Totaldac Reference D1

BF38

Well-Known Member
Oct 31, 2017
168
44
113
thank you CKKeung, but congratulations again and especially to Vincent Brient
for these new and recent stunning works.

And yes ! this USB Gigafilter really makes sense to the Totaldac DA conversion and probably also, as you noticed, in other systems
where this "capricious" USB is part of the line, who knows ?... to confirm (or not) during your next listenings!

And as I understand you, Paul79 !!!
 

Iamrael

Member
Nov 3, 2017
87
4
8
thank you CKKeung, but congratulations again and especially to Vincent Brient
for these new and recent stunning works.

And yes ! this USB Gigafilter really makes sense to the Totaldac DA conversion and probably also, as you noticed, in other systems
where this "capricious" USB is part of the line, who knows ?... to confirm (or not) during your next listenings!
And as I understand you, Paul79 !!!

Hi BF38,

Congratulations, and thanks for your posts. Your excitement for the new upgrades really shines through, and as a new member of the TotalDAC family it pleases me to hear your enthusiasm. Enjoy!
 

BF38

Well-Known Member
Oct 31, 2017
168
44
113
Enjoy too !! Iamrael.

and Jeffy, yes ! I noticed that these DACs need a few days to develop their full expression, 2 or 3 days sometimes more.
the first hours can be scary, sharp and tight then everything gradually relaxes

and no, I never changed this fuses ... is it important?
 

CKKeung

Well-Known Member
Jun 17, 2011
3,053
3,172
1,410
Hong Kong
Enjoy too !! Iamrael.

and Jeffy, yes ! I noticed that these DACs need a few days to develop their full expression, 2 or 3 days sometimes more.
the first hours can be scary, sharp and tight then everything gradually relaxes
and no, I never changed this fuses ... is it important?

Important of course!
Cost of Audiophile fuses is affordable and the resulting effect is large. Completely reversible. Why not?

There are many brands to choose from.
In Hong Kong the new Synergistic Research Blue fuse is currently popular. http://www.synergisticresearch.com/fuses/blue/

There is even a better but much more expensive CRAZY fuse - Brimar Audio fuse. http://www.hiendy.com/hififorum/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=106840 Dare to try?

BTW the direction of the fuse affects the performance. Please test both directions.
 

Fish07

New Member
Apr 17, 2015
3
0
0
I recently purchased the second power supply unit(PSU) kit for my d1-server together with the USB Gigafilter cable/filter which I use to connect the USB port from the cubox board at the back of the server to the server reclocker's USB port. Installation of the second PSU was straightforward thanks to Vincent's instruction manual.
Having lived with the two upgrades for a week or so, I just wanted to share my impressions. I have the 3 unit d1-twelve DAC which drives my Pass Labs power amps directly.
The first thing I noticed was a significant improvement in image focus and solidarity: instruments seemed much "tighter" and better defined in space. Resolution also increased, allowing me to hear previously inaudible details. Moreover, as I listened more, it became clear that the intensity and contrast of tonal colour and timbre were significantly improved. At the frequency extremes, bass was subjectively more extended and more tuneful, while treble was cleaner and sweeter with less "hash" on those less-than-perfect digital recordings.
Overall, a significant improvement in sound quality and well worth the investment, in my opinion. I haven't tried to ascertain how much of the improvement is due to the second PSU and how much the Gigafilter, but taken together I can't imagine anyone being disappointed if you decide to upgrade. I hope this was helpful.
Now if anyone's in the market for a used standard USB cable/filter, let me know!
 

CKKeung

Well-Known Member
Jun 17, 2011
3,053
3,172
1,410
Hong Kong
I recently purchased the second power supply unit(PSU) kit for my d1-server together with the USB Gigafilter cable/filter which I use to connect the USB port from the cubox board at the back of the server to the server reclocker's USB port. Installation of the second PSU was straightforward thanks to Vincent's instruction manual.
Having lived with the two upgrades for a week or so, I just wanted to share my impressions. I have the 3 unit d1-twelve DAC which drives my Pass Labs power amps directly.
The first thing I noticed was a significant improvement in image focus and solidarity: instruments seemed much "tighter" and better defined in space. Resolution also increased, allowing me to hear previously inaudible details. Moreover, as I listened more, it became clear that the intensity and contrast of tonal colour and timbre were significantly improved. At the frequency extremes, bass was subjectively more extended and more tuneful, while treble was cleaner and sweeter with less "hash" on those less-than-perfect digital recordings.
Overall, a significant improvement in sound quality and well worth the investment, in my opinion. I haven't tried to ascertain how much of the improvement is due to the second PSU and how much the Gigafilter, but taken together I can't imagine anyone being disappointed if you decide to upgrade. I hope this was helpful.
Now if anyone's in the market for a used standard USB cable/filter, let me know!

Congratulation!
Concerning the Totaldac Gigafilter usb cable, I borrowed it for home trial last week. Excellent performance.
I rank it on par with my favourite usb cable - Vertere HB V3.
The latter has a bit more resolution whereas Gigafilter is richer in midrange and upper bass.
They suit diff systems and taste.
 

BF38

Well-Known Member
Oct 31, 2017
168
44
113
Congrats too,
tonal balance offered by the Totaldac USB Gigafilter is, also, definitely exceptional on my system !
And for my personal feeling, the musical impact of USB Gigafilter is a little bit more "meaningfull" than the second server PSU
but their association is a really essential upgrade... so stunning !

Be well with music.
 

BF38

Well-Known Member
Oct 31, 2017
168
44
113
oups
 

totaldac

Industry Expert
Aug 17, 2012
567
701
1,155
France
www.totaldac.com

sbo6

VIP/Donor
May 18, 2014
1,660
594
480
Round Rock, TX
Curious if anyone compared no cable (just USB to USB ~3" adapter) to the new Totaldac cable. I have the original cable and no cable is better.
 

totaldac

Industry Expert
Aug 17, 2012
567
701
1,155
France
www.totaldac.com
Hi all,
A review of the d1-seven by Audiostream (belongs to Stereophile) has been released: https://www.audiostream.com/content/totaldac-d1-seven

"Here are my first impressions: Wow
The d1-seven is by far one of the most stunning DACs I've had the pleasure to hear my music through.
The totaldac d1-seven excels at reproducing music's life, energy, and delicate nuance.
Once seated, there's a lock-in into the space and time of the recording that is at once addictive and entrancing.
Every aspect of a recording-space, sounds, movement, texture, color, meaning- are conveyed with an uncanny realness.
Come to think of it, rightness may be the better word.
If you want to hear your file-based music at its best, at the peak of its acoustic power, I recommend the totaldac d1-seven as your guide."
 

Ohlins

Well-Known Member
Mar 1, 2015
15
0
231
Singapore
I'm sure the d1-seven is very good but at the moment, i could only afford a d1-dual and i'm very contented and enjoying its beautiful sound .....
 

caesar

Well-Known Member
May 30, 2010
4,290
767
1,698
Is anyone using TotalDac in a single-ended system? How much substance of the sound is lost by converting from TotalDac's balanced architecture to single-ended?
Thank you
 

caliaripaolo

Well-Known Member
May 9, 2012
492
192
950
Italia
Is anyone using TotalDac in a single-ended system? How much substance of the sound is lost by converting from TotalDac's balanced architecture to single-ended?
Thank you

Me. I use the Six driving my Spectral DMA 260. The result is stellar. I do not think there is any lost of "substance of the sound".
 

cat6man

Well-Known Member
Feb 6, 2013
890
995
1,155
west of NYC, east of SF
I'm sure the d1-seven is very good but at the moment, i could only afford a d1-dual and i'm very contented and enjoying its beautiful sound .....

That is a wonderful spot to be in. I found you can get a good band for your buck by adding a ultraRendu with a good power supply (lps1.2 for example) and boost the performance noticeably.
Depends of course on how you are feeding it now
 

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