Post by quattroll on Mar 23, 2023 17:48:09 GMT -5
Hello Lounge,
I would like to hear from anyone with experience with the VMV d1se ($650-$720). Recently I have been trying out dacs because I was interested in what was out there that could best my DC-1 which I have had for a long time. The two that I have tried so far are the SMSL D300 (Rohm Chip) and the Topping e70. I kept the e70 as I liked it overall, it has auto sense, trigger in and out, a balance feature, and solid build. You can also get a separate metal remote for it on Amazon (it works even though not specifically noted as such). The e70 also just went on sale below $300, which is great value I think.
Overall, the e70 really performs, I understand that is a "fuller" sound than what most expect from Topping, and I do think it has that. Very good detail, but not harsh. Bass maybe a little bloated and a tiny bit un-nuanced (new audio word there?). When I compared it to the SMSL D300, I found it to have more life and more treble extension. I wanted to like the D300, but it just seemed dullish to me, and the borderline cheapness of the chassis was a turn off. The proponents of this dac say it is the most realistic dac for them, but on my systems, it didn't prove so.
I have two setups in the same room that I was using. XPA1Ls to Magnepan .7, and PA-1s to ERA D14s (Biggish 3way). The e70 was better on its own in both systems, and seemed to make a bigger difference with the Magnepans, it was unmistakable. I had begun to wonder about the XPA1Ls' capabilities, but not any more. I tried these dacs with my DC-1 analog in, and I felt that did not improve things in any set up which surprised me.
So I decided to try the VMV d1se and it arrived last night. I set it up with the PA-1s to the ERAs and I was immediately impressed. Big noticeable difference. The sound just fills my space is very engaging and more details, sense of space, instrument separation and placement, wow! I can't wait to play some more music tonight! The reason why I wanted to post this is that I was starting to feel that maybe this idea floating around that most well engineered dacs with great measurements are going to be very hard to distinguish from one another, and that the differences are so subtle. OK, that seemed to be true with the e70 and D300 (even though I did prefer the e70), but no way with the VMV d1se. I feel like "once you hear it, no going back" with this dac.
Now the build quality is better, very good actually, and it has real heft, even though it is approximately the same size as most of these dacs. The nicest dac I've had in was the Eversolo Z6, really solid and cool, but it did have the popping issue that has been noted, so I've not talked about it. The d1se also has a linear (toroid?) power supply made in England, but not much else is different from the SMSL Su-9n. Same chips there too. Maybe someone has the Su 9n here?
I realize there isn't really a question here, just a report on my experience so far and maybe there will be some discussion. Incidentally, the V2 of this has just come out so I may swap for that, but for anyone looking for a really great sounding Dac/Pre that feels really premium, the VMVd1se is absolutely worth the stretch from the $350-$450 current dac market.
Happy listening everyone!
I would like to hear from anyone with experience with the VMV d1se ($650-$720). Recently I have been trying out dacs because I was interested in what was out there that could best my DC-1 which I have had for a long time. The two that I have tried so far are the SMSL D300 (Rohm Chip) and the Topping e70. I kept the e70 as I liked it overall, it has auto sense, trigger in and out, a balance feature, and solid build. You can also get a separate metal remote for it on Amazon (it works even though not specifically noted as such). The e70 also just went on sale below $300, which is great value I think.
Overall, the e70 really performs, I understand that is a "fuller" sound than what most expect from Topping, and I do think it has that. Very good detail, but not harsh. Bass maybe a little bloated and a tiny bit un-nuanced (new audio word there?). When I compared it to the SMSL D300, I found it to have more life and more treble extension. I wanted to like the D300, but it just seemed dullish to me, and the borderline cheapness of the chassis was a turn off. The proponents of this dac say it is the most realistic dac for them, but on my systems, it didn't prove so.
I have two setups in the same room that I was using. XPA1Ls to Magnepan .7, and PA-1s to ERA D14s (Biggish 3way). The e70 was better on its own in both systems, and seemed to make a bigger difference with the Magnepans, it was unmistakable. I had begun to wonder about the XPA1Ls' capabilities, but not any more. I tried these dacs with my DC-1 analog in, and I felt that did not improve things in any set up which surprised me.
So I decided to try the VMV d1se and it arrived last night. I set it up with the PA-1s to the ERAs and I was immediately impressed. Big noticeable difference. The sound just fills my space is very engaging and more details, sense of space, instrument separation and placement, wow! I can't wait to play some more music tonight! The reason why I wanted to post this is that I was starting to feel that maybe this idea floating around that most well engineered dacs with great measurements are going to be very hard to distinguish from one another, and that the differences are so subtle. OK, that seemed to be true with the e70 and D300 (even though I did prefer the e70), but no way with the VMV d1se. I feel like "once you hear it, no going back" with this dac.
Now the build quality is better, very good actually, and it has real heft, even though it is approximately the same size as most of these dacs. The nicest dac I've had in was the Eversolo Z6, really solid and cool, but it did have the popping issue that has been noted, so I've not talked about it. The d1se also has a linear (toroid?) power supply made in England, but not much else is different from the SMSL Su-9n. Same chips there too. Maybe someone has the Su 9n here?
I realize there isn't really a question here, just a report on my experience so far and maybe there will be some discussion. Incidentally, the V2 of this has just come out so I may swap for that, but for anyone looking for a really great sounding Dac/Pre that feels really premium, the VMVd1se is absolutely worth the stretch from the $350-$450 current dac market.
Happy listening everyone!
