP-1. This way the ERC-1 will act only as a transport - therefore not affecting the sound - and the DC-1 will act as the decoder. You mentioned you had a 2.1 system this way you can preserve all of it. Another way is to use a method that leaves out the USP-1 but still preserves your functions. Use the ERC-1 as the transport like I described above.... : Then one set of analog outputs of the DC-1 go into your amplifier, and the other set of outputs into the subwoofer. Then you level match it by adjusting the subwoofers volume. Then set the crossover - USING the cross over on the subwoofer. That's it. The main difference here is that your main speakers will be recieving a full range signal so there will be a bit more of a load on them but not a whole lot. In this manner you can eliminate the USP-1 (if you so choose, not necessary though, do what sounds better and makes you happy !). There's other reasons to reccomend the DC-1. 1. YOu have other inputs and sources to play around with other than just the CD. Want to watch hi definition music videos on youtube just connect up your laptop. Want to listen to your cable tv shows with really nice audio connect up your cable box's digital output to it. Same goes for your game console/blu ray player. 2. The DC-1 decodes in a dual mono setup. Which means each left and right channel of the stereo signal is decoded with its own DAC chip. So there are two chips here in play. This increases the quality. The ERC-3 uses one chip for both left and right vs two chips for the DC-1. 3. Want to connect headphones? The DC-1 is a superior headphone amplifier to the USP-1. (Plus it actually has two separate headphone amps in it.) 4. The DC-1 is a pretty decent pre-amplifier by itself. It has a set of RCA inputs you can use to connect another analog source to it. For instance you have a turntable? Buy a XPS-1 phono pre-amp (a $150 unit - not to be confused with the XSP-1) you can listen to your turntable through the DC-1! Or you just want to hear what the ERC-1 sounds like? Just connect the analog outputs of the ERC-1 into the analog inputs of the DC-1! Now you can compare which sound you prefer. The DAC of the DC-1 or the DAC of the ERC-1. It's a very flexible unit. |
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Post by teaman on Sept 21, 2014 18:01:39 GMT -5
I am an Emotiva hoarder and have a half dozen XDA-2's in my fleet. Great preamp DAC combo. From what I have read this pre should be an improvement on the XDA-1.
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Post by fyrn on Sept 22, 2014 9:03:20 GMT -5
The USP-1 will be the bottleneck. I.e If you use the DC-1 with the USP-1, the sound will still be as good as the USP-1 can muster - does that make sense? Using a different unit will not make the sound BETTER with the USP-1 if that helps. The primary reason I want to keep the USP-1 iin the loop is for the 2.1 set up. What about this. If I use the dc-1 as dac/pre direct to my amp and I go to my sub first, to cross the speakers there so I still have 2.1. Would the sub "affect" the DC-1 or would it not have any effect on the SQ? This way you have the best of both worlds. Thanks |
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Post by garbulky on Sept 22, 2014 10:31:40 GMT -5
The primary reason I want to keep the USP-1 iin the loop is for the 2.1 set up. What about this. If I use the dc-1 as dac/pre direct to my amp and I go to my sub first, to cross the speakers there so I still have 2.1. Would the sub "affect" the DC-1 or would it not have any effect on the SQ? This way you have the best of both worlds. Thanks You could do that. It all speaks to how good of a quality that passthrough/cross over in the subwoofer is. In quite a few subs this isn't a terribly great idea. It really depends. Personally it's not what I would do due to sound quality concerns. I would instead do the dual outs one to my sub and one to my amp. It's simpler than it sounds |
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. The ups-1 is great if you don't care for setting your speakers to full in HT bypass. Btw the volume control is kinda touchy lol
