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Post by aguadarr on Aug 26, 2015 17:12:05 GMT -5
This is my point: I got one XDA-1, then one XDA-2, and now, one DC-1. I say: if something is wrong, I shoud point it. The XDA-1 was not bad, but the XDA-2 is bether, bether DAC and bether volume control, by far. But I complain until I got tired because none of them could use my Apple macbook usb port as calimed. Never, no mather what. At the end, I got one nuforce usb to coaxial converter, an increíble good device for just very few dollars, and so I could listen my 2,000 iTunes database, at the correct streaming speed, using bitperfect. As always, the simpler, the best.
But as I complain, I also say if something is rigth, just as the DC-1, very very rigth!!! It connects to my macbook pro just direct from the usb port! After 50 hours, it sounds many many times better than the XDA-2 and even more than the XDA-1. Remote works great, it is all new level, nothing to do about the XDA´s.
Emotiva did a really good product, now it does.
Alfredo Guadarrama M.
México.
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Post by vcautokid on Aug 26, 2015 17:22:07 GMT -5
The DC-1 is Emotiva Audio top of the range DAC for now that is. All that goes into it. It makes DACs much more in price harder to justify. It is that good. Designed initially to aid in the studio environment, to create recordings, it recreates the finished product for the Audiophile, and music lover alike. Amazing performance in a small solid enclousure. The only thing left is your favorite recording. Read all about on Emotiva's product page.
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novisnick
EmoPhile
CEO Secret Monoblock Society
Posts: 27,223 
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Post by novisnick on Aug 26, 2015 17:56:20 GMT -5
The DC-1 is Emotiva Audio top of the range DAC for now that is. All that goes into it. It makes DACs much more in price harder to justify. It is that good. Designed initially to aid in the studio environment, to create recordings, it recreates the finished product for the Audiophile, and music lover alike. Amazing performance in a small solid enclousure. The only thing left is your favorite recording. Read all about on Emotiva's product page. +1 |
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klinemj
Emo VIPs 
Honorary Emofest Scribe
Posts: 14,742
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Post by klinemj on Aug 26, 2015 20:05:04 GMT -5
I really love my DC-1. It is currently out of my system now that I have the XMC-1 (whose 2 channel is phenomenal!), but I do look forward to hooking up the DC-1 in another system around the house very soon. (I just have to wait for the painter to come and repaint most of our interior in the next few weeks so I can set up system #2 without having to set it up, tear it down, and set it back up again!)
I really do look forward to hearing the DC-1 via my old Rotel amp and my old B&W 202's. I plan to use a Sonos Connect as the source to tap into internet radio and all our CD's (on a NAS).
This is a very long way of saying...even if I don't really need a 2nd system, I am going to find a way to keep my DC-1 because it is so darn good!
Mark
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Post by tchaik on Aug 26, 2015 20:57:28 GMT -5
The DC-1 is Emotiva Audio top of the range DAC for now that is. All that goes into it. It makes DACs much more in price harder to justify. It is that good. Designed initially to aid in the studio environment, to create recordings, it recreates the finished product for the Audiophile, and music lover alike. Amazing performance in a small solid enclousure. The only thing left is your favorite recording. Read all about on Emotiva's product page. +1 +2 |
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Post by GreenKiwi on Aug 26, 2015 21:23:26 GMT -5
My take is that the DC-1 is technically good enough to get you into the category of DACs where you are talking about character/personality/tonality rather than technical/performance based comparisons.
I love my DC-1... does it sound "different" than other DACs around the same price and considerably more expensive... yes, it can. Is it better or worse? That is more about whether you like the sound.
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Post by broncsrule21 on Aug 26, 2015 23:05:57 GMT -5
Love mine. Connected USB to Mac Mini.
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Post by GreenKiwi on Aug 26, 2015 23:46:30 GMT -5
Ditto... mac mini --> DC-1 --> Amps --> Speakers is perfect
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Post by boomzilla on Aug 27, 2015 5:00:40 GMT -5
Although I didn't honestly care for the DC-1 in my system (polite understatement), I must say that the XMC-1's DAC sounds stunning in 2-channel service (also polite understatement)!
Boomzilla
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Post by garbulky on Aug 27, 2015 13:07:14 GMT -5
emotivalounge.proboards.com/thread/33501/garbulkys-review-love-female-voiceAfter quite some period with the DC-1, I have to say I still like what it does. When I first got it, I realized this DAC was something special. Something I haven't heard before. Now it's not the perfect DAC. There is a certain amout of glare/something going on with the lower treble that I don't quite know what. Luckily in my system that isn't quite an issue  Anyway, when I first got to listen to it, I think most here on the forum can tell that I had audio withdrawals from that DC-1. I was longing to have it in my system. And then this forum did an incredible thing and showed great generosity towards me. A short while later and a DC-1 showed up at my door! And it was every thing I remembered. ANd you are right about it does it "right". In the mid range it's got this certain natural sound to it that feels ever so good. There is a coherence in the soundstage which makes me feel like I am almmost at that listening hall. And it does produce some height sensation. But all of that pales to it being fantastic at the female voice. Before I've heard some students compliment my system. But nowadays it is more frequent. They KNOW they've heard something special. I think the DC-1 does it with its dual mono setup, generous power supply, and low SNR figures. There's simply a loy of detail. I have taken it to another environment where the DC-1 fell rather flat. Sounding like a very reduced mid range, glare on treble, and poor dynamics. I refuse to subscribe a reason for it because in that same environment is another setup which produces the best sound I have ever heard by quite a margin. ( boomzilla 's place). It also happens to have near identical - with some minor differences - speakers to mine. I wouldn't jump out and call it the room as in the same breath I would have to say the Oppo 105+XSP-1+dual subs was just phenomenal in it. But since I haven't tried it at other places and speakers, I will just put it down to it being what it was - a bad showing for whatever reason. Luckily in my setup, the DC=1 sounds very nice to my ears and it's a really nice buy! Also the bonus features are DUAL headphone amp modules! (Boy I wish they could be bridged) Asynch on all inputs. Asynch USB 2 as well! A really nice analog pre amp! It's not an XSP-1 but it does fulfill the role of straight wire with gain with no kind of transparency issues in treble. However as DACs progress in quality there are other units that come close or match its performance. An Asus Xonar Essence ST (PLUS an analog preamp - not without) does amazingly well. In some cases when run through the DC-1's analog pre amp - I prefer its sound. Which shocked me because I thought the XDA-1 (no preamp) beat the xonar handily in terms of sound! An audioquest Dragonfly doesn't quite have the treble down just "pat" but it produces a nice sound. Coming close but not quite. The Oppo 105 + XSP-1 (NOT WITHOUT AN XSP-1) lends some heavy hitting weight to fantastic two channel sound. Its character is differrent from the DC-1 sound. But in a complementary setup, the sound is breath taking. I think having heard how good sound can be and what a difference the source and pre amp can make, I shall eventually upgrade to the Schiit Yggy DAC and either an XSP-1 if I am running subs or an audio GD HE series preamp if no subs. But for now I shall rock it with a setup that is fantastic for the money!
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Post by clearear on Aug 27, 2015 15:19:34 GMT -5
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Post by jeffnyc on Aug 27, 2015 15:29:08 GMT -5
Pretty happy with mine. Anyone compare this to the Schiit Gungir?
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Post by tchaik on Aug 27, 2015 16:10:24 GMT -5
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Post by milsap195 on Aug 27, 2015 19:13:47 GMT -5
I like my DC-1 with solid state amplification but not with tube.
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Post by boomzilla on Aug 28, 2015 3:38:25 GMT -5
I like my DC-1 with solid state amplification but not with tube. Interesting. Why? |
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Post by boomzilla on Aug 28, 2015 3:41:48 GMT -5
...An audioquest Dragonfly doesn't quite have the treble down just "pat" but it produces a nice sound. Coming close but not quite.... But unless garbulky has heard someone else's, the Dragonfly he refers to is the original, not the 1.2 version. The Dragonfly 1.2 is MUCH better than the original, IMHO. |
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Post by milsap195 on Aug 28, 2015 6:56:10 GMT -5
I like my DC-1 with solid state amplification but not with tube. Interesting. Why? The midrange and upper bass is a little to muddy for me with the Dc-1 and tubes. I prefer my oppo 105 and or the Hailde DAC HD. |
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Post by boomzilla on Aug 28, 2015 7:16:11 GMT -5
Thanks milsap195I also prefer my Oppo BDP-105's DACs. As you can see from my signature, though, I'm running SS throughout - not tubes. I have previously run with a Audio Research tube preamp in the system, but the SS just sounds equally good AND offers bass management. |
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Post by garbulky on Aug 28, 2015 14:17:36 GMT -5
...An audioquest Dragonfly doesn't quite have the treble down just "pat" but it produces a nice sound. Coming close but not quite.... But unless garbulky has heard someone else's, the Dragonfly he refers to is the original, not the 1.2 version. The Dragonfly 1.2 is MUCH better than the original, IMHO. Yes the Dragonfly 1.2 (I heard both at your place. And the 1.2 was a big step up. It's an amazing DAC for the price! And I think it comes close but not 100% in terms of naturalness of the DC-1 in certain segments ). It also does somethings slightly better than the DC-1. |
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wm64
Seeker Of Truth
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Post by wm64 on Sept 1, 2015 13:20:53 GMT -5
As far as I'm concerned, the DC-1 is fantastic. I listen to mainly classical music. I have a couple of recordings where the piano has always been "muddled" and difficult to follow. With the DC-1 I can finally hear what is going on. With rock music, I can hear a lot more detail and colour in the music.
I changed from an audio-gd NFB-12 which was already a big step up from the built-in DACs in the CD players and network receivers I had in the past.
For interest, I used the balanced XLR output to drive Adam F7 studio monitors and the unbalanced RCA to simultaneously drive a Yamaha Sub. So I have a frequency response from 28 Hz to 50 KHz. It all sounds great!
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