My new DC-1=Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!

[andyadler]

Well, count me as an official Emotiva owner. My DC-1 arrived yesterday (8/19), and today -- after letting it and the associated equipment "warm up" for about 18 hours -- I had a couple of hours to put it through its paces. I'm still making adjustments to listening position, speaker placement, but my initial reaction is tremendously positive. Small unit, very big sound.

At the moment I'm running the DC-1 with the default setup values, going unbalanced into a Hsu Research 500-watt dedicated external subwoofer amplifier, which features integral low and high-pass filters. I'd actually forgotten that it includes the high-pass filtering, and had resigned myself to running my main speakers (Hsu HB-1 Mk. 2s) full range. Now I'm able to cross the sub over at 71hz, with the satellites also crossing over at 71hz (the Hsu amp employs small, plug-in fixed value modules to determine the respective crossover points). Originally I thought I'd have to run the DC-1's balanced output converted to unbalanced RCA plugs into the sub, but happily this is now unnecessary.


Source hardware thus far is an iBasso DX90 portable digital player, connected via coaxial output into the DC-1; a Sony PS3 outputting bitstream through its Toslink port into the DC-1's optical input, and my desktop Windows PC going to the DC-1's USB input. The DC-1 analog input is being reserved for when my nearly 30-year-old Well Tempered Turntable (and arm) gets back into service, likely with an XPS-1 phono stage.

All this is being run in a third-floor home office that was once an attic -- about 12x30 feet, with low (seven-foot) ceilings. The main HT system is on the first floor. So the office system is strictly 2.1, using budget or near-budget components, in a space that is acoustically far from ideal.

And even with these caveats, the sound, with an amp that is nearly 25 years old, was strikingly fine. Terrific detail, substantial dynamic range, no obvious colorations, etc. Playing a demanding cut like the long final movement of Mahler's Symphony No. 6 (Haitink; extended resolution file) revealed little evidence that this was a lower-cost system. The DC-1, as far as I can tell, was a stellar performer. Articulate, unfatiguing, truthful. Compared to what I was previously using in this space, a Denon AVR-1910 -- well, there is no comparison. So good, in fact, that I've pretty much decided I don't need the XSP-1 I was considering acquiring. But the XPA-200 is calling my name...

[hemster]

Well Andy, all I can say is that you're full of it!

Full of sonic bliss that is!
Thanks for letting us now how you find your DC-1. It is an excellent unit and we - the proud owners - love ours. Mine isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

[bootman]

I'm only using mine with headphones and it is really good at that also.
Very versatile piece.

[klinemj]

Andy - glad to hear of another happy DC-1 user. I bought mine early upon release and it is a gem.

Mark

[garbulky]

I am very glad to hear it made an improvement in the sound. If I'm not mistaken the Hsu HB-1's are fantastic performers.

Just a warning and this may not apply to your specific sub but some if not many subwoofer's passthrough/crossover units can limit the quality of the sound. Certain resistors inside can also change the impedance output going into your amplifier and change the sound up a bit. You may want to see if you notice any difference going full range to your speakers and then simply using the sub cross over and volume to push it back in to the music. I'm not saying you will but it would be worth the experiment

The DC-1 is a really nice unit and bootman is right about its headphone amplifier. If you ever feel like getting quality headphones these will really surprise you. Its amp is even better than the headphone amp in the XSP-1. It's equivalent (slightly better in clarity, slightly less in power and control at very loud volumes) to my Xenos 3HA standalone headphone amp that cost $130.
And.....
The DC-1 has TWO of these units onboard. That's right, two separate headphone amps!

Something else you would be interested in is that the DC-1 has separate analog volume controls for both the headphone amp and the regular analog output.
It also has a pure analog passthrough which does not digitize the signal before outputting it (a good thing!).
Its volume control is digitally controlled by a resistor ladder on a chip which is supposed to get a very fine balance between the left and right channels.

The XSP-1 upgrade - I haven't had the chance to try it out on the DC-1 directly but I have auditioned it with the XDA-2 and other DACs. The main difference I've found with the XSP-1 is that it is more balanced when going soft to loud. When it's loud it doesn't feel shouty or overbearing. It's a subtle distinction though. The soundstage is also slghtly more solid and balanced.
Once again, these are all subtle distinctions.

As you know speaker upgrades bring more to the table than equipment upgrades, so I wouldn't go around spending money on the XSP-1 unless my speakers were pretty pricey.

But this was singlehandedly a GREAT and best value for the money upgrade to go with the DC-1. I just put it behind my couch at head height. Wham, instant increase in resolution! It also comes in different colors.
www.atsacoustics.com/item--ATS-Acoustic-Panel-24-x-48-x-2--1001.html

If you haven't already, you may want to try connecting your PC/laptop upto your DC-1 as well via USB or SPDIF (digital RCA coax). Youtube has pretty much most of the music videos and popular music ever released. It's one of my main sources for discovering new music


This piece sounds pretty darn incredible on the DC-1. So much musical information. What struck out to me was that everything sounded like it was part of the same environemnent rather than just disembodied pieces around the soundstage. You can hear the vocals as PART of the auditorium rather than just coming from the center. Basically the DC_1 can reproduce the environement quite well here.



Also...there are free high resolution music downloads out there. Just ask and we'll give you some links

[andyadler]

Good advice. The Hsu amp has two sets of outputs: full range and high pass. I'll try the full range and report back. And yes, I've downloaded the proper drivers, installed Jriver software, and have the DC-1 USB input up and running through my PC.

Take care,

A.

[andyadler]

I just did a comparison of full-range vs. high-pass output with the TN1220 externally powered sub and the HB-1 MK.2s. There was increased presence in mid/upper bass when running full-range, and while this was at first seductive, after more extended listening the added warmth was distracting, and tended to compromising imaging precision. Switching back to the high-pass output, while matching levels as best as I could, was more satisfying. It may have been a case of the satellites doubling with the sub in a certain frequency band. But having spent almost 30 years as a professional classical music critic (at The Courier-Journal in Louisville, KY), I've heard enough live concerts to appreciate the acoustical distinctions, and what sounds more _real_ in a home-audio environment. Perhaps as I've grown older (57 now), I value neutrality over "euphonic" colorations. That probably doesn't bode well for the 30-year-old C-J MV-50 I'm looking at right now.

Anyway, I might order a lower low-pass crossover module for the Hsu amp and see how that sounds with the HB-1s in full-range mode. Of course, there's always the XSP-1 option for bass management. Wonder if its crossover design is more transparent?


Regards (jeez it's hot down here)...A.

[garbulky]

Aug 21, 2014 14:41:43 GMT -5 andyadler said:

I just did a comparison of full-range vs. high-pass output with the TN1220 externally powered sub and the HB-1 MK.2s. There was increased presence in mid/upper bass when running full-range, and while this was at first seductive, after more extended listening the added warmth was distracting, and tended to compromising imaging precision. Switching back to the high-pass output, while matching levels as best as I could, was more satisfying. It may have been a case of the satellites doubling with the sub in a certain frequency band. But having spent almost 30 years as a professional classical music critic (at The Courier-Journal in Louisville, KY), I've heard enough live concerts to appreciate the acoustical distinctions, and what sounds more _real_ in a home-audio environment. Perhaps as I've grown older (57 now), I value neutrality over "euphonic" colorations. That probably doesn't bode well for the 30-year-old C-J MV-50 I'm looking at right now.

Anyway, I might order a lower low-pass crossover module for the Hsu amp and see how that sounds with the HB-1s in full-range mode. Of course, there's always the XSP-1 option for bass management. Wonder if its crossover design is more transparent?


Regards (jeez it's hot down here)...A.

If it wasn't noticeably better, I wouldn't worry about it. I'm a big fan of the XSP-1. But at near a grand, I don't know if it's what you would want to be looking for in the current system you have. Just by looking at a cost ratio of your other gear. But what you can do is audition it as it has a 30 day trial.
You could also get the bigger version of your HSU speakers.

You may not need any of this. The increased boost in the mids may simply require some fiddling with the volume levels and crossover setting. It may be that the sub is simply coming in too high at the crossover. In my experience, the first two times you try in a new setup one is usually wrong at the settings.
Have you done the subwoofer crawl?
Have you also ever done a bass sweep. It should be even in volume throughout with no bumps. If you hear bumps, check the crossover setting on the sub and also the gain (volume knob) as applicable.
www.audiocheck.net/audiotests_frequencychecklow.php

[andyadler]

Part of the issue is that there are inevitable compromises associated with this listening space. Our house was built around 1860, and my office is on the third floor of what was the slave quarter. One long wall and the short wall behind the speakers is brick; the other walls are drywall with many windows, and the low ceiling is made up of exposed beams and plaster. It's remarkable that it sounds as good as it does, at least in relative near-field listening. Some degree of acoustical treatment is likely forthcoming. I have done the sub crawl, and its current placement (left-hand corner behind speaker) seems best. I'd like to employ some kind of high-pass filtering for the HB-1s to increase their dynamic range. But I may try crossing the sub over at, say, 50hz and see how that sounds with the mains running full-range.

I might also look for a second-hand Gen. 1 XSP-1.

This IS a hobby, right...?

A.

[garbulky]

The pain is worth it. I think.

[andyadler]

Now I'm evaluating interconnects. Using a combination of Straightwire and generic. Any suggestions?

[Andrew Robinson]

Aug 22, 2014 14:03:27 GMT -5 andyadler said:

Now I'm evaluating interconnects. Using a combination of Straightwire and generic. Any suggestions?

Don't venture down the cable rabbit hole. Buy the least expensive, thickest gauge whatever you need at the length you need it and move on with life. You'll be happier, and richer, as a result. Just my 2 cents as someone who has had to try and explain/justify high-end cables before. I buy ALL MY CABLES from Monoprice, but there are other options out there that are just as reputable and affordable. 

[andyadler]

Believe me, I don't intend to slip into the exotic-cable race. I've been using moderately-priced Straightwire interconnects for almost 30 years now; speaker cable is Kimber 4TC. All have served me well. Part of my query was prompted by my (hopefully temporary) inability to lay my hands on my best set of interconnects. So I've been considering such inexpensive options as Blue Jeans LC-1, various Mogami cables (particularly the 2534 Neglex), etc.

Best...A.