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Post by vinylfreak on Aug 30, 2014 4:17:12 GMT -5
Luv!! Mine!!
One of the best pieces of gear I ever bought!!
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celing
Seeker Of Truth
Posts: 9 
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Post by celing on Aug 30, 2014 12:40:11 GMT -5
Just wanted to give a quick thanks, About three years ago the left channel from my Onkyo 709 pooped out on me, thank goodness for pre-outs, after quite a bit of reading grabbed the UPA-200 to drive my Polk TSI 400's and using the Onkyo for a pre-amp, recently the miss was concerned/questioning the energy bill so I started doing some research on our electronics etc.. Come to find out the Onkyo on standby was juicing around 30watts, uhg, seemed to be an issue with that model, so I figured it was time to do some research on other pre-amps, I initially was looking at the new Oppo DAC/pre but it had to many bells and whistles for what I needed (DSD mainly), Since I was happy with my UPA, I figured why not the Stealth DAC/Pre, Received it a couple days ago, flawless, Excellent sound, easy to use  Hooked up my SB Touch via USB (EDO Kernel) worked like a charm, I don't do HP listening so I'll probably never use that part of it, Getting an HDMI de-embedder for SACD use from my Oppo, the odd thing is, I'm not quite sure why my AVR as a pre was hiding the sound from my speakers (Pure Direct), I never new my polks had bass and clarity until I hooked up the DC-1, quite amazed really, So a quick thanks for making an affordable Pre/DAC that sounds and looks wonderful, Plus with the energy savings it will pay for itself |
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Post by novisnick on Aug 30, 2014 12:47:27 GMT -5
celing, let me be the first to welcome you to our little corner of the world. It's a great place to be. Lots of wonderful people here to help and advise. So glad your happy with your new toy! It IS a very nice piece of kit!! Seems to be no more hiding great sound from you now! Have a great day.  |
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Post by smfins on Aug 30, 2014 21:28:05 GMT -5
I've been into to high end audio for many years, but I've never owned a DAC. What if any use would I have for it in my Home Theater setup? As can be seen in my setup below, I currently have a Denon AVRX4000 as my processor and plan to have an XMC-1 once my number comes up. Thanks for any feedback.
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Post by garbulky on Aug 31, 2014 0:11:54 GMT -5
I've been into to high end audio for many years, but I've never owned a DAC. What if any use would I have for it in my Home Theater setup? As can be seen in my setup below, I currently have a Denon AVRX4000 as my processor and plan to have an XMC-1 once my number comes up. Thanks for any feedback. A dac is all about bumping up 2 channel sound quality - mainly if you are a music listener. AVR's on general aren't quite able to muster that kind of performance. But I have heard a good AVR that has come close. Usually DAC's are used with an analog pre-amp in the mix - if you are trying to integrate with AVR's for instance an XSP-1. This way the signal paths are kept separate but you are able to switch listening when you like. Units like the XMC-1 - I believe - have pure analog passthroughs for things like a DAC. Early reports have put the XMC-1 has having very competitive 2 channel listening. I haven't heard the XMC-1 but some owners have compared it with the DC-1 in terms of 2 channel quality. It's a surprising claim for me. But going off early reports, I would put off buying a DAC for the time being and see how you feel with the XMC-1. Later if you feel like it, you can experiment with DAC's and see if you notice any improvement. There are a few companies out there that offer 15 to 30 day trials for this reason like Emotiva, schiit, etc. |
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Post by smfins on Aug 31, 2014 1:38:13 GMT -5
Thanks for that. I don't know that I would need one. I'm hoping the XMc-1 will be all I need in that regard.
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Post by cdifpsycho on Sept 14, 2014 0:46:04 GMT -5
i only have the airmotiv 5s's and the DC-1 from emotiva (yeah... i have more in the DAC than the speakers haha). i originally had the xda-2 but luckily my wife disliked how it looked and ok'd the upgrade. MAN im glad. i thought i was crazy to hear such a drastic difference. glad to hear all this talk!
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Post by jevans64 on Sept 14, 2014 1:33:37 GMT -5
i only have the airmotiv 5s's and the DC-1 from emotiva (yeah... i have more in the DAC than the speakers haha). i originally had the xda-2 but luckily my wife disliked how it looked and ok'd the upgrade. MAN im glad. i thought i was crazy to hear such a drastic difference. glad to hear all this talk! The only thing that sounds better than my DC-1 and Airmotiv 5 are the DC-1 and the Stealth 6.  |
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Post by flatpicker on Sept 14, 2014 8:32:00 GMT -5
i only have the airmotiv 5s's and the DC-1 from emotiva (yeah... i have more in the DAC than the speakers haha). i originally had the xda-2 but luckily my wife disliked how it looked and ok'd the upgrade. MAN im glad. i thought i was crazy to hear such a drastic difference. glad to hear all this talk! The only thing that sounds better than my DC-1 and Airmotiv 5 are the DC-1 and the Stealth 6. I've had a setup with the DC-1 and Stealth 6 for a few months now and what an incredible combination, so much quality for such a friendly price... a joy to listen to... though I also have an XDA-2 setup and for me, the difference between the XDA-2/Stealth 6 vs DC-1/Stealth 6 is not drastic, just better... sometimes, I include an XSP-1 in the mix, and that is special. |
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Post by MaisterK on Sept 14, 2014 8:36:42 GMT -5
Isn't this a great company?
Too bad it doesn't have a marketing engine of the same quality.
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hemster
Global Moderator 
Particle Manufacturer
...still listening... still watching
Posts: 51,950
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Post by hemster on Sept 14, 2014 8:49:18 GMT -5
^I'll take quality products priced right over slick marketing any day.
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Post by solidstate on Sept 14, 2014 10:18:24 GMT -5
holy schi.....................ddddttttt......... i just hooked up the dc-1.............. and replaced my xda-2 with it. the improvement is amazing. not subtle at all. i am playing from my mac to my stealth 8's and everything about it is wonderful. bass, midrange, highs, transparency, dynamics, timbre, texture, liquidity, coherency.... pick a characteristic.....its there...... in spades.......... Dan told me at the chicago event this last july that when i hear the dc-1 in the system i will sch....tttt my pants. well, i have been able to control my bowels but i can't stop smiling. hey y'all... if it is in your budget go with the dc-1, or if someone is selling used...take it. now, if i could only afford the stealth 6's and replace my office airmotive 6's and buy another dc-1 in place of the xda-1... imagine $1297 for 2 stealth 6's and a dc-1 and if you are an eclub member 10% off that. (not gonna happen for me anytime soon but it would be nice). whoooo boyyyyyy...... tchaik............. You really noticed that big of an improvement with that DAC vs. the XDA-2? What converter is in the DC-1? |
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Post by tchaik on Sept 14, 2014 10:47:57 GMT -5
holy schi.....................ddddttttt......... i just hooked up the dc-1.............. and replaced my xda-2 with it. the improvement is amazing. not subtle at all. i am playing from my mac to my stealth 8's and everything about it is wonderful. bass, midrange, highs, transparency, dynamics, timbre, texture, liquidity, coherency.... pick a characteristic.....its there...... in spades.......... Dan told me at the chicago event this last july that when i hear the dc-1 in the system i will sch....tttt my pants. well, i have been able to control my bowels but i can't stop smiling. hey y'all... if it is in your budget go with the dc-1, or if someone is selling used...take it. now, if i could only afford the stealth 6's and replace my office airmotive 6's and buy another dc-1 in place of the xda-1... imagine $1297 for 2 stealth 6's and a dc-1 and if you are an eclub member 10% off that. (not gonna happen for me anytime soon but it would be nice). whoooo boyyyyyy...... tchaik............. You really noticed that big of an improvement with that DAC vs. the XDA-2? What converter is in the DC-1? yes, i really did hear a big big improvement. i don't know the particulars of the insides but my conversation with dan revealed that these are two completely different animals and it is the application of the parts, engineering and design that make the dc-1 what it is. i have an xda-1 in my office with airmotiv6's and i am planning to replace with stealth 6's and a dc-1 around xmas. tchaik............. |
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Post by solidstate on Sept 14, 2014 11:01:15 GMT -5
You really noticed that big of an improvement with that DAC vs. the XDA-2? What converter is in the DC-1? yes, i really did hear a big big improvement. i don't know the particulars of the insides but my conversation with dan revealed that these are two completely different animals and it is the application of the parts, engineering and design that make the dc-1 what it is. i have an xda-1 in my office with airmotiv6's and i am planning to replace with stealth 6's and a dc-1 around xmas. tchaik............. So you were comparing it to the XDA-1 not the XDA-2 right? The XDA-2 is a different animal from the flawed XDA-1. From what I can see the difference is the DC-1 has two AD1955 in mono mode vs a single in the XDA-2. Also DC-1 uses LM4562 vs OPA2132. My fav opamp in testing a few years back is the LME49710 mono in a TO-99 can package. I believe the LME49720 is almost identical to the LM4562 or at least it is on the spec sheet. Lets hope the RMC-1 uses TO-99 LME49710s in an output PCB that's balanced for 5 channels. I tested SOIC vs TO-99 and the mental can package is superior in every metric. National won the EDN product of the year for the LM4562 and the LME49720 is a bin sorted better quality version of it. Now imagine that IC in a single TOC-99 package!
LME49710 TOC-99 in RMC-1 Emo/Jade!PS if mono use up to much PCB space go 710 on the L/Rs but 720 on the center and surrounds... |
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Post by audiobill on Sept 14, 2014 11:09:58 GMT -5
IIRC, the Benchmark dac, at $2,000 uses the LM4562.
Also, the Cambridge Audio 851D, at $1,600 uses the AD 1955.
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Post by solidstate on Sept 14, 2014 11:12:52 GMT -5
IIRC, the Benchmark dac, at $2,000 uses the LM4562. Also, the Cambridge Audio 851D, at $1,600 uses the AD 1955. PCM179x is superior in my experience though the AD1955 is a great DAC. |
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Post by solidstate on Sept 14, 2014 11:14:31 GMT -5
IIRC, the Benchmark dac, at $2,000 uses the LM4562. Also, the Cambridge Audio 851D, at $1,600 uses the AD 1955. I don't get why these manufacturers go LM4562 when the LME46720 SOIC is the same chip made to a higher spec via better quality fab and package with yield bit sort before silkscreen. The LM4562s are failed LME46720s from what I can gather! The tray lots on them aren't that much higher priced. |
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Post by audiobill on Sept 14, 2014 11:15:05 GMT -5
From The Audio Critic:
The LM4562 is a very advanced, low-distortion dual unit; its THD specification is 0.00003%, which translates to –130.5 dB! Not that anyone can measure –130 dB directly with any standard test instrument; that spec must be based on some sort of indirect calculation. (The only comparable op-amp known to me is the Analog Devices AD797, which is a single-channel unit; a pair of them constitute the heart of the Morrison E.L.A.D. line-level preamp, which I have been using since 1998 because there is nothing better at any price. I’ve had recent discussions with Don Morrison, who still prefers the AD797 to the LM4562 but admits that the latter is the competition.)
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Post by solidstate on Sept 14, 2014 11:17:10 GMT -5
From The Audio Critic: The LM4562 is a very advanced, low-distortion dual unit; its THD specification is 0.00003%, which translates to –130.5 dB! Not that anyone can measure –130 dB directly with any standard test instrument; that spec must be based on some sort of indirect calculation. (The only comparable op-amp known to me is the Analog Devices AD797, which is a single-channel unit; a pair of them constitute the heart of the Morrison E.L.A.D. line-level preamp, which I have been using since 1998 because there is nothing better at any price. I’ve had recent discussions with Don Morrison, who still prefers the AD797 to the LM4562 but admits that the latter is the competition.) Those opamps have a history originating from Nation not TI and the LME497x0 is the better part especially the TOC-99 package mono version. Designers tend not to like TOC-99 because of the package pin geometry and board layout because of it. Personally I don't get why they just don't go DIP socket and use an adapter. I had Browndog run me a batch of adapter PCBs a couple years ago that I use. It's dual TOC-99 monos to a DIP dual and as a drop in the results are generally amazing. Browndog is a great resource for DIY opamp replacements and adapters. He's such a nice guy that after sharing my testing results and line drive circuit designs I was testing he sent 20 PCBs for free. Lets face it the I/V line drive circuit seems to have the biggest impact on SQ than just about anything else IMHO. BTW I also tested discrete solutions like Burnson's and Kingwa's and in the end the LME49710 TOC-99 was the best to my ears bar none. |
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Post by solidstate on Sept 14, 2014 11:34:58 GMT -5
Does the XMC-1 use LM4562?
I have yet to crack mine open to take a look. I thought it had JRCs at least looking at earlier beta design PCBs from a few years back.
SOIC LM4562 is the sweet spot in price to performance ratio and arguably one of the best opamps around.
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Hooked up my SB Touch via USB (EDO Kernel) worked like a charm, I don't do HP listening so I'll probably never use that part of it, Getting an HDMI de-embedder for SACD use from my Oppo, the odd thing is, I'm not quite sure why my AVR as a pre was hiding the sound from my speakers (Pure Direct), I never new my polks had bass and clarity until I hooked up the DC-1, quite amazed really, So a quick thanks for making an affordable Pre/DAC that sounds and looks wonderful, Plus with the energy savings it will pay for itself 
