DC-1

[Deleted]

Garbulky,

Well, when I played music through my 2 channel system last night, I realized I had not turned off the outlets to my power strip from the previous night (which it what I normally do) so my DC-1 was in true standby mode (it was warm to the touch before I turned it "on").  My initial impressions were that I thought the DC-1 sounded better than the previous evening.

I don't know if it is just my ears "dialing in" or what.  I find that when I get a new piece of equipment that my assessment on the first day of use is generally not the best.  I really liked the sound I got the first night of use of my DC-1, but I really, really liked it last night.

I think I felt similarly with my XDA-2, in that my impressions from the first use was less reliable than my opinion after getting used to the device.

Since I have dipped into my first truly serious audiophile 2-channel set up, my system sometime just does not sound good simply because sometime I may be tired or my ears/mind/whatever are just not in tune to listen well critically.  I definitely find myself giving a couple of days rest between long listening sessions.

Jun 28, 2014 4:22:31 GMT -5 garbulky said:

I personally find the DC-1 to sound a bit better after being left turned on. But that's just me and my subjective opinion. Your experienece may differ. As for is it okay to cut the power at the source, I don't see a problem with it. However I haven't tried that and don't know how it will work in the long run. Maybe Keith could help out here.

[d1sturb3d]

just want to let out my frustration..got my long awaited source last Saturday which has a coax for digital out..and the DC-1 does not detect any signal coming from the source. I have setup the source correctly btw. It's my first time using this input on the DC-1. I have tried the USB (laptop) and optical (PS3). I tested the BJC digital cable continuity via multi tester and I know its not broken. I have a friend that will let me borrow his trusty Fiio e10 (usb-spdif converter) to test if my source is the culprit and borrow some of his cheap coax cables that are working..I can't concentrate on work and just want to go home right now to test it out.

[GreenKiwi]

Bummer. It's always unfortunate when things don't work, regardless of whether it's the cable source or Dac

[garbulky]

Jun 29, 2014 22:19:31 GMT -5 d1sturb3d said:

just want to let out my frustration..got my long awaited source last Saturday which has a coax for digital out..and the DC-1 does not detect any signal coming from the source. I have setup the source correctly btw. It's my first time using this input on the DC-1. I have tried the USB (laptop) and optical (PS3). I tested the BJC digital cable continuity via multi tester and I know its not broken. I have a friend that will let me borrow his trusty Fiio e10 (usb-spdif converter) to test if my source is the culprit and borrow some of his cheap coax cables that are working..I can't concentrate on work and just want to go home right now to test it out.

If it's a blu ray player or a game console or PC motherboard coax output, sometimes you have to to specifically tell the device to route the digital output through the coax. Also any RCA cable you have lying around will work so that may help you to pinpoint the issue.

[GreenKiwi]

You might also need to make sure it's sending a stereo signal out, not multichannel

[d1sturb3d]

thanks for the response Gar and GK..this is a standalone music player and does stereo only..4 more hours and I can go home..got the e10 and some of his cables..I'll try to find a RCA-BNC connector too so I can try the other coaxial input of the DC-1

[klinemj]

Check the simple things also...like,make sure the DC-1 is not set to mute or has the volume all the way down. Those often get overlooked.

Mark

[KeithL]

The Toslink and Coax inputs on the DC-1 share much of the same circuitry - so it is very unlikely that the Coax input would fail while the Toslink input works fine.

Odds are that either the Coax output isn't configured to be active at all, or it isn't configured for STEREO PCM ONLY output. Unlike the USB output (which is controlled "directly" by the operating system), the Coax output is part of the sound card, and so is controlled by its drivers and settings.

Jun 29, 2014 23:56:14 GMT -5 garbulky said:

Jun 29, 2014 22:19:31 GMT -5 d1sturb3d said:

just want to let out my frustration..got my long awaited source last Saturday which has a coax for digital out..and the DC-1 does not detect any signal coming from the source. I have setup the source correctly btw. It's my first time using this input on the DC-1. I have tried the USB (laptop) and optical (PS3). I tested the BJC digital cable continuity via multi tester and I know its not broken. I have a friend that will let me borrow his trusty Fiio e10 (usb-spdif converter) to test if my source is the culprit and borrow some of his cheap coax cables that are working..I can't concentrate on work and just want to go home right now to test it out.

If it's a blu ray player or a game console or PC motherboard coax output, sometimes you have to to specifically tell the device to route the digital output through the coax. Also any RCA cable you have lying around will work so that may help you to pinpoint the issue.

[KeithL]

When the DC-1 is in standby, most of the circuitry remains active (unlike our other gear), so it is normal for it to remain warm in Standby. There's no problem whatsoever with switching your DC-1 Off using a power strip, or the switch on the back, when you're not using it.

Jun 27, 2014 18:59:54 GMT -5 @joebbathehut said:

Following up on my review of the DC-1 from last night (early, early this morning). I was able to get the issue with the Daphile player fixed. For any of you that may use the Daphile player, make sure on the Daphile internet interface you go into Settings > Audio Sevices and check the Mixer Controls box, then Save & Retart. That's it I finally got it to work.

All I can say is my results with the Daphile Player are noticably better than the Open Elec (XMBC) palyer, and the XMBC player is not bad with XMBC's new audio engine. But it is better that it is really making the DC-1 shine. I am testing the DC-1 on Days of Future Passed, and I really think it is is ust more alive than I recall through my XDA-2. I think I will avail myself of e-club the trade in program on the XDA-2.  There is oodles of clarity, separation, depth, width, you name it with the DC-1.

I did notice the DC-1 was just about as warm at stand-by as when I was playing it last night though early AM.   Is this typical of the DC-1?   I use it on a Belkin power strip along with two XPA-100's (on the same strip) that I can remotely turn off.   Is this okay with the amps and the DC-1 to effectively cut the power at the source rather than in true stand by after each use?  I may go days between listening sessions.

[d1sturb3d]

Jun 30, 2014 10:57:32 GMT -5 KeithL said:

The Toslink and Coax inputs on the DC-1 share much of the same circuitry - so it is very unlikely that the Coax input would fail while the Toslink input works fine.

Odds are that either the Coax output isn't configured to be active at all, or it isn't configured for STEREO PCM ONLY output. Unlike the USB output (which is controlled "directly" by the operating system), the Coax output is part of the sound card, and so is controlled by its drivers and settings.

Jun 29, 2014 23:56:14 GMT -5 garbulky said:

If it's a blu ray player or a game console or PC motherboard coax output, sometimes you have to to specifically tell the device to route the digital output through the coax. Also any RCA cable you have lying around will work so that may help you to pinpoint the issue.

I have tested using my laptop as source and use a usb-spdif converter and it works.  So it seems, that my new source has a defective digital out.  Bummer..

[GreenKiwi]

Hopeflly it's just a setting that needs to be changes.

[d1sturb3d]

Jun 30, 2014 14:25:14 GMT -5 GreenKiwi said:

Hopeflly it's just a setting that needs to be changes.

I hope that is just the case..however it is not..I am in touch with the support..we did a couple of things already and none seems to work..so currently I am using the DC-1 as pre-amp only for that source.

[davidvanderbilt]

I ended up returning my DC-1, no matter what I tried the background high frequency noise wouldn't go away. I haven't decided if I'm going to order another one or bite the bullet and order a Yulong Da8 or Matrix X sabre. I must say that after burning the DC-1 in I immediately realized how much of a bottleneck my ODAC was in my system. It really can't even hold a flame to the DC-1. I don't have any experience with other high end dacs, but I must say this thing really wowed me and I think it is worth every penny of the asking price. Compared to the ODAC, everything is just SO much better. Bass, prat, smoother, more natural sounding, mids, everything. The ONLY thing I noticed about the DC-1 that I wasn't fond of is that in my system (Bottleheadcrack>HD 600s) using fidelify with 320 kb files, and SOME other FLAC files in foobar, I was left wanting a little more treble extension. This was entirely track dependent though. For instance, listening to the Doors or Van Halen in Flac was great, but for some reason rage against the machine seemed pretty dark in comparison. Maybe this is due to compression (Rage against the machine's bulls on parade has a dynamic range of 9, wheras van halen's running with the devil is 12), or the fact that 320 kb tracks don't have the extra detail that Flac files do, or the fact that the DC-1 is revealing enough to really put a magnifying glass on how the tracks were recorded.

[davidvanderbilt]

Ugh, going back to the ODAC after you've had the DC-1 is horrible.... this isn't pleasurable at all! :-)

[gld3gld3]

Jul 3, 2014 12:48:09 GMT -5 davidvanderbilt said:

I ended up returning my DC-1, no matter what I tried the background high frequency noise wouldn't go away. I haven't decided if I'm going to order another one or bite the bullet and order a Yulong Da8 or Matrix X sabre. I must say that after burning the DC-1 in I immediately realized how much of a bottleneck my ODAC was in my system. It really can't even hold a flame to the DC-1. I don't have any experience with other high end dacs, but I must say this thing really wowed me and I think it is worth every penny of the asking price. Compared to the ODAC, everything is just SO much better. Bass, prat, smoother, more natural sounding, mids, everything. The ONLY thing I noticed about the DC-1 that I wasn't fond of is that in my system (Bottleheadcrack>HD 600s) using fidelify with 320 kb files, and SOME other FLAC files in foobar, I was left wanting a little more treble extension. This was entirely track dependent though. For instance, listening to the Doors or Van Halen in Flac was great, but for some reason rage against the machine seemed pretty dark in comparison. Maybe this is due to compression (Rage against the machine's bulls on parade has a dynamic range of 9, wheras van halen's running with the devil is 12), or the fact that 320 kb tracks don't have the extra detail that Flac files do, or the fact that the DC-1 is revealing enough to really put a magnifying glass on how the tracks were recorded.

Someday I hope to have the Bottlehead crack > HD 600s as my "open-backed" headphone system... I've read so many great things about that combo! I guess I will have the DC-1 as well when that day comes. For now I'm happy with my Modi/Magni and Mad Dog 3.2s...

[GreenKiwi]

Jul 3, 2014 12:48:09 GMT -5 davidvanderbilt said:

I ended up returning my DC-1, no matter what I tried the background high frequency noise wouldn't go away. I haven't decided if I'm going to order another one or bite the bullet and order a Yulong Da8 or Matrix X sabre. I must say that after burning the DC-1 in I immediately realized how much of a bottleneck my ODAC was in my system. It really can't even hold a flame to the DC-1. I don't have any experience with other high end dacs, but I must say this thing really wowed me and I think it is worth every penny of the asking price. Compared to the ODAC, everything is just SO much better. Bass, prat, smoother, more natural sounding, mids, everything. The ONLY thing I noticed about the DC-1 that I wasn't fond of is that in my system (Bottleheadcrack>HD 600s) using fidelify with 320 kb files, and SOME other FLAC files in foobar, I was left wanting a little more treble extension. This was entirely track dependent though. For instance, listening to the Doors or Van Halen in Flac was great, but for some reason rage against the machine seemed pretty dark in comparison. Maybe this is due to compression (Rage against the machine's bulls on parade has a dynamic range of 9, wheras van halen's running with the devil is 12), or the fact that 320 kb tracks don't have the extra detail that Flac files do, or the fact that the DC-1 is revealing enough to really put a magnifying glass on how the tracks were recorded.

I'm curious how the dc-1 hp amp compares to the crack.

[TheMachinist]

Its already mentioned mamy times DC-1 is pro product with no opamps geared towards sound and recording engineers. Reveling bad recordjngs is just side effect, which some may not like.

You may want to go for XDA, or something like Audiolab dac with filters to apply based on the source recording. I also have had good listening experience with Calyx Kong and Audioquest DF 1.2. They are not accurate like DC-1 but easy on ears. I do have 2x DC-1 on my rigs, which i csnt live without

[pegg]

anyone else experience a severe loss in bass going from the xda1 to the dc1?
its also exceedingly bright in my ears.

previously had the xda1, 2x xpa1 (gen1) and klipsch rf7 mk2,
currently I have the dc1, 2x xpa1 (gen2) and the same speakers

[novisnick]

pegg,
I don't understand?
Why would you go from DAC to DAC??? I'm not sure anything good could come of that,,,,,,,

[audiobill]

Agree, lose the XDA1