Totaldac Reference D1

cat6man · Aug 1, 2015

paul79 said:
Hey Cat6man,

The Server is in the reclocker chassis, so you get both with the server. The reclocker is not immune to jitter, it merely attenuates it, and does a very damn good job of it. So the rule applies. The better the digital source, the better the sound.

Hope this helps.
Paul

Thanks for the feedback. The server has the reclocker installed in the same box (but is available as reclocker alone for less), so I'm wondering if the reclocker without the server is most of the difference.
In my case, I already have a NAS music server and Sonore h/w for streaming/reclocking with AES/EBU output.

When I try the server, it would be interested to see if how the Sonore reclocker compares.
I plan to check this out in my system in September after vacation when I'll have some time to focus on comparisons.
Definitely high on my list of things to do.

bmichels · Aug 2, 2015

AudioBear said:
Just to update a previous post, that at least for me, the latest version of the D1-Server software has no blips in the music at all after 48hrs of playing with the upgraded Cubox.

.

I wish Vincent developped his own player or implémented something like ROON in his server. Or if we could use the Aurender or lumin App which are very robust and feature loaded.

I am not confortable relying on mPad to drive a $20.000 system.

paul79 · Aug 2, 2015

I wish Vincent developed his own player

I am quite sure that he will.

However, MPD Software works extremely well and is very customizable with regards to playback and tailoring the sound. Vincent takes advantage of this, and the sound is very stunning.

wstam · Aug 2, 2015

Well, I wish that TotalDac can support 128 and 256 DSD... may be more than software upgrade though.

flyer · Aug 2, 2015

wstam said:
Well, I wish that TotalDac can support 128 and 256 DSD... may be more than software upgrade though.

No offense but in my modest opinion, I think such feature can only be relevant if such high definition titles become widely available, which is not (yet) the case AND make a real difference to the other hi-res formats (incl 64 DSD).

Listening almost exclusively to classical music where quite a few titles are available nowadays in the whole pletora of resolutions, I did some testing here and there (not on 128 or 256 DSD though!) between the different hi-res formats and I can assure you that the sound improvement is more often not there. Depends on how the original recording was made AND how good your source is at reproducing PCM. The totaldac server is stunningly good at PCM (and 64 DSD) so if the original recording and mastering was not done in DSD already or is not a very good DSD remaster of original analog tapes, then the improvement is not there is my experience.

I wonder if for example the 256 DSD is not something like some DAC-manufacturers claim their product can do 32-bit although no such resolution exists (commercially). Or does the whole (need for) 'upsampling' thing masks the lack by the product to be able to reproduce properly the original resolution?

GuillaumeB · Aug 6, 2015

My d1 server is just back from France where it went for the upgrade. Wow! I cannot quite believe the improvements I am hearing, this is really good.

Turns out Vincent also made a "small" change to the AES/EBU output.

Even better the upgrade was free! Fantastic service from Vincent as always...

Guillaume

wstam · Aug 7, 2015

I got the new cubox and changed it myself. I wonder what is the "small" change to the AES/EBS output and how significant is it? I am from Asia and may not be practical to send the d1-server to France for small change. Hmmm....

cat6man · Aug 9, 2015

nevermind..........already answered

bmoura · Aug 15, 2015

wstam said:
Well, I wish that TotalDac can support 128 and 256 DSD... may be more than software upgrade though.

That may happen, who knows. In the meantime, there are many DACs with DSD 128 and DSD 256 playback. Check the DSD Database for a list.
http://www.dsd.sonore.us

flyer · Aug 17, 2015

paul79 said:
Hey Cat6man,

Now, depending on the quality of the preamp you use, as the Twelve really must have a good preamp, the Twelve is amazing. However, it does have one weakness, and that is drive. So it is not the best to drive most amps directly. Depending on ones system, tastes, etc. one may very well prefer the Monobloc DAC's to the Twelve.

Hope this helps.
Paul

Having lived with the Twelve it appears at first listen it has less drive but after a while you realize the drive is still there. The sound improvement is such that the 'naturalness' has jumped so much that you don't realize anymore that you are listening to an 'amplified signal', quite an experience altogether.
I have to admit that at the same moment of my mono to Twelve upgrade I had the cubox upgrade so the latter must have some impact as well on my above conclusion but i don't know to what extent...

bmichels · Oct 16, 2015

I consider the BHSE+ STAX SR009 the best Headphone experience I ever heard, except, may be, for the bass that was not at the Level of the best Ortho Headphones.

So I was wondering if TotalDAC's "bass boost" option may be the cure to the SR009 bass weakness ( fot those who think the STAX lack bass) ?

amirm · Oct 16, 2015

bmichels said:
I consider the BHSE+ STAX SR009 the best Headphone experience I ever heard, except, may be, for the bass that was not at the Level of the best Ortho Headphones.

So I was wondering if TotalDAC's "bass boost" option may be the cure to the SR009 bass weakness ( fot those who think the STAX lack bass) ?

What is BHSE? As to Stax, I actually prefer the sound of the lower end ones (the vertical units, forget the model) than the reference SR009 although if you are a fan of bass, that puts out a bit more.

I am not sure one can get more bass out of them without overdriving them but I must say, I have not tried it. Their bass to me also seems light.

7ryder · Nov 13, 2015

BHSE - Headamp's Blue Hawaii SE Electrostatic Amp http://www.headamp.com/electrostat_amps/index.htm

wstam · Dec 21, 2015

There is a new d1-six DAC:
http://www.totaldac.com/D1-six-en.htm
"The d1-six DAC is now the highest end one-box Totaldac DAC"

Appealingly upgrading already started. Have anyone listened to it? Anyone plan to do the upgrade to their one-box totaldac DAC?

flyer · Dec 21, 2015

wstam said:
There is a new d1-six DAC:
http://www.totaldac.com/D1-six-en.htm
"The d1-six DAC is now the highest end one-box Totaldac DAC"

Appealingly upgrading already started. Have anyone listened to it? Anyone plan to do the upgrade to their one-box totaldac DAC?

No is the answer but I can add that there is a raving review of the new D1 tube DAC of Totaldac in Stereophile's edition of January 2016!

CKKeung · Dec 22, 2015

It's very unusual to have 3 resistor arrays for one channel in D1-Six and 12 resistor arrays for one channel in D1-Twelve.

Are the circuitries true-balanced ones?

Crashem · Dec 26, 2015

bmichels said:
I consider the BHSE+ STAX SR009 the best Headphone experience I ever heard, except, may be, for the bass that was not at the Level of the best Ortho Headphones.

So I was wondering if TotalDAC's "bass boost" option may be the cure to the SR009 bass weakness ( fot those who think the STAX lack bass) ?

Have you tried to "play" with bass via el34 tubes? I agree with you on the sr009 + bhse combo. Using spritzer kgsshv right now and bhse is in burn in!

BJP691 · Feb 12, 2016

Looking for someone on the East Coast (Mid-Atlantic region) that has a TotalDac that would be agreeable to speaking with me and possibly allowing a listen.

Thanks

CKKeung · Apr 21, 2016

There are currently two Totaldac D1-Six owners in Hong Kong.
One of them left his at the showroom of Totaldac HK dealer for a few days' burning-in.
I went for a listen 2 days ago.

I was surprised by its musicality & 'analogness' which is obviously better than a fully burned-in D1-Dual there for comparison.
Its musicality is somewhat similar to Trinity DAC & Lampizator Big7 Goldengate. It's a pity that we didn't have other two for a direct shootout.

Anyway, the D1-Six was so poisonous that at least two D1-Dual owners who had witnessed the comparison are now considering upgrading their D1-Duals, not to Six but the ultimate Twelve!

paul79 · Apr 22, 2016

The Twelve is absolutely magic. It is the only DAC I have had that sounds like really good vinyl.

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