# Marantz HD-DAC1



## audionewbi

I came across a twitter post that was about Marantz HD-DAC1. Here are the few key component of it:

Has selectable headphone impedance (32-600 ohm)
It is based on Cirrus Logic CS4398 (DSD capable)
Comes in two colors of silver and black.
It has a dedciated headphone section that is based on the HDAM-SA2 modules found on the other Marantz products already
It has the ability to feed other amp as well as having input to act as an amp alone which suggest the headphone out is not to shabby. 
Based on a link I found it seems that the price to be under 1.2K! 
 http://www.redcoon.de/B547048-Marantz-HD-DAC1-Silber-Gold_Kabel-Adapter
  
*More info:*
  
*Source : *http://www.audiovideohd.fr/actualites/10433-Marantz-HD-DAC1.html
DAC Marantz first signed, particularly the successful design, including the integration of a circular front panel display, an aluminum chassis and side walls adorned with painted wooden panels, the HD-DAC1 is based on a converter Cirrus Logic CS4398 and a symmetrical circuit design. 
  
The DAC has a double clock to reduce jitter, each responsible for processing samples 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz, the HDAM-SA2 modules and the power supplied by a large toroidal transformer. 
Section amp helmet accept impedance headphones from 32 to 600 ohms, a gain selector on three levels is also available on the front.
  
HD-DAC1 naturally provides support for audio files up to 192 kHz / 24 bit, and also features compatibility DSD 2.8 MHz / 5.6 MHz. More surprisingly, the presence of a front USB port allows playback of MP3, AAC, WMA, FLAC and WAV formats always practical. 
  
The connector portion comprises a USB-B output for connecting a PC / Mac, RCA analog output on which it will be possible to associate with each other amp since the output is adjustable in fixed or variable, and finally two entries optical, one coaxial input and output 6.35 mm. Marantz HD-DAC1 will be available partor October 2014, retail price of € 799.


Features Marantz HD-DAC1:

DAC headphone amp
Cirrus Logic CS4398 converter
Dual clock
HDAM-SA2 modules
Toroidal transformer
Compatible 192 kHz / 24-bit DSD 2.8 / 5.6 MHz
Gain Selector
Fixed or variable output
Connectors: 1 RCA analog output, one USB port asynchronous, two optical inputs, 1 coaxial input, 1 output jack 6.35mm, 1 USB port
Delivered with remote control


----------



## Bartez75

Looks nice. Let's wait for some more info.
 It has a fixed line out which is good.


----------



## audionewbi

it is good value in my view. I wish I had the ability to test this unit against HUGO but I do not have any connection and I really cannot afford to experiment anymore. I will be hoping others can soon chip in for more info for the community.


----------



## shuttleboi

That's a beautiful piece of equipment. The Marantz UK site has better pictures.
  
 The only negative I see is that it doesn't have XLR balanced outputs, which others units like the Oppo HA-1 do have.


----------



## audionewbi

But it is priced at 799 USD which is much lower than its competitions. I just hope it is a well implemented amp section not just an after thought.


----------



## Bartez75

Indeed not very expencive...


----------



## oldson

nice looking bit of kit.
 will be interested to read reviews and may book a home trial myself.


----------



## Jodet

Seriously?   It has ONE analog input and that is via mini-plug?    
  
 REALLY?   What are they thinking?    
  
 Serious headphone guys want to hook up their turntables, or SACD players, OR BOTH. 
  
 But not here.   
  
 What knuckleheads.


----------



## audionewbi

This is not aiming for those people, most those folks would not use anything less than 1k. Its aiming at computer audio folks.


----------



## amigastar

Is this the first dedicated DAC from Marantz, i'm pretty sure it is?


----------



## Bartez75

I think it might be at least from some years back.
 We need to remember that they are providing dacs in CD players, media players and perhaps in amps.


----------



## audionewbi

First review is out, please enable google translate for this: http://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/topic/20141003_667781.html


----------



## gotoma8

Jodet,
  
 One can always use a RCA to Mini for the analogue input.


----------



## shuttleboi

This is really upsetting news for those of us in the USA. From:
 http://us.marantz.com/us/news/pages/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsID=95
  
_ The Marantz HD-DAC1 is expected to be available in black from October 2014._
  
  
  
 It looks like Marantz is not bringing the silver color to the USA, only the black color. This is a typical infuriating move from Marantz, as their flagship hi-fi components in their reference line are available in beautiful champagne/gold-silver and black throughout the world but only in black in the USA.


----------



## swspiers

shuttleboi said:


> This is really upsetting news for those of us in the USA. From:
> http://us.marantz.com/us/news/pages/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsID=95
> 
> _ The Marantz HD-DAC1 is expected to be available in black from October 2014._
> ...


 
 Normally I wouldn't have much empathy, since I generally prefer black, but on this one I do.  I think Marantz does not understand the actual headphone/headamp market. Anything not black is in fairly high demand lately.  Which is a shame, because this looks like a decent alternative to the Oppo, which is just too darn big for me.


----------



## Bartez75

A new completely fresh review from polish site StereoLife
http://www.stereolife.pl/1667


----------



## Phebus

Hello to all,
  
 Here a second review (mine, Pierre Dubarry) > http://www.audiovideohd.fr/tests/381-Marantz-HD-DAC1-0.html
 I really spent a pleasant time with the HD-DAC1. Treble is short (DAC mode only), but as always with Marantz : a superb midrange, nice dynamics and plenty of roundness. And the headphone amp section is very, very solid and powerful. He really deserves a listen


----------



## TiborM

Cool


----------



## dlorde

phebus said:


> ...
> Here a second review (mine, Pierre Dubarry) > http://www.audiovideohd.fr/tests/381-Marantz-HD-DAC1-0.html


 
  
 Pierre, I notice in your review you say the end-pieces are plastic rather than wood; in their product description, Marantz say, "retro-style *wooden* side panels". 
  
 I suppose there may be some subtle legal distinction between 'wood', and 'wooden' meaning _looking_ like wood, but it would seem Marantz are being misleading in their product description, and it's not really like them...


----------



## Phebus

Real wood side panels, it would have been surprising considering the price, but some people might be disappointed by the term "wooden", I'm completely agree with you ! Marantz France remains more prudent they only said "retro style".


----------



## ArtCoreSF

I just got the Marantz HD-DAC1 today and absolutely love it. It's massive, a true premium build. I've only encountered one problem - using Audivana Plus and JRiver I cannot get it to playback DSD files, which it's supposed to be able to. Marantz support hasn't had an answer so far since the device is so new.


----------



## scott5526

I'm considering this as a DAC for my Fostex TH900 (primarily) & my Audio Technica W3000ANV (on the side).  Are there any English reviews out on this I could check out or, even better yet, any impressions with the above headphones?
  
 Would appreciate it very much


----------



## gr34td3str0y3r

jodet said:


> Seriously?   It has ONE analog input and that is via mini-plug?
> 
> REALLY?   What are they thinking?
> 
> ...


 
 Neither does the Fostex a4 or a8 or the TEAC UD-301 or UD-501. Those 4 DACs plus this one are the ONLY ones available in Japan for under 1000 dollars that are worth a damn (and have DSD) 
 I


----------



## gr34td3str0y3r

artcoresf said:


> I just got the Marantz HD-DAC1 today and absolutely love it. It's massive, a true premium build. I've only encountered one problem - using Audivana Plus and JRiver I cannot get it to playback DSD files, which it's supposed to be able to. Marantz support hasn't had an answer so far since the device is so new.


 
 I know you pay for Jriver, but have your tried Foobar. It is supposed to be rather easy to get DSD to run in Foobar. 
 That is what I am planning on doing. CRAP. I am so close to buying one of these DACs I am loosing sleep trying to decided. 
 FOSTEX, TEAC or Marantz. 
 The TEAC UD-501 is supposed to be AMAZING and 200 bucks less but only puts out 200mW total at 32 ohms. The DAC1 puts out 800mW. 
 I am trying to drive my q701s which has trouble with weak amps. 
 Fostex... 700mw. for a8. 
 A4 a sorry 100mw. 
  
 Edit: Oh boy. I think I am going to buy the Marantz any sec now. 
 The price just dropped 1000 yen (I live in Japan) to 69,000. A total steal. 18,000 yen cheaper than the Fostex A8. 
 I just checked Kakaku, a pricing website, and the lowest 3 sellers just dropped their price 1 more yen... maybe it will continue to drop today/tonight. Either way ganna grab it in the next 48 hours. Need to sleep on it. 
  
 I think I am going to get the UD-301 for work. I am looking to replace my ODAC with a nice DSD dac. and I don't think the UD-501 is much better than the 301 in terms of DAC qauitly. It has a better amp set-up with double the muse op amps (4) and 1 power transformer per channel. Why it only puts out 100mw per channel is beyond me. Seems so low.


----------



## kazcou

artcoresf said:


> I just got the Marantz HD-DAC1 today and absolutely love it. It's massive, a true premium build. I've only encountered one problem - using Audivana Plus and JRiver I cannot get it to playback DSD files, which it's supposed to be able to. Marantz support hasn't had an answer so far since the device is so new.


 

 You are using : Asio Marantz Audio Device [ASIO] ?


----------



## JamieMcC

This looks interesting both for headphones and as a stand alone dac.


----------



## gr34td3str0y3r

well. I just bought the HD-DAC1. Going to get it next Friday. I will let your guys know. 
 Odd. People were complaining that USA market doest get the gold/silver. Well Japan doesn't get the black. 
 Doesn't matter both colors looked amazing.


----------



## thinker

I have been listening with this unit for some time,actually i bought it just for fun but suddenly it got serious, it's probably the best USB DAC i have heard ultra silent  dynamic with a lot of space.I use Alpha Prime and Grado GS1Ke with it and it sounds phenomenal on both phones.On DSD files i play them with Audirvana the imaging is very 3D


----------



## ArtCoreSF

thinker said:


> I have been listening with this unit for some time,actually i bought it just for fun but suddenly it got serious, it's probably the best USB DAC i have heard ultra silent  dynamic with a lot of space.I use Alpha Prime and Grado GS1Ke with it and it sounds phenomenal on both phones.On DSD files i play them with Audirvana the imaging is very 3D



How odd. I use Audivrana and my hd-dac1 says not supported :-/ what are your settings in Audirvana ?
As far as the sound is concerned, it's fantastic with my beyerdynamic tesla t90. It really sounds beautiful with classical music, even orchestral pieces are wonderfully detailed and powerful at the same time.


----------



## thinker

Audio Devive HD Dac 1 /native Dsd cababilityDSD over PCM/Exclusive access mode/Direct mode/Integer.mode 1


----------



## ArtCoreSF

Thanks a ton, it's working now. I had it on auto detection.


----------



## gr34td3str0y3r

thinker said:


> I have been listening with this unit for some time,actually i bought it just for fun but suddenly it got serious, it's probably the best USB DAC i have heard ultra silent  dynamic with a lot of space.I use Alpha Prime and Grado GS1Ke with it and it sounds phenomenal on both phones.On DSD files i play them with Audirvana the imaging is very 3D


 
 I hate you
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





. Alpha Prime?! I want so badly. The Marantz was too expensive for me as it was. I live in Japan... with shipping and the horrible exchange rate right. Alpha Primes would run me 120,000 yen or more. No way I am ever ganna drop that on headpones.


----------



## thinker

I like this new Marantz amp a lot i have noticed following,use the power cord wich is included somehow the soundstage is wider as with other cords.Please notice following it's important
  The display brightness can be adjusted between four levels. Switching the display off reduces a source of noise that affects sound quality, enabling higher sound quality playback.I say it again very liquid smooth wide sound.It's stunning how good iPod sounds when connected straight to DAC 1 please use some good cabling like Audioquest coffee IPOD cable it sounds very open analog like, smoothness combined with unheard details,absolutely love this unit


----------



## jmsaxon69

thinker said:


> I like this new Marantz amp a lot i have noticed following,use the power cord wich is included somehow the soundstage is wider as with other cords.Please notice following it's important
> The display brightness can be adjusted between four levels. Switching the display off reduces a source of noise that affects sound quality, enabling higher sound quality playback.I say it again very liquid smooth wide sound.It's stunning how good iPod sounds when connected straight to DAC 1 please use some good cabling like Audioquest coffee IPOD cable it sounds very open analog like, smoothness combined with unheard details,absolutely love this unit


 
 This is good to hear about his unit thinker, thanks for the feedback! I will be ordering one very soon....


----------



## EVOLVIST

Man, I dunno...my mind is swimming between this, the Benchmark DAC2, the Conductor. I don't think I've agonized over a purchase... and I can't hear a single one of them. Gah!


----------



## gr34td3str0y3r

Finally got my DAC1 un-boxed and working. Good god, it took me two me hours to get Foobar and the Marantz to work together. DSD was and getting the dac to recognize the correct output frequencies. I am still not sure how I got that part to work. 
  
*First: Question. Does the DAC click EVERY time it gets a new signal? Like its switching on or switching signals. It does not happen with a continuous sound in-put and its not that annoying, but if I click from one song to another the DAC makes a switch/click sound. Also windows sounds like hitting the back button on a file window. *
 I am assuming this is just the dac doing its job (and this is only in USB mode. I didn't notice in the optical input mode... but only checked that for a few minutes) 
 EDIT (I found the answer to the this. High end DACs add a relay switch instead of letting the DAC chip do the switching. It reduces strain on the dac chip and sound noise in the output signal while) 
  
 2nd: My biggest disappointment. Neither the fixed nor the variable RCA outputs in the back cut off when the headphones are plugged in. 
 Ahhhh. Really? I know that Marantz expects 99% of the people to buy this dac to hook it up to another equally expensive amp like there 5005.
 BUT I want to hook mine up to some power speakers. I would have to turn off the powered speakers. 1 sub, and 2 satellites. 3 switches EVERY time. Lame. 
 I am just going to buy 3 plug extension cord with a switch on it. Easy fix, wish I didn't have to deal with that at all.


----------



## jmsaxon69

So, 3 complaints and no info on the sound quality or anything? Wow....
  
 Quote:


gr34td3str0y3r said:


> Finally got my DAC1 un-boxed and working. Good god, it took me two me hours to get Foobar and the Marantz to work together. DSD was and getting the dac to recognize the correct output frequencies. I am still not sure how I got that part to work.
> 
> *First: Question. Does the DAC click EVERY time it gets a new signal? Like its switching on or switching signals. It does not happen with a continuous sound in-put and its not that annoying, but if I click from one song to another the DAC makes a switch/click sound. Also windows sounds like hitting the back button on a file window. *
> I am assuming this is just the dac doing its job (and this is only in USB mode. I didn't notice in the optical input mode... but only checked that for a few minutes)
> ...


----------



## zolkis

I heard this briefly today, with my modded Fostex TH900, and it favorably compared to my Resonessence Herus, when the Herus was used as headphone amp. The Marantz sounds dynamic, round, organic, with plenty of energy, and smooth highs. In comparison with the Herus, it was immediately evident that the HD-DAC1 sounded slightly more resolving at fine details, maintaining more texture in dynamic passages, with almost as big and similarly focused sound stage (the reason I bought the Herus was its universal compatibility and that realistic sound stage), but with a smoother sound, and less ringing with problematic recordings. The Herus with my separate headphone amp sounded pretty close, but perhaps I would still give the nod to the Marantz for perceived audio quality alone, and also for total system price. Check also: Concero HP, Concero HD, Chord QuteHD.


----------



## scott5526

zolkis said:


> I heard this briefly today, with my modded Fostex TH900, and it favorably compared to my Resonessence Herus, when the Herus was used as headphone amp. The Marantz sounds dynamic, round, organic, with plenty of energy, and smooth highs. In comparison with the Herus, it was immediately evident that the HD-DAC1 sounded slightly more resolving at fine details, maintaining more texture in dynamic passages, with almost as big and similarly focused sound stage (the reason I bought the Herus was its universal compatibility and that realistic sound stage), but with a smoother sound, and less ringing with problematic recordings. The Herus with my separate headphone amp sounded pretty close, but perhaps I would still give the nod to the Marantz for perceived audio quality alone, and also for total system price. Check also: Concero HP, Concero HD, Chord QuteHD.


 
 Thanks for your impressions!  Much appreciated!


----------



## zolkis

Listening now to the Fostex HPA8 (selling now at $1000 on amazon), and I like it more than the Marantz, but that is perhaps because the headamp section: more spacious, effortless sound, even more fluid, even more organic. The Marantz has perhaps a bit more snappy and upbeating bass, more prominent clear treble (the typical Marantz sound), but I find the Fostex more natural. As a DAC the Marantz may have an advantage with high res DSD files. Both of them outclass the Herus in musicality, which needs an outboard USB power supply and an outboard headphone amp to compete, otherwise it's  more rough and nothing more than with more loudness and treble (typical "stock-Sabre" sound; IMO Sabre needs much more sophisticated implementations to sound good). When we take price into account, the Herus is a no-brainer. I recommend listening to it, whether is it your style or not, and know that it can be improved if needed. These systems already attain the "good enough to enjoy" level, just select a matching headphone, and enjoy. A NOS DAC with a separate amp will beat these, at a price, and with the right headphones, but not by much.


----------



## Runningwater

zolkis said:


> Listening now to the Fostex HPA8 (selling now at $1000 on amazon), and I like it more than the Marantz, but that is perhaps because the headamp section: more spacious, effortless sound, even more fluid, even more organic. The Marantz has perhaps a bit more snappy and upbeating bass, more prominent clear treble (the typical Marantz sound), but I find the Fostex more natural. As a DAC the Marantz may have an advantage with high res DSD files. Both of them outclass the Herus in musicality, which needs an outboard USB power supply and an outboard headphone amp to compete, otherwise it's  more rough and nothing more than with more loudness and treble (typical "stock-Sabre" sound; IMO Sabre needs much more sophisticated implementations to sound good). When we take price into account, the Herus is a no-brainer. I recommend listening to it, whether is it your style or not, and know that it can be improved if needed. These systems already attain the "good enough to enjoy" l


 
  
 HD-DAC1 is about 500 euro, half price of A8.  BTW, where did you get the HD-DAC1 locally?


----------



## Mojo777

Any comparisons to Marantz's own SA or CD players? I usually run my iPad through the USB port on my CD6004 and the combo using Tidal hifi has produced outstanding results. Just wondering if the dac-1 is a jump up.

Thanks


----------



## Mojo777

Well went ahead and ordered it from Amazon and will give it a go. With the holiday return policy in place I'll have a chance for an extended evaluation and see if it stays. Hopefully so.


----------



## Djd828

Mojo....would appreciate your impressions of the Marantz.  I have my choices down to the Marantz or the Oppo HA-1 and there aren't many reviews yet for the Marantz although the little I have seen has been positive.  I will be using the DAC/AMP with a pair of Fostex TH900's.  Thanks in advance for your help.
  
 Dave


----------



## frankrondaniel

I've had my HD-DAC1 now since last Friday.  My motivation for getting it was to try a relatively inexpensive alternative to my Sabre-based DAC.  I'm finding that I'm becoming allergic to "digititus", especially to the digital "glare" that's often attributed to the Sabre chips.  My initial impression of the HD-DAC1, used as both DAC and headphone amp with my HD-800s, is that the amp seems to have plenty of power to drive the 800's and it does smooth out the sound - less fatiguing than the Sabre to me.  However, it seems to be too much of a good thing.  The sound seems overly smoothed to the point of being a little bit glassy?  Also, it doesn't strike me as the most resolving - detail retrieval could be better, especially with classical music.  I'm curious to see if these impressions will change with further burn-in.  Also, I eventually want to try it as DAC-only feeding other amps.


----------



## Mojo777

djd828 said:


> Mojo....would appreciate your impressions of the Marantz.  I have my choices down to the Marantz or the Oppo HA-1 and there aren't many reviews yet for the Marantz although the little I have seen has been positive.  I will be using the DAC/AMP with a pair of Fostex TH900's.  Thanks in advance for your help.
> 
> Dave


 
  
 Yeah for sure. The Marantz and Oppo are both of my finalists too. It arrives today and I'll provide initial impressions shortly. I am familiar with their "house" sound having had the PM and CD products before. I hope this is something more.


----------



## Mojo777

frankrondaniel said:


> I've had my HD-DAC1 now since last Friday.  My motivation for getting it was to try a relatively inexpensive alternative to my Sabre-based DAC.  I'm finding that I'm becoming allergic to "digititus", especially to the digital "glare" that's often attributed to the Sabre chips.  My initial impression of the HD-DAC1, used as both DAC and headphone amp with my HD-800s, is that the amp seems to have plenty of power to drive the 800's and it does smooth out the sound - less fatiguing than the Sabre to me.  However, it seems to be too much of a good thing.  The sound seems overly smoothed to the point of being a little bit glassy?  Also, it doesn't strike me as the most resolving - detail retrieval could be better, especially with classical music.  I'm curious to see if these impressions will change with further burn-in.  Also, I eventually want to try it as DAC-only feeding other amps.


 

 Funny that was what I was NOT hoping for. Same can be said of their SACD or CD players. I was hoping for more.
  
 How is it with hi-rez?


----------



## frankrondaniel

mojo777 said:


> Funny that was what I was NOT hoping for. Same can be said of their SACD or CD players. I was hoping for more.
> 
> How is it with hi-rez?


 
  
 Hi - it's all been hi-rez files, mostly 24/96, some 24/192 and a few DSD.  I wonder if that smoothness is the Marantz house sound?


----------



## JamieMcC

I suspect its more down to the head out than the dac section, once you get to try it with a stand alone amp you might be able to confirm this. At least that's how I find my Marantz network player which is the NA7004. There is a lot of micro detail lost through the head out. Its actually not to bad a head out if your running mid fi phones as they don't dig as deep as the totl cans do so you don't really notice the short comings. With the dac feeding my Bottlehead Sex amp its a different story lots of detail and textures to instruments and voices good density of tone etc etc.  I brought the NA7004 specifically because its dac section was said to be out of the Marantz KI Pearl a £2400 reference CD player which had some great reviews at the time. I would expect the dac section in the HD-DAC1 to be of a higher ability compared to the older NA7004 . 
  
 Looking forward to further views


----------



## Runningwater

djd828 said:


> Mojo....would appreciate your impressions of the Marantz.  I have my choices down to the Marantz or the Oppo HA-1 and there aren't many reviews yet for the Marantz although the little I have seen has been positive.  I will be using the DAC/AMP with a pair of Fostex TH900's.  Thanks in advance for your help.
> 
> Dave


 

 Go for Marantz.  Don't waste money on Oppo.


----------



## Runningwater

Hugo beats marantz with T1, but Marantz beats hugo with HD650...  haven't tried HD800 yet.  It's funny.....


----------



## Hififox

Hi,
  
 I'm considering between Oppo and Marantz. My phones includes K701 and HD600, and also I like to connect a pair of powered speakers. Any suggestions?
  
 Thanks.


----------



## Runningwater

hififox said:


> Hi,
> 
> I'm considering between Oppo and Marantz. My phones includes K701 and HD600, and also I like to connect a pair of powered speakers. Any suggestions?
> 
> Thanks.


 
 Marantz is good match for HD650.  I dont have HD600 to try.


----------



## Maverickmonk

Good, good, I can't lust for one since it doesn't match my Marantz 2245


----------



## Mojo777

Well I received I received the DAC-1 yesterday and initial impressions are good.
  
 Build quality is superb, heavy, sturdy, really a nice piece visually.
  
 The USB DAC section is a huge improvement over the Schiit Modi that it is replacing. Bigger soundstage, better separation, vocals (especially female) are clearer. 99% of my music is CD-lossless rips, some HD Tracks,  and I stream from Tidal (which is fantastic by the way), so I have just begun downloading some sample DSD files and enjoyed that for the first time last night. Not that I want to start spending money on that....but I will be selective in which albums to download.
  
 The good but not great. HP OUT: While my selection of headphones are modest I felt right away that while there was improvement over the integrated amp, NAD C375,  but I did not really think it was a giant leap forward in sound quality or power.  HE-400 in high gain mode had plenty of power. I would say marginal improvement. I am still burning it in and will hold final impressions to a later date. 
  
 The okay: Playing CD's through my Marantz CD6004 via RCA to the IA and via Coax the DAC-1. No discernible difference. Sounded exactly the same. I almost suspected that as the CD6004 has many of the same internals as the DAC-1 but frankly I wished for more (or new). Definitely the Marantz "house" sound. Smooth and musical.
  
 The bad: I thought I'd give the preamp section a try and plugged the DAC-1 into the main in on the integrated amp. Right away everything felt short, volume control needed to go to 12 to 2 just to get to a reasonable volume level and even then it did not sound as good as the IA by itself.
  
 I'll update this post over the weekend when I have more time with it. 
  
 I also ordered the OPPO HA-1 which should arrive tomorrow ( i hope ) so it will be interesting comparing the two over the weekend.


----------



## jmsaxon69

Thanks for the info Mojo777! 
  
 Can't decide between this and a Schiit Audio Bifrost/Uber and Asgard 2.
  
 Tough choice....


----------



## Mojo777

jmsaxon69 said:


> Thanks for the info Mojo777!
> 
> Can't decide between this and a Schiit Audio Bifrost/Uber and Asgard 2.
> 
> Tough choice....


 

 Me too! I like Schiit a lot...  but I thought if I was going to spend the dough why not get a DSD DAC/amp combo.


----------



## jmsaxon69

mojo777 said:


> Me too! I like Schiit a lot...  but I thought if I was going to spend the dough why not get a DSD DAC/amp combo.


 

 Yeah, but a 2 chassis rig is a plus for me, Schiit has upgraded the Bifrost once already.  I've had a chance to hear the Bifrost Uber and it sounds fantastic! 
  
 I have no DSD files (so far). the Asgard 2 is a Class A amplifier.  I don't know, its a tough call...


----------



## thinker

I have tested the DAC 1 with many phones and liked it to sound best with HD-800.The iPod connection is very good sounding open and musical .The display lights should be turned off it affects the sound quality.The iPod connection does accept AAC files other connections not.Somehow i like the iPod connection to be the best  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 and the headphone section needs definitely at least 50hours to open up


----------



## Hififox

Thanks for the information Mojo777, I'm also considering between ha-1 and hd-dac1, looking forward to your future update.


----------



## Djd828

Thanks Mojo for your initial thoughts. I have almost convinced myself to fore go the dedicated HP amp/DAC and just get the Oppo BDP105d and have a complete solution for audio, video and streaming and just live with the marginal drop in audio quality. Still, I am very interested in what you think of the dedicated Oppo HP/DAC.


----------



## Mojo777

---  Well I have had 3 hours with the OPPO. First, the build quality is amazing. Hell of a piece of gear. UI takes a minute to understand and configure but makes up for that with the  cool VU/EQ meters (must stop watching them). What a contrast between the OPPO and Marantz, the OPPO being very modern in all black with the active display and the Marantz with the wood panels and small "Marantz" circular window. Two different takes by the manufacturers for sure.
  
 This is not a final impression: The OPPO as a preamp running my two-channel setup is superior to the Marantz. Better staging, more width, crisper more detailed upper-mids and crystal clear treble. I like it more as a stereo piece. Also having BT built-in is handy when I dont want to get off the chair and change music. Nice!
  
 This is where is becomes a little clouded for me. The OPPO has plenty of HP power single-ended but I have to crank the volume to 2 or 3 or even 4 o'clock to get to a level where I can rock out. In contrast, the Marantz, in high gain, does not need that extra twist of the wrist to blow my head off. Both don't distort, I want to make that clear, but for some reason I think the HD-DAC1 has more juice. The specs don't say so, I'll have to listen more.
  
 Another thing I like about the OPPO is that USB or another input stays locked, whereas, the marantz will click out of lock until it gets a signal, sometimes even between tracks! 
  
 I am inclined to keep the OPPO just for its other uses in my system but I will hold off for a few more days.
  
  
  
 Alright, back to downloading freebie DSD files.


----------



## Hififox

mojo777 said:


> ---  Well I have had 3 hours with the OPPO. First, the build quality is amazing. Hell of a piece of gear. UI takes a minute to understand and configure but makes up for that with the  cool VU/EQ meters (must stop watching them). What a contrast between the OPPO and Marantz, the OPPO being very modern in all black with the active display and the Marantz with the wood panels and small "Marantz" circular window. Two different takes by the manufacturers for sure.
> 
> This is not a final impression: The OPPO as a preamp running my two-channel setup is superior to the Marantz. Better staging, more width, crisper more detailed upper-mids and crystal clear treble. I like it more as a stereo piece. Also having BT built-in is handy when I dont want to get off the chair and change music. Nice!
> 
> ...




I'm interested in your further impression.


----------



## music2013

I had a oppo HA1 before, from my memory,the sound was more analytical and wider sound stage.
on the other hand, my new Marantz sounds more analog but with a relatively limited sound stage.
Not A is better than B,just different style.Both of them are great devices for music enjoyment.

It is interesting when I open the Hd dac1 chassis. I found no opamp in the DAC output stage.Wow,discrete transistors are used instead(this approch is used in high end Sacd players.)Maybe this is the cause why the device gives a more analog sounding.


----------



## Sleepow

Hi,
I am planning on upgrading my setup from a portable (yet not small) one (Ultrasone Ed8 and Sony PHA2) to something for home use.
I am eyeing the HD800, but I am puzzled as to what DAC and Amp combo I should attached then to. 
The HDVD800 is interesting, but I heard the DAC section is not do great, and it has a high output impedance so would not be good for other cans.
I briefly tried the Marantz with the HD800 and it sounded not bad at all, but will it extract most of what those headphone have to off with only single ended output?


----------



## music2013

sleepow said:


> Hi,
> I am planning on upgrading my setup from a portable (yet not small) one (Ultrasone Ed8 and Sony PHA2) to something for home use.
> I am eyeing the HD800, but I am puzzled as to what DAC and Amp combo I should attached then to.
> The HDVD800 is interesting, but I heard the DAC section is not do great, and it has a high output impedance so would not be good for other cans.
> I briefly tried the Marantz with the HD800 and it sounded not bad at all, but will it extract most of what those headphone have to off with only single ended output?




For desktop-sized dac/amp,I think single-ended output is no problem for most headphones.Balanced output transforms electical power to mechanical power more efficiently,plus a slightly higher SN ratio and Dynamics headroom.But it does not automatically mean the peceived sound quality must be better than Single-ended output.Like the Chord Hugo,only single-ended phone out can produces very very good sounding.


----------



## Sleepow

music2013 said:


> For desktop-sized dac/amp,I think single-ended output is no problem for most headphone.Balanced output transforms electical power to mechanical power more efficiently,plus a slightly higher SN ratio and Dynamics headroom.But it does not automatically means the peceived sound quality must be better than Single-ended output.Like the Chord Hugo,only single-ended phone out can produces very very good sounding.




Thanks.
I notice my question sounded I am only concerned about the single ended issue, but what I really wonder is: is this Marantz DAC and Amp a worthwhile companion for the HD800.
I am trying, and mostly managing, to not keep changing gear, so I prefer something that will not make me feel I need an upgrade anytime soon.


----------



## crafft

Hi,
  
 Picked up this Marantz HD DAC1 yesterday. Using this machine with headphones only directly to the Marantz (DT880 250 Ohm). So my impressions are not for the pre amp sound nor DAC only sound.
 All I can say is WOW!!! I love it. My brain burned in in 5 minutes......I immediately was grabbed by the music and noticed that the "critical listening" what I usually do was almost gone instantly.
  
 I auditioned quite a few dac/amps over the past couple of days.....Teac UD301, UD501, ifi micro iDSD, Ami dac DS5, Atoll HD 100, Cambridge DacMagic Plus. For my ears this Marantz was definitely the best of the bunch soundwise. Space, delicacy, punch, dynamics, details, weight. Sound finely balanced over the freq. spectrum.........this thing matches beautifully with the Beyerdynamic! 
  
 In my home speaker set up I have an Audiolab 8200CDQ so in my search for a dedicated headphone setup I was looking for a unit that sounded at least better than the Audiolab. I can say this Marantz does the trick. I was surprised myself that I liked the Marantz because in the past I didn't like the Marantz sound as much. Too polite, friendly and warm was always on my mind when thinking about Marantz....but this HD DAC1 sounds wonderful to me (maybe my preferences in sound are changing, don't know).
  
 I also noticed (like "thinker" mentioned in an earlier post) that my iPad directly connected to the front USB-port sounded incredible (even with the stock Apple cable). I think the iPad sounds even better than the same file from my computer (Mac Mini (Audirvana plus)--> Furutech Formula2 USB cable --> Marantz HD DAC1). Although I can't put my finger on it as to describe in what way....more involving maybe.
 just my 2 cents....


----------



## asaifa

Another happy Marantz HD-DAC1 user here - and my first post 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





.
 The Marantz replaces an original EE Minimax dac with upgraded opamps, which I always thought sounded really good - and still do - but the Marantz is much more analogue-sounding.
 Like some of the others commenting on the Marantz have said, it just draws you into the music. It communicates the emotion in a way that I really like.
 I am relatively new to headphone listening, use Hifiman 400is with the Marantz and the combination is great. But I have also connected the Marantz to my Creek Destiny 2 amp. Surprisingly, using the Marantz as a pre sounds good too, though not as good in my system as the headphone out.


----------



## JamieMcC

asaifa said:


> Another happy Marantz HD-DAC1 user here - and my first post
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 

 That's really interesting thanks the EE Minimax has quiet a following and has been on my own wish list for some time. I have come very close to pulling the trigger several times now so its encouraging to read your impression of the Marantz in comparison.


----------



## music2013

Hello
 I got the Marantz for almost a week.I love it very much. But,One minor problem with the stock usb cable is that I can hear very very little noise when the music is not playing. Is it worth to buy an expensive USB cable to replace?


----------



## crafft

music2013 said:


> Hello
> I got the Marantz for almost a week.I love it very much. But,One minor problem with the stock usb cable is that I can hear very very little noise when the music is not playing. Is it worth to buy an expensive USB cable to replace?


 

 In my opinion there is no need for an expensive cable (more than 50 dollars)! Try some other (shielded, high speed usb 2) cables to see if the noise disappears!
  
 More expensive cables aren't a guarantee for sound improvement....some cables will and some won't improve the sound. Or to make things worse: you hear improvements in a certain part in the freq. spectrum and a downgrade in the other part of the spectrum.
  
 It's all about the micro electric properties between said cable and the other hardware it connects.....
 What I do is tweaking the advanced parameter settings in the player software according to which usb cable is used. It's worth looking into this as you can subtly change the overall sound signature.


----------



## music2013

crafft said:


> In my opinion there is no need for an expensive cable (more than 50 dollars)! Try some other (shielded, high speed usb 2) cables to see if the noise disappears!
> 
> More expensive cables aren't a guarantee for sound improvement....some cables will and some won't improve the sound. Or to make things worse: you hear improvements in a certain part in the freq. spectrum and a downgrade in the other part of the spectrum.
> 
> ...




CRAFFT,thank you.
I give up buying a new USB cable. 
Now,I turn to use the optical cable between the PC and the Dac,leading to zero noise.It is OK for me just play 44.1K wav.


----------



## idabao

New member to this forum. Also new user for this Marantz amp. I purchased senn hd650 two weeks ago and this amp for 5 days only. Both phone and amp are undergoing the burning-in process. After 3 days' non-stop playing, my initial impression is that the sound from this amp is amazing. Not very wide stage but quite analog.


----------



## music2013

I use my Denon d2000 with the 
Marantz,sounding very good. X'Mas is coming soon, I have an excuse to buy myself a new headphone. 
 My taget is Hifiman He560.
Is any friend here using he560 with the marantz?


----------



## fb24601

I have k812 and planning to buy th900 soon. 
  
 Yesterday I have tried th900 with sony uda1 and I find out that the power of uda1 is already sufficient to drive th900 satisfactorily. The specs says uda1 has 55mW + 55mW at 32 Ohm (it did not specify that it is maximum output).
  
 I am now interested in Marantz hd-dac1. If uda1 can drive th900 well I think hd-dac1 can only be better.
  
 Anyone has tried hd-dac1 with k812 and th900?


----------



## Angry

fb24601 said:


> I have k812 and planning to buy th900 soon.
> 
> Yesterday I have tried th900 with sony uda1 and I find out that the power of uda1 is already sufficient to drive th900 satisfactorily. The specs says uda1 has 55mW + 55mW at 32 Ohm (it did not specify that it is maximum output).
> 
> ...


 
  
 I'm driving my Denon D7000, which I assume it is quite similar to the Fostex's, without any problem at all, the volume know is at 9 o'clock position, pushing it to 10 is too loud for me. The Marantz also loves the ATH-W1000, never heard it belt out vocals with such a gusto before.


----------



## 2leftears

Got my HD-DAC1 yesterday, and it is now running in with a Marantz CD80 as source on the digital input, and Sennheiser HD540. Once run in, I will be trying it with the Sennheiser HD800, HD540 and HD650, and will also be comparing it with the Marantz SA11S3 (integrated headphone) and SA11S3 DAC section + Lehmann Linear headphone amp. Watch this post... (I haven't got an iPod, nor do I use a computer as a source, so won't be reporting on that).

Initial impressions are that this is a fantastic piece of kit for the money. I have not done a direct comparison yet, but it reminds me of my Marantz SA11S3 / Lehman Linear combo. The sound signature is definitely typical Marantz. Slightly laid-back but musical, detailed and engaging. It completely rejuvenates the CD80. The CD80 has relatively high jitter to modern standards, but the HD-DAC1 internally re-clocks the data stream, so the literature suggests.

I have the DAC set on the lowest amplification, which is more than loud enough for me when using the 600Ohm/94dB HD540 (this is an older model HD540 reference I).

Fast forward or backward skipping on the CD80 freaks out the DAC's muting relays circuits. May be a feature of what a CD80 outputs on its digital output, but at some point the DAC muting circuit gives up and stubbornly locks on mute. So far it seems this can only be reset by briefly switching the DAC to a different input, and then back. What works for me so far is to set the CD80 to pause, then skip to the desired time in the track, and resume play. The DAC seems happy with that.

Some notes re. the use of mass storage devices on the front USB input:



 The USB port supplies 5V up to 1Amp. It drives my external HD without any issues.
 File & folder names are displayed up to only 32 characters (scrolling). That's a major limitation, the SA11S3 can display much longer names.
 The maximum total number of folders is 700, up to 8 levels. Not enough in my case. I'll need to split/rearrange my library.
 The maximum number of files is 65,535. I'm OK with that.
 The small round "porthole" window on the front may be an interesting design feature, but it is not helpful when searching for files. There is only a short delay before the entry scrolls to show all characters, and it scrolls faster than the SA11S3, but still...


On the analogue input:




gotoma8 said:


> Jodet,
> 
> One can always use a RCA to Mini for the analogue input.





A word of warning: I connected the analogue input to the fixed analogue output of the CD80 and got severe distortion. Should have checked of course, but the HD-DAC1 analogue input sensitivity is only 200mV!! (20kOhm input impedance). If you want to hook this unit up to your HiFi separates through the analogue input, you will need an attenuating lead of -10dB at least...
I'm actually not sure what outputs only 200mV these days. The headphone output of personal audio players maybe, although hooking this DAC up to that would be bananas IMHO. So, not entirely sure what Marantz see as the use for the analogue input implemented this way.


UPDATE: Marantz in their documentation state that the analogue input is provided to connect portable players / phones etc. Furthermore, this Qobuz review seems to suggest the analogue input is not directly fed through to the analogue amplifiers in the HD-DAC1, but rather it is first digitized at 24-bit, 96kHz by a Burr-Brown PCM9211. In my view this makes this a DAC foremost and headphone amp second, as the DAC section is always employed, even when using the analogue input.


----------



## JamieMcC

Wondering how the Marantz's dac section compares to something like the Meridian Director, Mdac,  arcam irdac etc if anyone has experience of these and some time to share a thought or two.


----------



## fb24601

Marantz uses Cirrus Logic CS4398. Seems Marantz other products also use it.
  
 Anyone know how does it perform comparing with Sabre (ES 9018 - oppo ha1) and Burr Brown (PCM 1795 sony uda1)? I have read some comments that 9018 be more analytical and the latter be more musical.


----------



## asaifa

Some impressions of the HD-Dac1.
 I've had my HD-Dac1 for about two weeks now. I come from a 1st generation EE Minimax, which uses the 9018 Sabre dac, with tube pulled and upgraded Dexa opamps.
 There is this French review, which is very positive, but claims that the line out (not the headphone part) is rolled off at 15khz. I put this to people on another forum, who say they do not hear this at all. I don't really hear it either, but I'm not an expert, and when I first came from the EE dac, the Marantzdid sound less clear. http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.hdfever.fr/2014/11/03/test-teac-ud-301/&prev=search
 Another French review, which I take to conclude that the sound is somewhat warm and pleasing, and that it is a matter of taste whether people like this. http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.qobuz.com/fr-fr/info/-MAGAZINE-ACTUALITES/HI-FI-BANCS-D-ESSAI298&prev=search
  
 My impressions:
 Speaker system:
 Fanless Media PC > Adnaco fibreoptic USB > Audiophileo 2 > dac > Creek Destiny 2 > Kef R300.
 Here I find the EE dac clearly brighter than the HD-Dac1, but also a bit grainy in comparison. The HD-Dac1 is smoother, with a slightly darker sound. Once I got used to it, I did not miss the clear highs of the EE anymore, because I now hear them in the HD-Dac1 - they're there, just not so prominent.
  
 Headphones:
 Fanless Media PC > Adnaco fibreoptic USB >Marantz HD-Dac1 > Hifiman 400i
 From the beginning I felt that the highs of the headphone amp were very nicely extended. And I do not feel the sound is on the warm side here. I am still using the stock cable, where I find the trebble to be a little harsh sometimes (which is strange as many people have said that the Marantz is, if anything, too warm and sweet). But I have a Toxic Cable Black Widow on order, which should take care of any overly bright bits. I find the separation of instruments clearly better than the EE though.
  
 In general:
 The most important part last: I found from the beginning that the Marantz brought more music into the system. I never felt that the EE was analytical or overly bright. The Dexa opamps made a big difference in the fluidity of the sound. But with the Marantz I found myself being more involved with the music. Analogue-sounding is a word people have used. The emotion and beauty comes through more clearly. For the first week or so, I was constantly amazed at how much I enjoyed listening to the Marantz. And I have started to listen more to popular music again (latin, forlk, jazz, etc) rather than just classical - which is always my staple.
  
 But I am now used to the Marantz and in many ways the experience that it is more involving than the EE has worn off. It has become the new normal. I had the EE for more than four years, and only got the Marantz because I needed a headphone amp. I have since sold the EE. and will now go back to what I always used the EE for, enjoy the music


----------



## 2leftears

asaifa said:


> There is this French review, which is very positive, but claims that the line out (not the headphone part) is rolled off at 15khz. I put this to people on another forum, who say they do not hear this at all. I don't really hear it either, but I'm not an expert, and when I first came from the EE dac, the Marantzdid sound less clear. http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.hdfever.fr/2014/11/03/test-teac-ud-301/&prev=search




I think you may have linked to the incorrect review, that one seems to be for a TEAC.

In any case, I think I have read the review you do mean. It shows a very high-order roll-off with 15kHz at -0.11dB and 20kHz at -1dB. Not great figures when compared to SACD output for example, but nothing to worry about. Normal CD players have had this type of filtering in for ages (albeit maybe a little more generous, say -1dB at 22kH or so). This in fact shows that the Marantz engineers know what they are doing. The HD-DAC1 accepts 44.1kHz PCM as one of the input signals. This will have significant signal content (noise really) at frequencies > 22kHz and at 44.1kHz, much more so than signals at a higher sample frequency. Marantz won't know what poweramp / speaker combination you will be feeding the analogue out into when using the HD-DAC1 as a preamp. If this is an amp without much of an upper bandwith limitation, and some older speakers, then feeding unfiltered DA-converted 44.1kHz source material to that combination may overheat your tweeters. You wouldn't immediately notice (unless you are a bat ), but suddenly your tweeters may cease to work...

Again, you will find that regular CD-players have always had a very sharp analogue bandpass filter to filter out anything above 20kHz or so. SACD players in contrast normally (and should) warn you in the documentation that when you use a high bandwidth amplifier you need to make sure your speakers are designed to take significant signal content > 20kHz to prevent the tweeters getting fried.

So, nothing wrong with this in the HD-DAC1, just carefully designed.

This is in fact why the whole oversampling saga in CD players started. Oversampling had little to do with artificially creating "missing" samples, but much more with moving the digital noise to higher frequencies that allowed the use of simpler lower-order analogue low-pass filters. That is the only question I have for Marantz; given that the DAC internally would up-sample the 44.1kHz PCM to something of a much higher frequency (at least I assume it does), would this sharp low-pass filter at 20kH still be really necessary?


----------



## R4WBIT

Anyone tried this amp/dac with the HD800? Are there better choices with both AMP and DAC in one package? And will it be a diffrence between the Magni and the Modi I already have?


----------



## 2leftears

r4wbit said:


> Anyone tried this amp/dac with the HD800? Are there better choices with both AMP and DAC in one package? And will it be a diffrence between the Magni and the Modi I already have?




I have tried it with the HD800. Think of it as a magnifier, but not yet a microscope. The HD-DAC1 has the typical "smooth" Marantz sound, but I do find it to sound just a little more analytical & detailed than other Marantz premium offerings for example (like the SA11S3 + Lehman Linear). I find that the HD800 / HD-DAC1 combo is very picky with respect to the source material. Great recordings sound _fantastic_, but this combo _mercilessly_ points a big fat arrow to any flaws in the recording, engineering or mastering. Which unfortunately means that for most modern, dynamically strangled and sibilant popular material you may want to pick a more forgiving headphone (or amp in your case I suppose). A Sennheiser HD540 + HD-DAC1 combo would be far more multi-talented.

The HD800 can have a tendency to sound a little sibilant on poor material, and for the combination with the HD-DAC1 I find this to be emphasized.

If the HD800 is your only headphone, and you mostly listen to popular, I would really recommend you try out the HD-DAC1 before buying. However, for well recorded classical material (AliaVox label for example), the HD800 - HD-DAC1 combo I find to work extremely well, truly fantastic really.

As for better choices with both AMP and DAC in one package, that is hard to answer. It totally depends what features you are looking for and how you will be using / sourcing it. As far as features, sound quality and engineering quality are concerned I am beginning to think it would be hard to find anything better at the price level of the HD-DAC1. They could double the price and it would still look like a decent offering.

I am not familiar with the Magni or Modi, so can't give you any advice there I am afraid...

Also, Marantz really should think about adding $25 or so to the price and providing an RCA 2.4V line level analogue input that bypasses the DAC entirely and directly feeds the volume control / headphone amp section!


----------



## frankrondaniel

I believe that I have a different take on the HD-DAC1/HD800 combo, at least using the HD-DAC1 as a single unit dac/amp.  I found that it nicely smooths over what is for me the sometimes unrelenting brightness of the HD800.  I have very few cringe-inducing moments with this device. The bad news is that this smoothness can also obscure some details, especially when listening to classical music.


----------



## 2leftears

frankrondaniel said:


> I believe that I have a different take on the HD-DAC1/HD800 combo, at least using the HD-DAC1 as a single unit dac/amp.  I found that it nicely smooths over what is for me the sometimes unrelenting brightness of the HD800.  I have very few cringe-inducing moments with this device. The bad news is that this smoothness can also obscure some details, especially when listening to classical music.




That _is_ interesting. I guess we need to have more people contribute their experience with this particular combo to see if some reasonably consistent conclusion can be reached...

Of course I am comparing it with the Marantz SA11S3 / Lehmann Linear and Marantz CD80 / DIY amp combos, which are both very musical sounding (I say musical, some would say _very_ smooth, which is my preference generally...)


----------



## 2leftears

I should say that so far I have found it difficult to do proper critical listening sessions with the HD-DAC1. I set off with the best intentions but often find two hours later that I have been simply enjoying myself immersed in the music.

That should mean something I guess...


----------



## Sleepow

2leftears said:


> That _is_ interesting. I guess we need to have more people contribute their experience with this particular combo to see if some reasonably consistent conclusion can be reached...
> 
> Of course I am comparing it with the Marantz SA11S3 / Lehmann Linear and Marantz CD80 / DIY amp combos, which are both very musical sounding (I say musical, some would say _very_ smooth, which is my preference generally...)




I own none of the piece of equipment I am going to mention, but was interested in buying the HD800 with either the HD-DAC1 or the HDVD800 and had several chances to spend time with both combo.

This is all personal, but I enjoyed the Marantz more, probably for reasons that will play against it: brighter, giving me goosebumps when playing Dvorak Requiem (this is my test music for audio, but had similar opinion with other of my go to classical music)
Both were a little bass thin for some hard rock (AC/DC) but great with classic rock or blues (Led Zepplin or Vaughan)
For me both had a relatively similar resolving power.

Hope this helps.


----------



## frankrondaniel

2leftears said:


> I should say that so far I have found it difficult to do proper critical listening sessions with the HD-DAC1. I set off with the best intentions but often find two hours later that I have been simply enjoying myself immersed in the music.
> 
> That should mean something I guess...


 
  
 It's certainly difficult to compare everyone's personal experiences with various gear as it seems that we all hear things differently.
  
 I would say that my experience jives with your last comment though - I find the HD-DAC1 is an easy listen for simple musical enjoyment.


----------



## 415906

Hello Everyone, i am a Newbie and i use the hd700s and the RS220s both are awesome so far with the asus xonar u7. I have been looking at this Marantz Model. Seems pretty nice. has anyone used it with the above Cans and can it play flac files through a usb stick?? Thanks for reading!


----------



## audiofone

The Marantz looks like a great piece of audio equipment. Another option is the Burson Conductor SL which is currently half price (and cheaper than the Marantz) on Amazon from an authorized dealer. There are two DAC options: 1) The SABRE 9018 or 2) PCM1793 (seperate listings)
  
 I believe the seller can add a fixed DAC output or variable pre-amp output for another $100. I know this because I stumbled across these listings last week and ordered one. It arrives tomorrow and will be paired with my new TH900s. The Burson probably isn't quite a flexible as the Marantz (no DSD, limited outputs, no remote). Just thought I would mention the Burson because its a tad cheaper at the moment and seems like a great deal.
  
 PCM1873
 http://www.amazon.com/Burson-Audio-Conductor-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B00DHIWU6E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420775478&sr=8-1&keywords=burson+conductor+sl
  
 SABRE 9018 (check all sellers)
 http://www.amazon.com/Burson-Audio-Conductor-9018-Headphone/dp/B00DHJ4GN8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1420775478&sr=8-2&keywords=burson+conductor+sl


----------



## thehoff

I picked up an HD-DAC1 today to go with my LCD-XCs... and I did notice that Burson Conductor SL sale, too. Unfortunately of the two good dealers in town, one had the Burson and one had the Marantz in store. With gear this good I don't trust my ears when I have to drive 30 minutes in between listens so I went with aesthetics... I find the Burson too spare and industrial so I went to the shop with the Marantz to compare it with what he had there.
  
 Based on build quality, design, and having a great punch with the XCs, I went with the Marantz. There wasn't really much in the price range to compare -- lots lower and a few higher. I felt it had more low end authority than the Teac 301 DAC headphone amp. Compared to the Bifrost Lyr combo it was pretty similar, both were very enjoyable.
  
 I already own a Bifrost but I liked the Marantz so much I went with that to get an all in one package and to go full solid state. I've been using a Woo for over 5 years now so it was time for a change.


----------



## 2leftears

415906 said:


> Hello Everyone, i am a Newbie and i use the hd700s and the RS220s both are awesome so far with the asus xonar u7. I have been looking at this Marantz Model. Seems pretty nice. has anyone used it with the above Cans and can it play flac files through a usb stick?? Thanks for reading!


 
  
 I haven't used either.  HD700 would be fine I think, but isn't the RS220 a wireless headphone, with inevitably its own amp in the way?
  
 FLAC is not supported for USB sticks.


----------



## 415906

you are correct 2leftears, the RS220 is claimed to be by sennheiser an HD650 with a built in Dac and Amp. I listen to them all the time and they are awesome!! I was meaning the HD700s. The Marantz must have more power than the asus xonar u7??. Thanks for your reply!!!


----------



## mkrzych

Hello, anyone usind/tried HD1 with Grado's. I am not talking about if it has enought power, but rather does sound good, wide soundstage, deep low bass etc?


----------



## 415906

I could have purchased the Sennheiser hdvd800 for 1500 on sale at amazon, almost pulled the trigger but i read that the DAC they use sucks!!! Would be nice if the Sennheiser hdvd600 (without DAC) went for 1000 and i could get a separate DAC. For now the only one i am really into is the Marantz DAC1 even with its limitations. Maybe they will drop the price on it. I hate MSRP on things. This is FUN!!!!


----------



## thehoff

There have been some stellar reviews of the DAC implementation in this Marantz, including a few users impressions here: http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/fantastic-new-budget-dac-the-marantz-hd-dac1.385657/


----------



## shuttleboi

New review of the Marantz HD-DAC1 by Andre Marc at Audio Video Revolution, dated 1/9/2015. His opinion of the unit is extremely positive, although he mainly used it as a DAC preamp in his stereo system (rather than as a headphone amp). He loved the DSD sound.
  
 http://www.avrev.com/home-theater-preamplifiers/stereo-preamps/marantz-hd-dac1-dsd-dac-and-headphone-amp-revie.html
  
_At $799, the Marantz HD-DAC is very easy recommendation for those who are looking for a DAC that offers superior dynamics, fantastic looks, and a rich feature set with a pedigree that is just about second to none. The build quality and attention to detail are just crazy for this price point. This is my humble opinion, but one would have to spend quite a bit more to get what the Marantz offers, and better it. For instance if you had $3600 to spend, the Auralic Vega might be one to look at, but at five times the price._
  
_The Marantz HD-DAC1 also offers a pride of ownership that is rare at this price point, and it would be the DAC I personally would buy if assembling another system. It would easily fit right in with components and speakers costing more. But I implore all prospective buyers to take a listen to the HD-DAC1, and not to take my word for it. DACs these days are more similar than different, but those differences can certainly be more apparent depending on your system. I think most listeners shopping at this price point would be sufficiently impressed to purchase the Marantz HD-DAC1. *Highly recommended.* _


----------



## abvolt

thehoff said:


> I picked up an HD-DAC1 today to go with my LCD-XCs... and I did notice that Burson Conductor SL sale, too. Unfortunately of the two good dealers in town, one had the Burson and one had the Marantz in store. With gear this good I don't trust my ears when I have to drive 30 minutes in between listens so I went with aesthetics... I find the Burson too spare and industrial so I went to the shop with the Marantz to compare it with what he had there.
> 
> Based on build quality, design, and having a great punch with the XCs, I went with the Marantz. There wasn't really much in the price range to compare -- lots lower and a few higher. I felt it had more low end authority than the Teac 301 DAC headphone amp. Compared to the Bifrost Lyr combo it was pretty similar, both were very enjoyable.
> 
> I already own a Bifrost but I liked the Marantz so much I went with that to get an all in one package and to go full solid state. I've been using a Woo for over 5 years now so it was time for a change.


 
 Glad to hear your  impressions on this dac I've had my eye on it since release..


----------



## thehoff

New review (from the same guy posting in the previous forum link): 
  
 http://www.avrev.com/home-theater-preamplifiers/stereo-preamps/marantz-hd-dac1-dsd-dac-and-headphone-amp-revie.html
  


> At $799, the Marantz HD-DAC is very easy recommendation for those who are looking for a DAC that offers superior dynamics, fantastic looks, and a rich feature set with a pedigree that is just about second to none. The build quality and attention to detail are just crazy for this price point. This is my humble opinion, but one would have to spend quite a bit more to get what the Marantz offers, and better it. For instance if you had $3600 to spend, the Auralic Vega might be one to look at, but at five times the price.


----------



## 2leftears

For those of you who have the HD-DAC1, what gain setting are you using it at; *low*, *mid* or *high*? I have recently switched from *low* to *mid*, as the volume control is still easy enough then, with both HD800 and HD540.

Below is a (Google-translated) interview with one of the designers behind the HD-DAC1:

https://translate.google.com/translate?depth=1&hl=en&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http://www.phileweb.com/interview/article/201410/02/241.html

The headphone amp consists of a voltage amplification section, employing feedback (presumably based on Marantz' HDAM discrete opamp). This is followed by a zero feedback current supply section (from another article I have understood that a pair of Darlington transistors are employed here).

In this interview (last page) it is suggested that the amp gain is set by modifying the amount of feedback in the voltage amplification section of the headphone amp (more feedback means lower gain). The designer suggests that listening with the amp set on low gain with the volume control set well open will give a subtly different sound when compared to setting the amp on high gain with the volume control throttled back. He says he would like the users to experiment...

I can think of several pro's and con's of low vs. high gain setting:

*Noise:* For this a *low* amp gain would be better. There will be less amplified noise in the gain section with the volume control further open followed by a low gain amp.

*Distortion:* Again a *low* gain will be better. More feedback means less distortion.

*Slew rate:* A *high* gain should be better here. Less feedback in the amp section will improve the slew rate (the amp will be "faster")

*Ease of volume control:* Here you will want the *lowest* gain you can get away with. This will mean that the volume control will be wider open and easier to control. Logarithmic pots are only logarithmic over a certain range, for lower volumes (say less than 9 o'clock or so) they start to deviate from logarithmic and are more difficult to control.

The headphones will be adding way more distortion than the amp ever will. So, noise levels allowing, I would think it probably best to use as high a gain as is practical to attain the best slew rate (i.e. medium or high gain setting on the amp).

I'd be interested to put this up for discussion...


----------



## crafft

While auditioning the Marantz at the Shop I noticed that my DT880 (250 ohm) sounded better on medium gain than low gain. And it was not only because of the volume increase!

I tried to listen at the same volume levels with low gain and medium gain and each time the DT880 sounded better to my ears with medium gain (more alive, more involving).
I tried High Gain also but then the volume control got more difficult. And sound wise I thought it got more congested...I felt more confident with the medium gain setting.

So with my Beyer DT880 I use Medium Gain.

I also have the Focal Spirit Pro and with these I can only use Low Gain because the higher gain settings produce (a lot higher) noise(floor) in the headphones!


----------



## mkrzych

2leftears said:


> For those of you who have the HD-DAC1, what gain setting are you using it at; *low*, *mid* or *high*? I have recently switched from *low* to *mid*, as the volume control is still easy enough then, with both HD800 and HD540.
> 
> Below is a (Google-translated) interview with one of the designers behind the HD-DAC1:
> 
> ...




This is very interesting subject! I used to play with my DAC headphone amp section changing the resistors and caps int the operational amp IC gain loop to obtain the best results with my low impedance Grado cans. Implementation of this section is also done to get the feedback response from headphones. 

So far I have ended up with quite nice results for the low bass and tonal balance chcanging caps and the same path resistots, but since I do not know what is the overall gain of thr circuit, changing the feedback resistor is more kind of experimentation and the sound and quickness in the cans response also depends on the recording quality and recorded level, as well on what genre you are listening. 

If it is good quite environment around me (late nite, day alone etc.) For good classical recorded music from RR or Chandos (they tend to record rather in low RMS) I need to cranck my pot around 2PM to get the best dynamics and to actually clearly hear the lowest passages. For the not so good (Compressed) music the pot is usually around 12-1PM or 11AM in extreme.

I don't know if it should be like this, because some people saying that I shouldn't go so far on the pot and always land up around 10-12PM, but others that in potentially less gain when the pot is almost at full scale you will get less noise floor and better sound, but the feeling that you are at almost full scale of your volume pot is just a mental feeling and you shouldn't care about that.


----------



## mkrzych

mkrzych said:


> 2leftears said:
> 
> 
> > For those of you who have the HD-DAC1, what gain setting are you using it at; *low*, *mid* or *high*? I have recently switched from *low* to *mid*, as the volume control is still easy enough then, with both HD800 and HD540.
> ...


----------



## mkrzych

Posted two times doing correction. Sorry.


----------



## xenithon

I'm very interested in the pairing of the HD-DAC1 with the HD800's, Has anyone perhaps gotten an opportunity to listen to the HD800's through the HD-DAC1 as a combination DAC/amp, and as a DAC only, feeding a dedicated amp? If so, what were your observations (in terms of the quality and sonic pairing of the Marantz with the Sennheiser as an all-in-one)?
  
 Cheers
 X


----------



## 2leftears

OK,

I have now spent some significant time with the HD-DAC1, here are my findings so far.

I have listened to the following two configurations:



 HD-DAC1 with Marantz CD-80 digital out as the source (i.e. only used as a transport, S/PDIF, both optical and coax, 44.1kHz 16bit PCM).
 HD-DAC1 with a Seagate Backup Slim external USB hard drive (because it is _really_ quiet), 44.1kHz 16bit PCM encoded .wav files.


And for comparison:



 Marantz SA-11S3, headphone out.
 Marantz SA-11S3, analogue out into a Lehmann Linear headphone amp.


All with the following headphones:



 Sennheiser HD800
 Sennheiser HD540 (version I ; 600 Ohm)
 Sennheiser HD650


You will notice I have no DSD sources to use for testing. I have loads of SACDs, but licensing prohibits SACD players to output the hi-res digital signal via unencrypted ports (i.e. not on S/PDIF) :mad:. All material used was consistent between the setups, all USB .wav files were ripped from the same CD's used in the SA-11S3 and CD-80.

*The quick stuff:*

One observation to get out of the way first is that none of these combinations make much of a difference to the relative sound characters of the HD800, HD650 and HD540. All three are driven with ease by the HD-DAC1, and all sound great with the HD-DAC1 provided you like the character of each of these headphones to begin with.

The second observation worth noting is that as far as using USB vs SPDIF (optical and coax in): I can't say I heard any difference to be honest with you.

*The detailed stuff:*

Although the HD-DAC1 has the typical Marantz sound characterization (smooth, yet detailed and engaging), compared to the SA-11S3 / Lehmann Linear combo it does sound just that little more analytical. Some who find Marantz' house sound just a little too smooth may be pleased to hear this. Again I should note that to some this may not be an issue at all, and they might in fact find the SA-11S3 / Lehmann combo a little too smooth ("veiled" perhaps even...) even with the HD800.

However, it is easy to hear that whatever philosophy Marantz have put in their SA-11S3 DAC also has found its way into the HD-DAC1. The DAC does a superb job on plain old fashioned 44.1kHz PCM source material. (For those of you familiar with the SA-11S3, I have been using it with filter setting 1).

The SA-11S3 / Lehmann combo does just have the edge over the HD-DAC1 when it comes to depth and definition, but only marginally. Given the approx. $5,000 price difference we are seeing here, the HD-DAC is punching miles above its price level. I would say that for its price level the HD-DAC1 has superb spacial imaging. The sound is very engaging, and you regularly forget to listen critically and find yourself simply swept away and absorbed in the music. In my book that's a good thing. SA-11S3 or HD-DAC1, 44.1kHz 16bit PCM has never sounded _this_ good before in my experience...

The HD-DAC1 headphone amp runs circles around the headphone out on the SA-11S3 (as does the Lehmann to be honest). This is not to say the the SA-11S3 headphone out is bad, far from it. Both the HD-DAC1 and Lehmann however clearly have _much_ tighter control over the headphones bass and mid response, which makes me think the SA-11S3 employs the usual 120 Ohm or so resistor in the output. It is worth noting that both the HD-DAC1 and Lehmann use a* zero global feedback* final current output stage, and both sound like they have a very low output impedance. I believe the Lehman is about 5 Ohm or so, and the HD-DAC1 may be even less given the use of the Darlingtons in the final zero feedback current stage (I don't think the Lehmann uses Darlingtons here). Both use an opamp with feedback topology for the voltage amplification stage, an integrated opamp in the case of the Lehmann and Marantz' HDAM discrete opamp in case of the HD-DAC1.

*And as far the less important stuff:*

The mechanical construction is undeniably good for the price level, but not up to SA-11S3 level (what is?). The chassis is made of heavy-guage steel plate. The front is made of extruded aluminum (can't tell whether the black version is anodized or painted. On balance I'd say it is painted). The top is heavy-guage stamped steel plate again, painted from the looks of it. The side panels look like wood (from a distance!), but are actually a wood print on some material I have yet to determine (haven't opened up mine yet). Knob bezels and display bezels appear to be plastic. Still, it is nice to see a manufacturer who can see the advantage even at this price level of using metal instead of plastic for all major structural elements.

I haven't used the analogue input, this has a sensitivity of only 200mV. I did try the variable analogue out of the CD-80 on this, but wasn't impressed. It sounded somewhat too warm colored to me, but then again I didn't spend much time with it. In any case, the analogue in has been reported to go (analogue in) > (Burr Brown PCM9211 ADC 24bit 96kHz) > (CS4398 DAC) > (volume control) > (headphone amp) instead of the (analogue in) > (volume control) > (headphone amp) I would like to have seen, so it is of little use to me.

*Concluding*

This is a very nice and analogue sounding DAC / headphone amp. It has the typical smooth, detailed and engaging Marantz sound, albeit just that little more analytical than I am used to from Marantz. The only thing missing is a proper RCA analogue input directly into the headphone amp. Nevertheless, the HD-DAC1 is extemely good value for money. I think Marantz could double the price and it would still look like an attractive package. A superbly implemented DAC, a superb headphone amp, and a superb construction. Recommended!


----------



## xenithon

Thank you so much for the detailed impressions!
  
 This is definitely on my shortlist at the moment, together with the Teac UD-301. Both seem very similar in terms of capability: multiple digital inputs, DSD and DXD support, up to 24/192 via USB, very good headphone output, etc. The Teac is also meant to have quite a warm, full character. The only technical (functional) differences are that the Marantz has analog input (albeit mini jack) while the Teac does not; and that the Teac has fully balanced output and the Marantz only SE.


----------



## tricka

I have both the UD 301 & HD Dac 1. They are different animals and are both excellent. The Teac is (perhaps) more transparent, but less refined than the Marantz, which is very smooth & easy to listen to. Build quality of the Marantz is very good indeed. Teac also good, but more industrial.
  
 The head amp on the Marantz, I feel, is superior to the Teac's - tighter bass, perhaps more drive, variable gain settings. But the Marantz is also perhaps more polite than the Teac, which is rawer and abit rougher round the edges (a trait I quite like).
  
 DSD via USB into both is excellent - locks onto both 2.8 & 5.6 without difficulty via A+. Teac has problems with A+ and appears to accept DoP/PCM conversion only. However via the Teac HD Player it plays (extracted) .iso's very well (either in Phillips or Sony formats). 
  
 Teac has XLR out if that is important to you (I like it for my power amp). Marantz has a remote (points for that!).
  
 Overall I would say it's hard to go wrong with either unit for head fi: it depends I would have thought on one's ears and gears. I like each, for different reasons. Good thing is they are cheap enough you can keep both.
  
 I have said it before - it is amazing what you can buy for under $800 these days...
  
 I agree wholeheartedly with what _2leftears_ wrote:
  


> *Concluding*
> 
> This is a very nice and analogue sounding DAC / headphone amp. It has the typical smooth, detailed and engaging Marantz sound, albeit just that little more analytical than I am used to from Marantz. The only thing missing is a proper RCA analogue input directly into the headphone amp. Nevertheless, the HD-DAC1 is extemely good value for money. I think Marantz could double the price and it would still look like an attractive package. A superbly implemented DAC, a superb headphone amp, and a superb construction. Recommended!


----------



## xenithon

Thanks very much for the feedback - very valuable! 
  
 The smoothness of the Marantz (their typical house sound) is something my ears enjoy, especially with the HD800's. I have a BUDA in the cupboard so was initially only looking for DACs with balanced output, but the BUDA has a phase splitter for unbalanced inputs so the DAC1 would work fine with it and I would still get the benefit of the balanced amplification. 
  
 If I got for the DAC1 I will experiment between the DAC1's headamp and the DAC1 feeding the BUDA so gauge how much of a difference it would make.


----------



## thehoff

xenithon said:


> Thank you so much for the detailed impressions!
> 
> This is definitely on my shortlist at the moment, together with the Teac UD-301. Both seem very similar in terms of capability: multiple digital inputs, DSD and DXD support, up to 24/192 via USB, very good headphone output, etc. The Teac is also meant to have quite a warm, full character. The only technical (functional) differences are that the Marantz has analog input (albeit mini jack) while the Teac does not; and that the Teac has fully balanced output and the Marantz only SE.


 
  
 Tricka above has more insight than I do but the UD-301 was the one I spent the most time comparing with in-store before I purchased the Marantz. Sonically the 301 is very nice but the two are worlds apart in size, appearance, and build quality.  The Marantz knobs might (?) be plastic but they don't feel like it as they are well weighted. The Teac feels plasticky and light. If I were constrained on space, the Teac would be a good choice, but the Marantz is in another league with the build. And if your headphones aren't the easiest to drive, the Marantz has more guts behind the headphone amp.


----------



## GMaxx

Hey guys, I just picked this DAC up and am currently burning it in. However, the Marantz "clicking" noise is driving me crazy. I noticed others were also complaining about the clicking noise. Every time I start or stop anything with the DAC then there is a loud clicking noise. Is this an inherent trait of the Marantz DAC and there is nothing that can be done about it. I tried adjusting various setting in JRiver but to no avail. Besides the annoying click, I'm definitely enjoying the sound of this DAC.  So far it seems more musical than my previous Sabre 9016 based DAC. Thanks.


----------



## JamieMcC

Some really use full info here thanks to all that have given their thoughts to date its very much appreciated.


----------



## 2leftears

thehoff said:


> The Marantz knobs might (?) be plastic but they don't feel like it as they are well weighted.




The knobs themselves are metal. The bezels (the thin ridges on the front panel surrounding the knobs) are plastic.



gmaxx said:


> Hey guys, I just picked this DAC up and am currently burning it in. However, the Marantz "clicking" noise is driving me crazy. I noticed others were also complaining about the clicking noise. Every time I start or stop anything with the DAC then there is a loud clicking noise. Is this an inherent trait of the Marantz DAC and there is nothing that can be done about it. I tried adjusting various setting in JRiver but to no avail. Besides the annoying click, I'm definitely enjoying the sound of this DAC.  So far it seems more musical than my previous Sabre 9016 based DAC. Thanks.




Yes, the muting relays click when the digital input signal drops away. I forgot to mention that. Not an issue for me as I tend to play an entire album in one go. It does mean that skipping forward on a CD in the Marantz CD-80 used as a transport is a no-no, it makes the HD-DAC1 click like crazy... (to the point that sometimes it locks and requires a switch back and forth between two inputs). Again, not an issue for me in practice, but I can see it might be annoying if skipping a lot between favorite passages is how you enjoy your music.

Interestingly enough skipping forward on UBS files (playback via USB on the front panel) does not exhibit this behaviour. Skipping to the next or previous file is fine too. _Stopping_ or _starting_ USB play activates the muting relays.

Incidentally, the Marantz SA-11S3 also clicks when starting play, or stopping it. However, the SA-11S3 being pretty much entombed in thick solid slabs of aluminium (aluminum for our friends across the pond) and steel you don't notice it so much...


----------



## tricka

thehoff said:


> Tricka above has more insight than I do but the UD-301 was the one I spent the most time comparing with in-store before I purchased the Marantz. Sonically the 301 is very nice but the two are worlds apart in size, appearance, and build quality.  The Marantz knobs might (?) be plastic but they don't feel like it as they are well weighted. The Teac feels plasticky and light. If I were constrained on space, the Teac would be a good choice, but the Marantz is in another league with the build. And if your headphones aren't the easiest to drive, the Marantz has more guts behind the headphone amp.


 
  
  
 Agree entirely with what _thehoff_ says. If pushed to chose one I would chose the Marantz for the reasons he has given. The Teac, while good, is much more at the budget end of life. 
  
 For head fi duties, I have been using some Oppo PM1's (which sound delicious withe the Marantz) and Fischer FA 011's, which I prefer to HD 6xx's. I hope to pick up some HD 800's shortly, after I sell/swap my PM1's.
  
 I have yet to plug the Marantz into my stereo system.
  
 By way of reference, I feel the Mytek 192 I owned via FW playing pcm & dsd was more revealing, but no question the head stage of the Marantz is rewarding, whereas the head stage of the Mytek was less satisfying. Teac about the same as the Mytek in terms of head stage. Both more "musical" than the Mytek, but the Mytek plays in a  different class for resolution, clarity and transparency. 
  


2leftears said:


> The knobs themselves are metal. The bezels (the thin ridges on the front panel surrounding the knobs) are plastic.
> Yes, the muting relays click when the digital input signal drops away. I forgot to mention that. Not an issue for me as I tend to play an entire album in one go. It does mean that skipping forward on a CD in the Marantz CD-80 used as a transport is a no-no, it makes the HD-DAC1 click like crazy... (to the point that sometimes it locks and requires a switch back and forth between two inputs). Again, not an issue for me in practice, but I can see it might be annoying if skipping a lot between favorite passages is how you enjoy your music.
> 
> Interestingly enough skipping forward on UBS files (playback via USB on the front panel) does not exhibit this behaviour. Skipping to the next or previous file is fine too. _Stopping_ or _starting_ USB play activates the muting relays.
> ...


 
  
 As with _2leftears_, I listen to an entire album (I listen almost exclusively to classical and jazz), or create a playlist in A+, so once it locks on, that is it. I can see it would become annoying if you stopped and started tracks alot.
  
 Pity the SA=11S3 is not as good headphone out as the Dac 1 - I was hoping to pick up a very good 'all in one player head amp' for my father, who is computer illiterate. Any other suggestions?


----------



## thehoff

gmaxx said:


> Hey guys, I just picked this DAC up and am currently burning it in. However, the Marantz "clicking" noise is driving me crazy. I noticed others were also complaining about the clicking noise. Every time I start or stop anything with the DAC then there is a loud clicking noise. Is this an inherent trait of the Marantz DAC and there is nothing that can be done about it. I tried adjusting various setting in JRiver but to no avail. Besides the annoying click, I'm definitely enjoying the sound of this DAC.  So far it seems more musical than my previous Sabre 9016 based DAC. Thanks.


 
  
 The clicking is the same on the Marantz as it was with my Bifrost. Don't most others do it as well?  The Oppo for instance?  That was my other choice and I still might order a silver Oppo to compare.


----------



## abvolt

Great  impressions 2leftears thanks for your feedback, I've been looking at the marantz since release. Now I have no reason not to order it..


----------



## mkrzych

Wait a minute - someone saying that SA-11S3 has lower quality headphone out than HD-DAC1? Really? If so, kind of pity for Marantz! Any other SACD all-in-one Marantz player to compare with HD-DAC1 or the latter one seems to be the best?


----------



## xenithon

There is the SA8005 - seems to share a similar DAC section to the HD-DAC1 (USB / coax / optical input incl. DSD capability). The headamp section is the "HDAM SA2" - whereas in the SA-11S3 it is the "HDAM". Not sure what the headamp in the HD-DAC1 is though


----------



## GMaxx

thehoff said:


> The clicking is the same on the Marantz as it was with my Bifrost. Don't most others do it as well?  The Oppo for instance?  That was my other choice and I still might order a silver Oppo to compare.


 
 I had a non-DSD DAC using the Sabre ESS9016 that didn't click at all. So, it must be the relay that Marantz or others use. It wouldn't be so bad if I just left my audio program on but it's connected to my pc which I use while working and listening to music. The relay is constantly clicking on and off due to things I'm doing on my pc. Oh well... I do like the sound quality a bit better though so there's the quandary.


----------



## mkrzych

xenithon said:


> There is the SA8005 - seems to share a similar DAC section to the HD-DAC1 (USB / coax / optical input incl. DSD capability). The headamp section is the "HDAM SA2" - whereas in the SA-11S3 it is the "HDAM". Not sure what the headamp in the HD-DAC1 is though


 
 Anyone though has experience with SA8005 headphone out vs. HD-DAC1?


----------



## tricka

xenithon said:


> There is the SA8005 - seems to share a similar DAC section to the HD-DAC1 (USB / coax / optical input incl. DSD capability). The headamp section is the "HDAM SA2" - whereas in the SA-11S3 it is the "HDAM". Not sure what the headamp in the HD-DAC1 is though


 
  
 Thanks


----------



## mkrzych

tricka said:


> Thanks


 
 It's slightly off topic, but here is quite interesting summary comapring irDAC with SA8005 DAC section: http://www.wifihifi.ca/LatestNewsHeadlines/HANDS-ONREVIEW:MARANTZPM8005ANDSA8005.html


----------



## tricka

Thanks.


----------



## fengwei007

mkrzych said:


> Anyone though has experience with SA8005 headphone out vs. HD-DAC1?




I have the SA8005, the headphone out is a bit weak for headphones like HE500/560, but drives Hd600 and T1 pretty well. But it's no where near a dedicated headphone amp like G109P. I only use it for speakers though.


----------



## mkrzych

fengwei007 said:


> I have the SA8005, the headphone out is a bit weak for headphones like HE500/560, but drives Hd600 and T1 pretty well. But it's no where near a dedicated headphone amp like G109P. I only use it for speakers though.


 
 That I can imagine, since LP G109P is an dedicated HP amp with more the 400EUR price range. Interesting if HD-DAC1 is indeed better on HP out than flagship SA8005.


----------



## Sleepow

mkrzych said:


> That I can imagine, since LP G109P is an dedicated HP amp with more the 400EUR price range. Interesting if HD-DAC1 is indeed better on HP out than flagship SA8005.


 

 I have no experience with the SA8005, and my models are older, but I own the SA15S1 and PM15S1.
 The SA15S1 headamp sounds horrible and i need to crank the volume up a lot even for fairly sensitive headphones (Ultrasone Ed8).
 The PM15S1 sounds much better, but the HD-DAC1 is a worthy upgrade.


----------



## mkrzych

sleepow said:


> mkrzych said:
> 
> 
> > That I can imagine, since LP G109P is an dedicated HP amp with more the 400EUR price range. Interesting if HD-DAC1 is indeed better on HP out than flagship SA8005.
> ...




Thanks a lot for suggestion. I have CD5004/PM6004 and on CD indeed useless, but on PM works with my Grado, but sound is condensed, narrowed soundstage and not too much air between the instruments. My separate DAC amp is much better. I am thinking about possible very good DAC and headphone amp on one unit, so Marantz may be worth auditioning.


----------



## Mojo777

gmaxx said:


> Hey guys, I just picked this DAC up and am currently burning it in. However, the Marantz "clicking" noise is driving me crazy. I noticed others were also complaining about the clicking noise. Every time I start or stop anything with the DAC then there is a loud clicking noise. Is this an inherent trait of the Marantz DAC and there is nothing that can be done about it. I tried adjusting various setting in JRiver but to no avail. Besides the annoying click, I'm definitely enjoying the sound of this DAC.  So far it seems more musical than my previous Sabre 9016 based DAC. Thanks.


 

 When I had the DAC-1 it did the same thing. It's the DAC unlocking with no signal. The tipping point for me was it unlocking between tracks, which is especially apparent with Tidal Streaming that does not have gapless playback yet. So I ended up returning it though I liked the sound and feature set very much.


----------



## thehoff

mojo777 said:


> When I had the DAC-1 it did the same thing. It's the DAC unlocking with no signal. The tipping point for me was it unlocking between tracks, which is especially apparent with Tidal Streaming that does not have gapless playback yet. So I ended up returning it though I liked the sound and feature set very much.


 
  
 It looks like you traded to the Oppo HA-1?  I've only read one head to head between the two; would you mind comparing them?  Sound, feature set, build quality, overall enjoyment, etc. I assume then that the HA-1 doesn't unlock and click like the DAC1?


----------



## 2leftears

tricka said:


> Pity the SA=11S3 is not as good headphone out as the Dac 1 - I was hoping to pick up a very good 'all in one player head amp' for my father, who is computer illiterate. Any other suggestions?







mkrzych said:


> Wait a minute - someone saying that SA-11S3 has lower quality headphone out than HD-DAC1? Really? If so, kind of pity for Marantz! Any other SACD all-in-one Marantz player to compare with HD-DAC1 or the latter one seems to be the best?




I was not suggesting the headphone output on the SA-11S3 is bad. It is in fact the best _integrated_ one on a CD player that I have heard. However, it can't compete with the better _dedicated_ headphone amps.

The voltage amplification section (VAS) in the SA-11S3, SA8005 and HD-DAC1 I would expect to be very similar, albeit that they may be implemented around different versions of Marantz' HDAM discrete opamp series.

Where the difference lies is that in the HD-DAC1 a generously dimensioned zero global feedback current dumping section is employed, and that the matching of the amp to the headphone impedance & sensitivity has to be specifically set by the user by selecting the amount of feedback utilized in the voltage amp section.

In the SA-11S3 I suspect (and all other audio components not primarily designed as a headphone amp I have ever come across) the matching to the headphone impedance is done automatically by means on an approx. 120 Ohm resistor in the output to the headphones. This has an immediate audible impact on the sound character of the headphones as the impedance curve of headphones (just like regular speakers) is far from flat. In my experience _most_ headphones benefit from being driven from a low output impedance like the HD-DAC1. The bass performance becomes markedly tighter and more controlled. There are exceptions however. Allegedly (although I am happy to be corrected as I cannot remember for the life of me where I read this) the Beyerdynamic T1 is designed to be driven from a finite output impedance. Driving that one from a low output impedance can make it sound too thin (i.e. it loses some warmth). Beyerdynamic's A1 headphone amp released at the time to be paired with its flagship T1 headphones has an output impedance of 100 Ohms. (their recent A2 headphone amp has a selectable output impedance of 0 Ohm or 100 Ohm). Ideally all headphone amps should come with a selectable output impedance! 

So I would personally say the SA-11S3 would be a great 'all in one player head amp'. It might struggle to drive higher impedance headphones though (depending on how loud your father likes or needs to play it).

Edited: previously referred to Beyerdynamic A20 instead of A1


----------



## 2leftears

mkrzych said:


> That I can imagine, since LP G109P is an dedicated HP amp with more the 400EUR price range. Interesting if HD-DAC1 is indeed better on HP out than flagship SA8005.




Don't you mean the SA-11S3? The SA8005 is a more recent model but certainly not Marantz' flagship model. And yes, the HD-DAC1 is indeed better than the SA-11S3 on HP out.


----------



## tricka

thank you _2leftears_ - he is pretty deaf these days! Just looking around for something that is simple and he can enjoy without fuss.


----------



## 2leftears

tricka said:


> thank you _2leftears_ - he is pretty deaf these days! Just looking around for something that is simple and he can enjoy without fuss.




Not sure an SA-11S3 would be the first option to spring to my mind then. It is very good and very good value for money, but still not exactly a budget player. And don't even think about putting it on a bookshelf. It is huge and weighs a whopping 16.5kg...


----------



## tricka

Thanks - I have to save up some money first anyway, for it and a pair of cans for him, so perhaps the SA 8005 may be more suitable.
  
 Good thing he is in the USA, I can order USA models. Bad thing is I have to pay for it with the Aus $ ha ha.


----------



## AkkiJU

Does anyone know if the HD-dac1 will be able to handle a set of Beyerdynamic T1, and if it will be a good match?
  
 I have heard it's a warm/round sounding amp/dac.. Atleast that's what I am looking for


----------



## Mojo777

thehoff said:


> It looks like you traded to the Oppo HA-1?  I've only read one head to head between the two; would you mind comparing them?  Sound, feature set, build quality, overall enjoyment, etc. I assume then that the HA-1 doesn't unlock and click like the DAC1?




I thought the Marantz was slightly more musical vs the more analytical nature of the OPPO. Marantz's house sound Dna is there (which I think is very good). they both sound amazing and I was lucky enough to have both at the same time to compare. It came down to the unlocking issue and the OPPO's analog inputs. 

Interestingly enough I thought the single-ended jack on the Marantz did a much better job than the ha-1 with my he-400's.


----------



## xenithon

tricka said:


> I have both the UD 301 & HD Dac 1. They are different animals and are both excellent. The Teac is (perhaps) more transparent, but less refined than the Marantz, which is very smooth & easy to listen to. Build quality of the Marantz is very good indeed. Teac also good, but more industrial.
> 
> The head amp on the Marantz, I feel, is superior to the Teac's - tighter bass, perhaps more drive, variable gain settings. But the Marantz is also perhaps more polite than the Teac, which is rawer and abit rougher round the edges (a trait I quite like).
> 
> ...


 
  
 Thanks for these impressions and comparison between the two. I am leaning toward the Teac simply because I have a balanced amp, so just need something to fulfil DAC duties.


----------



## tricka

xenithon said:


> Thanks for these impressions and comparison between the two. I am leaning toward the Teac simply because I have a balanced amp, so just need something to fulfil DAC duties.


 
  
 Pleasure. I'm using the Teac for exactly that purpose.


----------



## xenithon

Thanks once again! You mentioned that you found the Teac more transparent, but less refined than the Marantz...would that also apply in DAC-usage only? (I'd be feeding the output to a dedicated balanced amplifier)
  
 Also have you perhaps managed to get DSD working with the Teac via Audirvana+?


----------



## tricka

xenithon said:


> Thanks once again! You mentioned that you found the Teac more transparent, but less refined than the Marantz...would that also apply in DAC-usage only? (I'd be feeding the output to a dedicated balanced amplifier)
> 
> Also have you perhaps managed to get DSD working with the Teac via Audirvana+?


 
  
 Yes dac only as well.
  
 DSD works with A+ but seems to be via DoP ie not natively. I may be mistaken in that, but that is how it looks to me. I may misunderstand how A+ works. No problem with the Teac player however.


----------



## gPope

Great thread.  I am about to pull the trigger on the Marantz, but I wanted to ask if anyone has found a way to mute the variable audio out when plugging in headphones.  The owner's manual says the mute button on the remote will mute both output and headphones which is nonsensical.


----------



## jmsaxon69

Plugging in headphones doesn't kill the other outputs on the back of the unit?


----------



## gPope

jmsaxon69 said:


> Plugging in headphones doesn't kill the other outputs on the back of the unit?


 
 That's what I read somewhere and the same goes for the Oppo HA-1.  But, on the Oppo, you could mute the RCA outputs selectively via the mute button on the remote.


----------



## jmsaxon69

that's kinda cool, what are you trying to accomplish btw?


----------



## gPope

jmsaxon69 said:


> that's kinda cool, what are you trying to accomplish btw?


 
  
 What I said in post #142 above.  How to mute the audio outputs (preamp/amp) when plugging in the headphones on the Marantz HD-DAC1.


----------



## jmsaxon69

gpope said:


> What I said in post #142 above.  How to mute the audio outputs (preamp/amp) when plugging in the headphones on the Marantz HD-DAC1.


 

 Oh Okay, I thought "That's what I read somewhere...." meant that you read that it DID mute the outputs when plugging in the headphones, sorry!
  
 You could just turn off the amp?


----------



## 2leftears

jmsaxon69 said:


> Oh Okay, I thought "That's what I read somewhere...." meant that you read that it DID mute the outputs when plugging in the headphones, sorry!
> 
> You could just turn off the amp?


 
 I am sure gPope is aware of that, so there must be a good reason he/she prefers not to do that.
  
 So, three items on the whish list for the Marantz HD-DAC1 mkII:
  

Analogue line level RCA inputs to the headphone amp bypassing the DAC
Separate mute facility for the headphones / RCA outs
Forcing a constant lock-on the digital input, or some other means of avoiding the muting relays clicking on and off when switching tracks.
  
 And if I am really nit-picking:
  

The same gold finish as the SA-11S3 / PM-11S3 as an option


----------



## gPope

jmsaxon69 said:


> You could just turn off the amp?


 
  
 Yes, you could if you were using the fixed output.  In my case, I'd be using the variable output to powered speakers and a powered subwoofer.  Their on/off switches are not in convenient places.


----------



## xenithon

2leftears said:


> So, three items on the whish list for the Marantz HD-DAC1 mkII:
> 
> 
> Analogue line level RCA inputs to the headphone amp bypassing the DAC
> ...


 
  
 Would add to the list: fully balanced circuitry with balanced output


----------



## jmsaxon69

Put them on a decent power strip/line conditioner with a power switch? Not ideal, but maybe some help?


----------



## gPope

jmsaxon69 said:


> Put them on a decent power strip/line conditioner with a power switch? Not ideal, but maybe some help?


 
  
 Yes, as a last resort, I might have to do that.  Still somewhat inconvenient.


----------



## tricka

Ummm ...buy something else?  It is what it is I am afraid.


----------



## mumstead

mojo777 said:


> I thought the Marantz was slightly more musical vs the more analytical nature of the OPPO. Marantz's house sound Dna is there (which I think is very good). they both sound amazing and I was lucky enough to have both at the same time to compare. It came down to the unlocking issue and the OPPO's analog inputs.
> 
> Interestingly enough I thought the single-ended jack on the Marantz did a much better job than the ha-1 with my he-400's.


 
 I just got the Marantz today so I have not had much time with it but my observations on the sound so far are pretty much the same as yours. I have the Oppo too and I think the sound is fantastic but more analytical. The Marantz is very smooth and musical. I'm really glad that I get to keep them both because choosing one over the other would be very difficult. I like the features on the Oppo, balanced, analog inputs, and excellent display but I think I like the sound of the Marantz a bit better. I'm surprised how well the Marantz drives my HD800s. I use a balanced cable for the Oppo and I think the Marantz drives them as good if not better. I'm very impressed but I need to do a lot more listening and comparing.
 The appearance and build quality of both are exceptional. They look very different from one another but both look great in their own way.
 I'm not experiencing the unlocking problem but I'm using Jriver for playback and I use a smooth cross fade from song to song for playlists and the "gapless on sequential album tracks" setting. I never unlock even when changing sample rate between tracks.
 If I had to choose one I would have to choose the Oppo because I need the analog input for my Turntable and I need the balanced out for my Amp. I really like the sound of both and I'm glad that I don't have to choose one over the other. I have a feeling that I'll develop preferences and listen to different types of music on each.


----------



## GMaxx

Can I ask if you hear the locking or clicking noise when you startup JRiver. I usually don't hear the locking relay noise unless I start or exit a program such as JRiver or another media player. Once the program is running then its usually ok till the relay disengages due to something I'm doing on my pc when working. Just trying to determine if my unit has something really wrong or just the way Marantz does things. Thanks.


----------



## mumstead

gmaxx said:


> Can I ask if you hear the locking or clicking noise when you startup JRiver. I usually don't hear the locking relay noise unless I start or exit a program such as JRiver or another media player. Once the program is running then its usually ok till the relay disengages due to something I'm doing on my pc when working. Just trying to determine if my unit has something really wrong or just the way Marantz does things. Thanks.


 
 I don't think that there is anything wrong with your unit. I hear the relay every time I start and stop playback when I am in JRiver. It does not lock and click until I start playing a song then it clicks and unlocks again if I press stop. The click is very faint and comes from the unit I do not hear anything through my headphones or speakers.
 If I play a game it locks as soon as the game starts and then unlocks when I exit the game.


----------



## 2leftears

xenithon said:


> Would add to the list: fully balanced circuitry with balanced output





Noted, although I was trying to restrict myself to features that would not materially increase the price...

Perhaps a Marantz HD-DAC-11S1 for you?


----------



## thehoff

Have any other models been announced by Marantz to match the DAC1? A speaker amp perhaps? Or a proper pre amp?


----------



## 2leftears

thehoff said:


> Have any other models been announced by Marantz to match the DAC1? A speaker amp perhaps? Or a proper pre amp?




I have heard people speculate Marantz might release a power-amp to match the HD-DAC1. But that is just what they are, speculations. No sources for his were ever mentioned.

I wouldn't count on it personally.

You could always use the power-direct-in on the PM-11S3, PM-14S1 or PM-15S2 if you insist on using a Marantz amp (which is no bad choice). Slap a couple of planks of wood to the sides and you're done as far as matching looks are concerned...


----------



## Alfred143

Are the Knobs metal? Is the resistance when turning the knobs fluid and hi-quality feel?


----------



## 2leftears

alfred143 said:


> Are the Knobs metal? Is the resistance when turning the knobs fluid and hi-quality feel?


 
 The knobs are metal.
  
 The volume control has the standard feel and resistance of an ALPS blue motorised pot (because it is one).  Therefore _slightly_ less fluid than a non-motorised one as you are also turning a friction-controlled clutch when manually adjusting the volume.
  
 The source selection knob has a high quality fluid feel, but the indents could be a little more positive, i.e. its is hard to "feel" the indents properly.  However, in practice I think it is easier to use the remote control to select the input, as there are dedicated selection buttons for each input.


----------



## Alfred143

2leftears said:


> The knobs are metal.
> 
> The volume control has the standard feel and resistance of an ALPS blue motorised pot (because it is one).  Therefore _slightly_ less fluid than a non-motorised one as you are also turning a friction-controlled clutch when manually adjusting the volume.
> 
> The source selection knob has a high quality fluid feel, but the indents could be a little more positive, i.e. its is hard to "feel" the indents properly.  However, in practice I think it is easier to use the remote control to select the input, as there are dedicated selection buttons for each input.


 

 Thanks 2leftears.  Good to know the feel quality is there also. 
  
 On a different note, Will the HD-DAC1 be sonically better than what's coming out (Cirrus CS4382A DAC)  of my older Oppo BDP-93?


----------



## xenithon

So to those that have listened to the HD800s via the HD-DAC1, does it do the headphones justice (relative to other deducates headphone amps)?


----------



## thehoff

alfred143 said:


> Are the Knobs metal? Is the resistance when turning the knobs fluid and hi-quality feel?


 
  
 I give the knobfeel a 7 out of 10. Not the smoothest or biggest but very satisfying still.  (In comparison a classic Pioneer gets a 9, a Woo gets an 8.5, and the new Teacs, a 3).


----------



## Hififox

Hi, I'm interesting in HD-DAC1, but I found it only has 3.5mm line input. I own a turntable that I like to connect my phono amplifier with RCA line output to HD-DAC1 amplifier stage, so I like to know whether the rca to 3.5mm cable distorts the quality or not?
  
 Thank you.


----------



## Hififox

I found one more question that my phono amplifier output voltage is 300mV at 1kHz, but the input sensitivity is 200mVrms, so could I connect my phono amplifier with hd-dac1 by using a RCA to 3.5mm cable directly? BTW my phono amplifier is pro-ject phono box.
 Thank you.


----------



## 2leftears

hififox said:


> Hi, I'm interesting in HD-DAC1, but I found it only has 3.5mm line input. I own a turntable that I like to connect my phono amplifier with RCA line output to HD-DAC1 amplifier stage, so I like to know whether the rca to 3.5mm cable distorts the quality or not?
> 
> Thank you.







hififox said:


> I found one more question that my phono amplifier output voltage is 300mV at 1kHz, but the input sensitivity is 200mVrms, so could I connect my phono amplifier with hd-dac1 by using a RCA to 3.5mm cable directly? BTW my phono amplifier is pro-ject phono box.
> Thank you.





EDITED 10 Feb 2015: got my dB wrong - needed to be doubled :rolleyes:


Please note that the 3.5mm analogue input does not feed directly into the amp section. This qobuz review shows that it first goes through an active low pass filter based around the NJM-2115, and is then digitised at 24bit 96kHz by a Burr Brown PCM9211. Hence how it will deal with a 300mV input depends on how the Marantz engineers have designed it. Ideally the active filter should be driven into soft-clipping before the ADC starts clipping.

I would imagine that you might need to attenuate your 300mV output a little bit though, -6dB might be enough (= half amplitude). It also depends a bit on what the 300mV output level of your amp really means. Is it 300mV peak, RMS etc.? To be on the save side you might want to attenuate -12dB or so (= 1/4 amplitude).

Bear in mind that the PCM9211 ADC gives you 24bits of dynamic range to play with, so you can probably afford to be a bit conservative with the attenuation. Do keep a eye (ear) on the noise levels though.

If I find some time I will try to o-scope a function-generator signal through the HD-DAC1 to see how the analogue input clips, and at what levels.

In any case, I don't expect the use of an RCA to 3.5mm cable to affect the sound quality much at all, provided you buy a good and short one, or make one yourself.


----------



## Hififox

2leftears said:


> Please note that the 3.5mm analogue input does not feed directly into the amp section. This qobuz review shows that it first goes through an active low pass filter based around the NJM-2115, and is then digitised at 24bit 96kHz by a Burr Brown PCM9211. Hence how it will deal with a 300mV input depends on how the Marantz engineers have designed it. Ideally the active filter should be driven into soft-clipping before the ADC starts clipping.
> 
> I would imagine that you might need to attenuate your 300mV output a little bit though, -3dB might be enough (= half amplitude). It also depends a bit on what the 300mV output level of your amp really means. Is it 300mV peak, RMS etc.? To be on the save side you might want to attenuate -6dB or so (= 1/4 amplitude).
> 
> ...


 
 Thank you so much! That's really helpful. I'm not sure it's 300mV p-p or rms valve, it doesn't shown in the documentation. I will try to check by myself later.


----------



## frankrondaniel

I recently received a replacement HD-DAC1 unit after the USB circuitry died on my first unit.  USB's fine so far but I'm noticing a hum that I don't recall hearing on my first unit.  The hum is noticeable when no music is playing and increases with the gain setting.  I'm curious if other owners are experiencing the same.


----------



## kazcou

frankrondaniel said:


> I recently received a replacement HD-DAC1 unit after the USB circuitry died on my first unit.  USB's fine so far but I'm noticing a hum that I don't recall hearing on my first unit.  The hum is noticeable when no music is playing and increases with the gain setting.  I'm curious if other owners are experiencing the same.


 

 No hum on mine.
 Maybe a usb noise problem ?
 Can you check another input ?


----------



## frankrondaniel

kazcou said:


> No hum on mine.
> Maybe a usb noise problem ?
> Can you check another input ?


 
  
 It looks like it's unrelated to USB - I get the hum using coax (out of Fiio X3) as well.  In each case the hum doesn't occur until it locks on to a sampling rate for the first time.  Did a quick Google search - found hits on stevehoffman, diyaudio sites reporting hum as well.  I may have received another defective unit.


----------



## JamieMcC

frankrondaniel said:


> I recently received a replacement HD-DAC1 unit after the USB circuitry died on my first unit.  USB's fine so far but I'm noticing a hum that I don't recall hearing on my first unit.  The hum is noticeable when no music is playing and increases with the gain setting.  I'm curious if other owners are experiencing the same.


 

 Are you using different more sensitive lower z cans?


----------



## frankrondaniel

jamiemcc said:


> Are you using different more sensitive lower z cans?


 
  
 Using the same as with prior unit - Senn HD800.


----------



## 2leftears

frankrondaniel said:


> I recently received a replacement HD-DAC1 unit after the USB circuitry died on my first unit.  USB's fine so far but I'm noticing a hum that I don't recall hearing on my first unit.  The hum is noticeable when no music is playing and increases with the gain setting.  I'm curious if other owners are experiencing the same.


 
 I notice you are in the U.S.  If you are using a 2-pin plug on the power cord, have you tried flipping it around (i.e. swapping the phase and the neutral)?
  
 My HD-DAC1 has quite al lot of leakage current when I touch the case (I am VERY sensitive to this, my wife doesn't feel anything).  Leakage current + unfortunate grounding topology can cause hum, sometimes this is solved by swapping the phase and neutral on the power cord.  Unfortunately being in the UK, I don't have the option to swap the phase and neutral unless I swap the actual connection inside the HD-DAC1 (or make an illegal power cord).


----------



## frankrondaniel

2leftears said:


> I notice you are in the U.S.  If you are using a 2-pin plug on the power cord, have you tried flipping it around (i.e. swapping the phase and the neutral)?
> 
> My HD-DAC1 has quite al lot of leakage current when I touch the case (I am VERY sensitive to this, my wife doesn't feel anything).  Leakage current + unfortunate grounding topology can cause hum, sometimes this is solved by swapping the phase and neutral on the power cord.  Unfortunately being in the UK, I don't have the option to swap the phase and neutral unless I swap the actual connection inside the HD-DAC1 (or make an illegal power cord).


 
  
 Hi.  Unfortunately the shape of the power cord connection won't allow me to flip it around.
  
 The folks at the vendor where I purchased the HD-DAC1 left me an email offering to trouble shoot the issue - hopefully they'll have some good ideas.  I get the feeling that I'll need to get yet another unit though.


----------



## 2leftears

frankrondaniel said:


> Hi.  Unfortunately the shape of the power cord connection won't allow me to flip it around.
> 
> The folks at the vendor where I purchased the HD-DAC1 left me an email offering to trouble shoot the issue - hopefully they'll have some good ideas.  I get the feeling that I'll need to get yet another unit though.




For what it is worth; mine also has a faint hum. But I don't hear this on either my HD540 or HD800 unless I set the amp on HIGH gain, and the volume control past 3 o'clock. I can tell you that I will not come anywhere near those settings for normal listening.

You may not want to hear this, but do bear in mind that these are all early production batches. Teething problems do happen, may only become apparent in mass production, and not present itself in the prototype development.

I hope they sort it for you...


----------



## frankrondaniel

2leftears said:


> For what it is worth; mine also has a faint hum. But I don't hear this on either my HD540 or HD800 unless I set the amp on HIGH gain, and the volume control past 3 o'clock. I can tell you that I will not come anywhere near those settings for normal listening.
> 
> You may not want to hear this, but do bear in mind that these are all early production batches. Teething problems do happen, may only become apparent in mass production, and not present itself in the prototype development.
> 
> I hope they sort it for you...


 
  
 I don't get past 3 o'clock my self - even on Mid-gain!  The hum definitely increases with gain - HIGH certainly has more than MID but I still hear it on MID.  Unfortunately now that I've heard the hum it's difficult to ignore.
  
 I realize that we're early adopters of HD-DAC1 but I've run into two possibly defective units so far, with the first unit losing the ability to lock on a sampling rate and now the hum.  It's a little disappointing, though I'll keep at it as I do like the sound paired with the HD800's.


----------



## idabao

I purchased HDDAC-1 from the 1st patch of shipment in early December 2014. Unfortunately, it was broken 10 days later and it can't be turned on anymore. I have to wait for replacement unit of two weeks time. During the waiting time, the agent repaired the broken unit for me. However I found after the repair, the sound is little bit harsh and not quiet and dark as the unit has not been broken. According to the technician, he just replaced the logic broad by simply pluging new one thereon. Thus I suspect that given interior space is so small and all cable and broad have to be inserted into such small area. It would be easily interfered on signal path if placing of those stuff is not in order or handle with enough care.  Now I get the replacement unit now and the sound from the new unit is so clean and smooth even using AKG 712 which is most sensitive phone I have. With HD-650, it is more perfect match with this amp than akg 712. The sound of this amp with hd650 is so musical and warm.  After burning in for  3 whole days, the treble is extended very well and the vocal is so touching. Also I found stock usb-cable is not bad and gold plate plug. When I use AQ carbon, however, its dynamic and soundstage are significant wider than stock usb cable.
  
 Despite poor experience of my 1st unit, I still highly recommend those who look for headphone amp with dac of dsd capacity at this price range. 
  
  
 I also have a question for unit owners. How many days for burning in of this unit to get sound stabilised?


----------



## Tom-Dai

First Time Post...
i burned in using a pink noise loop at night for about eight hours and listened to my normal playlist during the day. The Sound, especially the mids, started to open after 3 days.
At the beginning i was a bit disapointed about the mids. Snare drums and brass sounded not very natural.
But its gone now. After a week of normal play now, the sound does not seem to increase any further.
I am very satisfied with the sound as it is right now.
Had the Astell & Kern AK100 MK2 before with a Wolfson DAC-Chip. The Marantz Sound is very different, much more musically vs. the analytical and "english" sounding AK100.


----------



## Hififox

Did anyone compare hd-dac1 with woo audio wa7? Massdrop got a nice drop for wa7, so I'm considering between these two. My cans are senn hd600 and akg k701.


----------



## 2leftears

idabao said:


> I also have a question for unit owners. How many days for burning in of this unit to get sound stabilised?




Well, I just played my music for a few hours a day (whilst listening ), and mine seemed reasonably stabilized after a week or so. If you leave it running 24hrs a day, you would be done in a couple of days or so if my experience is anything to go by.

Of course this could just be my ears adapting to the sound...


----------



## jocar37

Has anyone who owns or has at least heard the Marantz HD-DAC1 also listened to the Denon DA-300USB?


----------



## Turtle1631991

I just got it and I like it very much so far. It pairs well with my AKG 701. Very nice sound with bass pronounced jsut right. At first it came across as somewhat harsh to me. Than I found out that becouse it is so very dynamic and detailed I have to listen at a bit lower volume than I am used to.


----------



## jmsaxon69

Anyone running the HD-DAC1 with the Sony MDR-Z7?


----------



## jmsaxon69

jmsaxon69 said:


> Anyone running the HD-DAC1 with the Sony MDR-Z7?


 

 Also, so can you hook up a USB drive and operate it like a music server with the remote? Without a computer?


----------



## 2leftears

jmsaxon69 said:


> Also, so can you hook up a USB drive and operate it like a music server with the remote? Without a computer?




You certainly can, that's how I use it. Some limitations when using a USB drive:



 Needs to be FAT16 or FAT32 formatted.
 The USB port supplies 5V up to 1Amp. It drives my external HD without any issues.
 File & folder names are displayed up to only 32 characters (scrolling).
 The maximum total number of folders is 700, up to 8 levels.
 The maximum number of files is 65,535.
 The small round "porthole" window on the front may be an interesting design feature, but it is not ideal when searching for files. There is only a short delay before the entry scrolls to show all characters, but still...
 FLAC playback is not supported for USB drives, you need to use .wav for full CD resolution.
 Browsing through folders is as per the FAT (file allocation table), so the order in which you write the folders to the drive is important if you want to maintain your sanity...
 

Also, if you use a Mac (OSX) to write files & folders to the drive, it is best to get rid of all the pesky hidden "._filename" resource files OSX creates when writing to FAT formatted drives/partitions. The HD-DAC1 seems to ignore them, but my Marantz SA-11S3 sure doesn't!


----------



## Turtle1631991

Addendum: I just put some SACD iso's through it and WOW! So musical! So enjoyable! I seriously doubt you'd get any better bang for your buck than this.


----------



## Mark K

jamiemcc said:


> I suspect its more down to the head out than the dac section, once you get to try it with a stand alone amp you might be able to confirm this. At least that's how I find my Marantz network player which is the NA7004. There is a lot of micro detail lost through the head out. Its actually not to bad a head out if your running mid fi phones as they don't dig as deep as the totl cans do so you don't really notice the short comings. With the dac feeding my Bottlehead Sex amp its a different story lots of detail and textures to instruments and voices good density of tone etc etc.  I brought the NA7004 specifically because its dac section was said to be out of the Marantz KI Pearl a £2400 reference CD player which had some great reviews at the time. I would expect the dac section in the HD-DAC1 to be of a higher ability compared to the older NA7004 .
> 
> Looking forward to further views


 

 Same position here....while NA7004 does a sweet job in DAC...the headphone department is somewhat less than desirable. In Japan, the price of Fostex HPA8 was slashed considerably. Being poisoned by most of the ESS based DAC, I am very curious to know how Marantz stands up against all others at this, 1000 Euro price tag


----------



## jamescodway

Hello all.
  
 For general reference, I took home a HD DAC 1 on trial on Wednesday. It ran hot, hummed a little and suffered serious RF interference on the front IOS USB input. I read elsewhere online of experiences of some faulty units.
  
 On return to my brilliant local supplier today they found their demo unit also demonstrated RF interference (albeit a lot less) with a lower ohm headphone (B&O H6) and so they are going to contact Marantz to obtain a (silver) unit that works (!).
  
 This is all very frustrating as otherwise the unit is wonderful, especially with HD800, so I am hoping they can procure one that works properly. I will report back accordingly,
  
 Best
  
 James


----------



## john57

With all the wireless devices in the home RF interference pollution is becoming more of a issue these days.


----------



## crafft

My unit is also humming a little bit when locked to a signal but I must say it's only noticable with sensitive cans (like my Focal Spirit Pro ). On High gain I can barely detect the hum with my DT880 and HD650 the room has to be absolutely quiet for me to pick it up.
 I must say that it's not a real issue for me with the DT880 and HD650.
  
 Today I visited my local shop as well and they had two HDDAC1 (black and silver) units that I could try out. And guess what, both performeded exactly the same! Both also humming a bit, best noticeable with the Focals.
  
 For reference: My unit doesn't run hot nor is it affected by interference.
  
 I also auditioned a ifi micro iDSD this morning at the same store and also this amp on "turbo" mode (=high gain) had hum with my Focal Spirit Pro 
  
 We came to the conclusion that it is either in the design of the Marantz or it is a faulty first batch. My local shop will also contact Marantz about this issue. 
  
 But again with my higher Ohm headphones it's not really a problem for me personally. And the fact that also the ifi Micro IDSD has a little hum on high gain is a bit of a relief also........


----------



## frankrondaniel

jamescodway said:


> Hello all.
> 
> For general reference, I took home a HD DAC 1 on trial on Wednesday. It ran hot, hummed a little and suffered serious RF interference on the front IOS USB input. I read elsewhere online of experiences of some faulty units.
> 
> ...


 
  
 I've also been experiencing humming issues that unfortunately interfere with what is otherwise a great pairing with my HD800's.  My current HD-DAC1 is actually my second unit - the first died, where it could no longer lock on a sampling rate.  However, before it died, I'm positive that I didn't experience the hum. I've been debating whether to do yet another return to see if I can obtain a hum-free unit.  I'm definitely interesting to hear if you're able to find one.


----------



## colonelsanders

Disappointed to learn about the humming issue. Hopefully Marantz will have it sorted out in a new revision. Can any of you compare the HD-DAC1 against offerings from Audio GD for the HD800? I was hoping to find a good amp/dac combo that was detailed but not too fatiguing for the HD800. The Cirrus Logic dac in the HD-DAC1 is what initially attracted me to it.


----------



## frankrondaniel

colonelsanders said:


> Disappointed to learn about the humming issue. Hopefully Marantz will have it sorted out in a new revision. Can any of you compare the HD-DAC1 against offerings from Audio GD for the HD800? I was hoping to find a good amp/dac combo that was detailed but not too fatiguing for the HD800. The Cirrus Logic dac in the HD-DAC1 is what initially attracted me to it.


 
  
 I can't offer a comparison to the Audio GD, but I can say, for my tastes at least, that the Mararntz is a great pairing with the HD800's, especially as an all-in-one AMP/DAC unit.  Plenty of power to drive them, nice enveloping sound stage, enough detail without the highs being harsh or fatiguing.  Very musical vs. analytical sound.  It really is a pairing that I enjoy.


----------



## jmsaxon69

I have a unit on the way, I hope there are no issues with it! Kinda gun shy now...
  
 I didn't think you could get Silver in the USA?


----------



## frankrondaniel

jmsaxon69 said:


> I have a unit on the way, I hope there are no issues with it! Kinda gun shy now...
> 
> I didn't think you could get Silver in the USA?


 
  
 As far as I know, only black in the US.  But it looks nice!  I'm curious to find out how much hum you experience.


----------



## colonelsanders

It's great to hear that the HD-DAC1 pairs well with the HD800. By chance has anyone been able to listen to the HDVD800 amp? I was impressed when I demoed it with the HD800, but I wasn't quite sure it was worth the price. I'd be very interested to know if the HD-DAC1 provides equal or better performance.


----------



## 2leftears

frankrondaniel said:


> I've also been experiencing humming issues that unfortunately interfere with what is otherwise a great pairing with my HD800's.  My current HD-DAC1 is actually my second unit - the first died, where it could no longer lock on a sampling rate.  However, before it died, I'm positive that I didn't experience the hum. I've been debating whether to do yet another return to see if I can obtain a hum-free unit.  I'm definitely interesting to hear if you're able to find one.




frankrondaniel's experience I think is conclusive evidence that there are HD-DAC1 samples with and without hum issues. Could be a production run issue, or a design flaw which was identified and fixed in the later production runs (mine has no noticeable hum). This is a risk when buying early production runs. Modifications/improvements are almost certainly applied in the first few production runs. Marantz may not necessarily recall earlier production runs. They may wait and see if the unlucky customer actually notices the fault and returns it for exchange/repair. Cheaper to deal with it that way.

Designing an amp for headphone impedances from 32 to 600 Ohm is not trivial. Especially when there is a zero global feedback final output current stage, like in the HD-DAC1. Most headphone outputs deal with the wide range of target headphone impedances by placing an approx. 120 Ohm resistor in the output. This neatly automatically reduces the voltage swing into low impedance headphones, and also massively reduces any hum & noise issues. The sound quality is however compromised for _some_ headphones by this method (and _some_ may in fact benefit, depends a bit on the design philosophy and impedance curve).

The HD-DAC1 has no output resistor, but targets different headphone impedances by changing the amount of feedback in the voltage amplification section (VAS). The final output stage is designed to be able to drive impedances up to 600 Ohm and therefore has a high _supply_ voltage, regardless of the amp gain setting. This also means that any issues with the ripple rejection in this output stage will be painfully obvious on low impedance headphones with high sensitivity. Now in the HD-DAC1 the Darlington output transistors of this output stage are sitting right next to a whopping big transformer. It looks well shielded, but one has to wonder about the wisdom of this topology if the amp is stated to be suitable for 30 Ohm headphones (some of which may have a high sensitivity to boot)...


----------



## 2leftears

john57 said:


> With all the wireless devices in the home RF interference pollution is becoming more of a issue these days.




Indeed. Which makes me wonder if strong RF signals can drive the HD-DAC1 into high frequency instability. The case has some holes big enough for RF to enter (display notably with the headphone amp right behind it). Could explain why some units seem to be running hot...


----------



## jocar37

FWIW, I just started  a poll on MassDrop for the HD DAC1, the Denon 300 USB and the Teac UD-301. Check it out. I'm hoping that a deal can be done for the Marantz, but getting any of these at a discount would be worth it.


----------



## 2leftears

jamescodway said:


> Hello all.
> 
> For general reference, I took home a HD DAC 1 on trial on Wednesday. It ran hot, hummed a little and suffered serious RF interference on the front IOS USB input. I read elsewhere online of experiences of some faulty units.
> 
> ...




Did you use a long USB cable to connect to the front USB bus? There is a warning in the Marantz HD-DAC1 manual not to use long USB cables on the front input because of potential RF interference. 

Would have been nice though if they had stated what length they consider too long. I am using a cable approx. 1 foot in length to connect my external HD, with no problems. Makes me suspect that cheap USB cables could also be problematic.


----------



## john57

2leftears said:


> Did you use a long USB cable to connect to the front USB bus? There is a warning in the Marantz HD-DAC1 manual not to use long USB cables on the front input because of potential RF interference.
> 
> Would have been nice though if they had stated what length they consider too long. I am using a cable approx. 1 foot in length to connect my external HD, with no problems. Makes me suspect that cheap USB cables could also be problematic.


 
 Some of the USB cables uses very thin wires. The thinner the wire, the more resistance, the more likely that the wire will pick up RF.


----------



## 2leftears

john57 said:


> Some of the USB cables uses very thin wires. The thinner the wire, the more resistance, the more likely that the wire will pick up RF.


 
  
 This, and the avoidance of ground loops are reasons I wish the audio industry introduced a mainstream high quality optical interconnect other than (i.e. better than) TOSLINK.
  
 I have one of my CD players connected to the HD-DAC1 via TOSLINK, and also tried the coaxial complement.  Couldn't hear any difference to be honest, but then again that player only plays RedBook CDs and the HD-DAC1 re-clocks the data stream anyway, eliminating the TOSLINK jitter issues.


----------



## Dexon

Have 40-50 hours on mine. I can hear slight hum on 'high gain' and its all black on 'mid gain' which is just right for HD800.
  
 SQ is really good. Spacious and warm yet detailed sound. There is richness in midbass textures which goes very well with warmish upper range. Even though, sound is quite articulated. Nothing seems flabby or slow. Despite a bit tubey sound, transients are fast enough and grunt and slam are of typical SS amp. Never had any Marantz before, if this is their 'house sound' I love it


----------



## sasbyte

Got mine last week and I am impressed too. I use it mainly as a dac. The headphone section is awesome so I am planning to get the hd800 or new audeze el8. There is no hum if the dac displays unlocked. Once u start playing music and the dac locks to the signal then the hum starts. It's very low hum. Hardly noticeable. Not sure if it's my usb cable.


----------



## frankrondaniel

sasbyte said:


> Got mine last week and I am impressed too. I use it mainly as a dac. The headphone section is awesome so I am planning to get the hd800 or new audeze el8. There is no hum if the dac displays unlocked. Once u start playing music and the dac locks to the signal then the hum starts. It's very low hum. Hardly noticeable. Not sure if it's my usb cable.


 
  
 It's probably not your USB cable - seems like many have been experiencing the hum to one degree or another.  I'm on my second unit (the first became unable to lock on a sampling rate).  While I no longer I don't have the first unit for comparison, I'm fairly certain that unit didn't have the hum, even at high-gain.  I get the feeling that there's some variability between the units.  That also manifests itself in the sound characteristics between the two units.  I remarked earlier in this thread about finding the detail level overly smoothed over, the treble somewhat too rolled off, some detail lost.  However, my replacement unit surprised me by sounding much more detailed, with a more extended treble, but not to the point of being fatiguing with the HD800's.  It feels like two very different models.  I've adapted to the hum by running at mid-gain, though I do think I like the HD800's better at high.  Overall, I'm finding it to be a pleasing pairing.


----------



## idabao

I also have experience of sonic difference between 1st unit and replacement unit. My 1st unit have strong analog sound signature, smooth and rich at mid range, not very analytical and not very wide soundstage. But it broke down after 10 days. After 3 weeks of burning in, my replacement unit carry different style. More analytical, treble more extended but less bass than before. The soundstage is quite hugh even with Senn hd650. What I am not appreciating is less analog sounding than my 1st unit. Maybe I changed aq carbon usb from stock cable in replacement unit. The new cable make the difference. Btw, i don't have hum issues whether in my 1st unit or replacement unit.


----------



## frankrondaniel

idabao said:


> I also have experience of sonic difference between 1st unit and replacement unit. My 1st unit have strong analog sound signature, smooth and rich at mid range, not very analytical and not very wide soundstage. But it broke down after 10 days. After 3 weeks of burning in, my replacement unit carry different style. More analytical, treble more extended but less bass than before. The soundstage is quite hugh even with Senn hd650. What I am not appreciating is less analog sounding than my 1st unit. Maybe I changed aq carbon usb from stock cable in replacement unit. The new cable make the difference. Btw, i don't have hum issues whether in my 1st unit or replacement unit.


 
  
 Wow - the changes in sound that you describe between your two units very much describes my experience!  I kind of wish that my new unit retained more of the "analog" sound of the first.


----------



## 2leftears

frankrondaniel said:


> I've adapted to the hum by running at mid-gain, though I do think I like the HD800's better at high.




How loud do you folks play your cans? I am using an HD540 on mid-gain with volume control on 9 o'clock (playing ripped .wav files). Cranking it open to 12 o'clock is already _way_ too loud for me.

And that is an HD540 (600 Ohm, 94dB/mW). The HD800 is 300 Ohm, 102dB/mW. Slightly surprised you would ideally like to set the amp on high gain for that.

Having said that, I once measured my cans with a sound meter, and I am generally listening to about 65-70dB C-weighted peak sound level or so. Whenever I hand my cans to a visitor to listen, they first give me a funny look and then dial in another 25dB or so! :eek:

Perhaps that also explains why the hum is utterly inaudible for me at the volume I play at...


----------



## frankrondaniel

2leftears said:


> How loud do you folks play your cans? I am using an HD540 on mid-gain with volume control on 9 o'clock (playing ripped .wav files). Cranking it open to 12 o'clock is already _way_ too loud for me.
> 
> And that is an HD540 (600 Ohm, 94dB/mW). The HD800 is 300 Ohm, 102dB/mW. Slightly surprised you would ideally like to set the amp on high gain for that.
> 
> ...


 
  
 I'm very much a low-volume listener.  Trying to preserve hearing after years of too many loud concerts!   With my HD800's, I'm not even all the way to 9 o'clock.  Beyond that is much too loud for me.  I prefer the high-gain not so much for volume but it seems to give more weight to the sound for the 800's.  Might be my imagination though!


----------



## jmsaxon69

frankrondaniel said:


> I'm very much a low-volume listener.  Trying to preserve hearing after years of too many loud concerts!   With my HD800's, I'm not even all the way to 9 o'clock.  Beyond that is much too loud for me.  I prefer the high-gain not so much for volume but it seems to give more weight to the sound for the 800's.  Might be my imagination though!


 

 same here,  I can't listen too loud or it hurts!


----------



## 2leftears

frankrondaniel said:


> I'm very much a low-volume listener.  Trying to preserve hearing after years of too many loud concerts!   With my HD800's, I'm not even all the way to 9 o'clock.  Beyond that is much too loud for me.  I prefer the high-gain not so much for volume but it seems to give more weight to the sound for the 800's.  Might be my imagination though!




We are on the same page then! I use my HD800 also on mid-gain with the control well below 9 o'clock.

The amp set on high gain would theoretically give _very_ slightly higher distortion (using less feedback in the amp), but then again at the same time increase the slew rate (faster response, again thanks to less feedback). Everything is a compromise... :rolleyes:


----------



## jamescodway

2leftears said:


> Did you use a long USB cable to connect to the front USB bus? There is a warning in the Marantz HD-DAC1 manual not to use long USB cables on the front input because of potential RF interference.
> 
> Would have been nice though if they had stated what length they consider too long. I am using a cable approx. 1 foot in length to connect my external HD, with no problems. Makes me suspect that cheap USB cables could also be problematic.


 

 Hello again. I have tried several different 30pin to usb cables. This seems to have no impact on RF incidence or severity. Also re: HF, the response my dealer received from Marantz was to factory reset the HD-DAC1 and 'hard' reset any iDevice to be connected (e.g. hold both iphone buttons until apple logo appears). This seems to have had some benefit. I also now have the dealer's demo unit which hums a little less and initially sounds at least as good if not better than the first unit (this could be burn/run in). the lock button on my iphone is broken so performing a hard reset is proving interesting... It is a great sounding unit. I just hope I can get it to perform consistently in a sufficiently convenient way.
  
 Best
  
 James


----------



## frankrondaniel

jamescodway said:


> Hello again. I have tried several different 30pin to usb cables. This seems to have no impact on RF incidence or severity. Also re: HF, the response my dealer received from Marantz was to factory reset the HD-DAC1 and 'hard' reset any iDevice to be connected (e.g. hold both iphone buttons until apple logo appears). This seems to have had some benefit. I also now have the dealer's demo unit which hums a little less and initially sounds at least as good if not better than the first unit (this could be burn/run in). the lock button on my iphone is broken so performing a hard reset is proving interesting... It is a great sounding unit. I just hope I can get it to perform consistently in a sufficiently convenient way.
> 
> Best
> 
> James


 
  
 Hi,
  
 When you say that the dealer's demo unit possibly sounds better than the first unit, in what way would you say that they're different?  The reason why I ask is that the two units that I've had sound very different from each other.  The first, which I had to return due to a defect, sounded more on the dark side, with rather rolled-off highs and somewhat prominent low end that actually worked well with my HD800's - tamed the highs for me.  But the new unit is brighter, more detailed sounding with less in the low end.  Not as good of a match with the HD800's.  I'm also fairly sure that the first unit had no or at least less hum than my current unit. I'm curious to find out if your hearing similar differences.


----------



## jamescodway

frankrondaniel said:


> Hi,
> 
> When you say that the dealer's demo unit possibly sounds better than the first unit, in what way would you say that they're different?  The reason why I ask is that the two units that I've had sound very different from each other.  The first, which I had to return due to a defect, sounded more on the dark side, with rather rolled-off highs and somewhat prominent low end that actually worked well with my HD800's - tamed the highs for me.  But the new unit is brighter, more detailed sounding with less in the low end.  Not as good of a match with the HD800's.  I'm also fairly sure that the first unit had no or at least less hum than my current unit. I'm curious to find out if your hearing similar differences.


 

 My listening tests have been brief and not scientific but my belief is my experience of my 1st and 2nd unit mirrors your own, except the hum on the 2nd unit seems a little less at all gain settings. I've now established the residual RF issue is my iphone 4s that cannot be hard reset (lock button busted). Once I have settled on a new source (I hear the front usb/idevice input as more detailed/more treble than the conventional rear usb) then I think I will be very happy with this unit...


----------



## frankrondaniel

jamescodway said:


> My listening tests have been brief and not scientific but my belief is my experience of my 1st and 2nd unit mirrors your own, except the hum on the 2nd unit seems a little less at all gain settings. I've now established the residual RF issue is my iphone 4s that cannot be hard reset (lock button busted). Once I have settled on a new source (I hear the front usb/idevice input as more detailed/more treble than the conventional rear usb) then I think I will be very happy with this unit...


 

 Thanks for your feedback - glad to hear that your happy with your unit!


----------



## kawaivpc1

How does DAC1 sound compared to iDSD?


----------



## crafft

I only compared the two as a dac/amp combo with headphones directly into the units. Both are very good. But I thought the Marantz sounded more "real", more 3D. With my DT880 the iDSD sounded a bit too bright for my taste.
 I think I can agree with the general consensus that as a DAC-only the iDSD is the better choice and the Marantz has a better headphone amp stage.


----------



## kawaivpc1

crafft said:


> I only compared the two as a dac/amp combo with headphones directly into the units. Both are very good. But I thought the Marantz sounded more "real", more 3D. With my DT880 the iDSD sounded a bit too bright for my taste.
> I think I can agree with the general consensus that as a DAC-only the iDSD is the better choice and the Marantz has a better headphone amp stage.




I've seen so many people saying that iDSD is the best in its price range. 
If we're using the same high res files and headphone, does DAC1 present sound stage better? 
I'm certainly looking for bigger and wider sound stage with good details.


----------



## crafft

I'd say as a one-box solution for headphones the Marantz is the better sounding unit as it sounds more realistic in terms of tonality, timbre, decay and therefor more engaging to me. Those criteria are  more important to me than soundstage.
 I can't tell which of the two portrays the soundstage better but on the Marantz I got immediately drawn into the music and with iDSD I listened to nice "sounds"...I hope that makes sense...


----------



## kawaivpc1

Thanks,
I'm considering both DAC1 and iDSD. 
It seems like Marantz has longer history in high end audio than iFi Audio. 
I think I might purchase DAC1 if everyone can confirm that DAC1 beats iDSD in SQ. iDSD has higher headphone power (w4000) and higher quality PCM support (32bit, quad DSD).
So far, DAC1 lacks reviews. I guess it's because DAC1 is only four months old.
iDSD has 150 pages on this forum yet DAC1 has only 15 and I can barely find its reviews or comparison to other units.

Someone told me that iDSD is better than Sony's PHA-3. Then, DAC1 should be the best among three. I haven't heard about any other great sounding DAC below $800 price range. 
Audeze's Deckard DAC ($699) seems intriguing too.


----------



## kawaivpc1

DAC1 vs Oppo HA-1? Can anyone comment on this?


----------



## karmazynowy

Or vs Audiolab MDAC, or Hegel HD11?


----------



## estreeter

kawaivpc1 said:


> Thanks,
> I'm considering both DAC1 and iDSD.
> It seems like Marantz has longer history in high end audio than iFi Audio.


 
  
 Just slightly - over 60 years for Marantz vs less than 5 for iFi afaik .... 
  
 I own two Marantz products with onboard DACs - the PM6005 with the CS3498 and SA-14S1 with the B-B DSD1792A - and each has clearly been designed to appeal to certain segment of the market. From some of the feedback in this thread it would seem that Marantz has nailed most of their target market with this relatively inexpensive offering - I only wish they had gone down this road sooner. As of right now, I'm waiting to hear the new NA8004 to see if Marantz have taken the CS4398 as far as they can - interesting times ahead.


----------



## jamescodway

karmazynowy said:


> Or vs Audiolab MDAC, or Hegel HD11?


 

 I have owned the Audiolab MDAC for 2 years. It is a very competent unit that as a dac/amp suits some headphones (HD650, RS1, SRH940) but is significantly underweight for HD800 and does not suit other phones such as B&O H6 and Beyer DT250-250. It has no iDevice specific interface.
  
 The HD DAC-1 carries much more authority as a DAC and especially as an amp. IMHO, there is no real contest given a UK street price difference of probably around 10%.
  
 Best
  
 James


----------



## DanPluck

Any opinions of how this sounds with the Orthos and how much power it outputs at 40ohms?


----------



## SpirosG

I' ll give you a clue next week, when I expect to receive my dac-1 and pair it with my HE 500s ...


----------



## DanPluck

spirosg said:


> I' ll give you a clue next week, when I expect to receive my dac-1 and pair it with my HE 500s ...


 
  
 Excellent thanks, exactly the pairing i had in mind.  My only concern that it could be a little under powered (having used my HE500 with a Cyrus 3 Speaker Amp it really opens them up) and a little warm.


----------



## SpirosG

Before I made up my mind, I heard the HFM with quality amps, under the 1000mw/32ohm wattage and I understood that the job can be done pretty well.. up to now I had the Audio-gd nfb-11  (rated about  2w/38ohms) ...


----------



## DanPluck

spirosg said:


> Before I made up my mind, I heard the HFM with quality amps, under the 1000mw/32ohm wattage and I understood that the job can be done pretty well.. up to now I had the Audio-gd nfb-11  (rated about  2w/38ohms) ...




I have the Audio-GD Compass 2, which is about the same power wise. I don't really need an upgrade but the marantz is shiny and would match my stereo setup, PM15s2 etc.


----------



## jamescodway

jamescodway said:


> My listening tests have been brief and not scientific but my belief is my experience of my 1st and 2nd unit mirrors your own, except the hum on the 2nd unit seems a little less at all gain settings. I've now established the residual RF issue is my iphone 4s that cannot be hard reset (lock button busted). Once I have settled on a new source (I hear the front usb/idevice input as more detailed/more treble than the conventional rear usb) then I think I will be very happy with this unit...




It seems the iDevice RF issue coincides with device becoming fully charged by the HD DAC-1. Today there is less/zero issue while the iDevice is still being charged... go figure!

In practice this means swapping between CCK+normal USB and the iDevice interface on the front panel. 

Best

James


----------



## jmsaxon69

Just got mine in tonight! What settings are you using for JRiver? Couldn't make DSD work even though used similar settings to what I used on an iFi iDSD Micro.  Using a DoP setting and getting sound, but not sure it's the right way.


----------



## Jodet

jmsaxon69 said:


> Anyone running the HD-DAC1 with the Sony MDR-Z7?


 
  
 My HD-DAC1 will be here in a week and I'm going to be using it with the Sony's.


----------



## jmsaxon69

jodet said:


> My HD-DAC1 will be here in a week and I'm going to be using it with the Sony's.




Mine came in today, so checking out the Z7 now


----------



## jmsaxon69

jmsaxon69 said:


> Just got mine in tonight! What settings are you using for JRiver? Couldn't make DSD work even though used similar settings to what I used on an iFi iDSD Micro.  Using a DoP setting and getting sound, but not sure it's the right way.




Think I'm okay I found the DoP setting


----------



## wdh777

Has anyone used the HD-DAC1 while watching movies on an iPad.  It seems like the audio and video are ever so slightly out of sync.  I haven't had this issue with other icompatible dac/amps.  Wondering if anyone else has experienced this?  Thanks


----------



## cdsa35000

wdh777 said:


> Has anyone used the HD-DAC1 while watching movies on an iPad.  It seems like the audio and video are ever so slightly out of sync.  I haven't had this issue with other icompatible dac/amps.  Wondering if anyone else has experienced this?  Thanks



Ask this guy: http://www.head-fi.org/u/413996/crafft

http://www.head-fi.org/t/730055/marantz-hd-dac1/68


----------



## p3ga

_*Help spend my money....*_





  
 The Marantz HD-DAC1 really has me intrigued as a one box DAC - headphone amp upgrade solution; sound wise, what would I be giving up going the Marantz route vs. a Schiit Bifrost / Vahalla 2 (or Asgard 2)  -OR- suitable DAC + Project Ember pairing?
  
 I know that if I go the Marantz route, I'll lose the option of tube rolling; which may be ok as I don't know if I really want to start playing hi-fi again. However, if the Marantz falls short on the sound side, I'll break out the valves.
  
 Interestingly enough all the combos I'm considering come in about the $US 700-800 range.
  
 Currently, I'm using HD600's, fed by a Maverick D1 from the PC; musical tastes are all over the board.
  
 Thanks in advance.


----------



## crafft

cdsa35000 said:


> Ask this guy: http://www.head-fi.org/u/413996/crafft
> 
> http://www.head-fi.org/t/730055/marantz-hd-dac1/68


 

 Unfortunately I'm not a movie/film guy. So no experience here. But will check it out.


----------



## wdh777

Thanks craft. Would love a few folks to plug in their iPads and see if they have syncing issues between the video and audio. Also I'm considering trying an oppo ha-1. Is there a consensus between the marantz and oppo? Thanks


----------



## Jodet

p3ga said:


> _*Help spend my money....*_
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
  
 I'll be doing a detailed bifrost uber / marantz compare in about a week.


----------



## jmsaxon69

Marantz is proving to be a great match for the Sony MDR-Z7. The mellow sounding Sony is fleshing out the Marantz presentation and really giving it a natural sound. Very pleased so far, looking forward to getting my AudioQuest Coffee USB next week!


----------



## crafft

wdh777 said:


> Thanks craft. Would love a few folks to plug in their iPads and see if they have syncing issues between the video and audio. Also I'm considering trying an oppo ha-1. Is there a consensus between the marantz and oppo? Thanks




Connected through the front usb(a) port I Also notice that video and audio is a bit out of sync on my iPad 

Connected via the cck and USB(B) port on the back of the Marantz there is no syncing issue!

The Marantz needing more time processing the signal of the front USB would be a logical explanation.


----------



## wdh777

Thanks craft. I thought I was going crazy. I returned my first unit and Marantz said they couldn't replicate the issue and sent me a new unit which was better but not perfect. Is there an adapter to convert my standard apple FireWire to usb to FireWire to the back facing usb port? Thanks!!


----------



## wdh777

totally apologize for the firewire reference.  I meant the standard lighting to usb that connects to the front of the unit.  How do I convert it to the lightening to usb for the back of the unit which will correct the audio/video syncing issue?  Thanks


----------



## crafft

wdh777 said:


> totally apologize for the firewire reference.  I meant the standard lighting to usb that connects to the front of the unit.  How do I convert it to the lightening to usb for the back of the unit which will correct the audio/video syncing issue?  Thanks


 

 You need a lightning to usb camera adapter. See Apple store.


----------



## wdh777

The camera adapter worked. Thanks. Does anyone make a lightning to usb b cable?


----------



## wdh777

Any idea how this compares to the woo wa7 fireflies? Thanks


----------



## Jodet

wdh777 said:


> Any idea how this compares to the woo wa7 fireflies? Thanks


 
  
 The dac in the Fireflies is kind of an afterthought.   
  
 I've owned a wa7, and I'll have the Marantz in house next week.   I'll post some impressions.


----------



## SpirosG

I've just bought the marantz hd-dac1 and cannot configure foobar to play dsd ...
  
 I'm not inexperienced, before this I had an Audio-gd dac and played dsd, through foobar, flawlessly. 
  
 I have installed the foo_input_sacd from soundforge website, I choose foo_dsd_asio as foobar's output and the in the asio tab, I configure ''foo_dsd_asio'' to use  the ''marantz audio device'' .... No matter  if I choose ''asio native'' or ''dop'' in the following su-menu,  I have no playback ...
  
 Can you help ??


----------



## jmsaxon69

spirosg said:


> I've just bought the marantz hd-dac1 and cannot configure foobar to play dsd ...
> 
> I'm not inexperienced, before this I had an Audio-gd dac and played dsd, through foobar, flawlessly.
> 
> ...




Is there a DoP setting in Foobar? That's what I had to use in JRiver


----------



## SpirosG

thnx for the answer !
  
 finally, i re-installed Foobar & all the components,and Voila! Everything is ok! Plays dsd with asio, not dop ... the good thing is that even in high gain, it is dead silent (no hum or anything) and it drives HiFiMan HE 500 with great ease !


----------



## frankrondaniel

spirosg said:


> thnx for the answer !
> 
> finally, i re-installed Foobar & all the components,and Voila! Everything is ok! Plays dsd with asio, not dop ... the good thing is that even in high gain, it is dead silent (no hum or anything) and it drives HiFiMan HE 500 with great ease !


 
  
 So it sounds like it is possible to have an HD-DAC1 what doesn't hum?


----------



## jmsaxon69

frankrondaniel said:


> So it sounds like it is possible to have an HD-DAC1 what doesn't hum?


 

 Mine is brand new and does not hum.  What is humming on yours? The unit itself or an audible hum through the headphones and RCA outputs?


----------



## frankrondaniel

jmsaxon69 said:


> Mine is brand new and does not hum.  What is humming on yours? The unit itself or an audible hum through the headphones and RCA outputs?


 
  
 It's hum heard through headphones.  RCA out into an external amp is fine.
  
 My current unit is a replacement unit after my first one died.  I'm pretty sure that the first one didn't have any perceivable hum through headphone out, even at high-gain.  The vendor agreed to accept this one for return and send me another.


----------



## SpirosG

frankrondaniel said:


> So it sounds like it is possible to have an HD-DAC1 what doesn't hum?


 
 yepp !


----------



## 2leftears

frankrondaniel said:


> So it sounds like it is possible to have an HD-DAC1 what doesn't hum?


 
 I still have a suspicion that this _may _have to do with transformer orientation.
  
 IF the transformer inside the shielding is a toroid (still no conclusive evidence either for or against), it may be pot luck with respect to how it ends up oriented inside the shielding.
  
 Toroids have less magnetic field leakage, but still leak a little, especially around where the winding leads exit.  Despite the shielding, having the headphone amp section right next to the transformer is not ideal...
  
 There are of course other possible causes, like a suboptimal grounding topology, inductance caused by slightly different cable routing etc.


----------



## jmsaxon69

I wonder if they had a parts problem and it took a while to get more built?  I had to wait 3 weeks for mine.


----------



## 2leftears

jmsaxon69 said:


> I wonder if they had a parts problem and it took a while to get more built?  I had to wait 3 weeks for mine.




Possible, but then here in the UK 3 weeks delivery for this type of stuff is pretty normal in my experience...

I had to wait 3 weeks for mine, and the same for my Marantz SA-11S3 and PM-11S3 a year ago.

We are not talking about your average stock 'em high sell 'em cheap audio equipment here.


----------



## jmsaxon69

They have US warehouses, so shippingn in the US should be 3 or 4 days if they have them.


----------



## 2leftears

jmsaxon69 said:


> They have US warehouses, so shippingn in the US should be 3 or 4 days if they have them.




Sure, but then you'll probably be paying the regular price as quoted by lots of internet-based dealers.

You can often get a better deal from premium dealers authorised to sell the full range of Marantz equipment (not all are allowed to) who will allow you to haggle but who will not immediately place your order with the importer. Usually they wait a week or so to collect orders from multiple customers to place a single bulk-order with the importer. This way I got the HD-DAC1 £80 cheaper than advertised everywhere on-line (and no, it is not a grey import...)


----------



## estreeter

2leftears said:


> Possible, but then here in the UK 3 weeks delivery for this type of stuff is pretty normal in my experience...
> 
> I had to wait 3 weeks for mine, and the same for my Marantz SA-11S3 and PM-11S3 a year ago.
> 
> We are not talking about your average stock 'em high sell 'em cheap audio equipment here.


 
  
 Luck of the draw. I can understand why a dealer wouldn't want expensive stock like your SACD player/amp combo on the floor, but I got my PM6005 the day I walked in and asked my local dealer - the SA-14S1 had to come from Bangkok but that only meant waiting a day or so. Still no sign of either the HD-DAC1 or the NA8005 at my local dealer.


----------



## karmazynowy

Anyone knows, how DAC1 compares to PM7005? Both have CS4398.


----------



## SpirosG

HD-DAC 1 matches brilliantly with HifiMan HE 500 ... it's some days now that i enjoy the combination. I'm very pleased and extremely satisfied with the sonic results.


----------



## 2leftears

karmazynowy said:


> Anyone knows, how DAC1 compares to PM7005? Both have CS4398.




No experience with the PM7005 but I would certainly expect the headphone amp of the HD-DAC1 to significantly outperform the headphone out of the PM7005.

As to the quality of the DAC implementation I can only guess. The PM7005 seems to lack the re-clocking of the HD-DAC1, which will matter if you have a high jitter digital source. The PM7005 also seems to be lacking a USB-A input for playback of USB mass storage devices (USB sticks / external HD etc.)

Other than that they obviously serve completely different purposes.


----------



## DrWest

I have had my DAC1 for a few months now. I am on my second unit aswell. The first one I got was one someone had returned to Amazon. Amazon made them mistake of sending it to me as new. With the first one I had the click you hear from the DAC switching on when it has a source could actually be heard through the headphones. Where as my current one you can not. I am so far lucky enough not to get any hum like some of you. I am currently using DT880 600Ohm with the DAC1. Looking to upgrade my headphones now. Any recommendations that would match well with the DAC1?


----------



## sasbyte

I got my replacement unit from marantz. No more hum or clicks. It's awesome for the price.


----------



## jmsaxon69

sasbyte said:


> I got my replacement unit from marantz. No more hum or clicks. It's awesome for the price.


 

 Good deal!


----------



## Rockcoon

Should we wait for hd-dac2, which will suport pcm up to 32/384 and dsd as well? The great device it might be


----------



## jmsaxon69

rockcoon said:


> Should we wait for hd-dac2, which will suport pcm up to 32/384 and dsd as well? The great device it might be


It's a pretty great device RIGHT NOW, wait all you want....there is always "something better" coming


----------



## kawaivpc1

jmsaxon69 said:


> It's a pretty great device RIGHT NOW, wait all you want....there is always "something better" coming


 
  
 They should make a 32bit 382kHz PCM, DSD 256 support device with improved sound quality and gain control.


----------



## GMaxx

drwest said:


> I have had my DAC1 for a few months now. I am on my second unit aswell. The first one I got was one someone had returned to Amazon. Amazon made them mistake of sending it to me as new. With the first one I had the click you hear from the DAC switching on when it has a source could actually be heard through the headphones. Where as my current one you can not. I am so far lucky enough not to get any hum like some of you. I am currently using DT880 600Ohm with the DAC1. Looking to upgrade my headphones now. Any recommendations that would match well with the DAC1?


 

 Hi, I have a question. You guys say the clicking sound is gone when you switch on when it has a source. Is this just through the headphones or when the DAC is connected to the speakers do you not hear anymore clicks. I had just finally accepted that the clicking sound from the relay was inevitable with this DAC. However, if you guys got click free units now then maybe Marantz corrected something in the later units as I got mine in November 2014. Anyway, just trying to see if it is worthwhile for me to send mine in. THANKS!


----------



## jmsaxon69

kawaivpc1 said:


> They should make a 32bit 382kHz PCM, DSD 256 support device with improved sound quality and gain control.


 

 Okay then, send them an email and they will get right on that for you....


----------



## Jodet

jmsaxon69 said:


> Okay then, send them an email and they will get right on that for you....


 
  
 Have them put in a couple of decent analog inputs while they're at it.


----------



## jmsaxon69

gmaxx said:


> Hi, I have a question. You guys say the clicking sound is gone when you switch on when it has a source. Is this just through the headphones or when the DAC is connected to the speakers do you not hear anymore clicks. I had just finally accepted that the clicking sound from the relay was inevitable with this DAC. However, if you guys got click free units now then maybe Marantz corrected something in the later units as I got mine in November 2014. Anyway, just trying to see if it is worthwhile for me to send mine in. THANKS!


 

 Brand new unit and it clicks every time it is locking onto a different bit rate.  Normal stuff, that means it is decoding "bit perfect" like a Schiit Audio DAC does.  Not audible through the headphones at all, just the unit itself has a relay click.


----------



## bretemm

I have the Marantz 5009 and have a 5.1 setup right now, BUT, 
I have a headphone amp and dac by Schiit Audio that I like using and I want to use it with marantz but there's no optical audio out, 
So my question is, 
What by marantz could I get to be able to get that optical audio out to use it with my Schiit? 

Right now I have my Schiit Audio connected to my xboxone and it works but I'm wanting to listen to the radio and that from my marantz so, what could I get for it to work? 
Thanks!


----------



## i019791

bretemm said:


> I have the Marantz 5009 and have a 5.1 setup right now, BUT,
> I have a headphone amp and dac by Schiit Audio that I like using and I want to use it with marantz but there's no optical audio out,
> So my question is,
> What by marantz could I get to be able to get that optical audio out to use it with my Schiit?
> ...


 
 What are the digital outs of the Marantz and what are the digital ins of the Schiit dac ?
 Apart from going digital from the Marantz, you could check whether you can go analogue (rca) from the Marantz to the Schiit amp


----------



## DrWest

My first unit I could hear the DAC clicking through the headphones. My current unit still does click but I can not hear it via the headphones. It is also overall more quite. Just to let you know you can also load a program/webpage that interacts with an audio device and it will stay locked in. I just have a webpage open that uses HTML 5 to access audio API and as long as that is webpage is open my device never unlocks it stays at 192k.


----------



## bretemm

ok, well the only input is really just the optical audio, but the marinate only has an input for optical audio. 
 i can't really get longer rca cables because then that effects the sound.


----------



## bretemm

so with Marantz, what would you recommend so i can use my Schiit amp and dac?


----------



## jmsaxon69

bretemm said:


> so with Marantz, what would you recommend so i can use my Schiit amp and dac?




Tape out analog to the Schiit amp, that's about it really. I'd treat them as 2 seperate things if it was me though.


----------



## bretemm

Ok, there suppose to go together tho, 
Right now I have it connected to my xboxone and the audio works and I did have the second video out from marantz working but the audio wasn't working so I switched it back, 
It kinda sounds dumb by price that I prefer my $200 Schiit to use with my earbuds then the Marantz but, I tested them and the Schiit sounds better for "earbuds/headphones". 





jmsaxon69 said:


> Tape out analog to the Schiit amp, that's about it really. I'd treat them as 2 seperate things if it was me though.


----------



## jmsaxon69

bretemm said:


> Ok, there suppose to go together tho,
> Right now I have it connected to my xboxone and the audio works and I did have the second video out from marantz working but the audio wasn't working so I switched it back,
> It kinda sounds dumb by price that I prefer my $200 Schiit to use with my earbuds then the Marantz but, I tested them and the Schiit sounds better for "earbuds/headphones".


 

 It just makes no sense, the only thing you want to do is listen to FM radio?


----------



## bretemm

Well also CDs, Apple TV music and also the radio, but, as far as optical audio out, I don't know what by marantz is good, I think the Eva cables I heard loose quality when there longer 


jmsaxon69 said:


> It just makes no sense, the only thing you want to do is listen to FM radio?


----------



## jmsaxon69

The problem is that all of those sources are usually hooked up HDMI through your Marantz and are being processed by it's D/A converters, so if you go out of the analog tape out and only hook the Schiit amp up you'd be okay as long as you only listen to "Stereo" mode on the Marantz when using headphones. 
  
 If you want to use the Schiit DAC also you are screwed because the SR5009 has no digital out that isn't an HDMI
  
 So....Whoever sold you this combo didn't so a very good job at system design for you.


----------



## bretemm

Ok, 
Well so far I've used it only connected to my Apple TV optical audio, 
The Schiit amp and dac are very small and I bought them 1-2yeara before the Marantz, 
So far using Schiit it really helped the quality of my music as more "even" and more "space", 
So, other then taping off, is there any other way to use both the Schiit amp+dac together?
I could use the second video out to possibly bluray? But So far I havnt seen a marantz bluray that has a optical audio out, 
Thank you for your help 


jmsaxon69 said:


> The problem is that all of those sources are usually hooked up HDMI through your Marantz and are being processed by it's D/A converters, so if you go out of the analog tape out and only hook the Schiit amp up you'd be okay as long as you only listen to "Stereo" mode on the Marantz when using headphones.
> 
> If you want to use the Schiit DAC also you are screwed because the SR5009 has no digital out that isn't an HDMI
> 
> So....Whoever sold you this combo didn't so a very good job at system design for you.


----------



## jmsaxon69

bretemm said:


> Ok,
> Well so far I've used it only connected to my Apple TV optical audio,
> The Schiit amp and dac are very small and I bought them 1-2yeara before the Marantz,
> So far using Schiit it really helped the quality of my music as more "even" and more "space",
> ...


 
 Maybe hook everything up to your TV HDMI and then use the optical out of your TV to feed the Schiit stack and bypass the Marantz all together?


----------



## bretemm

Well, but then I won't be able to have CDs, radio or Apple TV all hooked up, 
Are there any bluray players that you would recommend to use with "zone 2" on the Marantz? Thanks! 


jmsaxon69 said:


> Maybe hook everything up to your TV HDMI and then use the optical out of your TV to feed the Schiit stack and bypass the Marantz all together?


----------



## estreeter

jmsaxon69 said:


> Brand new unit and it clicks every time it is locking onto a different bit rate.  Normal stuff, that means it is decoding "bit perfect" like a Schiit Audio DAC does.  Not audible through the headphones at all, just the unit itself has a relay click.


 
  
 Yup - both my PM6005 and SA-14S1 have a soft click when the bit rate changes - it has never bothered me.


----------



## Dark Ayla

I am thinking to get the Marantz DAC 1 but I scared of the humming, DAC lock noise and rolled off sound. We're these issues resolved? Do u think this DAC/amp is a good match for the LCD3.


----------



## Alou

Looks quite well built.
 Does anybody know the details for the USB connection (Synchronous/Asynchronous) ?
 Is it USB 1 or 2 and what drivers does it require in case its 2 or higher.
  
  


dark ayla said:


> I am thinking to get the Marantz DAC 1 but I scared of the humming, DAC lock noise and rolled off sound. We're these issues resolved? Do u think this DAC/amp is a good match for the LCD3.


 

 Is this true ?I am surprised for a a company with such quality as Marantz.


----------



## estreeter

dark ayla said:


> I am thinking to get the Marantz DAC 1 but I scared of the humming, DAC lock noise and rolled off sound. We're these issues resolved? Do u think this DAC/amp is a good match for the LCD3.


 
  
 If you are genuinely terrified of the prospect of relays clicking when the bitrate changes - and for me its a non-issue anyway - segregate your high-res music from Redbook via playlists. As noted earlier, Marantz are a long way from being the only DACs where the relays are audible. As for 'rolled off sound', I dont know how anyone can put your mind at ease on this via a forum - you need to hear the gear for yourself. Is there no online retailer where you can return the DAC1 within the first month if you arent happy with it ?


----------



## GMaxx

Hi Guys, here's something interesting. I saw that a bunch of people mentioned that this unit runs hot. I brought mine in Nov 2014. My unit does not run hot. You can leave it on for hours playing Spotify or a movie without being hot to the touch. I recently picked up a new unit to compare.
 I work on my pc for hours on end and the old unit's relay would click on and off all the time within seconds of each other when working in a word or excel doc, surfing the web, reading emails or doing almost anything on my pc. The new unit does not click on and off as much and the clicking noise is noticeably lower. It mostly just clicks now when I run audio related programs. However, the new unit runs really hot so much that I see what everyone was talking about. It is definitely now hot to the touch. I don't know enough about the workings of the DAC or how the relay is implemented but could it be that since the new DAC's relay doesn't click off as much this is what is causing the heat?
  
 With that said I'm of the mind set that a cooler running DAC is better. Unless Marantz now implemented something different in the newer units. What do you guys think?
  
 Thanks!


----------



## 2leftears

gmaxx said:


> Hi Guys, here's something interesting. I saw that a bunch of people mentioned that this unit runs hot. I brought mine in Nov 2014. My unit does not run hot. You can leave it on for hours playing Spotify or a movie without being hot to the touch. I recently picked up a new unit to compare.
> I work on my pc for hours on end and the old unit's relay would click on and off all the time within seconds of each other when working in a word or excel doc, surfing the web, reading emails or doing almost anything on my pc. The new unit does not click on and off as much and the clicking noise is noticeably lower. It mostly just clicks now when I run audio related programs. However, the new unit runs really hot so much that I see what everyone was talking about. It is definitely now hot to the touch. I don't know enough about the workings of the DAC or how the relay is implemented but could it be that since the new DAC's relay doesn't click off as much this is what is causing the heat?
> 
> With that said I'm of the mind set that a cooler running DAC is better. Unless Marantz now implemented something different in the newer units. What do you guys think?
> ...




Could be many things, but I still have my suspicions as to whether the amp section may have a stability issue on some units. RF radiation can drive susceptible electronics into high frequency instability. An amp with HF instability could potentially run very hot whilst still sounding fine...

Do you have any particularly strong WiFi routers nearby for example?

And is it possible to locate where the heat is generated? For example if the unit is clearly hotter to the touch at the front of the top cover this would indicate the headphone amp is generating the heat, whereas if it is more towards the rear it would be the logic board/DAC section.

I doubt the heat has anything to do with the muting relays though...


----------



## jmsaxon69

In a cabinet it runs hot , on my open rack it doesn't really. Not sure why people freak out about equipment dissipating heat?


----------



## GMaxx

2leftears said:


> Could be many things, but I still have my suspicions as to whether the amp section may have a stability issue on some units. RF radiation can drive susceptible electronics into high frequency instability. An amp with HF instability could potentially run very hot whilst still sounding fine...
> 
> Do you have any particularly strong WiFi routers nearby for example?
> 
> ...


 

 My unit is about 4 feet or so away from my router opposite it. The heat is coming from the top vents so it is just probably the unit dissipating heat. This really didn't  bother me since it's next to my pc which probably puts out more heat but I was just shocked at the difference in heat output between the two units. My old unit you could touch without much discomfort, but the new one I wouldn't really want to leave my hand on it. Anyway,not sure to make of it and which unit is better just that one clicks more often and is cooler while the other clicks less but runs hot. The sound quality is pretty much the same between the two units.


----------



## estreeter

jmsaxon69 said:


> In a cabinet it runs hot , on my open rack it doesn't really. Not sure why people freak out about equipment dissipating heat?


 
  
 I guess its the fact that the component is usually on the desktop right in front of them rather than in a rack with adequate ventilation etc. I read something recently which said that most of the amps that are marketed as 'Class A' are simply Class A/B heavily biased into Class A and that the only way to know for sure is to touch the case after an hour or so. If you burn your hand, chances are you have a genuine Class A amp and can look forward to lower heating bills in Winter - if not, I'm afraid you've just fallen victim to marketing. I dont know how heavily Marantz have biased the amp in the DAC1 to Class A but clearly its considerably more than the dedicated headamp in my SA-14S1 - that runs cool for hour after hour. Much larger case and plenty of ventilation probably dont hurt either.


----------



## 2leftears

estreeter said:


> I dont know how heavily Marantz have biased the amp in the DAC1 to Class A but clearly its considerably more than the dedicated headamp in my SA-14S1 - that runs cool for hour after hour. Much larger case and plenty of ventilation probably dont hurt either.


 
  
 This could be another reason some HD-DAC1 run hotter than others, although one would hope that they would be able to ship the units with a reasonably consistent bias current.
  
 If you don't mind invalidating the warranty, you can probably change it yourself.  The headphone amp seems to have a few trim-pots.  Now if only audio equipment came with a circuit diagram included in the box, like it used to be in the 80's


----------



## 2leftears

jmsaxon69 said:


> In a cabinet it runs hot , on my open rack it doesn't really. Not sure why people freak out about equipment dissipating heat?


 
  
 I think they are more worried about their equipment freaking out.
  
 If it dissipates more heat than designed for (e.g. due to a manufacturing fault), service life may be drastically shortened.


----------



## joeq70

p3ga said:


> _*Help spend my money....*_
> 
> The Marantz HD-DAC1 really has me intrigued as a one box DAC - headphone amp upgrade solution; sound wise, what would I be giving up going the Marantz route vs. a Schiit Bifrost / Vahalla 2 (or Asgard 2)  -OR- suitable DAC + Project Ember pairing?
> 
> ...



I can't be a ton of help but I can say that I just listened to the Marantz with the HD600, and it sounded excellent!


----------



## Ilari

I'm currently testing the Marantz with my Grado PS1000 (non-e model). How would the sound potentially improve if I got something like a Chord Hugo, Hugo TT or other, more expensive DAC? I'm all new to this, but as a musician/music lover I'd like to know whether investing any more in a DAC would make an audible difference given the quality of the Grados.


----------



## joeq70

ilari said:


> I'm currently testing the Marantz with my Grado PS1000 (non-e model). How would the sound potentially improve if I got something like a Chord Hugo, Hugo TT or other, more expensive DAC? I'm all new to this, but as a musician/music lover I'd like to know whether investing any more in a DAC would make an audible difference given the quality of the Grados.



Interesting question. I don't know but....do you like the Marantz more than other setups you have heard?


----------



## Ilari

Definitely so!


----------



## estreeter

ilari said:


> I'm currently testing the Marantz with my Grado PS1000 (non-e model). How would the sound potentially improve if I got something like a Chord Hugo, Hugo TT or other, more expensive DAC? I'm all new to this, but as a musician/music lover I'd like to know whether investing any more in a DAC would make an audible difference given the quality of the Grados.


 
  
 It's a chain - all the way from the source to your ears. I'm not going to get bogged down in details, but if you ever find yourself at Computer Audiophile you'll find folk who go to ridiculous lengths to 'fix' the USB output from their computers - thats before it even reaches a DAC - these guys are nth-degree fanatics about the electrical noise generated inside a computer and how that impacts what you hear at the transducers (speakers or headphones). 
  
 Your Grados will only ever be able to pass on what they are being fed, but the trap in this hobby is that many of us ignore the *law of diminishing returns* in the 'good-better-best' race. I own the Hugo and I own two Marantz components with DAC capability - one with the same chip as the HD-DAC1 - and they all have their pros and cons. The SA-14S1 cost me roughly 4 times the price of my PM6005, the Hugo about the same : _is either 4 times better than the DAC section in the 6005_ ? Technically, I believe they are, but none of that matters when I just want to listen to music from my speaker rig : with rock its not something I'm prepared to obsess over but there are some in this hobby who will pay whatever it costs to get the 'best' : I'm not one of those people. I reached a point where my wallet said 'enough' and now I'm going to have to sell some gear if I want to keep playing this game. 
  
 Ultimately, it comes down to disposable income, but if you like what you hear from the HD-DAC1 my advice is not to spend too much time reading reviews of other DACs : that's a very deep rabbit hole and this month's 'OMG' DAC is usually dissected and cast aside when something newer and shinier comes along. This isnt unique to DACs, but they seem to have overtaken headphone amps as the component many here choose to obsess over.  Nothing illustrates how quickly gear can lose favour here than the HD800 - I still believe they are the finest dynamic headphone ever made, definitely the best imaging headphone I've ever heard, but there are some here who couldnt get a For Sale sign up quickly enough after taking delivery of their Senns.  When they were initially released, Sennheiser struggled to keep up with demand, but the nature of this hobby is that your sonic preferences arent mine and vice versa. 
  
 Good luck - you'll need it


----------



## agent86a

I had a pretty strange experience with this DAC. First one had three issues: ran very hot, clearly audible hum, very noticeable EMI sounds on the iphone USB port (once the device was charged).
  
 I had it swapped out under warranty, and the next one has none of these issues at all! It runs much cooler, and has no strange hums or noises I can detect.
  
 I'm thrilled with the product now and think it sounds fantastic, but there are clearly several quality control issues and variation among units. I'm not sure if all of these three issues were correlated, but interesting that the first unit had all three and the second none.
  
 Hope this helps others who are experiencing problems.


----------



## Noony

As a HD-DAC1 and PS1000E user for the last 3 months I thought I might throw in my two cents worth, make of it what you will. This DAC/HP combination does have major issues in just about every area of sonic reproduction, but non more so than in the upper midrange which, in my experience at least, meant early to bed on a listening evening was never a problem. Boy was I glad to get those cans off some nights! Not great for America's finest $2000 plus HP's obviously being let down by a miserable mid price DAC/AMP from Japan. Or so you would think. Anyway, long story short, after much experimentation (including the Chord) turns out the situation (IMHO) is pretty much the reverse. The Marantz truly is right up there with the big boys, if there's something out there more musical, I've yet to hear it. And the Grado's? Well they certainly sound wonderful in the shop, but living with them is a whole different proposition. Personally I now have Edition 5's stuck to my head and they're not coming off any time soon. Musical nirvana achieved. Right, it's 3 a.m. and I'm off to bed....


----------



## joeq70

noony said:


> As a HD-DAC1 and PS1000E user for the last 3 months I thought I might throw in my two cents worth, make of it what you will. This DAC/HP combination does have major issues in just about every area of sonic reproduction, but non more so than in the upper midrange which, in my experience at least, meant early to bed on a listening evening was never a problem. Boy was I glad to get those cans off some nights! Not great for America's finest $2000 plus HP's obviously being let down by a miserable mid price DAC/AMP from Japan. Or so you would think. Anyway, long story short, after much experimentation (including the Chord) turns out the situation (IMHO) is pretty much the reverse. The Marantz truly is right up there with the big boys, if there's something out there more musical, I've yet to hear it. And the Grado's? Well they certainly sound wonderful in the shop, but living with them is a whole different proposition. Personally I now have Edition 5's stuck to my head and they're not coming off any time soon. Musical nirvana achieved. Right, it's 3 a.m. and I'm off to bed....



These are really interesting impressions. Are you saying here that you didn't realize how good it was until you compared it to other equipment or that it was just the PS1000e was the problem?


----------



## frankrondaniel

agent86a said:


> I had a pretty strange experience with this DAC. First one had three issues: ran very hot, clearly audible hum, very noticeable EMI sounds on the iphone USB port (once the device was charged).
> 
> I had it swapped out under warranty, and the next one has none of these issues at all! It runs much cooler, and has no strange hums or noises I can detect.
> 
> ...




Good to hear! Makes me hopeful that my third unit will do the trick.


----------



## estreeter

noony said:


> As a HD-DAC1 and PS1000E user for the last 3 months I thought I might throw in my two cents worth, make of it what you will. This DAC/HP combination does have major issues in just about every area of sonic reproduction, but non more so than in the upper midrange which, in my experience at least, meant early to bed on a listening evening was never a problem. Boy was I glad to get those cans off some nights! Not great for America's finest $2000 plus HP's obviously being let down by a miserable mid price DAC/AMP from Japan. Or so you would think. Anyway, long story short, after much experimentation (including the Chord) turns out the situation (IMHO) is pretty much the reverse. The Marantz truly is right up there with the big boys, if there's something out there more musical, I've yet to hear it. And the Grado's? Well they certainly sound wonderful in the shop, but living with them is a whole different proposition. Personally I now have Edition 5's stuck to my head and they're not coming off any time soon. Musical nirvana achieved. Right, it's 3 a.m. and I'm off to bed....


 
  
 From memory, the PS1000 was a very divisive headphone from the day it was released - the furthest I went up the Grado line was a pair of SR325is but most seem to agree that everything changes after the RS-1. Havent owned a pair of Grados since I bought the combination I'd lusted after for some time - HD800 / LCD-2R2 (since replaced by the LCD-X).


----------



## Ilari

Would you say the Hugo was a good buy?


----------



## Ilari

Was supposed to quote estreeter


----------



## fb24601

anyone has tried to compare hd-dac1 with fostex hp-a8?


----------



## jmsaxon69

Anyone having issues with their unit not staying locked? I am having to unplug the USB from the back and let it lock again, sometimes 2 or 3 times a day.  Once it's playing it stays locked pretty good, but if it sits it seems to lose it.   I am guessing it's a sketchy driver from Marantz?


----------



## GMaxx

jmsaxon69 said:


> Anyone having issues with their unit not staying locked? I am having to unplug the USB from the back and let it lock again, sometimes 2 or 3 times a day.  Once it's playing it stays locked pretty good, but if it sits it seems to lose it.   I am guessing it's a sketchy driver from Marantz?




Yup, same here. This is what was driving me crazy at first esp. Since I work late at night because every time it locked and unlocked then it also clicked with each lock and unlock. I never had to do anything with my usb cable because the unit would lock again whenever I started an audio program. The unit relay just unlocks a lot when I'm doing things on my pc. The newer unit I have unlocks a lot less but still does too. I hope it's a driver issue that maybe can be fixed.


----------



## jmsaxon69

Not really the same thing. You are talking about the lock and unlock relay click and I am talking about a complete unlock that needs a cable reset to fix


----------



## joeq70

gmaxx said:


> Yup, same here. This is what was driving me crazy at first esp. Since I work late at night because every time it locked and unlocked then it also clicked with each lock and unlock. I never had to do anything with my usb cable because the unit would lock again whenever I started an audio program. The unit relay just unlocks a lot when I'm doing things on my pc. The newer unit I have unlocks a lot less but still does too. I hope it's a driver issue that maybe can be fixed.


 
  
  


jmsaxon69 said:


> Not really the same thing. You are talking about the lock and unlock relay click and I am talking about a complete unlock that needs a cable reset to fix


 
 Have you guys checked the USB adapter settings? I think there is a power saver mode that lets USB devices sleep automatically to save power. Maybe check that to make sure it is off if you haven't yet.


----------



## GMaxx

jmsaxon69 said:


> Not really the same thing. You are talking about the lock and unlock relay click and I am talking about a complete unlock that needs a cable reset to fix




Oh. I don't need a complete reset. However, when the relay clicks off doesn't that sort of denote an unlock by the unit? Or is that something else when the relay turns off? Just trying to understand the workings involved here.


----------



## jmsaxon69

Here is an example.  I may come back to my PC 3 hours later and it is in "Sleep" mode, when I open JRiver and start to play something I get an error message, I unplug the USB cable from the back of the HD-DAC1 and then everything is fine.  Sometimes it just happens without the PC being in "Sleep" mode.  Just wondering if anyone else is getting this behavior, it's just annoying, not really a show stopper.


----------



## joeq70

jmsaxon69 said:


> Here is an example.  I may come back to my PC 3 hours later and it is in "Sleep" mode, when I open JRiver and start to play something I get an error message, I unplug the USB cable from the back of the HD-DAC1 and then everything is fine.  Sometimes it just happens without the PC being in "Sleep" mode.  Just wondering if anyone else is getting this behavior, it's just annoying, not really a show stopper.



Did you check the power saver settings for the device on your pc?


----------



## jmsaxon69

joeq70 said:


> Did you check the power saver settings for the device on your pc?


 
 "AutoStandby" is set to OFF


----------



## frankrondaniel

jmsaxon69 said:


> Not really the same thing. You are talking about the lock and unlock relay click and I am talking about a complete unlock that needs a cable reset to fix


 
  
 I'm not sure if it's the same issue, but my first unit developed an issue where it couldn't lock at all.  Hardware issue in my case, as the replacement unit worked fine in that respect.  Returning that unit, though, due to hum.


----------



## joeq70

jmsaxon69 said:


> "AutoStandby" is set to OFF


 
 Just to be clear we are talking about the same thing--if you have a windows pc....
  
 -Disable "selective USB-Suspend" found under Power Options then USB>Advanced
 -Also, to be safe, I go into device manager and right click on all of the USB host controllers and devices that look related or are nondescript, rick click, click properties, then under the Power Management tab (if there is one), I untick the box that says "allow the computer to turn off this device to save power"
  
 If you haven't done those exact steps, you should try it. If you have a mac, then I can't help you (sorry!).


----------



## Noony

estreeter said:


> From memory, the PS1000 was a very divisive headphone from the day it was released - the furthest I went up the Grado line was a pair of SR325is but most seem to agree that everything changes after the RS-1. Havent owned a pair of Grados since I bought the combination I'd lusted after for some time - HD800 / LCD-2R2 (since replaced by the LCD-X).
> 
> 
> When I was lucky enough to audition many high end head phones a few months ago (Toronto is such a great place for that, there's virtually nothing that you can't get your hands on) I seriously enjoyed the HD800 for it's Soundstage but found it a touch sterile in it's tonality. The LCD-X was certainly pretty much the opposite as I remember, smooth and rounded sounding but hey! Are they mono? No, that's unfair,but I've still never seen a twenty foot cello! But I can certainly see why you would own both though, it must be like having two cd collections! No, the Audeze sound wasn't for me as I'm basically a frustrated loudspeaker lover having to adjust to the practicalities of modern living, so I need that wide open up front sound stage. Okay I bummed out on the Grados because I succumbed to their in your face mid range and descent imaging (very much like the the th900) but when I hooked them up to the Marantz back home they basically got hung out to dry. It's such a revealing unit for any HP shortcomings whatsoever (IMO). That's why I'm so overjoyed about the Edition 5's. To me it's the engaging tonality of the LCD-X meeting the sound stage of the HD800, and then some. To be honest I can't find much wrong with them other than very few in the HP community seems to take them seriously. But I can live with that all day long.
> ...


----------



## estreeter

ilari said:


> Would you say the Hugo was a good buy?


 
  
 If you need portability, absolutely - if not, there is some stiff competition in desktop DACs (with or without a headphone amp) atm. That's not a criticism of the Hugo's sound quality - simply an acknowledgement that a desktop DAC is likely to have a lot more real estate dedicated to input and output connections. In sonic terms, the best description I've seen is 'delicate and detailed', but you really need to hear it for yourself.


----------



## Ilari

My local retailer carries NAIM... has anyone experience with their lineup?


----------



## seethelight

This is just a post to share some of my experiences with the *Marantz HD-DAC1*. I had an issue, which turned out to be a production issue, I don't see anybody else here has had.
  
Very quickly after I bought it, *I experienced noise when using the front iPod/iPhone usb port*. The noise would not be present until the unit had "warmed up". The noise could only be heard when using headphones or the variable out on the back panel. In other words, whenever the volume knob was engaged simultaneously with the iPod port being used, and only under those circumstances. I was using both an iPhone 5c and the latest iPad Retina. The noise level was constant irrespective of the setting of the volume knob (except the noise would almost disappear at close to maximum volume), increased when increasing the Amp Gain setting, and was sensitive to display changes on the iPhone/iPad (more noise when using the touch interface). At first, the dealer where I bought the HD-DAC1 didn't think there was anything wrong with the unit - saying it was probably my music source (iPhone) that was the problem - but after I recorded the noise so the dealer could hear what I was talking about, he agreed there was something wrong with the unit. I sent it in for repair. 
  
I've now received a replacement Marantz HD-DAC1 - and the noise problem when using the iPod/iPhone port is history. Apparently, Marantz were aware of the iPod direct problem and had issued service directions to their repair channels. According to my dealer, some resistors needed to be replaced, but due to long delivery of the components, my dealer chose to replace the unit, with a newer one where the issue had been dealt with in production.
  
My best headphones are a pair of *Sennheiser HD-580 Precision* I bought new many years ago, and which have recently been "reconditioned" with a new HD-650 cable and new ear cushions. I really enjoy the music these produce when connected to the Marantz HD-DAC1 - *it's a great sounding combo!*
  
I've also had another issue with noise, but there the culprit was with my Apple TV, not the HD-DAC1:
  
While I was waiting for the return of my DAC, I bought a latest generation Airport Express (model no. A1392 - the one that looks like a white Apple TV). I already owned a second generation Airport Express (model no. A1264). So with my brand-new Marantz HD-DAC1, I've done some testing and have found the following:
 

Optical out from Apple TV (3rd gen.), model no. A1427, gives off a disturbing static noise (sounds like a scratched vinyl record) whenever it is turned on, regardless of whether there is a sound signal or not. Another thing is that Apple TV will always send sound on optical out at a 48 kHz sample rate. In other words it will perform a resampling (with loss of sound quality) in most hi-fi applications. Hi-fi? Well, that is questionable! I deem the Apple TV useless in hi-fi applications. Not only is the static noise way too prominent and disturbing, but also the airiness, detailing, presence - and hence musicality of the music - suffer!
Optical out from Airport Express, model no. A1392, also has some static noise, but it does not sing its ugly tune as frequently as on my Apple TV. When using Airplay from my iPhone, the signal is transferred at the native sampling rate of 44.1 kHz, and the quality of sound is definitely better than through the Apple TV. I suspect this is due to the fact that the signal is not resampled, like in the Apple TV.
Optical out from Airport Express, model no. A1264, has no static noise and sounds better than the newer Airport Express, model no. A1392. Here we're getting closer to true hi-fi, but even this - my best Airplay option - does not sound as good as when I connect my iPhone directly to the Marantz HD-DAC1 via the iPhone charging cable! Now we're talking!
  
In conclusion, I am now a very happy owner of a Marantz HD-DAC1, but still not happy with my Apple TV (3rd gen.). I'll be using Airplay over my model no. A1264 Airport Express for background music to speakers, but for serious listening I'll be using a cable from my music source to the DAC - and 9 out of 10 times I'll be using a good pair headphones for this!


----------



## crafft

Received my unit back from Marantz repaircentre yesterday after sending it in for 3 issues:
 1. hum when locked to a signal (best heard with low impedance headphones);
 2. interference on front usb-port starting when connected iDevice reached 100% charge.
 3. connected via front usb-port audio and video are not in sync (when watching movie on iDevice)
  
 After repair, issues 1+2 are completely solved. The syncing problem still exists but that does not bother me too much. I noticed this issue only because of this forum. I for myself use the Marantz solely for music listening and wouldn't have noticed it if I didn't read this topic on Head-Fi. Also there is no syncing problem when connecting through the usb(b) port on the rear of the HD DAC1.
  
 When the unit was at Marantz one of their staff phoned me up to ask about the issues (if I could elaborate), which I think is good practice. In the Netherlands this was their first unit they got in for repair. They said they would contact Marantz Germany and Marantz Japan to ask about the problems and how to solve them. The turnaround time for my unit was only one week. So I'm impressed at the people at Marantz.....good job!
  
 The repair note was very, very brief. All it said was that 6 R were replaced (I think by R they mean resistors but maybe also relais?), a modification was done and also a function test.
 I suspect they also replaced the volume pot as I notice more resistance when turning the knob by hand.
  
 I asked my dealer if they could get a more specific report from Marantz about the repair job but this info is not yet available.
  
 Sound quality wise I don't think anything has changed...it still is a superb sounding dac/headphone amp!
  
 Very happy with my HD DAC1 and Marantz as a company did a fine job!


----------



## seethelight

crafft said:


> The repair note was very, very brief. All it said was that 6 R were replaced (I think by R they mean resistors but maybe also relais?), a modification was done and also a function test. I suspect they also replaced the volume pot as I notice more resistance when turning the knob by hand.


 
  
 It seems your issue 2 was the same as mine (or very similar at least), see my post right above yours. I was told that they needed to replace some resistors, so I think you are right in assuming that R stands for Resistor. The volume potentiometer is a variable resistor, so that could be one of the resistors they are referring to.


----------



## crafft

seethelight said:


> It seems your issue 2 was the same as mine (or very similar at least), see my post right above yours. I was told that they needed to replace some resistors, so I think you are right in assuming that R stands for Resistor. The volume potentiometer is a variable resistor, so that could be one of the resistors they are referring to.


 

 Yup, I saw your post and that's why I thought R stood for resistor.... In my language the only appropriate R I could think of was  "relais" (as the word resistor in Dutch is called "weerstand" and there was no letter "W" mentioned on the note haha). 
  
 I'm still curious about what has been modified apart from the replacement of 6 resistors. Hope to hear that soon.


----------



## bretemm

Has any used there's marantz to output audio to a marantz bluray player? Or to a another amp and dac to be able to use headphones? 
I have a amp and dac by "Schiit Audio" that I want to use for my earbuds but there's no optical audio out on my marantz sr5009, so how can I output audio into a optical audio cord way so I can use my Schiit Audio with it? 

I recently tested inbetween my Marantz headphone jack and my Schiit and, I got to say Schiit sounded better. 
As a sterio and speakers its great, 
But I still want to use my earbuds with it when I don't want to blast music


----------



## estreeter

bretemm said:


> Has any used there's marantz to output audio to a marantz bluray player? Or to a another amp and dac to be able to use headphones?
> I have a amp and dac by "Schiit Audio" that I want to use for my earbuds but there's no optical audio out on my marantz sr5009, so how can I output audio into a optical audio cord way so I can use my Schiit Audio with it?
> 
> I recently tested inbetween my Marantz headphone jack and my Schiit and, I got to say Schiit sounded better.
> ...


 
  
 1. which Schiit DAC do you have ? 
 2. you appear to have optical out on the back of the SR5009 - both coaxial and Toslink from the image I grabbed on google images
 3. assuming your DAC has optical in (coax or Toslink), you're set. The *Modi 2 Uber, Bifrost and Gungnir *all appear to have both coaxial and Toslink inputs. Consult the manual for your SR5009 to see if there is a setting that disables either of your outputs - it shouldnt have been enabled by default, but it will definitely leave you scratching your head if you hook everything up and still get no sound.


----------



## seethelight

bretemm said:


> Has any used there's marantz to output audio to a marantz bluray player? Or to a another amp and dac to be able to use headphones?
> I have a amp and dac by "Schiit Audio" that I want to use for my earbuds but there's no optical audio out on my marantz sr5009, so how can I output audio into a optical audio cord way so I can use my Schiit Audio with it?
> 
> I recently tested inbetween my Marantz headphone jack and my Schiit and, I got to say Schiit sounded better.
> ...


 

 Not sure what it is you want to do? You want to use your Shiit DAC/amp instead of the built-in headphone amp of your Marantz SR5009 AV receiver when using earbuds, I think that much is clear.
  
 But what is your music source - is it the blu-ray player? And if so, does your blu-ray have a digital audio out (toslink or coaxial)?
  
 Or is it that you want to be able to listen to any source that is connected to your AV receiver with your earbuds? Looking under specifications _here_, you seem to be right that the SR5009 does not provide any digital out for audio. If your Shiit DAC/amp does not have an analog in (perhaps unlikely since it is a DAC), I don't see any practical/desirable way of doing this with the components you've mentioned.
  
 Edit:
 I now notice that your AV receiver has two HDMI out ports. HDMI to Toslink audio extractors do exist. I have no experience with anything like that though. My thought is that you could get digital audio out from one of your HDMI out ports via such an extractor, which would then be connected to your Shiit DAC/amp via Toslink. But for the sound to be great, the digital audio signal would have to be unprocessed the whole way through from signal source to input into your Shiit DAC/amp. I don't know if your AV receiver and/or an HDMI audio extractor would resample the digital signal on its way...


----------



## bretemm

Thank you, so the second hdmi would be the only way, 
Right now again, Im using a optical audio cord from my Apple TV to Schiit, 
So as long as it's uncompressed the hdmi to optical audio should work? 
Thank you! 





seethelight said:


> Not sure what it is you want to do? You want to use your Shiit DAC/amp instead of the built-in headphone amp of your Marantz SR5009 AV receiver when using earbuds, I think that much is clear.
> 
> But what is your music source - is it the blu-ray player? And if so, does your blu-ray have a digital audio out (toslink or coaxial)?
> 
> ...


----------



## i019791

bretemm said:


> Thank you, so the second hdmi would be the only way,
> Right now again, Im using a optical audio cord from my Apple TV to Schiit,
> So as long as it's uncompressed the hdmi to optical audio should work?
> Thank you!


 
 Why can't you go analog from the Marantz to the Schiit amp ?


----------



## bretemm

Well, Schiit only has a optical audio input, I looked and I guess I could get a hdmi to optical audio converter 





i019791 said:


> Why can't you go analog from the Marantz to the Schiit amp ?


----------



## i019791

bretemm said:


> Well, Schiit only has a optical audio input, I looked and I guess I could get a hdmi to optical audio converter


 
 The Schiit dac may have only optical input. But the Schiit amp has only analog input  So you connect the Marantz to the Schiit amp, leaving the Schiit dac out of the chain.


----------



## seethelight

bretemm said:


> Thank you, so the second hdmi would be the only way,
> Right now again, Im using a optical audio cord from my Apple TV to Schiit,
> So as long as it's uncompressed the hdmi to optical audio should work?
> Thank you!


 

 Sorry, but I can't answer that question with any certainty. What I've experienced myself is that the Apple TV resamples every digital audio source to 48kHz sample rate - and the loss of sound quality is noticeable! If you read my first post in this thread, I go as far as deeming the Apple TV useless in hi-fi applications! So if there is a way to go analog from your AV receiver to the AMP of the Shiit, that would probably be preferable to going reprocessed digital. What model of Shiit DAC/Amp is it you have?


----------



## bretemm

I have the last version of the magni and modi (not the new version) they've been great and I've noticed a big difference in my music, 
I did try once to connect the second marantz HDMI to my Xbox one and It worked (after connecting the xboxone hdmi to my tv) but there was no audio and I could t make it full screen or it went black, 
So, would my marantz end up working with Schiit? 


seethelight said:


> Sorry, but I can't answer that question with any certainty. What I've experienced myself is that the Apple TV resamples every digital audio source to 48kHz sample rate - and the loss of sound quality is noticeable! If you read my first post in this thread, I go as far as deeming the Apple TV [COLOR=333333]useless in hi-fi applications![/COLOR] So if there is a way to go analog from your AV receiver to the AMP of the Shiit, that would probably be preferable to going reprocessed digital. What model of Shiit DAC/Amp is it you have?


----------



## seethelight

It is hard to give advice when I don't have the full picture of your setup. But I would try to connect one of your analog out ports of your AV receiver to the Shiit Magni, to use the Magni as your headphone amp. The Modi DAC could possibly be used between your digital music source (computer?) and the AV receiver. That way there is a chance the digital to analog conversion happens only in the Modi, while the receiver will process the signal in a purely analog fashion, and forward the analog signal to the Magni for headphone listening. I don't know your receiver well enough to know whether my assumptions are correct, though.


----------



## jmsaxon69

I went through this with him a few weeks back and there is no good answer.


----------



## vlach

jmsaxon69 said:


> I went through this with him a few weeks back and there is no good answer.




All of which has nothing to do with this thread...just saying.


----------



## jamescodway

crafft said:


> Received my unit back from Marantz repaircentre yesterday after sending it in for 3 issues:
> 1. hum when locked to a signal (best heard with low impedance headphones);
> 2. interference on front usb-port starting when connected iDevice reached 100% charge.
> 3. connected via front usb-port audio and video are not in sync (when watching movie on iDevice)
> ...




I can confirm that my experience is identical to your account, for which I thank you as this thread prompted my dealer to arrange the 'repair'... I am now very happy and working through my collection of cans to determine the best combinations. So far it is bringing the best or as good as previously heard out of SRH 840, DT770-80, DT150, H6 and HD25-1. 

For anyone reading this with residual hum or RF issues, go and get the unit changed or 'repaired', then it really is a keeper. As a DAC and as an amp, it is very surprisingly satisfying, if not down to the last detail of timbre, certainly to hear all the 'music'. 

Best

James


----------



## frankrondaniel

jamescodway said:


> I can confirm that my experience is identical to your account, for which I thank you as this thread prompted my dealer to arrange the 'repair'... I am now very happy and working through my collection of cans to determine the best combinations. So far it is bringing the best or as good as previously heard out of SRH 840, DT770-80, DT150, H6 and HD25-1.
> 
> For anyone reading this with residual hum or RF issues, go and get the unit changed or 'repaired', then it really is a keeper. As a DAC and as an amp, it is very surprisingly satisfying, if not down to the last detail of timbre, certainly to hear all the 'music'.
> 
> ...


 
  
 I went through 3 units without receiving one that was satisfactory in regards to hum.  I ended up giving up on it for now.  Perhaps I'll revisit sometime in the future when I might be able to count on receiving a hum-free unit.


----------



## jamescodway

frankrondaniel said:


> I went through 3 units without receiving one that was satisfactory in regards to hum.  I ended up giving up on it for now.  Perhaps I'll revisit sometime in the future when I might be able to count on receiving a hum-free unit.


 

 I can understand the frustration and the decision to cut losses. I was very nearly there myself. I returned my 2nd unit for repair and the background is now absolutely silent at all gain settings up to full volume even with the most sensitive IEMs.
  
 As I use this repaired unit more and with different music & cans, I will update with further impressions.
  
 Best
  
 James


----------



## oldson

can you guys confirm that the hum is only evident when using the unit's headphone amp?
 i am considering one of these to feed my Ember.


----------



## seethelight

oldson said:


> can you guys confirm that the hum is only evident when using the unit's headphone amp?
> i am considering one of these to feed my Ember.


 

 I can confirm that I have no hum or noise whatsoever, under any circumstance. I got my unit replaced with a newer unit, where they had taken care of my problem in production. So if you get a newer unit you should be fine. My new unit has serial number 66001450000563 and is a 230V European version.


----------



## SpirosG

Mine has absolutely no problem, too. Maybe, it was the first production units that had some ''teething'' problems...


----------



## karmazynowy

Mine is dead silent too.


----------



## musicmac

Echoing the dead silent... No issues after two weeks...


----------



## oldson

ok thanks guys.
 if i get one i will make sure its not old stock.


----------



## JWahl

Does anyone here have experience with both the Resonessence Concero line of Dacs and this Marantz or similar sources like the SA/NA8005? I'm currently using the Concero HD as an all in one with my HD800 and I'm looking at this to use as a standalone Dac once my tube amp is repaired. I'm guessing it will be more of a lateral move, just hoping it won't be a downgrade. 

It has me curious at the price point, but I don't really have any experience with Marantz sources. Just reading they they tend to be warm and musical mostly.


----------



## Spamateur

Been reading through this thread and had a couple questions for anyone that has a chance to answer:
  
 1) Am I right in thinking that the HD-DAC1 has no way of selectively muting the headphone output vs. the preamp outs? I'd be using it alternately between headphones and powered monitors and wouldn't want the active monitors running off the preamps running while I'm listening to headphones. From this post: http://www.head-fi.org/t/730055/marantz-hd-dac1/135#post_11228335 it seems that isn't possible, but wanted to be sure. It's a little silly that there's no way to switch outputs and instead you're stuck listening to everything you have connected to the device at once.
  
 2) I've read a few of the comparisons between the Marantz and the Oppo HA-1, which I currently have. Most of the differences are chalked up to the Marantz being more musical and the Oppo being more analytical. I find the Oppo is far too bright for my personal preferences with the LCD-X. Can anyone speak to the relative brightness of the Marantz in how it compares to the Oppo? It seems that "musical" implies it's warmer than the Oppo HA-1.
  
 Thanks for any feedback or impressions anyone could lend.


----------



## musicmac

spamateur said:


> Been reading through this thread and had a couple questions for anyone that has a chance to answer:
> 
> 1) Am I right in thinking that the HD-DAC1 has no way of selectively muting the headphone output vs. the preamp outs? I'd be using it alternately between headphones and powered monitors and wouldn't want the active monitors running off the preamps running while I'm listening to headphones. From this post: http://www.head-fi.org/t/730055/marantz-hd-dac1/135#post_11228335 it seems that isn't possible, but wanted to be sure. It's a little silly that there's no way to switch outputs and instead you're stuck listening to everything you have connected to the device at once.
> 
> ...


 

 Regarding #1
  
 You are correct ...   both the preamp outs and the headphone out are driven simultaneously - when you mute one, the other is muted as well.  I use the power switch on my active monitors to control any output from the preamp outputs.
  
 Regarding #2
  
 No direct comparison with the Oppo as I do not have one or have I heard one.   With both the AKG 712 Pro and the Sennheiser HD600 using Adirvana+ on the Mac, I find to my ear that the the sound output is very musical and on the warm side.  The detail is there but I would characterize the higher treble regions as not being overly bright - rendered smoothly with little grain.  To my ears, the overall sound output works well with most genres of music and have I been very pleased with the SQ - a nice bang for the buck AMP/DAC.


----------



## Spamateur

musicmac said:


> Regarding #1
> 
> You are correct ...   both the preamp outs and the headphone out are driven simultaneously - when you mute one, the other is muted as well.  I use the power switch on my active monitors to control any output from the preamp outputs.
> 
> ...




This is incredibly helpful. Thank you! I think I'll take a chance on the Marantz.


----------



## birno

Hi all,
  
 I got mine last week and it has a beautiful, emotional sound, really like it.
 I'm using it with a Hifiman HE-400i.
 Only one thing I noticed, the middle range, the voices, sounds like they would be in the background, blunt a little bit.
 Anybody else experienced this with any headphone?


----------



## Sam Quentin

Give the Amp a little time to burn in.
 The mids will open up at about 100 hours.
 Some recommend up to 150 hours burn-in.
 Mine has a beautiful mid range and voices now with the audeze lcd-2's.
  
 I recommend a good USB-Cable. The HD-DAC1 benefits with good cabling.
 I also got me a Silver Cable for the Headphones which worked wonders with the voices and clarity overall.


----------



## birno

The DAC-s need 100-150 hour burn in too? 
 I thought only the headphones need a lot of burn in time.


----------



## Sam Quentin

I noticed changes after burning in the Headphones, the Amp and the Cables.
 It's not like the whole Soundsignature changes, but it's there.
 It opens up. Cannot explain it better with my bad english, sorry 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




  
 When i received the Amp i first was kind of disappointed about the middle range, like you are.
 Brass and percussion didn't sound very natural.
 After a few weeks of normal play it was gone.


----------



## musicmac

birno said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I got mine last week and it has a beautiful, emotional sound, really like it.
> I'm using it with a Hifiman HE-400i.
> ...




No issue with thin mids on my headphones - Audeze EL-8, Sennheiser HD600, and AKG 712. With the HE-400i, you should probably be running mid or hi gain for the headphone out. If you are running low gain that may be causing the recessed/thin mids you are hearing.


----------



## birno

musicmac said:


> No issue with thin mids on my headphones - Audeze EL-8, Sennheiser HD600, and AKG 712. With the HE-400i, you should probably be running mid or hi gain for the headphone out. If you are running low gain that may be causing the recessed/thin mids you are hearing.


 
 No, I already tried that, no change in the mids with other gain settings.
 I hope it's really just because of the burn-in period, we will see in a few weeks. 
  
 Btw, what's about the EL-8? Is it good with this DAC? Can you compare to the HE-400i maybe?


----------



## jmsaxon69

birno said:


> No, I already tried that, no change in the mids with other gain settings.
> I hope it's really just because of the burn-in period, we will see in a few weeks.
> 
> Btw, what's about the EL-8? Is it good with this DAC? Can you compare to the HE-400i maybe?


 

 Don't have my HiFiMan stuff yet, but listening to the EL-8 on the HD-DAC1 right now and it's a very nice match, mids are fantastic on female vocals.  Nice tight bass with decent extension and now that the EL-8 have settled in the highs are pretty smooth and revealing.  Great $1,500 system


----------



## birno

jmsaxon69 said:


> Don't have my HiFiMan stuff yet, but listening to the EL-8 on the HD-DAC1 right now and it's a very nice match, mids are fantastic on female vocals.  Nice tight bass with decent extension and now that the EL-8 have settled in the highs are pretty smooth and revealing.  Great $1,500 system


 
 Yet? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




 Good for you man, I can't wait to hear those nice female vocals.
 I think I will set my playlist to repeat and leave the system switched on, in the next 2 week, while I'll be in work to burn-in as fast as possible.


----------



## Sam Quentin

> I think I will set my playlist to repeat and leave the system switched on, in the next 2 week, while I'll be in work to burn-in as fast as possible.


 
 Thats what i did on my previous system.
 But this time i enjoyed to hear the progress while listening.
  
 It takes a few days to get familiar with the sound.
 Your brain needs some burn-in, too


----------



## birno

sam quentin said:


> Thats what i did on my previous system.
> But this time i enjoyed to hear the progress while listening.
> 
> It takes a few days to get familiar with the sound.
> Your brain needs some burn-in, too


 
 Don't worry, I will enjoy the summary of the daily progress.


----------



## 2leftears

birno said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I got mine last week and it has a beautiful, emotional sound, really like it.
> I'm using it with a Hifiman HE-400i.
> ...


 
  
 Pleased to hear you like it.  I had no issues with the mids on mine though (with Sennheiser HD800 / HD540).
  


sam quentin said:


> I noticed changes after burning in the Headphones, the Amp and the Cables.
> It's not like the whole Soundsignature changes, but it's there.
> It opens up. Cannot explain it better with my bad english, sorry
> 
> ...


 
  
 I can understand (and experienced) the need for "burning in" electrolytic capacitors and perhaps some semiconductor junctions, and also for speakers and headphones (although I think the term suspension relaxation would be more appropriate for the latter), but personally I would draw the line at the idea of "burning in" cables. The engineer in me doesn't buy into that last one, unless maybe for a coaxial that had been stored in seriously humid conditions, so the dielectric has a chance to dry out.
  


sam quentin said:


> Thats what i did on my previous system.
> But this time i enjoyed to hear the progress while listening.
> 
> It takes a few days to get familiar with the sound.
> Your brain needs some burn-in, too


 
  
 I indeed believe the "burn in" phenomenon is mostly (though not exclusively) a matter of the brain adapting to the sound signature.  However, this in no way invalidates the notion that a few days listening are required to form a balanced (and nevertheless subjective) judgment on the sound signature.


----------



## birno

2leftears said:


> I indeed believe the "burn in" phenomenon is mostly (though not exclusively) a matter of the brain adapting to the sound signature.  However, this in no way invalidates the notion that a few days listening are required to form a balanced (and nevertheless subjective) judgment on the sound signature.


 
 My friend heard it at the first day, and noticed the mid problem too.
 He's living in an other city, so don't using the DAC day by day.
 If I will hear some changes after a few week, I will call him out again.
 If he will hear the changes too, then it not just a brain adapting thing.
 I think it will be a good test.


----------



## musicmac

jmsaxon69 said:


> Don't have my HiFiMan stuff yet, but listening to the EL-8 on the HD-DAC1 right now and it's a very nice match, mids are fantastic on female vocals.  Nice tight bass with decent extension and now that the EL-8 have settled in the highs are pretty smooth and revealing.  Great $1,500 system


 

 Just got the EL-8 and really liking it with the Marantz.  Yes, Mids are fantastic - Norah Jones sounds phenomenal in the DSD64 format.


----------



## bretemm

Does anyone know if the Marantz CD5005 Optical Audio out will also play a marantz receiver radio through it? I'm wanting to use it with a headphone Amp and Dac by Schiit Audio but my sr5009 dosnt have optical audio out


----------



## seethelight

Regarding burn-in - I haven't noticed any long term improvement with burn-in for the HD-DAC1.
  
 However, from the first day I had it, the difference in sound quality between right after turning it on and after it has had time to "warm up" is quite noticeable. The problems I had with random noise with my first (faulty) unit didn't show up until it had warmed up. With my new unit, the sound quality definitely improves with warm-up!


----------



## mmoraw

Got Mine today,
 I'm glad I can report no issues with locking / hum / or any other not pleasant oddities ...
 Sounds fantastic paired with AKG7xx, soon will have my HD800 back, which I borrowed, but can't wait already ...
 After lecture of this thread I have to admit I was bit sceptical about reliability of the unit, however, got absolutely no problems with mine. (UK version)
 Will play music through over next two days then report on burning in, not much to tell about sonic signature so far, simply it require bit of A/B in my case.
 I will be comparing against my sabre9018/head-amp diy combo, as well as PM11S1 more details soon, if I find a minute or two 
 Oh... one more aspect, this thing  is build like a tank, heavy, feels solid, feels quality, all the way, well done Marantz


----------



## jamescodway

jamescodway said:


> As I use this repaired unit more and with different music & cans, I will update with further impressions.




Hello all. I just enjoyed a late night session with HD DAC1 (high gain) with stock HD800 (16xxx serial range) fed by TIDAL/iPad 3 and a £30 30 pin to usb into the idevice port. 

The unit ran hot after 2-3 hours but all aspects of presentation were satisfying on good quality recordings. Not much mercy for poor quality mastering/recording though! Instinctively high gain sounds the most authorative but another person earlier wrote would have higher distortion. The next session will be at mid gain. 

Overall I am 'enjoying the music' more and 'listening to gear' less. 

Would appreciate reading others' views. 

Best

James


----------



## crafft

jamescodway said:


> Overall I am 'enjoying the music' more and 'listening to gear' less.
> 
> Would appreciate reading others' views.
> 
> ...


 
  
 That's what it's all about in the end 
  
 My preferred gain setting on the HD DAC1 is MID. My source is mostly a MBP (13" retina with SSD) with Audirvana plus or Fidelia software. Headphones mostly used are HD650, DT880 and Focal Spirit Pro.
  
 Try some music from Quadro Nuevo for example their Antakya album.


----------



## sparkofinsanity

I just ordered one of these. It says that they've had it in storage since February 4th, 2015 (not sure if it means that they've been selling the product since then or if those units they had have been there since then). Anyhow, surely this can't be a unit from the first batch (that seems to have been hit or miss)? It should be from one of the later batches I hope.


----------



## Jodet

I just bought a 2Qute and it is far and away the best dac I've heard.   I just put my Marantz on the 'for sale amplification' forum.


----------



## JamieMcC

jodet said:


> I just bought a 2Qute and it is far and away the best dac I've heard.   I just put my Marantz on the 'for sale amplification' forum.


 

 What are the stand out differences for you between the 2Qute and Marantz?


----------



## Jodet

jamiemcc said:


> What are the stand out differences for you between the 2Qute and Marantz?


 
  
 Dramatically better resolution on the Chord.   Way more detail.   Bigger soundstage, tighter and lower bass.    
  
 It's not subtle.   The Chord is twice the money but as Ferris Bueller would say, 'if you have the means I highly recommend picking one up'. 
  
 I cannot think of any piece of gear I've bought in years that has given me as much enjoyment as this dac.


----------



## sparkofinsanity

jodet said:


> Dramatically better resolution on the Chord.   Way more detail.   Bigger soundstage, tighter and lower bass.
> 
> It's not subtle.   The Chord is twice the money but as Ferris Bueller would say, 'if you have the means I highly recommend picking one up'.
> 
> I cannot think of any piece of gear I've bought in years that has given me as much enjoyment as this dac.


 
  
 I don't know how to respond to this without sounding mean, and I really really don't want to. But, there's always a but, if the difference isn't subtle between two modern DAC's – a part of a transparent system that absolutely not should change the sound – one of them is broken.


----------



## Jodet

sparkofinsanity said:


> I don't know how to respond to this without sounding mean, and I really really don't want to. But, there's always a but, if the difference isn't subtle between two modern DAC's – a part of a transparent system that absolutely not should change the sound – one of them is broken.


 
  
 We'll agree to disagree.   It's been my experience that dac's in a similar price range are pretty similar. 
  
 W4S Dac1, Peachtree One, Rega dac - all sounded pretty similar.   I had a minor preference for the Peachtree but I could have lived with any of them.  
  
 The Chord is more expensive than those, but in this case I think the additional expense is justified.


----------



## sparkofinsanity

jodet said:


> We'll agree to disagree.   It's been my experience that dac's in a similar price range are pretty similar.
> 
> W4S Dac1, Peachtree One, Rega dac - all sounded pretty similar.   I had a minor preference for the Peachtree but I could have lived with any of them.
> 
> The Chord is more expensive than those, but in this case I think the additional expense is justified.


 
  
 Glad you're happy, all that matters I suppose.


----------



## oldson

took the plunge on a used ifi micro (dsd) so the marantz is on the back burner for me , at least for now.


----------



## SpirosG

you seem to forget that, first of all, the Marantz dac-1 is a top class hp amplifier. The company launches it primarily as amp with the added bonus of a dac ...
  
 The dac section is a little bit inferior, as Marantz decided to stick with the traditional sound of its players instead of following a more modern approach... For instance, i run a comparative test with some firends in my house, against Aune S-16, Pioneer UD 05 and Rockna Black Dragon. All of them beat my DAC 1 in transparency, resolution and imaging as dacs ...
  
 However, as a amp-dac combo the Marantz earns many points and actually gets over them, as the others are quite behind as hp amps ...


----------



## Jodet

spirosg said:


> you seem to forget that, first of all, the Marantz dac-1 is a top class hp amplifier. The company launches it primarily as amp with the added bonus of a dac ...
> 
> The dac section is a little bit inferior, as Marantz decided to stick with the traditional sound of its players instead of following a more modern approach... For instance, i run a comparative test with some firends in my house, against Aune S-16, Pioneer UD 05 and Rockna Black Dragon. All of them beat my DAC 1 in transparency, resolution and imaging as dacs ...
> 
> However, as a amp-dac combo the Marantz earns many points and actually gets over them, as the others are quite behind as hp amps ...


 
  
 I can't think of any other dac/amp combo in that price range I'd prefer to the Marantz.


----------



## sparkofinsanity

spirosg said:


> you seem to forget that, first of all, the Marantz dac-1 is a top class hp amplifier. The company launches it primarily as amp with the added bonus of a dac ...
> 
> The dac section is a little bit inferior, as Marantz decided to stick with the traditional sound of its players instead of following a more modern approach... For instance, i run a comparative test with some firends in my house, against Aune S-16, Pioneer UD 05 and Rockna Black Dragon. All of them beat my DAC 1 in transparency, resolution and imaging as dacs ...
> 
> However, as a amp-dac combo the Marantz earns many points and actually gets over them, as the others are quite behind as hp amps ...


 

 We didn't forget, I was just a bit picky, and obnoxious, about language usage while talking about DAC's in general. I wouldn't be able to tell two apart no matter how much I tried (as long as they're modern ones). 
  
 The DAC 1 is great and I love the looks of it and the sound of the amp/dac.


----------



## tretneo

I just picked one of these up (received it today) and paired it with the HiFiMAN HE-560 headphones. So far I'm really enjoying the sound, has anyone else tried this pairing? If so, thoughts?
  
- tret


----------



## timour

If somebody interested - I had an issue with voice/mid range with my old Skullcandy Aviator headphones and new HD-DAC1 (voice in most of MP3 was VERY bad - but only voice, the rest was OK). And after one hour of experiments - the reason was stupid: as soon as use OMTP/CTIA 3.5mm/3.5mm mini-jack adapter (earlier purchased it trying to resolve Skullcandy microphone incompatibility with Android phone - but didn't succeed) sound became just great. Hope it will help somebody with similar problem.


----------



## audionewbi

Could not resist, had to order one. I think my desktop setup is complete.


----------



## audionewbi

This thing is solid, very compact and will go great with all headphones. I will test it out with IEM later. Early report is no hissing at low volumes with all my sensitive IEM, only at max I can hear something.

 My concern is not the hissing but perhaps the impedance matching issue. This unit honestly deserve more attention that what it is getting now.


----------



## audionewbi

jodet said:


> Dramatically better resolution on the Chord.   Way more detail.   Bigger soundstage, tighter and lower bass.
> 
> It's not subtle.   The Chord is twice the money but as Ferris Bueller would say, 'if you have the means I highly recommend picking one up'.
> 
> I cannot think of any piece of gear I've bought in years that has given me as much enjoyment as this dac.


 
 I agree on chord sounding more open and spacious and it is great if you have a hifi setup but for a headphone it gets boring real quick. Also each companies have their own house sound and tune according to what they see fit. 

 People have different preference and I believe it is truly application dependent. As much as I enjoy my chord HUGO I think for headphone Marantz offer exceptional performance. I still use an amp for hugo (wagnus) whereas no problem with Marantz. The headphone amp section deals with TH900/K812 and HD600 remarkably well. No complain on first listen, I will report back later but hey it is a 800 dollar product, all in one and crazy compact size


----------



## audionewbi

sparkofinsanity said:


> We didn't forget, I was just a bit picky, and obnoxious, about language usage while talking about DAC's in general. I wouldn't be able to tell two apart no matter how much I tried (as long as they're modern ones).
> 
> The DAC 1 is great and I love the looks of it and the sound of the amp/dac.


 
 It comes down what you like. Specs and price do not always tell the full story. While I do can tell the different between different DAC it does not always indicate which one is better or worst. It comes down to where you want to use it. 
  
 I tried a 5K DAC with a 2K amp with most of my IEM and the gain was minor as simply speaking the bottle neck was my IEM. I tried headphones on the same setup and similar finding but naturally headphones had more of headroom to play. 
  
 To me with HD600 Dac1 is as good as HUGO. While that means HD600 is good with DAC1 it does not indicate whether HUGO has more to offer or DAC1. It comes down to the application. I notice the concept of over-kill is something common on head-fi and sadly I am guilty of it too.


----------



## sparkofinsanity

audionewbi said:


> It comes down what you like. Specs and price do not always tell the full story. While I do can tell the different between different DAC it does not always indicate which one is better or worst. It comes down to where you want to use it.
> 
> I tried a 5K DAC with a 2K amp with most of my IEM and the gain was minor as simply speaking the bottle neck was my IEM. I tried headphones on the same setup and similar finding but naturally headphones had more of headroom to play.
> 
> To me with HD600 Dac1 is as good as HUGO. While that means HD600 is good with DAC1 it does not indicate whether HUGO has more to offer or DAC1. It comes down to the application. I notice the concept of over-kill is something common on head-fi and sadly I am guilty of it too.


 

 I think we've reached a point where most things hifi are overkill, our ears are the limiting part (and those are hard to upgrade). Headphones and speakers haven't reached that point yet though. 
  
 As for this Marantz HD-DAC1 not getting the attention it deserves, I think it's because it's not a boutique product. People here like to "discover" something others don't know about and lift it to the sky. Marantz is more like a Yamaha, Technics or Pioneer. So even though it's built like a tank, have industrial design and finish that the boutique products can't come close to, and the sound certainly isn't sub par in any way, the HD-DAC1 won't get a lot of praise here.


----------



## bigbelly

tretneo said:


> I just picked one of these up (received it today) and paired it with the HiFiMAN HE-560 headphones. So far I'm really enjoying the sound, has anyone else tried this pairing? If so, thoughts?
> 
> - tret


 

 Just wondering if you've got any more comments on how this is working out for you. I've got the DAC1 and I'm thinking of getting a pair of HE-560s.
  
 I've got Audeze EL-8C and the Marantz is doing great job with them but I'm still searching for the right sound for me so I'm exploring options.


----------



## tretneo

I have nothing but good things to say about this pairing.
  
 That said, after reading so many threads with people practically drooling over the Gustard H10 or Lyr 2 pairing with their HE-560s and claiming that the abundant power has "opened them up", etc. I decided to return my HD-DAC1 and join the H10 Massdrop. We'll see if what they say is true. In the meantime I am using my Aune B1 portable amp but I must say I already miss my Marantz...


----------



## bigbelly

Thanks...that deal on the H10 looks very interesting. Now you've got me thinking the same thing....drat.


----------



## giedrys

Anyone ever found HD-DAC1 for less than MSRP from authorized dealer?


----------



## 2leftears

giedrys said:


> Anyone ever found HD-DAC1 for less than MSRP from authorized dealer?


 
 Yes,
  
 £600 from a local authorised dealer vs. £679 RRP.  I got a similar good deal from them on an SA11S3 and PM11S3 a couple of years ago (£3,000 each vs. £3,600 each RRP).  Marantz are one of the brands they specialise in and they are one of the limited number of dealers here that are authorized by Marantz to sell their Premium range.  As I understood it, Marantz sometimes gives them authorisation to supply the first few samples they sell of a new product at a discount, a promotion to get the ball rolling so to speak...
  
 Unfortunately I am in the UK, so probably not much use to you...


----------



## tretneo

bigbelly said:


> Thanks...that deal on the H10 looks very interesting. Now you've got me thinking the same thing....drat.


 
  
 Yeah, I actually kind of wish I had just "enjoyed the music" with my Marantz and stopped doing so much head-fi reading.... Not the first one to have come to this realization I'm sure


----------



## audionewbi

K812 and maratnz can be the setup to end it all for a sane non headfi member. Most of us take what we have front of for granted. But I suppose before one settles they must try as much as they possibility can,right?


----------



## tretneo

audionewbi said:


> K812 and maratnz can be the setup to end it all for a sane non headfi member. Most of us take what we have front of for granted. But I suppose before one settles they must try as much as they possibility can,right?


 
  
 Seems to be the case, this site is good at making a person wonder what they are missing out on.
  
 Curious why you picked the K812 to pair with the Marantz HD-DAC1 for a "sane" non head-fi member end game combo btw. Could the same be said for any flagship (or something like the HE-560 that some people feel can hang with the big boys) headphone in your opinion?


----------



## audionewbi

tretneo said:


> Seems to be the case, this site is good at making a person wonder what they are missing out on.
> 
> Curious why you picked the K812 to pair with the Marantz HD-DAC1 for a "sane" non head-fi member end game combo btw. Could the same be said for any flagship (or something like the HE-560 that some people feel can hang with the big boys) headphone in your opinion?


 
 My sonic preference varies greatly. At first I was an analytical listener for a long time, starting with ER4S for 4 years than moving to k702 for another 2, and to a large extend those two remain my favourite but with years that gone by I realise that those type of listening does not cover everything. The safest option is a gear that has a warm undertone with medium/large soundstage with treble which is present but not over-emphasised. Such tonality will cover all genera with ease (ofcourse some better than other) and that includes live recording which tend to be brighter than conventional studio recording. 
  
 AKG k812 offers that sound, I have no issue with its treble and its bass decay is something that is truly musical without losing control. Pair that with already natural tonality of HD-DAC1 which already has plenty of headroom to power K812 one has nothing to worry about. Truly with this setup amp is not needed.


----------



## Jeff Y

audionewbi said:


> K812 and maratnz can be the setup to end it all for a sane non headfi member. Most of us take what we have front of for granted. But I suppose before one settles they must try as much as they possibility can,right?


 
@audionewbi , can you compare the HD-DAC 1's sound and the Hugo's sound for me if you don't mind? Thank you.


----------



## audionewbi

jeff y said:


> @audionewbi , can you compare the HD-DAC 1's sound and the Hugo's sound for me if you don't mind? Thank you.


 
 It will be a tough one as I no longer have a neutral desktop amplifier to do it correctly.
  
 Basically HUGO is full sounding but lacks dynamic as a stand alone and you need to either increase the volume past your comfort listening or compromise on reduce bass quantity at lower volumes. Add an amp (like O2) and things improve alot. HUGO is more IEM friendly than Marantz even at lower volumes and for most the lack of lower end extension at lower volumes might be a non issue as overall the incredibly open sound of HUGO is very engaging for a first time listener however for headphones like K812 I like HD-DAC1 more then HUGO. The amp section of HD-DAC 1 combined with its DAC provides a nice musicality which does not lack any detail and offers great dynamic (better than stand alone HUGO at any volume).
  
 The price we pay for HUGO is what it can offer you arguably anywhere and it can scale up greatly with better amp, I cannot test that right now to see which DAC as stand alone can offer more but as a stand alone unit with headphones like TH900/K812/HD600 HD-DAC1 is a much better choice than HUGO simply for its much better amp section.


----------



## Poimandres

Are the side panels real wood or plastic?


----------



## audionewbi

I dont think so but it feels real to touch but not as dense, which got me thinking might not be.

 I honestly love the K812 and marantz pairing. Sadly Maratnz is not queit friendly with low impedance, not a hissing issue but it plays around with the tuning of the lower impedance (bloated midbass with very rolled off highs). However swap to K812 I cannot pick fault at all, at all!


----------



## Poimandres

Low impedance or high sensitivity? I am wondering how it will pair with the ethers.


----------



## audionewbi

For me low impedance, I plugged he highly sensitive EQ-8/IQ and both played with a very black background, minimum hiss at past 50% volume. I think the amp section is best suited for dynamic drivers than anything else.


----------



## SpirosG

My HFM HE500 has an impedance of 38 ohm, but i don't face any noising problems, even when setting the gain at the highest ...


----------



## tretneo

spirosg said:


> My HFM HE500 have an impedance of 38 ohm, but i don't face any noising problems, even when setting the gain at the highest ...


 
  
 How do you like the sound quality of your HE-500s when driven by the HD-DAC1? I haven't found too many HFM / HD-DAC1 opinions but found that I really enjoyed the sound quality when pairing this amp/dac with my HE-560s.


----------



## Poimandres

Would like some comparisons to the Oppo ha-1. Has anyone heard both?


----------



## SpirosG

tretneo said:


> How do you like the sound quality of your HE-500s when driven by the HD-DAC1? I haven't found too many HFM / HD-DAC1 opinions but found that I really enjoyed the sound quality when pairing this amp/dac with my HE-560s.


 
 http://www.head-fi.org/t/551345/hifiman-he-500-he-as-in-high-end-proving-to-be-an-enjoyable-experience-in-listening/15600#post_11363647


----------



## tretneo

spirosg said:


> http://www.head-fi.org/t/551345/hifiman-he-500-he-as-in-high-end-proving-to-be-an-enjoyable-experience-in-listening/15600#post_11363647


 
  
 Well then! Sounds like a thumbs up to me


----------



## audionewbi

Planar driver,dynamic drivers and balance armature with different cross over all have different impedance curve.


----------



## giedrys

poimandres said:


> Would like some comparisons to the Oppo ha-1. Has anyone heard both?




Have you tried searching this thread?


----------



## Poimandres

Some people are so helpful.....I have read most of this thread if not all of it and don't recall seeing much of anything comparing the two. Thanks for your candor though it is much appreciated.


----------



## tretneo

poimandres said:


> Some people are so helpful.....I have read most of this thread if not all of it and don't recall seeing much of anything comparing the two. Thanks for your candor though it is much appreciated.


 
  
 I never understood the search-shaming thing either, I just chalk it up to certain individuals having little patience. Anyway, I found this post from back in January where one Oppo owner provides his comparison opinions in reply to another's (2 for 1):
  
 http://www.head-fi.org/t/730055/marantz-hd-dac1/150#post_11232179


----------



## Poimandres

I'm with you, I did read that post previously however I was looking for additional comparisons.


----------



## MenacingTuba

I have the Beyerdynamic T90 and am trying to decide between the Marantz and Fostex HP-A8.  I read this post, but am unsure as to how the differences would apply to the T90.  I don't find the T90 to be too bright, but wonder if the Marantz would make them so.  I prefer the Fostex's aesthetics, but the Maranz is cheaper and I can't try out either unit.  I don't care about DSD or HD Tracks since the majority of the music I listen to is not available in these formats.  Both devices have dual optical inputs which I want for my consoles, and are fairly priced in Canada (950$ for both vs 1700$ for the Oppo HP-A1) compared to most other HI-FI devices which are either vastly overpriced or become so when imported.


----------



## robster2

Has anybody got the HD-DAC1 working via optical out from a computer sound card?
  
 I just connected my new HD-DAC1 to the PC and was settings things up. The USB input on the DAC is working but when I enable either OPT 1 or OPT 2 the Marantz port hole display says 'unsupported'. I have an optical cable running from the output on my sound card to input 1 (also tried input 2) on the Marantz DAC but it says unsupported!
  
 I have the Titanium HD sound card.
  
 Edit: I have it working now. Just needed to enable SPDIF Out and set it as the default device in windows.


----------



## audionewbi

It works with my mac, have you checked the manufacturer instructions?


----------



## kfinkel1966

I have had my HD-DAC1 for a couple of weeks and am really enjoying it.  Quite an upgrade from my ASUS Xonar Essence STX II!  My Sennheiser HD 700 cans will be delivered tomorrow, so I should really see what this unit is capable of.  The rest of the time I am driving a set of BlueSky Audio powered monitors via the fixed output and it sounds amazing!
  
 Quick question - I have a couple hundred left on an Amazon gift certificate and was toying around with the idea of ordering an upgraded power cord.  Does anyone have any suggestions in that range?  If you have replaced the power cord on your DAC before, is it something you would recommend to others?
  
 Thanks to all of you who make this thread so enjoyable.


----------



## audionewbi

Hd600/700/800 seem to be great with marantz, in particular the later two.


----------



## mmoraw

I got both AKG K7xx and HD800, and can only say that's both sounds fantastic,


----------



## karmazynowy

Its quite unusual but Marantz work very well with both brighter and darker cans.


----------



## alllala

Anyone else experience the DAC1 relais switching when manual switching songs or pausing in foobar. I´m using wasapi output and tried others . This is especially annoying when you only have Window sounds and the DAC1 is switching on and off, when you change the Folder.
  
 I talked to Marantz and in their opinion this may be a faulty device. But reading around the internet, other experience the switching orgy of DAC1, too.
  
 What is your experience with the DAC1? Are you concerned about reliability of the Device, if it switches that often?


----------



## tretneo

alllala said:


> Anyone else experience the DAC1 relais switching when manual switching songs or pausing in foobar. I´m using wasapi output and tried others . This is especially annoying when you only have Window sounds and the DAC1 is switching on and off, when you change the Folder.
> 
> I talked to Marantz and in their opinion this may be a faulty device. But reading around the internet, other experience the switching orgy of DAC1, too.
> 
> What is your experience with the DAC1? Are you concerned about reliability of the Device, if it switches that often?


 
  
 This is definitely the default/expected behavior. I also find it annoying however I hadn't considered long term reliability implications.


----------



## SpirosG

This is normal ... good thing is that the switching noise doesn't come out from the speakers /hp ... I used to have some other (famous in Headfi) dacs, where it came out of the speakers and it was scary ..


----------



## bigbelly

alllala said:


> Anyone else experience the DAC1 relais switching when manual switching songs or pausing in foobar. I´m using wasapi output and tried others . This is especially annoying when you only have Window sounds and the DAC1 is switching on and off, when you change the Folder.
> 
> I talked to Marantz and in their opinion this may be a faulty device. But reading around the internet, other experience the switching orgy of DAC1, too.
> 
> What is your experience with the DAC1? Are you concerned about reliability of the Device, if it switches that often?


 

 I love the DAC1 but it would drive me batty if I had it set up as the default sound device. On a Mac using the DAC1 through USB and with it selected as the the default sound output device I can hear the relay click every time a sound alert is played as the DAC1 locks and then unlocks.
  
 This isn't an issue for me in general because I use Audirvana and Tidal which let me select the specific output device so I leave the default output device set to the internal sound. Also, since I have my headphones on I don't hear the relay clicking. 
  
 Electrical relays used in electronics have a mean time before failure measured in the 10's and 100's of millions of cycles so not likely to be a failure point in this unit unless they were faulty from brand new.
  
 My Denon audio video amp makes similar clicking sounds when it locks onto different signals on digital media.


----------



## kfinkel1966

My HD 700 cans arrived about an hour ago.  I plugged those babies in and fired up Tidal.  OH MY GOODNESS  I am really going to enjoy these headphones.  I imagine they will sound even better as they break in, but it sounds pretty amazing now.
  
 Anyone have any suggestions on where the gain should be set on the Marantz for these phones?  Thanks


----------



## audionewbi

Congrats, leave the gain on medium but you might need high gain at times.


----------



## karmazynowy

@alllala Its normal, evertime you change or seek track usb starts to clicking.
  
 You can avoid this in foobar by turning on fading, look at mine setup


----------



## alllala

karmazynowy said:


> @alllala Its normal, evertime you change or seek track usb starts to clicking.
> 
> You can avoid this in foobar by turning on fading, look at mine setup


 
 Thank you. That helped. My fades before where to small, but starting at about 150ms the DAC1 doesn´t switch every time.
 Quite big fades you are using 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




  



bigbelly said:


> ....
> 
> Electrical relays used in electronics have a mean time before failure measured in the 10's and 100's of millions of cycles so not likely to be a failure point in this unit unless they were faulty from brand new.
> ....


 
 that knowledge soothes me. Want to be able to use the DAC1 in 10 years, too.


----------



## karmazynowy

Im experimenting. U can easliy cut them by a half.


----------



## SpirosG

kfinkel1966 said:


> My HD 700 cans arrived about an hour ago.  I plugged those babies in and fired up Tidal.  OH MY GOODNESS  I am really going to enjoy these headphones.  I imagine they will sound even better as they break in, but it sounds pretty amazing now.
> 
> Anyone have any suggestions on where the gain should be set on the Marantz for these phones?  Thanks


 
 the gain should be in the position, where,  your comfort level of listening relates to pot's positions between ''ten minutes to & five minutes past' ....


----------



## 3083joe

Good evening
I have been looking into picking up a new dac and the dac1 is on my list. You all still feel it's a good dac. Mainly would use optical from cd transport network streaming but some usb. 
How do you all think it would compare to rega dac1, music hall 25.3, pro ject dac box rs?
Thanks


----------



## SpirosG

3083joe said:


> Good evening
> I have been looking into picking up a new dac and the dac1 is on my list. You all still feel it's a good dac. Mainly would use optical from cd transport network streaming but some usb.
> How do you all think it would compare to rega dac1, music hall 25.3, pro ject dac box rs?
> Thanks


 
 If you don't need a excellent HP amp but just a dac,  then you should look into some other options, too...  
  
 IMHO, the Hd-DAC1 excells as a combo, due to its headpone amp ... As a dac, after some comparative listening with 4-5 contenders,  I found  that is relatively not so trasparent, and the soundstage lacks the dimensions of other machines. 
  
 I didn't hear the ones that you mention.... In the same price range, I believe that Pioneer UD-05 is a far better dac. However, as a combo, Marantz is the winner since its amp is so much better and powerful compared with the Pio's ...


----------



## 3083joe

spirosg said:


> If you don't need a excellent HP amp but just a dac,  then you should look into some other options, too...
> 
> IMHO, the Hd-DAC1 excells as a combo, due to its headpone amp ... As a dac, after some comparative listening with 4-5 contenders,  I found  that is relatively not so trasparent, and the sounstage lacks the dimensions of other machines.
> 
> I didn't hear the ones that you mention.... In the same price range, I believe that Pioneer UD-05 is a far better dac. However, as a combo, Marantz is the winner since its amp is so much better and powerful compared with the Pio's ...



Thanks. 
No I only need a dedicated dac no amp need. I'm currently using a woo audio wa6 
I'll look into the pioneer 
Thanks.


----------



## karmazynowy

What other DACs in this price you compare to Marantz dac section and find them to be better?


----------



## 3083joe

karmazynowy said:


> What other DACs in this price you compare to Marantz dac section and find them to be better?


 

 I would like to know also


----------



## SpirosG

*Aune S-16*. Much better as a dac, transparent, analytical, with unparalled dynamics. 
  
 Then, I also organized the other day, a dac listening session in my house. The contenders were my Marantz, *the Pioneer U05*, *Rockna Black Dragon* and a diy design (*soekris*)  that's much appreciated in the diy world. Unfortunately, I didn't have Aune in that day, but I listened to it after a couple of days, having enough listening memory available, and i could easily infer, that overall the little chinese is really a first rate performer... you won't understand the language but you can check some photos of this event here :  http://avclub.gr/forum/showthread.php/141189-%CE%91%CE%BA%CF%81%CF%8C%CE%B1%CF%83%CE%B7-marantz-HD-DAC1-%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%B9-%CE%AC%CE%BB%CE%BB%CF%89%CE%BD/page16


----------



## SpirosG

At the end, I decided to settle down with my Marantz, as I didn't like to keep exchanging equipment and speding money, but primarily because I use the HD-DAC1 in my computer audio system for feeding my HiFiMan HE-500, and as I stated many times, the excellent hp amp section , that matches perfectly with the 500s, makes the marantz an awesome combo, overcoming many of its shortcomings as a dac ...


----------



## SpirosG

May I point out, for  accuracy's shake that one of the mentioned dacs (*Rockna Black Dragon)  *is not in the same price range, as it costs about the double money, at least where I live ....


----------



## MenacingTuba

spirosg said:


> At the end, I decided to settle down with my Marantz, as I didn't like to keep exchanging equipment and spending money, but primarily because I use the HD-DAC1 in my computer audio system for feeding my HiFiMan HE-500, and as I stated many times, the excellent hp amp section , that matches perfectly with the 500s, makes the marantz an awesome combo, overcoming many of its shortcomings as a dac ...


 
 So you found the Marantz to be significantly better than the Aune S16?  I prefer the way the S16 looks, but don't have the option to try either out.


----------



## mistersprinkles

I listened to this Marantz DAC today at a HIFI shop powering some kind of tube amp and Sennheiser HD800. It was extreeeemely detailed. Very nice. I didn't listen long enough to form an actual opinion but it sounded as far away from a BAD D/A conversion as I can imagine. Definitely a classy product.


----------



## SpirosG

menacingtuba said:


> So you found the Marantz to be significantly better than the Aune S16?  I prefer the way the S16 looks, but don't have the option to try either out.


 
 In my ears, it is more juicy and satisfying _*as a combo ...*_
  
 Comparing them only as dacs, Aune S-16 was better, more transparent, clear and precise ... Marantz decided to stick with the tranditional inhouse sound of their cd players, that have a consistent character over the last 20 years. Thing is though, that modern chips allow to pursue a more accurate and less ''velvet & classy'' sound ...


----------



## audionewbi

Okay I will say with ease this is a bargain considering how inflated some prices in this hubby is. Pair it with any high end dynamic driver headphone and you are good to go, and yes hd600 is plenty high end.

I don't see the point in getting a dedicated amp but if I so come across a high end desktop amp again I will report back.

I am happy, now I am looking for a table for it. I cannot pinpoint what I like about the sound or what kind of tuning it has, it is.
I might upgrade the power cable but yea I am not one of those guys who believe in such upgrades.


----------



## MenacingTuba

spirosg said:


> Comparing them only as dacs, Aune S-16 was better, more transparent, clear and precise ...


 
 These aspects appeal to me more since I like the idea of transparency more than the Marantz 'sound.'  Both would likely satisfy me, but I chose the S16 for its aesthetics and hipster qualities (undiscovered).


----------



## RadioWonder737

audionewbi said:


> Okay I will say with ease this is a bargain considering how inflated some prices in this hubby is. Pair it with any high end dynamic driver headphone and you are good to go, and yes hd600 is plenty high end.
> 
> I don't see the point in getting a dedicated amp but if I so come across a high end desktop amp again I will report back.
> 
> ...


 
 I doubt if anyone here wants to force you to try a Power Cord, but if you desire, The Cable Company has a cable lending library of over 60 brands of cables that you may borrow and test in your system... http://www.thecableco.com/content.aspx?iid=5777


----------



## 2leftears

audionewbi said:


> <...>
> I might upgrade the power cable but yea I am not one of those guys who believe in such upgrades.


 
  





  
 Let's face it.  After having "travelled" through an RCD, an MCB, then possibly more than 10m of bog-standard solid core copper installation wire through the floor / walls, followed by corroded brass on corroded brass contacts in the socket / plug combination (plus a fuse and two more brass / tin contact surfaces in the UK), the last metre and a half or so of audiophile power cord is going to make all the difference.
  
 If clean power is the objective, I think you either:
  

run a battery-operated amp
have only linear electronic devices connected to the same group (i.e. no switching power supplies and no CFL lights)
or invest in a mains regenerator
  
 Anything other than that is fiddling while Rome burns IMHO.
  
 In the UK the situation is even worse as they use "ring" circuits for the mains sockets, with potentially unmatched inductances & capacitances on the neutral and live rings, with all the rubbish this can pick up (not to mention nuisance tripping of the RCD).  Unfortunately all the UK domestic wiring regulation and associated legal part-P nonsense focusses on the LF and DC characteristics of the wiring, not on the HF characteristics.  Hence the mess.


----------



## 2leftears

Regarding the hot-running of the HD-DAC1 that some of you have experienced;
  
 Yesterday we had a heat-wave here in the UK (ca. 33 Celsius / 91 Fahrenheit), and this was the first time I considered the unit to be running "hot".  The source of the heat was clearly not the headphone amp, instead it was either the power supply board or the DAC board, both of which vent heat through the back-left side of the ventilation slots when viewed from the front.  It took at least a couple of hours before it got to that temperature though.  And still not "class-A amp" type of heat, couldn't make an omelette...
  
 This was when running an external HD through the front USB port by the way.


----------



## robster2

The left channel on my 3 week old HD-DAC1 just stopped working when listening to headphones. I plugged my headphones into a portable MP3 player as a test and the left channel in the headphones still works fine.
  
 Using the HD-DAC1 as a DAC to power my external speakers still works fine also but in headphone mode there is now no signal to the left channel.
  
 Edit: the left channel has come back to life. This is concerning.


----------



## audionewbi

Make sure sure when you are not using your headphone port to have some dust blokes, dust can so that.


----------



## ap1978

This DAC is on sale here now for 670 Euro. Any serious competitors in that price range?


----------



## SpirosG

Aune S-16 & Pioneer UD-05.... both of them are better as dacs, however Marantz HD-DAC1 is far better as a headphone amp ...


----------



## audionewbi

their price placement is wise, i dont think there is any.


----------



## Poimandres

Just received my Marantz more impressions to follow.


----------



## Poimandres

Is the output completely discrete on the dac1? I know that it utilizes technology from Marantz's other lines (HDAM-SA2).


----------



## JamieMcC

Hi guys has their been any direct comparisons with the marantz na-11s1 dac sections?


----------



## audionewbi

poimandres said:


> Is the output completely discrete on the dac1? I know that it utilizes technology from Marantz's other lines (HDAM-SA2).




I can't say but it works great with any can I pair it with.


----------



## Poimandres

But of course it is a Marantz!


----------



## 2leftears

poimandres said:


> Is the output completely discrete on the dac1? I know that it utilizes technology from Marantz's other lines (HDAM-SA2).


 
  
 As far as I am aware, yes.  I can't locate the sources now, but from memory the VAS (voltage amplification section) in the headphone amp is indeed the HDAM-SA2, which is one of Marantz' own discrete opamp creations.  The power output section consists of discrete Darlington power transistors, I recall reading somewhere...
  
 Feedback is only employed over the VAS, leaving the output trannies floating.  This configuration is also referred to as zero global feedback (not to be confused with no feedback at all).  Alleged advantages are a higher bandwidth and better slew rate.


----------



## 2leftears

jamiemcc said:


> Hi guys has their been any direct comparisons with the marantz na-11s1 dac sections?


 
  
 I have an SA-11S3, which I assume has a very similar DAC setup to the NA-11S1.
  
 Summarising, I would say comparing it with the HD-DAC1 there is a definite family resemblance (call it the "Marantz house sound" if you wish).  The SA-11S3 definitely has the edge when it comes to definition (especially spatial definition), and IMHO sufficiently so to merit the price premium.
  
 Also the SA-11S3 has a user configurable noise shaping filter, which allows for a very subtle but audible adjustment.  The HD-DAC1 lacks this facility.
  
 More interesting though (especially to head-fi-ers) is that the headphone amp section of the HD-DAC1 is significantly better than the headphone output on the SA-11S3 (which is no slouch either!).  Again I would assume the headphone output of the NA-11S1 is similar to that of the SA-11S3.
  
 So, depending on how you intend to use it either could be better suited...


----------



## mkrzych

2leftears said:


> More interesting though (especially to head-fi-ers) is that the headphone amp section of the HD-DAC1 is significantly better than the headphone output on the SA-11S3 (which is no slouch either!).  Again I would assume the headphone output of the NA-11S1 is similar to that of the SA-11S3.
> 
> So, depending on how you intend to use it either could be better suited...


 
 I think we should keep in mind that the HD-DAC1 is marketed by Marantz as headphone amp first than DAC - from their website *"Marantz Headphone Amplifies with DAC mode".*


----------



## audionewbi

Okay if I get a chance I will connect the Hugo to it and report back.


----------



## 2leftears

mkrzych said:


> I think we should keep in mind that the HD-DAC1 is marketed by Marantz as headphone amp first than DAC - from their website *"Marantz Headphone Amplifies with DAC mode".*


 
  
 True,
  
 Which makes it all the more frustrating that they haven't incorporated proper RCA or XLR line-level analogue inputs!


----------



## heart banger-97

Hey guys,
 Has anybody used these with T1?
 Can these overperformance something like idac2+bottle head crack? 
  
 My current setup is modi+vali. I want something warmer than my current setup.


----------



## 2leftears

heart banger-97 said:


> Hey guys,
> Has anybody used these with T1?
> Can these overperformance something like idac2+bottle head crack?
> 
> My current setup is modi+vali. I want something warmer than my current setup.




I have no experience with the T1, but if Beyerdynamic's historic headphone tuning is anything to go by, the T1 may have been engineered to sound better balanced when driven from a moderate 120 Ohm or so output impedance. Neither the Vali nor the HD-DAC1 provide this, and may make the T1 sound a little on the "cool" side. Beyer's own headphone amps may be a better bet, some have a selectable output impedance.

However, if anyone has direct experience of the T1 & HD-DAC1 combo I would certainly place more value on their opinion rather than on my musings...


----------



## heart banger-97

2leftears said:


> I have no experience with the T1, but if Beyerdynamic's historic headphone tuning is anything to go by, the T1 may have been engineered to sound better balanced when driven from a moderate 120 Ohm or so output impedance. Neither the Vali nor the HD-DAC1 provide this, and may make the T1 sound a little on the "cool" side. Beyer's own headphone amps may be a better bet, some have a selectable output impedance.
> 
> However, if anyone has direct experience of the T1 & HD-DAC1 combo I would certainly place more value on their opinion rather than on my musings...



Thanks,
We will wait for that man/woman 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




.. Although, I don't know why these haven't gotten enough attention. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



Meanwhile, I appreciate your comment.


----------



## konstzorro

Hi, I ordered the HD-DAC1 a few hours ago. I am not particularly good at describing my audio experience, but I can at least try to give you a hint about the  T1 & HD-DAC1 in relation to amps as Beyerdynamic A1 & Woo WA22. So in a few days...


----------



## RadioWonder737

Anyone install Windows 10 yet and install the Marantz HD-DAC1 Driver???


----------



## karmazynowy

Yes, works fine.


----------



## brittg10

hi, it wasnt working after installing windows 10 for me i had to do a uninstall/reinstall then change the settings again now it works fine and i am back to to enjoying my new toy after going through a dozen or so amps and dacs i think i found the perfect match for my senn 700's


----------



## Poimandres

The Marantz pairs superbly with the Alpha Primes as well. 

I upgraded to 10 Wednesday evening however it nuked my ethernet. My ethernet was intermittent some reboots it would work others it wouldn't. On one that did I downloaded the 10 ISO from Microsoft and need to wipe my box yet.

From above I shouldn't have any issues them as I will need to reinstall the Marantz driver.


----------



## audionewbi

A truly under appreciated product for headphone users. I went to the AV show today and even the Martanz Marantz show room did not have it, I asked the guy who was running the room and he had no clue what I was talking about!


----------



## 2leftears

audionewbi said:


> A truly under appreciated product for headphone users. I went to the AV show today and even the Martanz show room did not have it, I asked the guy who was running the room and he had no clue what I was talking about!


 
  
 Maybe you should try the *Marantz* showroom next time 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



  
 Seriously though, this problem has been becoming worse over the last few decades (yes, I am old enough to be able to say that).
  
 Salesmen who know nothing about the products they sell (bad enough), but also salesmen who don't even know the product line-up.


----------



## audionewbi

2leftears said:


> Maybe you should try the *Marantz* showroom next time
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
 The best part was half of their product weren't plugged in.


----------



## kfinkel1966

You should be good to go with Windows 10.  I did a fresh install from the 64 bit Win10 Pro ISO and installed the driver without a hitch.  I love my HD-DAC1!  I use it with the Sennheiser H700 headphones and it sounds amazing to me.  Good luck


----------



## Poimandres

X2 love the hddac1. Not sure if the Liquid Carbon and Director combo will handily beat it.


----------



## Monterone

I have something important to add to all you fellow classical, acoustic music listeners.
After trying out both the Marantz DAC1 and Hegel HD12 (they are both DACs in the same price group), there is no doubt who is the winner. In combination with AKG Q701 and an iPad (or computer/cd-player), Hegel is just clearly better. The difference is simply that the Marantz is like a close talker, right up in you face, insisting on your attention. If you are an introvert, like myself, then you know what I am talking about. 
Hegel, on the other hand, keep a polite distance, but does at the same time have so much interesting things to say about the music. Yes the Marantz have a warmer sound. But is more like an arrogant cellist laid back in a cosy chair, just enjoying its marvelous beautiful warm tone. While Hegel is more like a cellist sitting on the edge of the seat, exploring the depth and wonder of the music, while at the same time never losing control over the acoustic beauty of its natural sound.

Marantz is (paradoxically) aggressively insisting "in your face" on its warm and detailed sound, while Hegel just show you the clear and natural sounding music with innocent and "nerdy" enjoyment.


----------



## PopZeus

I'm pretty new to the world of hi-fi audio so I haven't listened to or don't know a lot of things but I have to chime in to say the Fidelio X2 pairs wonderfully with the HD-DAC1. The sound signature of the X2s fills in everything that the DAC1 doesn't bring to the party and what it does bring, the X2s handle wonderfully.


----------



## magnum703

Just read through the whole thread...
 Originally I was going to order Schiit lry2 and bifrost. But now I think I'm gonna get this with the HD650


----------



## audionewbi

To me this is best all in one unit for headphone users. I don't think we can find anything in this price group to top this.


----------



## pieman3141

Are there any other all-in-one units that are MFi (Apple) certified, at any price range? It seems that this unit is about as good as it gets for MFi-certified units.


----------



## fattycheesebeef

audionewbi said:


> To me this is best all in one unit for headphone users. I don't think we can find anything in this price group to top this.


 
  
 Even with Gustard X12 and H10 stack?


----------



## konstzorro

I just spent an hour trying to do a comparison of T1 with with 3 different amps: HD-DAC1, WOO WA22 (unbalanced) & Beyerdynamic A1. I just listened to two songs swapping between the amps using the DAC in the Marantz. The songs were Allan Taylors “Let the music flow” and “All is one” from the album “All is One”, both in DSD64 via a PC with jRiver Mediacenter 20. The WA22 was driven unbalanced - It is more powerful and refined in balanced mode.
  
 In the end I liked all three amps very much with the T1. HD-DAC1 and WA22 gave an airy impression while A1 was more refined and controlled. A1 took the the neutrality of the T1 towards planars as lcd-2, while the Marantz and WOO (unbalanced) went more to the Grado-side of the headphone universe. WA22 had a slightly cleaner airiness than HD-DAC1, but the impression was subtle. All differences were subtle in my ears, the most distinct being the difference between A1 and the other two. WA22 (with upgrade tubes) is considerably pricier than the other two. A1 obviously have the advantage of being made for T1. I is also more expensive than the Marantz.
  
 I see the Marantz as very price worthy. Even though I thought the A1 sounded more refined, I am not sure I would have preferred it if I had to choose. By the way, my favourite headphones are Grados. My prefered HPs have changed over the last years from Sennheiser (HD650) to Beyerdynamic (T1 & T90) to Sennheiser again (HD800) to Grados (GS1000e and RS-1). I am not an analytical listener and I generally do not try to describe my experience. I just trying to enjoy the music.
  
 I think the Marantz is an amazing all-rounder. I am a proud HD-DAC1 owner and when I plugged in my Grado GS1000e I felt like I was sky diving like the guys in a Chagall painting. 
 Not sure why I bought the Marantz since it was hardly an upgrading. I wanted a DSD-dac and some gear minimalism. Not sure where it all lands…  Not even sure I should be spending my time searching for DSD-dacs when I am mostly listen to music in headphones.


----------



## SpirosG

nice report ! thank you ...


----------



## jimmypowder

Here's my take on the Marantz HD-Dac1 after playing for only 4-5 hours. 
  
 It is better than the Schiit Gungnir,Audiolab MDac ,Arcam Irdac,Ifi Micro Idsd that I have extensiviely listened to. 
  
 One caveat: It will not play DSD over PCM which is puzzling why Marantz did not incorporate this feature. 
  
 Overall ,it is a very very good dac for the price.
  
 If I had to rank the group it would be:
 1) Marantz HD-Dac1
 2) Schiit Gungnir
 3) Ifi Micro Idsd
 4) Arcam Irdac
 5) Audiolab Mdac.


----------



## fattycheesebeef

Agreed. HD-DAC1 is a good all in one. But I'm looking for something more in the amp section, might pair it with another amp.


----------



## Poimandres

He was comparing it to other dacs, the amp section is top notch.  Looking forward to comparing it to the LC.


----------



## jimmypowder

fattycheesebeef said:


> Agreed. HD-DAC1 is a good all in one. But I'm looking for something more in the amp section, might pair it with another amp.




I am using it as a dac only . I have a very good integrated amp so I am using the fixed outputs . 

I also think USB sounds better than coax overall , particularly on vocals .


----------



## fattycheesebeef

jimmypowder said:


> I am using it as a dac only . I have a very good integrated amp so I am using the fixed outputs .
> 
> I also think USB sounds better than coax overall , particularly on vocals .


 
  
 Which amp and USB are you using it with?
  
 I love good vocals!


----------



## jimmypowder

fattycheesebeef said:


> Which amp and USB are you using it with?
> 
> I love good vocals!




Rogue Cronos Magnum II , Auralic Aries USB output ,
Marantz Hd-Dac1, Kef Ls50


----------



## SpirosG

In the HD-DAC 1 combo, it is the amp that shines, not the dac section ... I' ve stated my opinion analytically in the past ...


----------



## jimmypowder

spirosg said:


> In the HD-DAC 1 combo, it is the amp that shines, not the dac section ... I' ve stated my opinion analytically in the past ...




Other folks have differed on this and as I mentioned with Dacs I tested , this dac is the best I e heard under 1k


----------



## SpirosG

Not something to argue about ... the dacs you compared it against, are not the same with the ones in my own test ...
  
 Also, not to be misunderstood here ... I own the Marantz and I'm happy with it as a combo with my HiFiMan HE-500 & my Presonus speakers ...


----------



## SpirosG

jimmypowder said:


> Other folks have differed on this and as I mentioned with Dacs I tested , this dac is the best I e heard under 1k


 
 Moreover, I don't rememder anyone complaining about the amp section ....


----------



## jimmypowder

spirosg said:


> Not something to argue about ... the dacs you compared it against, are not the same with the ones in my own test ...
> 
> Also, not to be misunderstood here ... I own the Marantz and I'm happy with it as a combo with my HiFiMan HE-500 & my Presonus speakers ...


 
 I was comparing dacs in the price range of the Marantz. Does it sound better than my Chord 2qute. No it does not but that is double the price.


----------



## Ffenix

I just want to say, this is my first dedicated/home headphone amplifier. I have the iFi iDSD micro, which has served me well, but I've decided to buy the Marantz after trying so many dedicated DAC/amp combos. To my ears, my music library through the Marantz sounds musical and alive. I haven't done any blind testing (and would likely fail at it) so I can't say that this is the superior amp. The thing that ultimately sold me was a combination of sound quality, design and the ability to play DSD. My only complaint is that it can be bright at times, but it makes dynamically compressed music sound more dynamic and wide than I thought was possible.
  
 This is overkill but I may pair the Marantz with a tube amp in the future, just to hear if it can smooth out some of its brightness. I dunno, we'll see. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


----------



## jimmypowder

ffenix said:


> I just want to say, this is my first dedicated/home headphone amplifier. I have the iFi iDSD micro, which has served me well, but I've decided to buy the Marantz after trying so many dedicated DAC/amp combos. To my ears, my music library through the Marantz sounds musical and alive. I haven't done any blind testing (and would likely fail at it) so I can't say that this is the superior amp. The thing that ultimately sold me was a combination of sound quality, design and the ability to play DSD. My only complaint is that it can be bright at times, but it makes dynamically compressed music sound more dynamic and wide than I thought was possible.
> 
> This is overkill but I may pair the Marantz with a tube amp in the future, just to hear if it can smooth out some of its brightness. I dunno, we'll see. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯




Already paired it with a tube amp. Very very good mix.


----------



## PoSR77

Short intro and advice needed. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




  
 Hi all, "first" post here, but I actually had an old account (from '09?) that I haven't used in years and forget the password, username, etc. for. 
  
 I'm not a huge can guy (I listen to speakers most of the time), but I've had my share of them and amps over the years, although I've been fairly good at protecting my wallet. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



  
 Related to that, I finally, after 5+ years in the hobby, went over the $300 and under self-imposed limit for cans and bought some T1's which I'm totally content with. And I paired them with a great (imo) amp, the Head Direct EF-1; and though I know it might not really have the power the T1's need, I was quite happy with the combo. It had a mellow and warmish presentation that was yet open and clear and very detailed/articulate (I like micro details!). 
  
 Well the EF-1 finally died and now I'm using my old M-Stage (which I used for other cans before I got the EF-1) to drive the T1's and I'm not happy with the sound. The M-Stage has plenty of power, but it's a crude unrefined sound imo, especially in the upper registers. There's no air or subtly there; I feel like the music is being "pressed down" and needs room to bloom. 
  
 And now the M-Stage's headphone out is loose so unless the cord is supported, the sound cuts in and out. 
  
 So I have two good excuses to spend some more money on this hobby. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



  
 Enter the HD-DAC: since it came out I've loved how it looked and the sound seems to be something I'd like too._ But _I really don't need a DAC _and_ amp, just an amp as I have the original DAC Magic that I've used happily for years. 
  
 So my questions are: Has anyone compared the HD-DAC to the original DAC Magic and found it to be a better (or sameish) DAC so I could replace that and the amp all in one, or should I just focus on another amp? For my tastes, I'd like to have something that is pretty neutral but also "musical" and not totally analytic (that's what I got from my EF-1/DAC Magic combo imo). Is the HD-DAC basically that? I'd like an all rounder as I listen to pretty much everything from classical to rap to thrash metal to acoustic to jazz to pop to rock to...Something a bit "musical" or "warm" but also gets out of the way of the music and can rock as well as render subtle nuances. 
 Thanks for any input!


----------



## konstzorro

In Audirvana Plus, HD-DAC1 has to be set to DSD over PCM (conclusion after tests), but when fiddling with JRiver on Windows I remember it had to be set on "bitstream", which I guess is "native". I think most 2015 DSD DACS (Windows=ASIO, OS X no driver) have these settings - I have browsed other manuals... As I understand it, there is no difference regarding audio quality, DSD over PCM is real DSD in a PCM container. 
  
 But now I am out of my league... .


----------



## jimmypowder

posr77 said:


> Short intro and advice needed.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
 The Marantz Hd-dac 1 is much better than the original Dacmagic. I haven't heard the latest Dacmagic renditions.Warmer,more musical with better clarity.


----------



## PoSR77

jimmypowder said:


> The Marantz Hd-dac 1 is much better than the original Dacmagic. I haven't heard the latest Dacmagic renditions.Warmer,more musical with better clarity.


 
  
 Thanks for that input.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 
  
 I've been looking at the H10, but I don't want another M-Stage (that is, I wonder if it's really much better or just hyped a lot). I've also looked at the most recent EF-1 version, the EF2A, but this so-so review of the EF-5 reminded me of what the EF-1 (as much as I liked it) lacked and I'm sure the EF2A is pretty much the same: http://www.whathifi.com/head-direct/hifiman-ef5/review
  
 If the HD-DAC is superior to the M-Stage/H10 in terms of amp and the original DAC Magic in terms of DAC, then I might just have to spend the money (as much as I like to keep it cheaper and just get the H10 and try that first 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




).


----------



## konstzorro

> ​For my tastes, I'd like to have something that is pretty neutral but also "musical" and not totally analytic (that's what I got from my EF-1/DAC Magic combo imo). Is the HD-DAC basically that? I'd like an all rounder as I listen to pretty much everything from classical to rap to thrash metal to acoustic to jazz to pop to rock to...Something a bit "musical" or "warm" but also gets out of the way of the music and can rock as well as render subtle nuances.


 
  
*PoSR77, *I would say that HD-DAC1 is exactly as you describe. I had the original Dac Magic. It was good, but USB Dacs has evolved a lot since then. The original Dac Magic does not even have asynchronous USB. I agree with jimmypower. I think the match is more even if you do not use USB.


----------



## PoSR77

konstzorro said:


> *PoSR77, *I would say that HD-DAC1 is exactly as you describe. I had the original Dac Magic. It was good, but USB Dacs has evolved a lot since then. The original Dac Magic does not even have asynchronous USB. I agree with jimmypower. I think the match is more even if you do not use USB.


 
  
 Thanks for your input as well. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



  
 I've decided to forget about the cheap route and go for the HD-DAC1 _or_ maybe the Fostex HP-A8C. Anyone have experience comparing these? (Also looking at the Sony UDA1 a little; it is cheap in comparison).
  
 My only reservation about the HD-DAC1 (after reading through this thread more) is that it might be too warm or mellow (which is quite distinct and apart from musical imo). But I'd take that over too analytical or cold and I'd rather listen to the music, be engaged with it, than study it. (Thus why I'm not looking at the Pioneer U-05; per its reviews and my experience with Pioneer it is an exciting sound but not the most refined or musical). But I don't want mushy or soft or undefined either (I like air, clarity, detail, and some dynamic excitement and power). 
  
 I just want something that does well with "audiophile"/mellow type music in a musicality sense as well as has clarity and can rock out without seeming slow or boring (doesn't have bad PRaT or dynamics). Hopefully the HD-DAC1 or the Fostex HP-A8C would do that. 
  
 EDIT: I think, after further reading on other sites, that I (or other describers) have this wrong: the Marantz is "sweet" or musical, but not stuffy, veiled, overly warm, soft, mushy, etc. It has clarity and refinement but is just not hard or analytical. Some call this "warm" or "analogue"; others, like I, would just say musical.


----------



## Mozhoven

xenithon said:


> Thank you so much for the detailed impressions!
> 
> This is definitely on my shortlist at the moment, together with the Teac UD-301. Both seem very similar in terms of capability: multiple digital inputs, *DSD and DXD support,* up to 24/192 via USB, very good headphone output, etc. The Teac is also meant to have quite a warm, full character. The only technical (functional) differences are that the Marantz has analog input (albeit mini jack) while the Teac does not; and that the Teac has fully balanced output and the Marantz only SE.




I just got mine only last night, and have barely begun to play with it. While it seems to play all my files, it won't play DXD, and from what the literature says, there is no support for DXD. Does anybody know a way around this, or is it possible that this will change with the future firmware update? (Are there going to be firmware updates?) I'm using Foobar2000 via PC/USB.


----------



## shootthemoon18

ffenix said:


> I just want to say, this is my first dedicated/home headphone amplifier. I have the iFi iDSD micro, which has served me well, but I've decided to buy the Marantz after trying so many dedicated DAC/amp combos. To my ears, my music library through the Marantz sounds musical and alive. I haven't done any blind testing (and would likely fail at it) so I can't say that this is the superior amp. The thing that ultimately sold me was a combination of sound quality, design and the ability to play DSD. My only complaint is that it can be bright at times, but it makes dynamically compressed music sound more dynamic and wide than I thought was possible.
> 
> This is overkill but I may pair the Marantz with a tube amp in the future, just to hear if it can smooth out some of its brightness. I dunno, we'll see. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


 
  Could you go compare the micro iDSD and the marantz in more detail? i'm currently searching a entry level dac/amp for HD800. I have audition the marantz and quite familiar with it. I compare it with many amps that price higher and i was surprised that marantz can play with amps that cost twice like the sennheiser amp. What surprised me most was the soundstage performance and refinement for the price. I felt it was comparable to sennheiser amp, patheous amp, V281(different strengths), Burson Virtuoso, Auralic gemini. It does't completely beat all of them but i felt it was playing in the same level of playing field


----------



## Ffenix

shootthemoon18 said:


> Could you go compare the micro iDSD and the marantz in more detail? i'm currently searching a entry level dac/amp for HD800. I have audition the marantz and quite familiar with it. I compare it with many amps that price higher and i was surprised that marantz can play with amps that cost twice like the sennheiser amp. What surprised me most was the soundstage performance and refinement for the price. I felt it was comparable to sennheiser amp, patheous amp, V281(different strengths), Burson Virtuoso, Auralic gemini. It does't completely beat all of them but i felt it was playing in the same level of playing field


 
 The difference between the iDSD micro and the Marantz that's most apparent to my ears is that the Marantz has a much larger and airy soundstage than the iDSD. Even with my LCD-XC, a closed back headphone, I was fooled thinking that something is happening outside my headphones but it's just the Marantz's doing. Another difference that I can pick out is that I think the mids and highs have more presence but just borderline piercing than the iDSD. Also, a lot of the songs in my library are brickwalled yet the Marantz somehow make them sound dynamic and punchy in comparison to the iDSD, which just leaves the brickwall alone. I thought I love the flat response, but listening with the Marantz for about a week now, and I think I prefer this sound more than I thought.


----------



## bretemm

I have a marantz sr5009 and the Schiit Audio amp and dac, I tested inbetween them and I actually thought the Schiit sounded better with more details, stereo wise the marantz is great, to me the marantz sounded like there's a very gradual in volume increase that kinda is just by volume insted of quality (kinda) but then with Schiit the quality is shown by any volume 





ffenix said:


> I just want to say, this is my first dedicated/home headphone amplifier. I have the iFi iDSD micro, which has served me well, but I've decided to buy the Marantz after trying so many dedicated DAC/amp combos. To my ears, my music library through the Marantz sounds musical and alive. I haven't done any blind testing (and would likely fail at it) so I can't say that this is the superior amp. The thing that ultimately sold me was a combination of sound quality, design and the ability to play DSD. My only complaint is that it can be bright at times, but it makes dynamically compressed music sound more dynamic and wide than I thought was possible.
> 
> This is overkill but I may pair the Marantz with a tube amp in the future, just to hear if it can smooth out some of its brightness. I dunno, we'll see. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


----------



## shootthemoon18

ffenix said:


> The difference between the iDSD micro and the Marantz that's most apparent to my ears is that the Marantz has a much larger and airy soundstage than the iDSD. Even with my LCD-XC, a closed back headphone, I was fooled thinking that something is happening outside my headphones but it's just the Marantz's doing. Another difference that I can pick out is that I think the mids and highs have more presence but just borderline piercing than the iDSD. Also, a lot of the songs in my library are brickwalled yet the Marantz somehow make them sound dynamic and punchy in comparison to the iDSD, which just leaves the brickwall alone. I thought I love the flat response, but listening with the Marantz for about a week now, and I think I prefer this sound more than I thought.


 
  
 Wow, i have a good idea of how good marantz is but i did't know they were that good! The iDSD Micro is advertised as a very modern and highly advance device while the marantz has a very humble specs. It blows my mind that the humble marantz come out ahead.

 On another note, i did compare the marantz amp to the violectric v281 and i am very surprised to hear bigger soundstage on the marantz. How do they create such big soundstage from so little power?


----------



## sparkofinsanity

bretemm said:


> I have a marantz sr5009 and the Schiit Audio amp and dac, I tested inbetween them and I actually thought the Schiit sounded better with more details, stereo wise the marantz is great, to me the marantz sounded like there's a very gradual in volume increase that kinda is just by volume insted of quality (kinda) but then with Schiit the quality is shown by any volume


 

 I'm guessing by Schiit Audio you mean the Magni/Modi stack? And it's been noted (by others that probably are more qualified than me) that the amp section in the HD-DAC1 is much better than the normal ones Marantz puts in their products.
  
 And for what it's worth, since I own both the HD-DAC1 and Magni 2/Modi 2 stack, the Marantz sounds better and looks prettier. But bang for buck goes to Schiit without question.


----------



## shootthemoon18

sparkofinsanity said:


> I'm guessing by Schiit Audio you mean the Magni/Modi stack? And it's been noted (by others that probably are more qualified than me) that the amp section in the HD-DAC1 is much better than the normal ones Marantz puts in their products.
> 
> And for what it's worth, since I own both the HD-DAC1 and Magni 2/Modi 2 stack, the Marantz sounds better and looks prettier. But bang for buck goes to Schiit without question.


 
 I used to have the M2U/M stack too. Could you go into more detail how the marantz is better? specifically about what is the magnitude of difference. How is the synergy with EL8? I can imagine it would be perfect because the marantz is neutral.


----------



## sparkofinsanity

shootthemoon18 said:


> I used to have the M2U/M stack too. Could you go into more detail how the marantz is better? specifically about what is the magnitude of difference. How is the synergy with EL8? I can imagine it would be perfect because the marantz is neutral.


 

 The biggest difference is, honestly, the luxury things on the Marantz (the remote, the setup functions, the build quality/design). When it comes to the sound it is harder to define, both amps have enough power to handle my headphones with ease (I don't own any hard driven cans, but there's lots and lots of headroom for the EL-8, around 11 o'clock with low gain on the HD-DAC1), but from comparing (using the EL-8's and P7's) the Marantz sounds fuller with better definition in the midrange and larger soundstage. But the differences are small and both are very neutral in sound. 
 The EL-8's work great with the Marantz, but I suspect this amp works great with just about any headphone (not an amp to use if you're trying to "fix" a headphone that is lacking bass for example). 
  
 I've had the EL-8's for a couple of months now, and that notch that Tyll's measurements show at 7kHz doesn't come through when I listen to them, my ears and EQ testing suggests Audezes own measurements are closer to the truth. YMMV.


----------



## Ffenix

shootthemoon18 said:


> Wow, i have a good idea of how good marantz is but i did't know they were that good! The iDSD Micro is advertised as a very modern and highly advance device while the marantz has a very humble specs. It blows my mind that the humble marantz come out ahead.
> 
> On another note, i did compare the marantz amp to the violectric v281 and i am very surprised to hear bigger soundstage on the marantz. How do they create such big soundstage from so little power?


 
 I don't know about Marantz coming out ahead. It just handles differently from the iDSD. To me the iDSD sounds a lot like Schiit or the ODAC/O2 (i.e. flat and neutral response). I don't think the HD-DAC1 is a neutral amp, but I'm no expert in digital sound, this is just my observation.


----------



## Mozhoven

*How are folks able to get the DAC-1 to play DSD files natively with Foobar? *
  
 I'm happy to list my settings, but I'm hoping since this is a thread for my specific player, there will be folks here that have figured this out already. I can't seem to swing it, even with instructions from the guide over at audiostream. So far, my only luck that I'm now able to "hear" the DSD (and the Marantz actually registers it as a DSD on the front panel), but the sound is awful. There is music there, but mostly static and digital artifacts. I've played around with different [playback methods] under the ASIO menu, but none help. Native and DoP are as I describe, while DSx and exD are only digital noise, no music.
  
 I feel that I'm close, but missing something.
  
 Windows 10
 Foobar (latest)
 SACD plugin
 foo_dsd_asio
  
 P.S. Obviously I can play my DSD's via PCM conversion in the SACD menu (and they sound great), but I was hoping to play the files natively. I'm also hoping my DXD's will play as well....


----------



## bretemm

I went back and forth about 10-15 times comparing the headphone jack of the marantz and Schiit and, I still say by that the Schiit was better (yes the entry Schiit) or well I didn't like the very gradual volume increase in the marantz and it kinda didn't continue with qualitt in a way like how Schiit does. The marantz headphone jack was still good tho 





sparkofinsanity said:


> I'm guessing by Schiit Audio you mean the Magni/Modi stack? And it's been noted (by others that probably are more qualified than me) that the amp section in the HD-DAC1 is much better than the normal ones Marantz puts in their products.
> 
> And for what it's worth, since I own both the HD-DAC1 and Magni 2/Modi 2 stack, the Marantz sounds better and looks prettier. But bang for buck goes to Schiit without question.


----------



## sparkofinsanity

bretemm said:


> I went back and forth about 10-15 times comparing the headphone jack of the marantz and Schiit and, I still say by that the Schiit was better (yes the entry Schiit) or well I didn't like the very gradual volume increase in the marantz and it kinda didn't continue with qualitt in a way like how Schiit does. The marantz headphone jack was still good tho


 

 Still, the SR5009 and the HD-DAC1 have different headphone amp sections.


----------



## jimmypowder

bretemm said:


> I went back and forth about 10-15 times comparing the headphone jack of the marantz and Schiit and, I still say by that the Schiit was better (yes the entry Schiit) or well I didn't like the very gradual volume increase in the marantz and it kinda didn't continue with qualitt in a way like how Schiit does. The marantz headphone jack was still good tho


 
 Im using the Marantz as a dac only with the fixed outputs into an integrated amp and speakers and I can say that it slightly bests the Schiit
 Gungnir I have .
  
 My Gungnir is going in for an multibit upgrade so Ill let you know if my opinion changes after that.


----------



## bretemm

Can I use my sr5009 as a dac? 





jimmypowder said:


> Im using the Marantz as a dac only with the fixed outputs into an integrated amp and speakers and I can say that it slightly bests the Schiit
> Gungnir I have .
> 
> My Gungnir is going in for an multibit upgrade so Ill let you know if my opinion changes after that.


----------



## jimmypowder

bretemm said:


> Can I use my sr5009 as a dac?




You need to move on to a thread about the Sr5009. This is a thread about the HD -dac1


----------



## bretemm

Ok, ho is the HD-Dac 1? My marantz dosnt have a optical audio output in which I wish it did, could the marantz dac work? 





jimmypowder said:


> You need to move on to a thread about the Sr5009. This is a thread about the HD -dac1


----------



## Ffenix

mozhoven said:


> *How are folks able to get the DAC-1 to play DSD files natively with Foobar? *
> 
> I'm happy to list my settings, but I'm hoping since this is a thread for my specific player, there will be folks here that have figured this out already. I can't seem to swing it, even with instructions from the guide over at audiostream. So far, my only luck that I'm now able to "hear" the DSD (and the Marantz actually registers it as a DSD on the front panel), but the sound is awful. There is music there, but mostly static and digital artifacts. I've played around with different [playback methods] under the ASIO menu, but none help. Native and DoP are as I describe, while DSx and exD are only digital noise, no music.
> 
> ...


 
 I have similar specs, here are my settings in Foobar. Does it help?


----------



## Mozhoven

Yes, I think that did the trick, thanks!!


----------



## Ffenix

mozhoven said:


> Yes, I think that did the trick, thanks!!


 
 You're welcome! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 What do you think of the HD-DAC1?


----------



## Mozhoven

So far I'm extremely impressed. I've been using a Roland Octa-Capture interface as my amp, or my Fiio X5. I thought those were pretty good, but the DAC1 is in a completely different Galaxy. I don't have any bona-fide Amps to compare it to, but I honestly I don't feel the need. This might be a permanent resident in my home. Currently using B&W P7s, but my HD 700s come tomorrow.....

I do wish it had DSD256/512 & DXD capability, but these formats are scarce, and really not a deal breaker by any definition. The amp section is fantastic, and the DAC section is an 8/10 for me....


----------



## Mozhoven

Anyone have a problem with the DAC1 unlocking (and clicking) constantly while jumping around within a given track? Is this normal? I know that it is when switching between different sample rates, but seems odd behavior in a single track. I tend to jump around a lot for certain tracks and the clicks are getting annoying. I'm using the latest Foobar2000 and Windows 10.


----------



## Ffenix

mozhoven said:


> Anyone have a problem with the DAC1 unlocking (and clicking) constantly while jumping around within a given track? Is this normal? I know that it is when switching between different sample rates, but seems odd behavior in a single track. I tend to jump around a lot for certain tracks and the clicks are getting annoying. I'm using the latest Foobar2000 and Windows 10.


 
 I assume this is normal since it's well documented in this thread. If the clicking is bothersome, try these steps: (1) make the HD-DAC1 the Default Device in the Windows 10 Sound Properties. (2) in Foobar, change the default device from ASIO to DS: Primary Sound Driver. (3) it will click once when you start a new track but when you select a new track or plays the next track, it won't click, until you stop playback completely.
  
 Bad news is that you can't play DSD natively this way and you will have to use DSD to PCM conversion.
  
 I guess the HD-DAC1 needs a continuous signal from the source, and with ASIO or WASAPI, every time a new track is selected or play the next track, I think the HD-DAC1 interprets the commands as stop playback then play the next song, hence the clicking.
  
 That said, that's just my guess.


----------



## dieslow

Just received my HD-DAC1 a couple of days ago and I really love it so far. I tried it with my many different headphones and they all sounded good. I don't really have nothing to compare to except my Fiio E17/ Little Dot I+ so I must say it is an improvement. It really feels premium build and it is quite heavy to be honest !! Will post back some impressions later !


----------



## DjBobby

dieslow said:


> Just received my HD-DAC1 a couple of days ago and I really love it so far. I tried it with my many different headphones and they all sounded good. I don't really have nothing to compare to except my Fiio E17/ Little Dot I+ so I must say it is an improvement. It really feels premium build and it is quite heavy to be honest !! Will post back some impressions later !


 
 Very curious to hear your comparison of HD-DAC1 vs Fiio17/Little Dot I+. Fiio/LD combo costs less than half, still Marantz looks simply amazing.


----------



## dieslow

Yeah it sure looks amazing !! I didn't have much time to listen to it these days but I will keep you updated as soon as I can. Quickly all that I could say is that it is an improvement without any doubts.


----------



## musicmac

I have recently paired the HD-DAC1 with with the LCD-X and I am really digging the sound.  I think this is a phenomenal pairing with a a yummy lush sound but still maintains a high level of clarity, separation, and layering that can't be easily matched with any another DAC/HPA at this price point.  Just listening hours and hours on end being drawn into the music - such a musical pairing.
  
 I'm really not sure how much you could improve on the musicality of the set up at this price point.


----------



## Deftone

oh my that is a beauty...


----------



## Deftone

is there a comparison between the dac in this compared to bifrost uber?


----------



## DjBobby

deftone said:


> is there a comparison between the dac in this compared to bifrost uber?


 

 I would like to extend your question to: between this dac compared to modi2 über?


----------



## bretemm

I have a marantz sr5009, I have a Apple TV connected and using both the HDMI outputs to separet TVs, but now, the hdmi out for the Apple TV won't show it independently on one TV, 
Insted, 
I have to have both Tvs on the marantz hdmi and then it shows the same picture on both (don't want that) 
What's happening? 
I thought it was the Apple TV but it wasn't


----------



## Mozhoven

Seems like an issue for another thread. You'll get better help if you will post the issue in its own topic. This one is to discuss the HD-DAC1....


----------



## bretemm

Thank you, I havnt been able to find a good marantz thread. It's working now, just not when I have 2 hdmi out to TV hdmi plunged in 





mozhoven said:


> Seems like an issue for another thread. You'll get better help if you will post the issue in its own topic. This one is to discuss the HD-DAC1....


----------



## Pilotter

Why can't I find any awards for the HD-DAC1 and only one review in English on YouTube. Is the world of USB DAC lovers that small?


----------



## DjBobby

pilotter said:


> Why can't I find any awards for the HD-DAC1 and only one review in English on YouTube. Is the world of USB DAC lovers that small?


 

 I was asking that myself too. Probably HD-DAC1 didn't wake too much interest because of several reasons:
 - Marantz uses throughout their higher range the very same dac-chip by Cirrus Logic, CS4398. Cirrus is not so respected in the audiophile circles, and besides folks who already have other higher Marantz gear with the very same chip, don't see much reason buying again an external DAC with the same components.
 - Marantz claims that in all their higher range amps they already use dedicated headphone amp output, so again they kinda shoot it off.
 - For other folks there are some much cheaper dac/amp combos, which also take much less space on the desktop then stately HD-DAC1.
  
 Still, I am very curious to hear impressions from hopefully happy owners. For me it's a looker


----------



## Pilotter

djbobby said:


> I was asking that myself too. Probably HD-DAC1 didn't wake too much interest because of several reasons:
> - Marantz uses throughout their higher range the very same dac-chip by Cirrus Logic, CS4398. Cirrus is not so respected in the audiophile circles, and besides folks who already have other higher Marantz gear with the very same chip, don't see much reason buying again an external DAC with the same components.
> - Marantz claims that in all their higher range amps they already use dedicated headphone amp output, so again they kinda shoot it off.
> - For other folks there are some much cheaper dac/amp combos, which also take much less space on the desktop then stately HD-DAC1.
> ...


 

 Good analysis! I happen to have a PM6005 with the same CS4398. Would you expect sound improvement (HD-DAC1 over PM6005) with a HD650 plugged in?


----------



## DjBobby

pilotter said:


> Good analysis! I happen to have a PM6005 with the same CS4398. Would you expect sound improvement (HD-DAC1 over PM6005) with a HD650 plugged in?


 

 I am not quite sure, since I don't have HD-DAC1 (yet). But I assume, it would be quite an improvement as it has variable gain setting, matching different impedances.
 PM6005 probably adds only a series resistor between the amplifier and the headphone jack, to protect it from short circuits and overloads. I am not sure for your amp, but have seen other Marantz amps with a resistor as high as 210 ohm. Which can poorly control HD650, damping factor being very low.


----------



## sparkofinsanity

pilotter said:


> Good analysis! I happen to have a PM6005 with the same CS4398. Would you expect sound improvement (HD-DAC1 over PM6005) with a HD650 plugged in?


 

 If you read back in this thread you'd find a bunch of people saying that the DAC is average but the awesome headphone AMP section more than makes up for it. And the headphone amp is considerably better than those tucked into their other stuff.


----------



## Pilotter

sparkofinsanity said:


> If you read back in this thread you'd find a bunch of people saying that the DAC is average but the awesome headphone AMP section more than makes up for it. And the headphone amp is considerably better than those tucked into their other stuff.


 

 Thanks for mentioning. So is a headphone amp different from an normal amp with resistors added ? Has it a different structure ?


----------



## sparkofinsanity

pilotter said:


> Thanks for mentioning. So is a headphone amp different from an normal amp with resistors added ? Has it a different structure ?


 

 I'm not the right person to answer that, I have very limited knowledge about the innards of an amp. There are speaker amps with headphone outs that sound great and those that are rubbish. But then again there are headphone amps that are rubbish too and those that are good. But I would think that when you build something to drive two such different things as headphones (18 to 600 ohms) and speakers (4 to 8 ohms) the initial outset and parts would differ. I'm sure someone can explain this to us, or we can search this forum (I'm sure this have come up like a million times in the past).


----------



## hamidr

djbobby said:


> I am not quite sure, since I don't have HD-DAC1 (yet). But I assume, it would be quite an improvement as it has variable gain setting, matching different impedances.
> PM6005 probably adds only a series resistor between the amplifier and the headphone jack, to protect it from short circuits and overloads. I am not sure for your amp, but have seen other Marantz amps with a resistor as high as 210 ohm. Which can poorly control HD650, damping factor being very low.


 
 FYI;
 PM6005 uses a dedicated headphone amp uses discrete components :http://us.marantz.com/us/Products/Pages/ProductDetails.aspx?CatId=HiFiComponents&ProductId=PM6005
 The problem with speaker amps is, they color the sound much higher than headphone amps to make the sound more suitable for listening through speakers but they can sound awful via headphones regardless of their headphone amp design because they feed via the same preamp feed the speaker output stage...


----------



## DjBobby

hamidr said:


> FYI;
> PM6005 uses a dedicated headphone amp uses discrete components :http://us.marantz.com/us/Products/Pages/ProductDetails.aspx?CatId=HiFiComponents&ProductId=PM6005
> The problem with speaker amps is, they color the sound much higher than headphone amps to make the sound more suitable for listening through speakers but they can sound awful via headphones regardless of their headphone amp design because they feed via the same preamp feed the speaker output stage...


 

 Yes, fully agree with you. With "dedicated headphone amp using discrete components", they simply mean just no op-amps. They use exactly the same speaker output, attenuated with resistor for headphones. Which is basically like using Ferrari as a family car, with a gear shift blocked into the first gear.


----------



## Pilotter

djbobby said:


> Yes, fully agree with you. With "dedicated headphone amp using discrete components", they simply mean just no op-amps. They use exactly the same speaker output, attenuated with resistor for headphones. Which is basically like using Ferrari as a family car, with a gear shift blocked into the first gear.


 

 OK, so both have the same DAC, the PM6005 a very good normal amp, the HD-DAC! a very good headphone amp. What justifies the price difference, HD-DAC1 costing about twice as much?  Has anyone compared the two as desktop headphone amps?


----------



## mmoraw

I'm finding HD-DAC1 very engaging, being paired with my HD800 and AKD 7XX.
 I have been using many Marantz products over the years, and for some reason I keep coming back to their gear.
 Personally I'm finding their higher line to be very much musical, just can't stop listening, 
 I have other dac, a diy based on LSK se9018, modified with much better power line, and although on the paper, es9018 paired with amanero looks superior in comparison to the dac chip in HD-DAC1, I'm not finding it that engaging, I would say it sounds bit fatiguing, analytical especially while longer listening sessions.
 I have been listening to many dac devices, had few on my desk, over the years, I've build few others, and I very much like my HD-DAC1, may not be last word in therms of technologies used, ... so what ?
 I truly enjoy using it. I've stopped to analyze the music, and started to listen for pleasure.


----------



## Happytalk

Anybody using this with their stereo? I'm looking for a DAC that i can plug everything into. Dx90 (coaxial), Macbook pro (usb), sony cdp (dvd), Digital out from fostex hp-p1 and whatever else has a digital out that i get down the line.


----------



## bretemm

Have you heard of the Schiit Bifrost? 
That has rca out, coal in, usb in (optional) and upgradable latter on 





happytalk said:


> Anybody using this with their stereo? I'm looking for a DAC that i can plug everything into. Dx90 (coaxial), Macbook pro (usb), sony cdp (dvd), Digital out from fostex hp-p1 and whatever else has a digital out that i get down the line.


----------



## Happytalk

Been reading about it. That good?


----------



## bretemm

I don't have it but I have a entry $100 dac by Schiit and it's awesome, I'm definetly thinking about getting the bifrost latter on (as my 4th Schiit purchase if I do) I recently got the valhalla2 tube amp and it's awesome, the bifrost its analog or optical audio (I think) can be upgraded, schiit.com is where you can find it 





happytalk said:


> Been reading about it. That good?


----------



## Happytalk

I feel like I can do better for $519. I'll do some research.


----------



## tretneo

happytalk said:


> I feel like I can do better for $519. I'll do some research.


 
  
 I've been eyeing the Arcam irDAC for some time (currently using a Modi 2 Uber) but at $699 MSRP I just couldn't justify it. I just ordered it for $409 shipped (New, sealed) from a dealer in Italy via eBay. Ordered on Tuesday, scheduled to be delivered tomorrow.
  
Arcam irDAC - $409
  
 For some reason it isn't very popular, maybe it's price + availability but every review I've read leaves the reviewer singing its praises. One thing I'm looking forward to is the smoothness (without losing detail) that many reviewers have reported. It might be nice w/ the ever so slight brightness of the HE-560.
  
What Hi-Fi review
ToneAudio review


----------



## Happytalk

I may be in the wrong thread but what about the peachtree? It seems in this price range it comes down to what your preferred coloration is. I would love to be able to afford a really accurate DAC.


----------



## Ilja77

I was hearing this opinion to that Marantz DAC: it sounds somethings like a Lynx Hilo.. So, the sound is on level.


----------



## DjBobby

ilja77 said:


> I was hearing this opinion to that Marantz DAC: it sounds somethings like a Lynx Hilo.. So, the sound is on level.


 

 And how does the Lynx Hilo sound? In which direction?


----------



## Ilja77

djbobby said:


> And how does the Lynx Hilo sound? In which direction?


 
  
 It sounds very openly, in all frequency diapason, you hear much details like on studio, cause of it is professional device, for working with audio. And all frequency response is very equal without any coloration.


----------



## 2leftears

djbobby said:


> Yes, fully agree with you. With "dedicated headphone amp using discrete components", they simply mean just no op-amps. They use exactly the same speaker output, attenuated with resistor for headphones. Which is basically like using Ferrari as a family car, with a gear shift blocked into the first gear.


 
  
 Not quite correct I am afraid.  The PM6005 (like many other Marantz products) uses a dedicated headphone amplifier.  It is not the power amp's output fed through a resistor.  And they are employing opamps for this (one of Marantz' HDAM opamps, which is a discrete opamp as opposed to an integrated opamp).  Opamps are simply high gain differential amplifiers, which are mostly integrated ones (such as e.g. an NE5534) and probably the type you are thinking about, but discrete ones most certainly exist (Marantz HDAM, New Class D DEXA, Burson, etc.)
  
 Discrete ones _can_ be better, as they can be tuned to the application in which they are employed in terms of gain-bandwith / noise characteristics etc., but they have drawbacks as well such as poorer drift characteristics with temperature change for example.
  
 Where the HD-DAC1 differs is that this discrete opamp-based architecture employs zero global feedback (only the opamp section employs feedback), and the opamp drives a very much beefed up power output section capable of driving <most> headphones.


----------



## 2leftears

djbobby said:


> I am not quite sure, since I don't have HD-DAC1 (yet). But I assume, it would be quite an improvement as it has variable gain setting, matching different impedances.
> PM6005 probably adds only a series resistor between the amplifier and the headphone jack, to protect it from short circuits and overloads. I am not sure for your amp, but have seen other Marantz amps with a resistor as high as 210 ohm. Which can poorly control HD650, damping factor being very low.


 
 First my apologies DjBobby, I don't mean to pound on you personally at all, it just happens that you wrote a couple of things over the last couple of weeks I thought worth commenting on.  The issue of damping factor re. headphones being one of them.
  
 The damping factor is much less of an issue with headphones than it is with speakers.  Speaker power amplifiers are much more difficult to construct with low output impedance, and as such their output impedance is relatively large compared to the typical 8 Ohm speaker impedance.  Couple this with the relatively large mechanical mass involved of the speaker diaphragm & voice coil, and damping factor matters indeed.
  
 With headphones the diaphragm is relatively light weight, and the air loading itself imparts quite a bit of damping.  Furthermore, headphone impedance is usually higher and it is easy to construct a headphone amp with low impedance.
  
 However, when something like a typical 120 Ohm resistor is incorporated in the headphone amp's output, what changes the characteristics of the headphone's sound is not so much a problem of damping factor where the amp is trying to keep control of a diaphragm that has a "resonant" mind of its own, but rather the fact that the headphone's impedance is far from flat over the bass register.  This means that the output impedance of the amp has a big impact on how much relative energy is dissipated in the various frequency bands below, say, 500Hz.
  
 This why some headphones are designed to have their best tonal balance when driven from an industry standard 120Ohm output impedance (Beyerdynamic notably).  Now you _may _in fact prefer the sound when driven by a zero-ish output impedance (a very personal matter of taste), but this is nothing to do with damping factor and everything with the (very much non-flat) impedance characteristics of the headphone.
  
 On top of that, I have a much more personal theory that damping factor matters even less with headphones because of the geometry of the magnetic gap & voice coil.  Most headphones linearize their electromagnetic response by having a long-throw voice coil that overhangs the magnetic gap substantially.  This means that of the 300 Ohm impedance of the HD650 e.g., only a 100 Ohm or so will ever be "active" and generate back EMF when vibrating.  The other 200 Ohm is hanging there as dead weight just adding to the overall circuit impedance which matters for calculating the damping factor.  You could almost consider it a 100 Ohm headphone with built-in 200 Ohm series resistance (the latter off course also having some minor inductance as suspended in air)


----------



## hamidr

PM6004 usese a couple of 330 ohmes in series and a protection relay between main amp and headphone jack.
 And the sound quality is pretty bad compared to the CD6004 HP jack. I also can hear a slight hiss ans hum with 16 ohms IEMs...Even at zero volume!
 The only benefit with resistor driven is they are virtually impedance free IMHO.


----------



## DjBobby

2leftears said:


> Not quite correct I am afraid.  The PM6005 (like many other Marantz products) uses a dedicated headphone amplifier.  It is not the power amp's output fed through a resistor.  And they are employing opamps for this (one of Marantz' HDAM opamps, which is a discrete opamp as opposed to an integrated opamp).  Opamps are simply high gain differential amplifiers, which are mostly integrated ones (such as e.g. an NE5534) and probably the type you are thinking about, but discrete ones most certainly exist (Marantz HDAM, New Class D DEXA, Burson, etc.)
> 
> Discrete ones _can_ be better, as they can be tuned to the application in which they are employed in terms of gain-bandwith / noise characteristics etc., but they have drawbacks as well such as poorer drift characteristics with temperature change for example.
> 
> Where the HD-DAC1 differs is that this discrete opamp-based architecture employs zero global feedback (only the opamp section employs feedback), and the opamp drives a very much beefed up power output section capable of driving <most> headphones.


 
It's always interesting to have a profound discussion, getting new insights into some facts, as well into some very personal views. In my op-amp statement, I was obviously thinking about the kind of NE5532, OPA2604, TL072 etc., because Marantz talks about HDAM as discrete circuits. If you look into Marantz glossary: "Marantz developed its own *discrete circuit boards* to replace standard IC's." So, if Marantz call them discrete circuits and not op-amps, it's  still a personal choice to call them whatever you like.
  


2leftears said:


> The damping factor is much less of an issue with headphones than it is with speakers.  Speaker power amplifiers are much more difficult to construct with low output impedance, and as such their output impedance is relatively large compared to the typical 8 Ohm speaker impedance.  Couple this with the relatively large mechanical mass involved of the speaker diaphragm & voice coil, and damping factor matters indeed.
> 
> With headphones the diaphragm is relatively light weight, and the air loading itself imparts quite a bit of damping.  Furthermore, headphone impedance is usually higher and it is easy to construct a headphone amp with low impedance.
> 
> ...


 
 In your second discussion, we agree at certain points, but also disagree in others, which is always good for a healthy discussion. While I fully agree with you that Beyers don't like zero-isn output impedance, neither do I, there are still two different qualities related to damping vs tonal balance. While with the Senns you could talk about the change in their tonal balance with different impedance, Beyers would literary react to overdamping. While you could describe Senns having bloated or leaner bass on different Z, with Beyers you would rather think about sounding dry, damped, over-damped, dead in the sub-bass region and sibilant in the treble, on the near zero-isn output impedance. 
  
 Your second "personal theory" that the damping matters even less with only 100 Ohm of usable impedance and 200 Ohm hanging dead, would it mean that with the 600 Ohm Beyers, there are even 500 "dead" Ohms hanging out there? Are Beyers techs that stupid? Hmmm...If you have ever used more headphones in a parallel in a studio, you would have understood what the "dead hanging Ohms" are for. Putting 2 headphones in parallels halves the impedance. And in the studio there might be multiple headphones in parallel.


----------



## mkrzych

I've tried several times hp output from my Marantz PM6004 amp which is connected straight to the amp section over the 330Ohm resistor. It sound ok, but indeed the sub-bass or even bass is somehow too much and muddy without the definition and the soundstage is also stretched a bit comparing to dedicated HPA. I've tried this with 250Ohm T90's.


----------



## hamidr

Yes its way too much bassy. They colored the main amp to make it suitable for speakers. You cant hear good sound via HP jack unless you turn the bass knob down for good -6 db.. BTW, the jack on the CD6004 sound good with my HD558s.


----------



## Seamaster7

hi, total newbie here. But i was wondering if i can hook hd-dac1 to my AT LP60 turntable. will this setup be workable with my m&d mh40s? 
  
 thanks in advance


----------



## DjBobby

seamaster7 said:


> hi, total newbie here. But i was wondering if i can hook hd-dac1 to my AT LP60 turntable. will this setup be workable with my m&d mh40s?
> 
> thanks in advance


 

 You mean probably in reverse, to hook AT LP60 to a hd-dac1? Yes, you can do that, only you would need an adapter. HD-DAC1 has only one audio input, 3,5mm rca jack.


----------



## Seamaster7

thank you so much replying so fast. Yeah you are right. I meant in reverse. like i said, total newbie. If i upgrade to the LP60usb, would i be able to use the usb out from the turntable to the usb input on the marantz? and would you suggest doing that? 
  
 i can get rid of the lp60 easily as i have a friend on stand by for it.
  
 Thank you.


----------



## Seamaster7

djbobby said:


> You mean probably in reverse, to hook AT LP60 to a hd-dac1? Yes, you can do that, only you would need an adapter. HD-DAC1 has only one audio input, 3,5mm rca jack.


 
 thank you so much replying so fast. Yeah you are right. I meant in reverse. like i said, total newbie. If i upgrade to the LP60usb, would i be able to use the usb out from the turntable to the usb input on the marantz? and would you suggest doing that? 
  
 i can get rid of the lp60 easily as i have a friend on stand by for it.
  
 Thank you.


----------



## DjBobby

seamaster7 said:


> thank you so much replying so fast. Yeah you are right. I meant in reverse. like i said, total newbie. If i upgrade to the LP60usb, would i be able to use the usb out from the turntable to the usb input on the marantz? and would you suggest doing that?
> 
> i can get rid of the lp60 easily as i have a friend on stand by for it.
> 
> Thank you.


 

 That should actually sound much better. USB sending digital to hd-dac1, where it is converted by much better quality dac chip.
 Only first check, when possible, if hd-dac-1 can recognize LP60usb. I've tried bunch of flash drives with my other Marantz gear, and sometimes they were not recognized. Same formatting, all else same, but 1 out 10 would just not be readable.


----------



## Seamaster7

djbobby said:


> That should actually sound much better. USB sending digital to hd-dac1, where it is converted by much better quality dac chip.
> Only first check, when possible, if hd-dac-1 can recognize LP60usb. I've tried bunch of flash drives with my other Marantz gear, and sometimes they were not recognized. Same formatting, all else same, but 1 out 10 would just not be readable.


 
 You, sir, deserve a medal. Not all heroes wear capes. 
  
 Cheers


----------



## DjBobby

seamaster7 said:


> You, sir, deserve a medal. Not all heroes wear capes.
> 
> Cheers


 

 No medals here, maybe just a glass of wine. Cheers


----------



## PoSR77

Just got mine today, over a month after I first posted itt contemplating it (told you I went slow with such decisions 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




). 
  
 Liking/loving the sound (more on that later), but does this thing just *hate* Foobar? I can't go more than 3 minutes tops without a dropout/interruption in the sound. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Sometimes it pauses and then comes back, other times it's gone completely (the seek bar slider will even stop) and I have to restart the track. Sometimes it clicks when it does this and shows the 'unlocked' message, sometimes not. 
  
 I've tried, under Output, under device, switching between the 'primary sound driver' as well as 'digital audio interface (Marantz USB Audio)'. I've also tried switching the bit rate/sample depth and looked in the manual. I've never had any problem like this with my old DacMagic...
  
 Any help? This is driving me crazy: I'm just waiting for the music to be interrupted on every track and thus can't relax and enjoy the tunes! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 If this was covered before in here sorry.


----------



## dieslow

Using Foobar with Windows 10 via USB and no problem at all reading any files (MP3, FLAC, ALAC, SACD, etc). No dropout at all. It is weird ... maybe there is a problem with your configuration but I do not think it is a problem with the Marantz.


----------



## PoSR77

I'm on Windows 7 and USB btw. I think this is the "unlocked" problem that has been so buggy with this unit. 
  
 Going to restart computer/HD DAC and see what that does. I did download the driver from the Marantz site and installed it before I even hooked up the HD DAC. 
  
 EDIT: No help. Too tired to deal with this now; going to watch Netflix and see if this is just a Foobar thing. Hate to replace Foobar but...


----------



## PoSR77

Ok...it's not just Foobar. The sound cuts out on everything. When I'm even not listening to or watching anything (no audio signal) the DAC relay will click on and off like it's trying to find a signal and keeps displaying "unlocked". Faulty unit?


----------



## SpirosG

Never happened to me .
  
 However, too many infos are missing. Have you installed the asio plug in ? Do you need dsd playback, (so that you should first congigure foobar with the relevant  plugs ?
  
 Anyway, the way to go in these cases, is to  delete  and then make a new clean Foobar installation. It doesn't take more than 5 minutes ...
  
 All in all, up yo now I've found Marantz's drivers very stable with no problems at all. It is something that you 're doing wrong ...
  
_*edit*_ : I didn't notice your latest posts ...try to change the usb cable ... hope yours is not longer than 6 feet ...


----------



## PoSR77

spirosg said:


> Never happened to me .
> 
> However, too many infos are missing. Have you installed the asio plug in ? Do you need dsd playback, (so that you should first congigure foobar with the relevant  plugs ?
> 
> ...


 
  
 Yea, it's with every application: video/sound through browser, media players, etc. not just Foobar. I reinstalled the Marantz driver; no help. I'm going to change the USB cable, but it's the same one that worked with my DacMagic so I don't know why it would be the issue now.
  
 Really want to get this to work properly because I think it's just a computer problem and returning and replacing the HD DAC will not solve it. 
  
*EDIT:*  Guys, please don't hurt me...it was the USB cord!!! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



  
 In detail, I had the old USB cord hooked upped to a USB hub (a cheapo one at that). NO idea why that was fine for the DacMagic's data stream, but it just isn't fast enough in data transfer for the Marantz (playing Redbook and not "hi res" files too). 
  
 So, put the USB cord right into the back of the computer USB out (I have a lot of devices hooked up to the computer and only 4 direct USB outs, hence the hub) and poof! cut out due to lack of steady data flow gone! Duh!! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  (In my defense: 11 hour work day on 3 1/2 - 4 hours of sleep...the 8th long work day in a row...damn quarterly paper work). 
  
 So thanks to Spiro for the tip (I was about to check that out, but really didn't think it was the factor...hell, I thought the DacMagic was directly hooked into the computer and I just unhooked the USB from the DacMagic and put it right into the Marantz). 
  
 Now to go rediscover my thousands of albums...
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 
  
 Briefly the SQ I find to be pretty neutral. The horrid congestion/lack of air I had with the M-Stage (original stock) is gone; this set up is definitely more open and musical. I've got the gain on Med with the T1's. Plenty of power; the 12:00 position will blow my ears off with pretty much any genre. 
  
 I even find this thing kind of "dry"; not hearing a lot of warmth, which is kind of what I prefer (neutral, but not veiled or overly muddy/warm nor too cold or clinical). I think it's more of a "natural" sound than anything else; need a lot more listening with a lot of genres though. There is some sibilance in the treble but nothing that bugs me. Seems to be a good all-rounder: I've thrown rock, pop, jazz and classical at it so far and it sounds great with all. 
  
 Off tomorrow; see how long I can stay awake with my new toy.


----------



## DjBobby

posr77 said:


> There is some sibilance in the treble but nothing that bugs me. Seems to be a good all-rounder: I've thrown rock, pop, jazz and classical at it so far and it sounds great with all.


 
  
 Is this sibilance something you would particularly address to HD-DAC1 or was already there but got more pronounced now? Also which HPs are you using? Sibilance would be a red flag alert for my ears


----------



## AudioSonicSound

Hello, I have Sennheiser HD 598 and I listen to all types of music, mostly from the 70's and 80's, heavy metal, rock, disco, synth-pop, orchestral... I want to buy head-amp/DAC, with different inputs (optical, coaxial, XLR, RCA) so that I can connect my PC, CD and Blu-ray players. Right now I'm thinking about MARANTZ HD-DAC1 and SENNHEISER HDVD 800. Which one would you recommend and why? THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!


----------



## AudioSonicSound

gmaxx said:


> it's connected to my pc which I use while working and listening to music. The relay is constantly clicking on and off due to things I'm doing on my pc


 
 Can you please explain this part to me a bit more? I'm thinking about buying HD-DAC1 as a head-amp for my headphones and as DAC for my PC, to connect it with optical cable.
 When I listen to audio files from my PC, I always do other stuff at the same time, clicking non-stop. So what exactly can I expect to hear from HD-DAC1 while connected to PC via optical, and why?
 Thank you very much.


----------



## PoSR77

djbobby said:


> Is this sibilance something you would particularly address to HD-DAC1 or was already there but got more pronounced now? Also which HPs are you using? Sibilance would be a red flag alert for my ears


 
  
 Yes, definitely more pronounced. But that's partly because the M-Stage was just so muffled/muddy that it didn't really have an articulate top end...it wasn't even there to be sibilant lol. Compared to the EF-1 (my amp that quit on me precipitating buying the HD DAC 1) however, it's definitely harder highs. 
  
 Cans are T1's as noted above. Also, I have perfect hearing (get tested every year) so I hear all the way up to 20hz. 
  


audiosonicsound said:


> Can you please explain this part to me a bit more? I'm thinking about buying HD-DAC1 as a head-amp for my headphones and as DAC for my PC, to connect it with optical cable.
> When I listen to audio files from my PC, I always do other stuff at the same time, clicking non-stop. So what exactly can I expect to hear from HD-DAC1 while connected to PC via optical, and why?
> Thank you very much.


 
  
 For me, every time the audio source changes, there is a soft click. Thus, if I go from listening to music on Foobar to watching in-browser media (Netflix, Youtube, news video, etc.) or an independent video file via a media player (like a blu ray movie or downloaded video) there is a click each time I change the audio source.  
  
 It's a little annoying, but no deal killer imo. I'm largely immune to the "clicks when shifting from different bit rates in music files bug" as most of my collection is Redbook and I usually listen to full albums anyway and don't shuffle tracks (which might have different bit rates). 
  
  
 I'm still listening to the HD DAC to let my view of it "burn in" if you will (no hasty judgments), but my impression hasn't changed much since my first listen. There are things I like about it and things I don't like so much. It's a good unit, but I'm surprised it's not better (I was expecting great, not just good sound) and I'm finding its SS not really as most others describe. More on this later.


----------



## AudioSonicSound

I've read most of this thread, I'll try to read everything. Today I've found HD-DAC1 from a trusted seller for 50% of the usual price!! Brand new, silver version. Seller says that it's made in 2015 - so being from the later (latest?) batch, can I expect it won't have that clicks/hum issues? Thanks in advance for your replies!


----------



## reiserFS

audiosonicsound said:


> I've read most of this thread, I'll try to read everything. Today I've found HD-DAC1 from a trusted seller for 50% of the usual price!! Brand new, silver version. Seller says that it's made in 2015 - so being from the later (latest?) batch, can I expect it won't have that clicks/hum issues? Thanks in advance for your replies!


 
 It will always have the clicking relays.


----------



## Straya

Does the Marantz HD-DAC1 pair well with Audeze LCD-2 as I am interested in purchasing this amp/DAC for the lcd-2's.


----------



## dieslow

It pairs extremely well with these in my opinion.


----------



## Straya

Great to hear. Thanks


----------



## AudioSonicSound

reiserfs said:


> It will always have the clicking relays.


 
 Some here in this thread reported NO clicking from their Marantz HD-DAC1. I have Valab DAC-X9 - no clicking whatsoever.


----------



## audionewbi

Just wanted to report that TH900 synergy with maratnz is 10/10 for me.


----------



## PopZeus

Anybody else having issues with the HD-DAC1 and El Capitan or is it just me?


----------



## sparkofinsanity

popzeus said:


> Anybody else having issues with the HD-DAC1 and El Capitan or is it just me?


 

 The sound/midi settings for it changed to 352,8 Hz (which it doesn't support), after changing it back it worked fine. 
 After running out of battery and the computer turned off it changed back again for some reason, a normal restart doesn't have the same effect thankfully.


----------



## PopZeus

sparkofinsanity said:


> The sound/midi settings for it changed to 352,8 Hz (which it doesn't support), after changing it back it worked fine.
> After running out of battery and the computer turned off it changed back again for some reason, a normal restart doesn't have the same effect thankfully.


 
 Yeah, I had to change my settings in Vox to convert rate to the device, then it started working fine. Thanks!


----------



## audionewbi

I only use Optical from my Mac, do you guys thing USB is better to be used?


----------



## mmoraw

Yes usb would be much better option, in comparison to the optical. Give it a go.


----------



## ap1978

Anyone tried this with Denon AH-MM400 or Fostex TH-600? Any thoughts/comments/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## dieslow

I am using it right now with my TH-600 and it sounds fabulous. Also tried it with the TH-900 and it was as good ... Every headphones I tried with it sounded good I guess !


----------



## audionewbi

Th 900 and hd dac1 is my hidden secret.


----------



## VilMo

Hi, Audionewbi,
I've been meaning to ask you seeing that you are actively following Chord Mojo if you consider it a considerable SQ upgrade over HD-DAC1. I am using HD-DAC1 both as a HP amplifier (Fidelio x2, Grado S325is) and a DAC to a REGA Brio. Portability is not the leading factor for me.


----------



## audionewbi

vilmo said:


> Hi, Audionewbi,
> I've been meaning to ask you seeing that you are actively following Chord Mojo if you consider it a considerable SQ upgrade over HD-DAC1. I am using HD-DAC1 both as a HP amplifier (Fidelio x2, Grado S325is) and a DAC to a REGA Brio. Portability is not the leading factor for me.



It always comes down to synergy. Once you have found the right pair their is no need for improving an already good sounding pairing.

With th900 I have a perfect pairing and to be honest I haven't compared my other gears critically. I enjoy music too much with th900 too really want to do that.


----------



## VilMo

Sometimes we forget that technology gives us only part of the joy with music and focus only on that part...
 Maybe we should see more the way we feel the music instead of the gear that brings it.
 Following new technology is fun, but so is listening to our favourite pieces no matter if we use the latest gismo.
 Happy listening and thanks for your thoughts on this forum and others.


----------



## dieslow

Such a wise reply ! Like you said we are tend to forget that the priority is to enjoy the music we listen to and let's be honest ... we dont "need"" a 2000$ pair of headphones with a 1500$ amp to do so !


----------



## audionewbi

I used to always say if technology is getting in the way of enjoying my life I am doing it all wrong, sadly I have forgotten.


----------



## PopZeus

audionewbi said:


> I only use Optical from my Mac, do you guys thing USB is better to be used?


 
 I'm not sure that it makes a big difference. This DAC doesn't seem to wildly favor a particular input type for sound quality, although some might find the USB input to sound the best. I think USB has some advantages (in terms of file types, bit rate, etc.) so, I'd rather use the most versatile input for my Mac, jic.


----------



## VilMo

I have similar observations regarding USB, coax and fiber, slightly preferring coax, but difference is very subtle. I find that the best SQ comes from the USB flash with WAV files (unfortunately FLAC is not supported on this input). I was wondering if this is because no (dirty) power comes in and no cables are involved so this could be "pure" USB signal? 
If somebody is using USB "cleaners" with HD-DAC1 like eg. Uptone Regen, can you please compare the SQ between the latter and the same file over USB flash? This is something that has been bugging me for a while.


----------



## AudioSonicSound

How about pairing Marantz HD-DAC1 with JOB 225 power amplifier? http://www.jobsys.com/job225doc.htm
 Do you think HD-DAC1 could be suitable for the JOB as preamplifier? Thanks.


----------



## audionewbi

Glad to report Marantz have a new unit ready out of the oven: http://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/20151104_728760.html
  
 If I had a pair of KEF LS50 I would have love to buy this, but for now I will stick with my DAC-1 and TH900.


----------



## VilMo

Looks very interesting


----------



## AudioSonicSound

*Marantz HD-DAC1* vs *Naim DAC-V1*
  
 Which one is better choice - if I grade the three roles of device from the most to the least important to me - like this:
 #1 - head-amp
 #2 - pre-amp
 #3 - DAC
  
 Thank you!


----------



## kurumaebi

any one tried had dac1 with T1? Is that good?


----------



## Pokemonn

audiosonicsound said:


> *Marantz HD-DAC1* vs *Naim DAC-V1*
> 
> Which one is better choice - if I grade the three roles of device from the most to the least important to me - like this:
> #1 - head-amp
> ...


 

 I have never heard Naim. my impression on HDDAC1 is...
 headamp section is tad too crispy and sharp, i need external class A amps for HDDAC1 for my prefernce.
 i think HDDAC1 is good as a DAC which sounds very clean.


----------



## frankraindog

I think, both are good amps for the money. but the naim out perfoms the marantz, but is although 3 times the street price


----------



## csah2o

Have anyone tried change power cable for better performance?  Just got my HD-dac1 for a month or so and really liked the sound it output.   But I am thinking for the possibility of optimizing what I have on hand.  Since Dac/amp is sensitive to power source, I am thinking to replace the original power cord with Vovox initio power cord.  Do you think It will improve the sound performance?  Thank you.


----------



## hbuus

How does it pair with Sennheiser HD700?


----------



## tungx2

hbuus said:


> How does it pair with Sennheiser HD700?


 
 +1, i would love to hear this as well


----------



## Pokemonn

FYI, my modded EQed HD800 + HDDAC1 combo sound slightly a bit edgy and too crispy IMO.
 *maybe* HD700 + HDDAC1 combo sounds similaly edgy i guess. sorry i don't own HD700. so i can't test now.
 HD650 + HDDAC1 combo sounds almost NO edginess for me IMO.


----------



## hbuus

Thanks.
  
 I've decided I'm gonna pass on this.
 I've already got a Graham Slee Solo Ultra Linear headamp which matches very well with my HD700, so all I really need is a DAC.


----------



## derbigpr

Yes I will too report that the headphone output on the DAC1 is a bit...bright and unrefined, almost sharp, so to speak,  it's not bad, but it takes away from the DAC section and kinda ruins it. I wouldn't use it as a one unit and would go for a separate headphone amp to make use of the DAC to the full extent. I much prefer the headphone output of the Asus Essence One Mk2 Muses Edition. Both devices cost roughly the same, but Asus has a more powerful headphone output and a much better sounding one, it just has an amazingly pleasing timbre with those Muses 01 op-amps, it sounds very smooth and full bodied, but at the same time extremely detailed, spacious, fast, just excellent micro-dynamics. It also has a massive soundstage, a word "holographic" easily applies to it, it just makes things sound palpable and closer to being in front of you than with the DAC1.  It's superior to any separate headphone amp under 500-600 dollars I've heard. Easily beats the Schiit Asgard 2 and Musical Fidelity M1HPAP for example. The comparison was done with the T1's and HD600's. I haven't tried both devices just as DAC's side by side, only with their headphone outs.   Teac UD-503 is another beast of a DAC in this price category, probably the best of the three when it comes to being a standalone DAC, but it has a slightly weaker headphone output, but still good enough to work as a single unit with high end headphones. However, it has the ability to be a balanced headphone amplifier, that makes the amp better, so if you have balanced headphones, it might be the best as an amp too.  It also looks and feels epic, Asus is built like a brick, it feels like it's glued to the table when I try to pick it up, that's how heavy it feels for it's size, but it still has plastic knobs that feel kinda cheap.  Marantz looks a bit kitschy with that fake wood on the sides, and also has cheap feeling knobs, but the Teac is built like a tank, all the knobs are metal and  super solid and precise, it just feels like a high end piece of equipment.   Lots of good choices at the moment when it comes to all-in-one DAC/head amp units.  I haven't tried the Naim DAC-V1, but that's slightly out of my budget.


----------



## Happytalk

This seems to be a common issue below a certain price point. The excellent DAC with the marginal amp or vice versa. I have to think it's possible to make it happen.


----------



## derbigpr

happytalk said:


> This seems to be a common issue below a certain price point. The excellent DAC with the marginal amp or vice versa. I have to think it's possible to make it happen.


 
  
 As I said, Asus E1 Muses nails it pretty much. Excellent DAC and an excellent amp, each section on it's own comparable to  standalone devices at the price of the entire Asus package. The only thing missing is a balanced headphone output.


----------



## gr34td3str0y3r

csah2o said:


> Have anyone tried change power cable for better performance?  Just got my HD-dac1 for a month or so and really liked the sound it output.   But I am thinking for the possibility of optimizing what I have on hand.  Since Dac/amp is sensitive to power source, I am thinking to replace the original power cord with Vovox initio power cord.  Do you think It will improve the sound performance?  Thank you.


 
 really.... 
  
 Think about this for one sec. You have about 1000 miles between your DAC1 and the power company's gernerator. Do you really think changing 2 feet of that 1000 miles will make a differnce. 
 Forget all that. What about JUST the wiring in your wall. Change your outlet while you are at it.


----------



## gr34td3str0y3r

Came back to the thread after about a year of owning the Marantz. 
 I read some people think the amp is bright. Don't really agree. Maybe its your cans. None of the cans I have tried sounded bright to me at all. 
  
 I do agree that amp is a little on the weak side. But weak doesn't equal bad. People seem to equate power = quality. The Mangi put out what? 1 watt! That doesnt mean the Magni is better than the amp in Marantz by any measure. 
  
 Yes, this amp will have some problems for sure pushing some harder to drive headphones, but if own some LCDs you should probably get a nicer amp anyway. This thing drives my AKG Q701s wonderfully. But just barely. On really high DR tracks I hit about 90% volume, thought I usually stick to about 50% volume on the average DR 7 album. Thats on low gain too. The higher the gain I use on this thing, it seems to close in the sound stage. 
  
  
 But I will say I was looking at the Fostex's two amp/dac are laughably weak. The a4 is 100mw at 32ohms. The A8 is a little weaker than the Marantz at 700mw. 

 "Some here in this thread reported NO clicking from their Marantz HD-DAC1. I have Valab DAC-X9 - no clicking whatsoever."
 Thats weird. You should always here a click. There is a physical relay switch that opens and closes. It used to drive me nuts. Then I realized its a feature. and not really a big deal. I don't even notice it anymore. In fact I just had to double check it was still there. 
  
 Just quick question? 
 I just ordered A little dot Mark 4 SE tube amp. I plan on using the HD-dac1 as a DAC for the tube amp. My first time messing with this feature, meaning just as a DAC. The manual says NOT to connect a power amp to the "fixed output". I should use the variable out put. So what? set the tube amp pot at a fixed level and use the Marantz to adjust the volume? What would give me the best SQ (I will experiment to find out but I am curious what anyone else thinks) 
  
 Also I ordered the Hd650's to go with my Little Dot. But of course I will try them out with the SS amp in the Marantz. Anyone else try the 650's with the marantz?


----------



## crafft

I had the 650's and Marantz HDDAC1. They pair extremely well. But never tried the 650 with a tube amp...
  
 I agree that IMO the Marantz isn't bright. Not even with DT880 cans I used to own. 
  
 I now use the HDDAC1 with HD600 and Focal Spirit Pro. Very happy with the results.
  
 Two weeks ago I bought the Chord Mojo so I can compare the two dac/amps. I don't hear any (extra or overly) brightness from the Marantz compared to the Mojo.
  
 My sources are a MBP connected via usb (Wireworld Ultraviolet) or iPad via same usb cable and Apple CCK
 I also use my old CD-spinners (Audiolab 8200CDQ or Onkyo DX7555) as a transport connected via coax (Oehlbach The Pure Sound, 75Ohm cable) to the Marantz.
 Results from the CD players as a transport are to my ears clearly better than from any computer or mobile device. This is also the case if I use the Chord Mojo.


----------



## jamescodway

The H650s are well paired with HD DAC1. You will get a different flavour from them with a good tube amp. I think they are excellent though I find the soundstage a bit tall-oval shaped for my liking. The Marantz seems to reduce this effect somewhat.
  
 Best
  
 James


----------



## fattycheesebeef

I'm liking my paring with AKG K7XX with silver cable. Not bright at all. 
  
 Good tight base, nice mids and clean highs.


----------



## kawaivpc1

http://www.head-fi.org/t/793465/marantz-hd-amp1-2016-brand-new-dxd-dsd256-usb-dac
  
 Check this out... Marantz HD-AMP1 DXD, DSD256 DAC is out now... it's an advanced version of DAC1. 
 It uses Sabre DAC instead of Sirrus Logic.


----------



## gr34td3str0y3r

kawaivpc1 said:


> http://www.head-fi.org/t/793465/marantz-hd-amp1-2016-brand-new-dxd-dsd256-usb-dac
> 
> Check this out... Marantz HD-AMP1 DXD, DSD256 DAC is out now... it's an advanced version of DAC1.
> It uses Sabre DAC instead of Sirrus Logic.


 
 well... Advanced yeah, but also not a headphone amp. Its a speaker amp, but the DAC is indeed improved. 
  
 edit: 
 "I'm liking my paring with AKG K7XX with silver cable. Not bright at all. " 
  
 where did you get your cable. Moon?


----------



## kawaivpc1

gr34td3str0y3r said:


> well... Advanced yeah, but also not a headphone amp. Its a speaker amp, but the DAC is indeed improved.
> 
> edit:
> "I'm liking my paring with AKG K7XX with silver cable. Not bright at all. "
> ...


 
 No, it's a headphone amp too.
  
 Read carefully:
  
*Dedicated Headphone Circuit with Adjustable Gain and HDAM-SA2*

 Designed to deliver the ultimate listening experience with the widest range of headphone types and impedances the HD-AMP1 features a dedicated headphone amplifier block that employs our exclusive HDAM-SA2 technology. There are 3 gain settings available in order to provide optimum matching with the widest range of headphone impedances.

  
 It has even better headphone output with three gain stage... I think DAC1 doesn't have gain stages...
 This new HD-Amp1 costs 1,000 USD. I'm not sure when we will see this on Amazon.


----------



## topilouff

Hi,
HDAM-SA2 is embedded on the DAC1 too, with 3 gain levels.
I think the headphone amp section is the same on both, the AMP1 is although a speaker amp, and has a sabre dac with 384 khz / 32 bits and 11.2 DSD

Envoyé de mon SGP621 en utilisant Tapatalk


----------



## PopZeus

Yeah, the HD-DAC1 has a low-mid-high gain stages for the headphone amp. But the device is a much better DAC than it is a head amp. I much prefer listening to cans out of my DX90 rather than the DAC1.


----------



## chjan

ap1978 said:


> Anyone tried this with Denon AH-MM400 or Fostex TH-600? Any thoughts/comments/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


 
 No, but I had the AH-MM400 for some months and I was a happy camper with that headphone. Then I replaced the Denon with the cheaper, but oh-so-much better sounding Philps Fidelio X2, a super companion to HD-DAC1. Try!


----------



## kurumaebi

how is hd dac with fostex thx00 is this sets as good as th900?


----------



## fattycheesebeef

gr34td3str0y3r said:


> well... Advanced yeah, but also not a headphone amp. Its a speaker amp, but the DAC is indeed improved.
> 
> edit:
> "I'm liking my paring with AKG K7XX with silver cable. Not bright at all. "
> ...


 
  
 ALO SXC 22


----------



## Gamergtx260

Has anyone experienced the "click" noise? I use VOX and I don't hear the clicks when I play from a playlist, is it because the playlist is gapless playback?


----------



## dieslow

I am pretty sure it is because it is gapless so you keep feeding it with music without interruption !


----------



## crafft

It's because your songs in the playlist have the same samplerate and/or bitdepth. If the samplerate between songs changes then the relais (the clicks)  kicks in to adjust the dac.


----------



## Bloodflowerz

I got my Marantz Dac1 coming in next week. Sold my Rega Dac, Rega Brio, will sell my Burson Soloist SL too....all for the sake of convenience which is what I appreciate more nowadays than ultimate sound fidelity. Looking forward to it.


----------



## gritzo

crafft said:


> You need a lightning to usb camera adapter. See Apple store.


 
  
  


wdh777 said:


> The camera adapter worked. Thanks. Does anyone make a lightning to usb b cable?


 
  i understand that using the rear port fixes the sync issue with ipad. Is there any solution to fix the issue with the  front port ?


----------



## wdh777

I have not found a solution to the front port which is a bummer. The whole point of the front port is to use a standard lightning to usb a cable and to fix the sync you need to use a usb b cable to camera connection kit.


----------



## 2leftears

audionewbi said:


> Glad to report Marantz have a new unit ready out of the oven: http://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/20151104_728760.html
> 
> If I had a pair of KEF LS50 I would have love to buy this, but for now I will stick with my DAC-1 and TH900.





Apologies, have been off-line for a while, so replying to an older post.

As much as I would trust Marantz, if anyone, to get this right, the amp audionewbi refers to is some form of Class D. I would seriously suggest some extensive listening before buying. Class D technology IMHO is likely where 1-bit CD players were at the start. Great theory, but the post-amp filtering will need a couple more decades of refinement.

Off course I haven't heard it yet, so maybe it's not too bad anymore. My opinion above is based on general tech development observation, where the first generation new tech is great theory, implementation needs a lot more R&D.


----------



## Rod Welst

Very positive review on the new Marantz HD-AMP1 amp...
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




  
http://andreweverard.com/2015/12/21/review-marantz-hd-amp1-is-a-classic-in-the-making/


----------



## 2leftears

Sounds promising.
  
 Interesting: I didn't check the dimensions and had assumed the HD-AMP1 was the same size as the HD-DAC1.  The side-by-side photo shows it clearly to be bigger.


----------



## fattycheesebeef

2leftears said:


> Sounds promising.
> 
> Interesting: I didn't check the dimensions and had assumed the HD-AMP1 was the same size as the HD-DAC1.  The side-by-side photo shows it clearly to be bigger.


 
  
 It's bigger! It's like DAC1 became the little brother of AMP1.


----------



## krumley7882

I have the Marantz HD-DAC and love it.  Question: I want to use the DAC only on the Marantz into the MicroZOTL2.  The Marantz guide asserts that you should use variable (control volume from Marantz) out, and not fixed-out (control from MicroZOTL) when going to amps. Which one will maximize the Marantz *DAC*s full potential into the amp?  Thanks.


----------



## Gamergtx260

Has anyone tried plugging in an external HDD? I tried to plug in last night but got an error saying "Unsupported format". So I did a format to FAT32 but still haven't checked it yet. Anyone?


----------



## gritzo

I`m a little confused with charging my ipad with the front port of the HD-DAC1..
  
 When the unit is OFF and still charging ipad (yellow light "on") . After charging, the unit does not go into stanby mode and yellow light remains lit even after ipad charged at 100%. Isnt the unit supposed to go into stanby mode (red light "ON") after fully charging the IPAD?
  
 i have the Marantz set to  "auto standby" mode .


----------



## Gamergtx260

Maybe the HD DAC isn't smart enough to know if the iPad was charged fully. Mine stays that way too.


----------



## gritzo

gamergtx260 said:


> Maybe the HD DAC isn't smart enough to know if the iPad was charged fully. Mine stays that way too.


 
 well , i tried leaving the unit "ON" with no activity while charging.  Also "standby" mode set to "on" while charging. After the unit sees no activity it will shut itself off after 30 minutes and continue to charge until IPAD is at 100 %.Then it will set itself into standby mode (red light on).


----------



## VT52

gamergtx260 said:


> Has anyone tried plugging in an external HDD? I tried to plug in last night but got an error saying "Unsupported format". So I did a format to FAT32 but still haven't checked it yet. Anyone?


 
  
 What is the point of that? The USB is not meant as an accessory port, but an input from your PC.


----------



## VT52

Does anyone have access to the schematics of the DAC1's output section?


----------



## krumley7882

Just quick question? 
I just ordered A little dot Mark 4 SE tube amp. I plan on using the HD-dac1 as a DAC for the tube amp. My first time messing with this feature, meaning just as a DAC. The manual says NOT to connect a power amp to the "fixed output". I should use the variable out put. So what? set the tube amp pot at a fixed level and use the Marantz to adjust the volume? What would give me the best SQ (I will experiment to find out but I am curious what anyone else......
[/quote]



I'm interested what you found out?


----------



## VT52

Power amps don't have volume controls or a preamp section. Your tube amp is an integrated amp with it's own volume control and enough gain to drive from a small input signal to the output stage. Hence you can just use the fixed output and use the volume on your amplifier.
  
 I've not tested the fixed output vs the variable, but no doubt there are extra components in the signal path of the non-fixed output (such as the pot). No sense using two pots, so just use the fixed signal path.


----------



## Gamergtx260

Huh? I meant the front use port where you can plug in usb thumb drive.


----------



## krumley7882

The USB input on the back of the Marantz does not accept the ifi Gemini cable.  It says "unsupported."  Any thoughts?


----------



## crafft

krumley7882 said:


> The USB input on the back of the Marantz does not accept the ifi Gemini cable.  It says "unsupported."  Any thoughts?


 

 What's the source you're using?


----------



## reiserFS

So I got the HD-DAC1 in a few days ago and my god, what a beauty it is. Matches up really well with my ATH-W1000x!


----------



## 2leftears

Works fine on the front USB port.  I am using a Seagate Backup Slim 500Gb, because of its minimalist small design, but predominantly because it is really quiet.  The drive needs to be a single FAT32 partition, and I am using .wav files at 44.1kHz.  Note that FLAC is not supported through the front USB bus, and there also is a limitation of about


----------



## 2leftears

gamergtx260 said:


> Has anyone tried plugging in an external HDD? I tried to plug in last night but got an error saying "Unsupported format". So I did a format to FAT32 but still haven't checked it yet. Anyone?


 
  
 Sorry about the double post, meant to quote Gamergtx260!
  
 Works fine on the front USB port.  I am using a Seagate Backup Slim 500Gb, because of its minimalist small design, but predominantly because it is really quiet.  The drive needs to be a single FAT32 partition, and I am using .wav files at 44.1kHz.  Note that FLAC is not supported through the front USB bus, and there also is a limitation of about 700 folder or so.


----------



## Gamergtx260

Ah thank you  Will try and let you know


----------



## enriquerb

Hi. My name is Enrique. this is my first post, and it's caused by a problem with my Marantz Hd dac-1. My streaming source is a Logitech Squeezebox Touch, It does not work correctly with the USB input DAC. I can not play hi-res files or DSD, despite having the correct version of Logitech Media Server installed, the plugin to play DSD files ... only can play 44,1 files (via USB).
Some friends play from the Squeezebox to other dac smoothly. I don´t know if there is any inconsistency between the Marantz HD-1 and the Squeezebox Touch to play by USB, or simply there is a configuration option in the Logitech Media Server with a wrong value.
Let's see if anybody can help me with this problem.
Thanks in advance and greetings¡¡


----------



## Rod Welst

enriquerb said:


> Hi. My name is Enrique. this is my first post, and it's caused by a problem with my Marantz Hd dac-1. My streaming source is a Logitech Squeezebox Touch, It does not work correctly with the USB input DAC. I can not play hi-res files or DSD, despite having the correct version of Logitech Media Server installed, the plugin to play DSD files ... only can play 44,1 files (via USB).
> Some friends play from the Squeezebox to other dac smoothly. I don´t know if there is any inconsistency between the Marantz HD-1 and the Squeezebox Touch to play by USB, or simply there is a configuration option in the Logitech Media Server with a wrong value.
> Let's see if anybody can help me with this problem.
> Thanks in advance and greetings¡¡


 
 I suggest you contact Marantz directly... They will reply to your questions...
http://us.marantz.com/us/ContactUs/Pages/ContactUs.aspx


----------



## Gamergtx260

Why isn't there a page for this amazing amp? I would also like to write a review and share my experience from my 6 month ownership.


----------



## enriquerb

rod welst said:


> I suggest you contact Marantz directly... They will reply to your questions...
> http://us.marantz.com/us/ContactUs/Pages/ContactUs.aspx



 



Thanks, i will finally contact MARANTZ . I wanted to know if there were any Squeezebox user here, with problems like mine , I'm a little desperate...


----------



## reiserFS

gamergtx260 said:


> Why isn't there a page for this amazing amp? I would also like to write a review and share my experience from my 6 month ownership.


 
 So would I. Still going strong, a bit of humming with really sensitive cans like my W1000x, but I can live with that. I have a LCD-2 Rev2 on it's way, so I can't wait how they'll play together 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 
  
 Edit: The LCD-2s pair amazingly well with the DAC1, Mid-Gain is fairly enough to reach ear damaging levels.


----------



## hamidr

Guyz.,
 It might have been asked before...But Can I hook up this DAC to an android device via USB OTG? I mean the back port(type b)
  
 Thank you so much


----------



## jmsaxon69

hamidr said:


> Guyz.,
> It might have been asked before...But Can I hook up this DAC to an android device via USB OTG? I mean the back port(type b)
> 
> Thank you so much


 

 Yes


----------



## hamidr

jmsaxon69 said:


> Yes


 

 Thank you so much for the quick reply..And all I need is a matching USB type B to micro USB adapter? And so does it with an iphone with the lightening to camera adapter? Then it plays all the formats like DSD for example from mobile phone?
  
 Sorry.,
 Thanks again


----------



## Gamergtx260

Anyone use the HD DAC1 as a preamp? If so, what amp do you use and how good do you think it works as a preamp?


----------



## KSB1978

reiserfs said:


> So I got the HD-DAC1 in a few days ago and my god, what a beauty it is. Matches up really well with my ATH-W1000x!


 
  
 I have the same set up! And Final Audio Design Pandora Hope VI are the two main use pairs for me.
 They both perform excellent with the DAC-1.
 I love this DAC/Amp.


----------



## fattycheesebeef

Unfortunately, it's slightly too bright for me and my HD800..


----------



## Object113

gamergtx260 said:


> Anyone use the HD DAC1 as a preamp? If so, what amp do you use and how good do you think it works as a preamp?


 

 I use it right now with AudioEngine A5+ , i like it as preamp but I need better speakers.
 A5 not my cup of tea .
  mainly use it as headphone amp with Fiio x5 coax out .  Love it .


----------



## seethelight

gamergtx260 said:


> Anyone use the HD DAC1 as a preamp? If so, what amp do you use and how good do you think it works as a preamp?


 

 I originally bought the HD DAC1 with the intention of using it as a pre-amp. I had an old YAMAHA A700 (mid 1980's) integrated amplifier which had been modified with pre-out and main-in sockets. The tone controls etc. were oxidized and there were intermittent connections - it all seemed to be in the pre-amp, so I figured I could use the HD-DAC1 as a pre-amp instead (an important factor when buying the HD-DAC1 was that it allowed for controlling the volume remotely). It worked and sounded great, but I also really loved the HD-DAC1 as a headphone dac/amp in the bedroom. With the TV and stereo set up in the living room I realized it had become very rare that I listen to music through my stereo and speakers - sounds so much better through headphones! Not that my stereo or speakers are bad, but the living room is far from ideal acoustically, so it was never as satisfying. So I ended up not using the HD-DAC1 as a preamp - bought a new integrated amplifier for the stereo, which is mainly used when watching TV.
  
 To answer your last question, I think the HD-DAC1 works great as a pre-amp - and the DAC is absolutely phenomenal, so it is a great way of getting your digital music files to sound their best, even through speakers! Of course, compared to old-style pre-amps, your choice of various inputs is limited, but if you can live with that limitation, it works brilliantly as pre-amp as well as a DAC.


----------



## god-bluff

Marantz have finally introduced the matching CD player to their MusicLink range.The HD-CD1
  
http://www.marantz.co.uk/uk/products/pages/productdetails.aspx?catid=hifi&subcatid=sacdcdplayer&productid=hdcd1
  

  
 A bit of a shame they didn't release just a CD transport as this will no doubt be used in conjunction with the DAC1 and or AMP1 and the internal DAC will be redundant really. SACD support would have also been nice.
  
 It does however boast a dedicated headphone amp and is therefore on my future wish list (as an dying breed owner of hundreds of CDs) as an all in one compact mainly CD based headphone system.


----------



## hamidr

That faux wood CD tray doesn't look too good...


----------



## god-bluff

hamidr said:


> That faux wood CD tray doesn't look too good...




Maybe not but matches the wood-effect plastic on the sides of this and other items in the range. Coolly ironic retro kitsch for those in the know.


----------



## wordfool

I'm curious if anyone has any comparisons of the Marantz versus any "less-tubey" tube amp/dac combos like the Woo WA7, for example (ideally 2nd Gen with the better dac) or any of the Schiit stacks incorporating a Bifrost and Vali, Valhalla or Lyr (or even the new Jotunheim with DAC module).
  
 I've always been a fan of the slightly analogue-sounding Marantz "House Sound" and would buy the HD-DAC1 in a flash if not for its size (perhaps a silly reason, but I'm seriously short of desk/shelf space for a unit almost 11" deep). It sounds like the Cirrus DAC does a pretty good job pulling out good resolution with any hard edges smoothed out by the amp section -- exactly what I'm looking for to tame my Beyers. Detail and good PRaT without fatigue. 
  
 This thread should also probably be moved to the Headphone Amps section where it better belongs


----------



## Bobpaule

Well I pulled the plug on this DAC. My Dacmagic Plus pretty much died after two years of increasingly frequent high pitched squealing.
  
 I am excited to see how this unit will perform mated via King Cobras to a Zamp v.3 with ProAc Tablette speakers.
  
 Q. 4 the illuminati here: I noticed the headphone amp is also very good, would a Senn. HD800 be a worthy match or overkill 
 for this unit? 
  
 Update:
 The HD-DAC1 is getting the child prodigy's Wieneer Klassik at 24 bit ASIO  from an online 1000kbps FLAC station, I tried also non-ASIO 192kHz and high bitrate non-FLAC but it does not compare to the ears of this owner of 700 SACDs.
  
 Honestly, to this simpleton subjective desktop audiophile the Marantz is a significant improvement over the DacMagic Plus it replaces.
 Long live HDAM or whatever op-amps and caps make the magic happen in this box. Xxxx, how am I ever going to get some sleep with 
 so much bliss?
  
 Now can't wait to try out the second hand Austrian made AKG K702 I scored on ebay.


----------



## geomoondog

Could someone give a straight answer to:  Is the Marantz HD-Amp1 a better or equal headphone amp compared to the HD  DAC-1?  Just a straight and simple answer would be nice, not a reference to something else. Thanks!


----------



## jcn3

geomoondog said:


> Could someone give a straight answer to:  Is the Marantz HD-Amp1 a better or equal headphone amp compared to the HD  DAC-1?  Just a straight and simple answer would be nice, not a reference to something else. Thanks!


 
  
 there is no simple answer -- this hobby is way too personal.  did you check out this thread -- tons of info there:  http://www.head-fi.org/t/730055/marantz-hd-dac1
  
 imo, it's also an apples to oranges comparison.  the hd-amp1 has a better dac in it and is more versatile, including the dedicated circuitry for the headphone section.  i'm not clear on whether the headphone circuitry is the same in the hd-dac1 or not.  if they're the same, then the hd-amp1 looks like the better deal because of the better dac and the ability to add speakers.
  
 good luck!


----------



## god-bluff

geomoondog said:


> Could someone give a straight answer to:  Is the Marantz HD-Amp1 a better or equal headphone amp compared to the HD  DAC-1?  Just a straight and simple answer would be nice, not a reference to something else. Thanks!


 
 One word answer *EQUAL* ?!?
  
It has a dedicated headphone stage with the HDAM-SA2 module according to Marantz website. Wouldn't be surprised if they are exactly the same 
  
A lot of these new compact lifestyle amplifiers also from the likes of Quad, Cyrus and Denon have dedicated and presumably good quality built in headphone amps. If you have speakers as well as headphones this means you don't necessarily have to have another box anymore. The features these amps have makes a lot of the headphone amps out there look very expensive. Of course a lot of people on headfi will remain dismissive of integrated amplifiers.
  
The CD player (see above) that has been added to the range also has the same module. Hence for someone (like me, mainly) who listens to headphones only via CD that's probably a nice one box solution as well


----------



## Bobpaule

hamidr said:


> That faux wood CD tray doesn't look too good...


 
  
 If you are thinking about the VCR players from the 70ies or GM dashboards you will be in for a big surprise. The wood is very dark and tasteful, together with the tube radio display and the metal knobs they give this unit that warm and solid interbellum feel, it begs to be prominently displayed.


----------



## pcheng1012

Greetings to all DAC1 owners!
  
 I've had my DAC1 since the Jan. 2016 that I bought in Japan with great experience with it since purchase. My setup has always been Desktop PC -> DAC -> Speakers for music and Web browsing (every so often plug in my ATH-M50 to the headphone jack).
  
 However, recently I've noticed that there's minimal sound or no sound coming from the left channel when using the headphone. Initially I thought it could've been a problem with my 1/4" connector or the headphone, but after cross examination with other headphone/headphone to iPhone had me thinking it could be the problem in DAC. So I turned to YouTube for left/right channel test video with same result - the left speaker produce little to no sound, while the right channel is normal. (if i mess with the 1/4" connector to headphone jack, I get only left channel sound when plugged 1/3 way in, and little to no sound on left/normal on right channel when plugged all the way in). 
  
 The only possible reason I can think of might cause this is the machine is rated for 100v for Japan, and in my country we us 110v power. Could the 10v be overheating the electrical components inside and cause such behavior?
  
 any brainstorm ideas or expert diagnosis is appreciated. (I would send it to local Marantz for repair, but since I bought it from overseas so local Marantz probably won't take a look at it even if I pay for the repair)


----------



## Bobpaule

In response to preceding post.
  
 From memory, electical appliances from Japan will run 20% hotter on the US grid. Therefore you should use a transformer as in a year or so your DAC will fry, cooling fans won't help, I have personal experience with a Japanese preamplifier that did this, painful and expensive mistake.
  
 Another idea is to get the part number for the US transformer and transplant into the DAC but making sure the output parameters are identical (I am almost sure they would be).
  
 Yet another idea is to get one of those $1k fully balanced filtered, rectified and snakeoiled external PSUs (my Classe preamp comes with one) and plug it in with a custom connector while grouding the DAC's chassis in the process.


----------



## pcheng1012

bobpaule said:


> In response to preceding post.
> 
> From memory, electical appliances from Japan will run 20% hotter on the US grid. Therefore you should use a transformer as in a year or so your DAC will fry, cooling fans won't help, I have personal experience with a Japanese preamplifier that did this, painful and expensive mistake.
> 
> ...




Bobpaule thanks for the informative response. If and only if I had known the consequences of overlooking the importance of power supply. Now I am willing to take your advice to get my hands on the US transformer part or the external PSU as you had suggested.

However, is there any way I can get the DAC back to its working state before I replace the transformer? Or am I out of luck? I guess I am not educated enough about the system to know what part of the DAC is 'fried'? And whether the part is salvageable by myself? If you would, please shed some more light on how to repair. Thanks!!


----------



## Bobpaule

I am having a problem, in all my prior devices inserting a headphone jack into the connector resulted in line output cutoff, not in this device.
  
 In other words speakers still on with headphone plugged in.
  
 Any ideas on how to fix this issue or do I have a defective unit?


----------



## hamidr

bobpaule said:


> I am having a problem, in all my prior devices inserting a headphone jack into the connector resulted in line output cutoff, not in this device.
> 
> In other words speakers still on with headphone plugged in.
> 
> Any ideas on how to fix this issue or do I have a defective unit?


 
 Its not a malfunction. The unit wont turn the line out/pre out off when headphones' jack inserted. You should turn off your active speakers or turn their volume down.


----------



## hamidr

pcheng1012 said:


> Greetings to all DAC1 owners!
> 
> I've had my DAC1 since the Jan. 2016 that I bought in Japan with great experience with it since purchase. My setup has always been Desktop PC -> DAC -> Speakers for music and Web browsing (every so often plug in my ATH-M50 to the headphone jack).
> 
> ...


 

 If there sometimes is sound sometimes not, it cold be the muting relays. Thats not a thing I can tell without first looking on the inside. You should send it to a service person.


----------



## Bobpaule

gr34td3str0y3r said:


> really....
> 
> Think about this for one sec. You have about 1000 miles between your DAC1 and the power company's gernerator. Do you really think changing 2 feet of that 1000 miles will make a differnce.
> Forget all that. What about JUST the wiring in your wall. Change your outlet while you are at it.


 
 Amen bro! Snake Oil and homeopaths be gone.
  
 If you want to have a good laugh just read the ads in Absolute Sound and on Audiogon, everything from "tweaked outlets" through cable risers and vinyl treatments. I am not looking forward to getting demented with substantial savings


----------



## lowrider007

I really want this amp but am worried about the clicking, especially when some people are saying it even clicks multiple times through a single track?
  
 I will be connecting it to a PC via USB and using at as my default audio device, am I right in saying that it will click even when windows makes a system sound? 
  
 If this is true I might be forced to up my budget to the audiolab m-dac+


----------



## fattycheesebeef

Lol yeah, it's pretty annoying at times, but on the bright side, it's a excellent DAC/AMP


----------



## hamidr

lowrider007 said:


> I really want this amp but am worried about the clicking, especially when some people are saying it even clicks multiple times through a single track?
> 
> I will be connecting it to a PC via USB and using at as my default audio device, am I right in saying that it will click even when windows makes a system sound?
> 
> If this is true I might be forced to up my budget to the audiolab m-dac+


 
 It clicks on when a sound is present and clicks off when its gone...Its a hifi DAC and is natural to behave like this. I'm running it via an old PC running on XP(lol) only 2 gigs of RAM...And absolutely no click during a track whatsoever...Even on DSD 5.6 tracks.
 And yes the windows sounds make it clicks too...But I wouldn't bother, I turned all the sounds off. You can also turn the Marantz off and listen to your regular stuff like youtube, etc., via your computers internal dac if you realy bothered by clicks(I'm OK).
 Its a great DAC/AMP...Buy with confidence 
  
 Edit: While listening through foobar2000 all windows sounds and browsers' annoying audio will be muted.


----------



## Dvdlucena

crafft said:


> I only compared the two as a dac/amp combo with headphones directly into the units. Both are very good. But I thought the Marantz sounded more "real", more 3D. With my DT880 the iDSD sounded a bit too bright for my taste.
> I think I can agree with the general consensus that as a DAC-only the iDSD is the better choice and the Marantz has a better headphone amp stage.




I would like to read more about this comparison ...


----------



## Dvdlucena

kawaivpc1 said:


> Thanks,
> I'm considering both DAC1 and iDSD.
> It seems like Marantz has longer history in high end audio than iFi Audio.
> I think I might purchase DAC1 if everyone can confirm that DAC1 beats iDSD in SQ. iDSD has higher headphone power (w4000) and higher quality PCM support (32bit, quad DSD).
> ...




Which one did you got?
What are your impressions?


----------



## Dvdlucena

ffenix said:


> I just want to say, this is my first dedicated/home headphone amplifier. I have the iFi iDSD micro, which has served me well, but I've decided to buy the Marantz after trying so many dedicated DAC/amp combos. To my ears, my music library through the Marantz sounds musical and alive. I haven't done any blind testing (and would likely fail at it) so I can't say that this is the superior amp. The thing that ultimately sold me was a combination of sound quality, design and the ability to play DSD. My only complaint is that it can be bright at times, but it makes dynamically compressed music sound more dynamic and wide than I thought was possible.
> 
> This is overkill but I may pair the Marantz with a tube amp in the future, just to hear if it can smooth out some of its brightness. I dunno, we'll see. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯




Which one do you prefer and which one has the best sound quality? Idsd or marantz?


----------



## Dvdlucena

god-bluff said:


> One word answer *EQUAL* ?!?
> 
> It has a dedicated headphone stage with the HDAM-SA2 module according to Marantz website. Wouldn't be surprised if they are exactly the same
> 
> ...




and how about sound quality? I saw that the dac chip is different from the dac 1 vs amp 1.
Have you or someone else made this comparison?

Thank you


----------



## audionewbi

I have had the HD DAC 1 for a while. As much as I enjoy it (it is my only desktop unit) I am not into desktop that much and I only listen to headphone once a week. In large I am very satisfied with DAC1 but than I tried HQplayer and DSD128 upsampling. In short I cant get enough!
  
 I highly encourage you guys to try DSD upsampling of HDplayer. I am still learning and the music file I listen to arent mine as I am using my friends laptop as I dont have a HQplayer yet, but I will buy it soon.


----------



## pbarach

I recently bought an HD-DAC1. As a headphone amp handling an analog signal from my CD player, it wasn't noticeably different in SQ from the Burson HA-160 amp that I already have. However, when used as a DAC in a 2-channel system with coax input from an Oppo 103, it offers better SQ than either the Oppo's DAC output or my AVR' DAC (Denon x4000). It's hardly a night and day difference, but what I note is greater depth and width to the soundstage and more precise imaging. I level-matched the inputs before making the comparison, for which I used FLAC and WAV files at CD-resolution.


----------



## JR1911

gr34td3str0y3r said:


> *First: Question. Does the DAC click EVERY time it gets a new signal? Like its switching on or switching signals. It does not happen with a continuous sound in-put and its not that annoying, but if I click from one song to another the DAC makes a switch/click sound. Also windows sounds like hitting the back button on a file window. *
> I am assuming this is just the dac doing its job (and this is only in USB mode. I didn't notice in the optical input mode... but only checked that for a few minutes)
> EDIT (I found the answer to the this. High end DACs add a relay switch instead of letting the DAC chip do the switching. It reduces strain on the dac chip and sound noise in the output signal while)


 
  
 I know this is an old post I'm quoting but I'm thinking of getting HD-DAC1 and I'd like know does the clicking noise come from the device itself or is heard from speakers/headphones? I just got a Denon DA-300USB dac and it makes an extremely annoying popping sound from the speakers and headphones whenever it gets a signal or loses one, for example whenever I start or stop/pause a YouTube video. This is so frustrating that I'm considering replacing it with another DAC.


----------



## superuser1

jr1911 said:


> gr34td3str0y3r said:
> 
> 
> > *First: Question. Does the DAC click EVERY time it gets a new signal? Like its switching on or switching signals. It does not happen with a continuous sound in-put and its not that annoying, but if I click from one song to another the DAC makes a switch/click sound. Also windows sounds like hitting the back button on a file window. *
> ...


 
  
 I am also contemplating getting a DAC for my home setup with DSD capabilities and this seems interesting. Has this product been refreshed since its initial release? I had a marantz consolette (Airplay speakers) which i loved back then and they just went out of production. I have heard people talk about the clicking issue and would be interested to know more. Can anyone suggest any other DACs at this or a lower price point. 
  
 Thanks


----------



## PopZeus

jr1911 said:


> I know this is an old post I'm quoting but I'm thinking of getting HD-DAC1 and I'd like know does the clicking noise come from the device itself or is heard from speakers/headphones? I just got a Denon DA-300USB dac and it makes an extremely annoying popping sound from the speakers and headphones whenever it gets a signal or loses one, for example whenever I start or stop/pause a YouTube video. This is so frustrating that I'm considering replacing it with another DAC.


 
  
 The relay click comes from the device itself and not through the headphones or speakers. 
  


superuser1 said:


> I am also contemplating getting a DAC for my home setup with DSD capabilities and this seems interesting. Has this product been refreshed since its initial release? I had a marantz consolette (Airplay speakers) which i loved back then and they just went out of production. I have heard people talk about the clicking issue and would be interested to know more. Can anyone suggest any other DACs at this or a lower price point.
> 
> Thanks


 
  
 Marantz released the HD-AMP1 a little while ago. It isn't quite a refresh, as it has a slightly different feature set and costs more, but it's an option if the DAC1 isn't quite what you want. As far as general DAC recommendations,


----------



## pbarach

^^
  
 I just bought one. The relay click comes from the device and is not audible on either its line-out analog outputs or its headphone output. It is not loud or disturbing at all (to me).
  
 The Oppo Sonica DAC has the same retail price but no headphone output. I haven't heard it.
  
 Isn't the HD-AMP1 essentially the same DAC and headphone amp as the HD-DAC1 with the addition of an amplifier for speakers?


----------



## VoyagerDude

Yeah the relay clicks when it's switching sample rates only. 
And it's a good think because it turns off the output.


----------



## VoyagerDude

The newer HD AMP1 uses a SABRE ES9010K2M dac. 
HD DAC1 had a Cirrus Logic CS4398.


----------



## geomoondog

That's weird.  I don't have that issue.


----------



## uelover

The clicking issues come when the sampling rate is switched.
  
 If you use it with SPDIF (i.e. coaxial or optical) with your computer or CD player, you won't get that issue. It is only with USB input that you tend to get that switching sound.


----------



## geomoondog

I have ted via USB and don't have the switching sound. I wonder if the correct driver is being used?


----------



## VoyagerDude

geomoondog said:


> I have ted via USB and don't have the switching sound. I wonder if the correct driver is being used?




Clicking is only when you go between tracks with different sampling rate. Like from a flac 16/44 to a DSD. Are you saying that yours doesn't click in this case?

I'm using with a mac so no driver.


----------



## JR1911

uelover said:


> The clicking issues come when the sampling rate is switched.
> 
> If you use it with SPDIF (i.e. coaxial or optical) with your computer or CD player, you won't get that issue. It is only with USB input that you tend to get that switching sound.


 
  
 So there's no clicking when the audio signal simply starts or stops, like when starting or pausing a YouTube video?


----------



## KSB1978

geomoondog said:


> I have ted via USB and don't have the switching sound. I wonder if the correct driver is being used?


 
  
 Mine clicks when I go from a 44.1kHz track to a 96kHz track, or when I start another media (music to video) etc.
 I wonder if it doesn't click if everything is played through windows audio and is output through at the same rate as per windows audio output?
  
 I usually wear a closed headphone, so I haven't heard it in a while...


----------



## JR1911

Argh, this is so frustrating! The Marantz would otherwise be a perfect device for my needs, but I'm afraid the clicking could drive me insane


----------



## VoyagerDude

jr1911 said:


> Argh, this is so frustrating! The Marantz would otherwise be a perfect device for my needs, but I'm afraid the clicking could drive me insane :mad:




 Not sure why it's a problem. Irdac 2 from arcam does the same thing.


----------



## heavyharmonies

jr1911 said:


> Argh, this is so frustrating! The Marantz would otherwise be a perfect device for my needs, but I'm afraid the clicking could drive me insane


 
  
 I've had my HD-DAC1 for a few weeks now. Yes there's a click, but it's barely audible, especially when you're wearing the headphones. I wouldn't let that put you off the Marantz.


----------



## uelover

jr1911 said:


> So there's no clicking when the audio signal simply starts or stops, like when starting or pausing a YouTube video?


 
  
 I am using the HD-DAC1 with Mac and Windows.
  
 With SPDIF connection, no clicking sound, even with starting new YouTube video.
  
 With USB, there is clicking sound, even with starting new YouTube video.
  
 I am half suspecting that the click comes in not only during sample rate change but also the start/stop of an audio signal. When using USB connection and when no audio is being played for a while, HD-DAC1 will know and will power off itself. When using SPDIF however, HD-DAC1 will never power itself off even when no audio is played.


----------



## JR1911

heavyharmonies said:


> I've had my HD-DAC1 for a few weeks now. Yes there's a click, but it's barely audible, especially when you're wearing the headphones. I wouldn't let that put you off the Marantz.


 
  
 Yeah, I'l probably buy the Marantz. Other dac/amps that I've considered are Teac UD-503, Audeze Deckard, Schiit Jotunheim and Oppo HA-1. They all have their pros and cons but the Marantz seems like the best choice and it should be a good match for my HD800.
  
 Edit: Well, I just placed an order on a silver HD-DAC1, should receive it in a few days.


----------



## VoyagerDude

jr1911 said:


> Yeah, I'l probably buy the Marantz. Other dac/amps that I've considered are Teac UD-503, Audeze Deckard, Schiit Jotunheim and Oppo HA-1. They all have their pros and cons but the Marantz seems like the best choice and it should be a good match for my HD800.
> 
> Edit: Well, I just placed an order on a silver HD-DAC1, should receive it in a few days.




Nice. We only get the black version in north am


----------



## heavyharmonies

Yeah, all things being equal I would have loved a silver one, but on eBay all of the silver ones are north of $1,000. I got a minty fresh black one for $425... for that price difference I'll live with the black.


----------



## VoyagerDude

heavyharmonies said:


> Yeah, all things being equal I would have loved a silver one, but on eBay all of the silver ones are north of $1,000. I got a minty fresh black one for $425... for that price difference I'll live with the black.




Thats an excellent price. I bought retail in Canada. About 670usd.


----------



## JR1911

voyagerdude said:


> Nice. We only get the black version in north am


 
  
 Both colors are available here and I would've slightly preferred the black one since I'll be using it with my computer and all my computer stuff is black but the store I ordered it from only had the silver one currently in stock. But it looks very stylish in silver too so I went with that.


----------



## JR1911

Got the Marantz today. First impressions are very positive. The unit looks stylish and feels very solid. Haven't really had much time to test it yet, but atleast the headphone output seems excellent, currently listening to it with my HD598. Going to properly test it later with my HD650 and HD800. Should also receive my Fidelio X2 in a few days so I'll have lots of testing to do this weekend 
  
 Edit: Also, the clicking luckily doesn't seem to bother me, it's soft and faint. I'm sure I can completely ignore it once I get used to it.


----------



## uelover

jr1911 said:


> Got the Marantz today. First impressions are very positive. The unit looks stylish and feels very solid. Haven't really had much time to test it yet, but atleast the headphone output seems excellent, currently listening to it with my HD598. Going to properly test it later with my HD650 and HD800. Should also receive my Fidelio X2 in a few days so I'll have lots of testing to do this weekend
> 
> Edit: Also, the clicking luckily doesn't seem to bother me, it's soft and faint. I'm sure I can completely ignore it once I get used to it.


 
  
 Welcome to the club! I was downsizing my entire headphone rig and I was glad to have tried out this unit. It is well worth its price!
  
 I do find that its SPDIF input sounds considerably better than USB.


----------



## VoyagerDude

uelover said:


> Welcome to the club! I was downsizing my entire headphone rig and I was glad to have tried out this unit. It is well worth its price!
> 
> I do find that its SPDIF input sounds considerably better than USB.




Interesting info regarding USB vs SPDIF. Are you connecting a computer via optical spdif?


----------



## JR1911

uelover said:


> I do find that its SPDIF input sounds considerably better than USB.


 
  
 Hmm, interesting. I have it connected with both USB and optical though I've only used it with USB so far, gonna have to test the optical input too. I've also currently using a cheap generic USB cable but I'll probably replace it with something like Audioquest Forest soon.


----------



## pbarach

I'm using it with a coaxial input from my Oppo 103. Very happy with the sound quality. Haven't tried optical, haven't tried using the rear USB for digital files. The front USB does fine with my iPhone files.


----------



## uelover

voyagerdude said:


> Interesting info regarding USB vs SPDIF. Are you connecting a computer via optical spdif?


 
  
 Yes both are connected to a computer as that is my only source.
  
 The motherboard of my desktop PC has optical spdif output, so does my macbook pro.
  
 In terms of SQ, it goes:
  
 Macbook Pro SPDIF >> Desktop Mobo SPDIF > Macbook USB > Desktop Mobo USB
  
 I am using Lifatec Glass Toslink cable and Belkin Gold USB cable.


----------



## VoyagerDude

uelover said:


> Yes both are connected to a computer as that is my only source.
> 
> The motherboard of my desktop PC has optical spdif output, so does my macbook pro.
> 
> ...




Thanks that's interesting. I'll try it out with my setup. Using a MacBook Pro here as well but was just using the USB. 
It's good the previous gen MacBook Pro retina still has the optical out.


----------



## VoyagerDude

Has anyone tried the new version of Audirvana 3.0.1 with the HD DAC1 yet?
I can't get it to work. It keeps hanging and sometimes gives an error of unable to use integer mode. No music ever plays no matter of what sample rate I try. 

It works fine with my Audioquest DragonFly Red. Bot dacs are plugged in via USB directly to a MacBook Pro 2015.
I had no problem with Audirvana 2.6 - both DACs worked fine.
The new version however just hangs with Marantz.

I could barely roll back to version 2.6.6. It took wiping the app, the preferences file and the database.


----------



## sparkofinsanity

voyagerdude said:


> Has anyone tried the new version of Audirvana 3.0.1 with the HD DAC1 yet?
> I can't get it to work. It keeps hanging and sometimes gives an error of unable to use integer mode. No music ever plays no matter of what sample rate I try.
> 
> It works fine with my Audioquest DragonFly Red. Bot dacs are plugged in via USB directly to a MacBook Pro 2015.
> ...


 
 https://roonlabs.com 
 end the pain.


----------



## VoyagerDude

sparkofinsanity said:


> https://roonlabs.com
> end the pain.


 

 Roon looks great, but it's an overkill they way it's built imho if you're running on a single laptop with all your music on it.
 For a dedicated computer that's connected to a stereo permanently that's a different story, but for head-fi duty a standalone app is simpler and cleaner.
  
 BTW found the answer for A+ 3 and Marantz
 http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f11-software/audirvana-plus-3-official-thread-31804/index8.html#post644078


----------



## sparkofinsanity

voyagerdude said:


> Roon looks great, but it's an overkill they way it's built imho if you're running on a single laptop with all your music on it.
> For a dedicated computer that's connected to a stereo permanently that's a different story, but for head-fi duty a standalone app is simpler and cleaner.
> 
> BTW found the answer for A+ 3 and Marantz
> http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f11-software/audirvana-plus-3-official-thread-31804/index8.html#post644078


 

 I have a dedicated Mac Mini hooked up to the main system with Roon running on it (iPhone/iPad with the Roon app as remotes). Then I have a Roon client on a Macbook Pro hooked up to the headphone rig. For me it's awesome


----------



## VoyagerDude

sparkofinsanity said:


> I have a dedicated Mac Mini hooked up to the main system with Roon running on it (iPhone/iPad with the Roon app as remotes). Then I have a Roon client on a Macbook Pro hooked up to the headphone rig. For me it's awesome




Given sound quality is the same between different players this setup makes great sense at home. 
But it doesn't help if you want to access your losesless library when you take your laptop to the office, travel or anywhere else.


----------



## sparkofinsanity

voyagerdude said:


> Given sound quality is the same between different players this setup makes great sense at home.
> But it doesn't help if you want to access your losesless library when you take your laptop to the office, travel or anywhere else.


 

 Well, you could use it just as a player, but as you said a bit overkill. I think they are working on that latter part, giving you access to your library remotely which would be awesome.


----------



## VoyagerDude

sparkofinsanity said:


> Well, you could use it just as a player, but as you said a bit overkill. I think they are working on that latter part, giving you access to your library remotely which would be awesome.


 

 Wanted to give Roon trial a go.
 Downloaded, created an account .... and they need a credit card to start a trial.
 I have a genuine dislike for companies that make you sign up with a CC and you have to explicitly cancel your account or else they keep billing you.


----------



## JR1911

I've now had the Marantz for a few days and I absolutely love it, it sounds wonderful both with headphones and with my Genelec 8020Bs. I'm now however interested in trying to increase the sound quality even further and I'm thinking of ways to clean up the USB signal path. At the moment I'm using a generic cheap USB cable which I'll be replacing in any case but I'd also be interested in trying something like a Schiit Wyrd, UpTone Regen or Intona USB Isolator to see if it would improve the sound quality even more. According to Marantz the HD-DAC1 should already have pretty good protection of the USB input so I'm wondering which, if any, of the devices I listed would be most useful? Anyone tried the HD-DAC1 with the Wyrd, Regen or Intona?


----------



## sparkofinsanity

voyagerdude said:


> Wanted to give Roon trial a go.
> Downloaded, created an account .... and they need a credit card to start a trial.
> I have a genuine dislike for companies that make you sign up with a CC and you have to explicitly cancel your account or else they keep billing you.


 

 Yeah, I fully agree. Had forgotten about that.


----------



## VoyagerDude

sparkofinsanity said:


> Yeah, I fully agree. Had forgotten about that.


 

 Haha I suppose Tidal is doing the same


----------



## uelover

jr1911 said:


> I've now had the Marantz for a few days and I absolutely love it, it sounds wonderful both with headphones and with my Genelec 8020Bs. I'm now however interested in trying to increase the sound quality even further and I'm thinking of ways to clean up the USB signal path. At the moment I'm using a generic cheap USB cable which I'll be replacing in any case but I'd also be interested in trying something like a Schiit Wyrd, UpTone Regen or Intona USB Isolator to see if it would improve the sound quality even more. According to Marantz the HD-DAC1 should already have pretty good protection of the USB input so I'm wondering which, if any, of the devices I listed would be most useful? Anyone tried the HD-DAC1 with the Wyrd, Regen or Intona?


 
  
 Just get Singxer F1 or SU-1, and they will more than sufficiently meets what you are looking for


----------



## DrWest

I am wondering those have had the HD-DAC1 and upgraded. What did you upgrade to? What are you main headphones?


----------



## edsjo

I actually upgraded *to* the HD-DAC1. My main headphone is the Focal Elear and I use them with the Chord Mojo and the Marantz HD-DAC1. I got the Mojo first, but felt that it was almost too dynamic with the Elears. I got listening fatigue as if the Mojo cannot really control the Elear fully. I prefer the HD-DAC1 with these headphones.


----------



## DrWest

I currently am using the HD-DAC1 as my main setup. Been looking to upgrade...using HD650s as my main headphone. I have been looking at Eddie Current stuff lately just wondering if I should pull the trigger or not.


----------



## SwedishBass

edsjo said:


> I actually upgraded *to* the HD-DAC1. My main headphone is the Focal Elear and I use them with the Chord Mojo and the Marantz HD-DAC1. I got the Mojo first, but felt that it was almost too dynamic with the Elears. I got listening fatigue as if the Mojo cannot really control the Elear fully. I prefer the HD-DAC1 with these headphones.



Is love to hear your extended thoughts on this setup as it's exactly the setup I'm considering right now (Elear and HD-DAC1).


----------



## pbarach

I'm using the HD-DAC1 with digital coax input from an Oppo 103 to play CDs and 24/96 files. Over speakers, the HD-DAC1 gives me more "air" around the music, better imaging, wider soundstage, than I was getting from the Oppo, whether via its analog outputs or through the DACs in my Denon AVR. All three of my current headphones sound great (AKG K702, HD-600s, Hifman HE-400i).


----------



## VilMo

uelover said:


> Just get Singxer F1 or SU-1, and they will more than sufficiently meets what you are looking for


 
  
 +1, Singxer F1 works great with HD-DAC1 and solves all issues with clicking relay - there is simply none.
 I only add ifi iDefender between laptop and F1. It sonds better this way than with nano iUSB3.0.


----------



## armymanhaha

I have owned the HD-DAC1 for more than 6 months already. I owned big hi-fi oriented DACs before (Rega DAC-R, W4S DAC2, Musical Fidelity M1, various supposed-to-be-giant-killer Chinese DACs from Aune, AudioGD SMSL, Topping) I find the Marantz to be as excellent if not better as the Rega-R and W4S DAC2 in terms of resolution and overall enjoyment when played in the big rig (Dynaudio X34, NAD 375). Headphone output sounds great with the Elear and Shure 1540. I think the sound signature of the HD-DAC is 'lush with gobs of detail'.
  
 But what stands out the most is its synergy with the HD800S. PRAT is way up, but it does not sound fatiguing. My tastes tends towards neutral with some brightness though so please take note. I am a drummer and I have accepted the fact that music should be able to sound bright like in real life. Even those dark crashes still have bright edges to them. I laugh when I see some wuss audiophiles dismisses a gear for having some edge of brightness. Its like - why even bother in this hobby right? *Well thats just me.* Anyway the HD800S sounds tremendously musical with the HD-DAC1 that i just forget to analyze and just listen. This setup is also where I was almost seen by my girl crying to a guitar solo in a Steven Wilson song.
  
 Maybe I can get slightly better results with a CMA800i but when its already this good, sometimes i'd ask myself 'why bother?'. Or maybe i'm just getting lazy. Give it a listen. I wish Zeos could give it a no-******** review on his youtube channel.


----------



## JR1911

vilmo said:


> +1, Singxer F1 works great with HD-DAC1 and solves all issues with clicking relay - there is simply none.
> I only add ifi iDefender between laptop and F1. It sonds better this way than with nano iUSB3.0.


 
  
 Just placed an order on a Singxer F-1, should receive it in 2-3 weeks. We'll see how much it improves the HD-DAC1 which I already love . And though the clicking doesn't bother me that much, if it gets rid of it that's a big plus.


----------



## VilMo

jr1911 said:


> Just placed an order on a Singxer F-1, should receive it in 2-3 weeks. We'll see how much it improves the HD-DAC1 which I already love . And though the clicking doesn't bother me that much, if it gets rid of it that's a big plus.


Please share your experience with F1 when you receive it. Allow for 150 hours burn-in.


----------



## JR1911

Depending on where I'll place the Singxer when I get it, I'll need either a 1,5m usb cable and a 0,75m coaxial cable or vice versa. With these short cable lengths does it matter which cable is the longer one?


----------



## VilMo

jr1911 said:


> Depending on where I'll place the Singxer when I get it, I'll need either a 1,5m usb cable and a 0,75m coaxial cable or vice versa. With these short cable lengths does it matter which cable is the longer one?


 as short as possible USB and longer coaxial is the better choice


----------



## edsjo

swedishbass said:


> Is love to hear your extended thoughts on this setup as it's exactly the setup I'm considering right now (Elear and HD-DAC1).


 

 Sorry for my late reply. I really enjoy this setup, the HD-DAC1 together with the Elear. The Elear are very dynamic and detailed and I find that the Marantz can control them very well. The combo is smooth, but still detailed if you know what I mean.The bass is very nice as well. The sound has a bit of an analogue feeling to it that I like. If I compare with the Chord Mojo, the sound is ever so slightly more detailed with the Mojo, but feels slightly more artifical (digital). Hence, I prefer the DAC1.
  
 Given your name, I presume you are from Sweden. If you pass by Uppsala, the shop HiFi Experience has both the Elear and the DAC1 to demo (that's where I got mine).


----------



## SwedishBass

edsjo said:


> Sorry for my late reply. I really enjoy this setup, the HD-DAC1 together with the Elear. The Elear are very dynamic and detailed and I find that the Marantz can control them very well. The combo is smooth, but still detailed if you know what I mean.The bass is very nice as well. The sound has a bit of an analogue feeling to it that I like. If I compare with the Chord Mojo, the sound is ever so slightly more detailed with the Mojo, but feels slightly more artifical (digital). Hence, I prefer the DAC1.
> 
> Given your name, I presume you are from Sweden. If you pass by Uppsala, the shop HiFi Experience has both the Elear and the DAC1 to demo (that's where I got mine).


 
 I am, and thanks! I'm definitely going to try and check this combo out.


----------



## sparkofinsanity

They have the Elear and HD-DAC1 combo set up at Hembiobutiken in Sundbyberg as well.


----------



## SwedishBass

sparkofinsanity said:


> They have the Elear and HD-DAC1 combo set up at Hembiobutiken in Sundbyberg as well.


 
 Perfect! I work in Sundbyberg, so i will definitely check it out there.


----------



## fattycheesebeef

Just ordered HD800S. Can't wait to listen it from HD-DAC1!


----------



## VoyagerDude

fattycheesebeef said:


> Just ordered HD800S. Can't wait to listen it from HD-DAC1!




You're going to love this combo! Congrats


----------



## DrWest

I might have to order a pair now. :x
  
 Does anyone know if the fixed output bypasses the headphone amp on the hd-dac1?


----------



## pbarach

drwest said:


> I might have to order a pair now. :x
> 
> Does anyone know if the fixed output bypasses the headphone amp on the hd-dac1?


 
 The fixed output is always operating whether or not any headphones are plugged in, and the volume control on the HD-DAC1 controls the headphone's volume when the fixed output is in use.


----------



## SwedishBass

sparkofinsanity said:


> They have the Elear and HD-DAC1 combo set up at Hembiobutiken in Sundbyberg as well.



So I just start spent 45 minutes demoing this combo. Spectacular! Fantastic dynamics and soundstage. I'm in love.


----------



## sparkofinsanity

swedishbass said:


> So I just start spent 45 minutes demoing this combo. Spectacular! Fantastic dynamics and soundstage. I'm in love.


 

 I have the same combo and it's probably endgame for me, actually bought both at Hembiobutiken (the HD-DAC1 about a year before the Elear)


----------



## SwedishBass

sparkofinsanity said:


> I have the same combo and it's probably endgame for me, actually bought both at Hembiobutiken (the HD-DAC1 about a year before the Elear)


 
 Nice!
  
 I know it's the age old cliché, but I realise now just how much of the music I was missing. The amount of resolution, dynamics, detail and layering was out of this world. Intimate, but very well defined soundstage/headspace, I literally felt like I was listening to the band live in my living room. I turned my head around a few times because I thought someone was talking to me over my shoulder.
  
 I can't see myself needing anything else but this setup, either, so if I get it it will definitely be the end-game for me.


----------



## stuck limo

Any comparisons between the HD-DAC1 and the Oppo HA-1?


----------



## armymanhaha

Aside from the usual headphone duty powering an HD800S, i also use this device as a preamp (NAD275 and Wharfedale Jade 5 floorstanders).
  
 Absolutely engaging. It brings out the excellent imaging capabilities of the speakers. Vocals are excellently rendered. I would not get a Questyle CMA600i and call it an "upgrade", but rather in my opinion it will be a "side-grade". A/B'd it against this DAC for about 20mins only though so take my comment with a grain of salt.
  
 Although I really love Questyle's all-aluminum build.


----------



## JR1911

Got the Singxer F-1 today and testing as I write this. First impressions are positive, it seems to definitely be worth the money. My impression is that it 'cleans up' the sound, making it less congested and giving better spearation between instruments and voices. Currently I'm just using cheap, generic cables but I'll probably upgrade them to something better in the near future to see if that improves the sound further.


----------



## pbarach

jr1911 said:


> Got the Singxer F-1 today and testing as I write this. First impressions are positive, it seems to definitely be worth the money. My impression is that it 'cleans up' the sound, making it less congested and giving better spearation between instruments and voices. Currently I'm just using cheap, generic cables but I'll probably upgrade them to something better in the near future to see if that improves the sound further.


 
 Can you explain how this connects to the Marantz and what it is supposed to be doing to the audio signal?


----------



## fattycheesebeef

I wonder how is Singxer F-1 compares with Gustard U12?


----------



## KSB1978

I just upgraded the power cable on it from the stock to a MCRU AUS plug mains lead: https://www.mains-cables-r-us.co.uk/australian-mains-leads/581-mcru-aus-mains-power-lead.html
It certainly seems to give more presence to the sound overall and give it a bit more punch.

Until now, I was skeptical if a power lead would give any change to sound, but hopeful that it may. I am definitely a believer now.


----------



## twiceboss

anyone here has this and mojo at the same time? kindly compare them. Bonus if you have hd800 and tell me how it differs in term of sound. Planning to upgrade my dac/amp


----------



## armymanhaha (May 8, 2017)

I just got myself a Violectric V281. I used the fixed line output of my Marantz HD-DAC1 via RCA going to the Violectric amp. Both devices have Single-ended Headphone amp and Preamplifier capabilities. Obviously I am going to compare both devices.

I am going to compare the amplifier stages of both devices using a Sennheiser HD800S, and Shure 1540 but only thru the single-ended output. you may already know that the Marantz does not have balanced headphone out.

The pre-amplifier section is to be compared using a NAD275 + Wharfedale Jade5 stereo system.

Please note that I am only going to listen to 2 songs only - a DSD copy of Deep Purple's "Lazy" and of course, "Smoke on the Water". Of course, I did my best to try and keep gain on the same level on both devices.

*As an amp (single-ended):*

I was able to hear more of the room using the Violectric, but the treble is obviously lower when compared to the Marantz's amp section. I enjoyed listening to the song "Lazy" very much. The musicianship thru the Marantz is more inclined to foot tapping - probably because everything sounds 'snappier' and you notice more of the force how the instruments are struck through the Marantz. There is also a 'sheen' in the ride cymbals that make the drum grooves very fun to listen to.

The Violectric on the other hand, while it still maintains some of that excitement, manages to make the music sound more easy to listen to. I noticed that its a fair bit easier to notice the micro-details on the V281 vs the HD-DAC1. I am able to hear more of the cymbals' true tonality thru this amp probably because it does not have that "sheen" that I observed earlier thru the Marantz. We can say that it's easier to do critical listening through the V281 not because everything is thrown at your face, but rather everything is layered better for your listening.

*As a pre-amp:
*
Marantz as a pre-amp to my power amplifier sounds clean. Bass impact is quite good, imaging compliments my speakers very well. I really have nothing bad to say about its tonality. Saves my NAD 275 from over boring the sound as it has a tendency to sound very linear. Although I have to turn up the gain quite a bit to fill my room. It might be a mismatch on the input gain of my amp because I know the actual preamp from NAD has higher output power.

The V281 as a preamp again made me notice the recording's room. I was able to hear more into the recording using it as a preamp. Imaging was more pin-point and you would be able to discern the actual spacing between instruments easier if you are in the sweet spot of the speakers.

*Why compare a sub 1k DAC to a 2k amp? * I just want to tell everybody that I am exceedingly happy with the Marantz HD-DAC 1, and it should be worthy of your time if you are more into PRAT than analyzing the music. Not saying that you cant analyze music thru the Marantz, in fact you should be able to do that quite well depending on how you trained your ears, minus you hear less of the room during my tests. Getting the Violectric made me realize how talented the Marantz is. For $800 SRP, it can keep up with one of the better amplifiers around and that is something.


----------



## mindigmarton (May 8, 2017)

Anyone using the marantz with an usb isolator? I bought the hifimediy high speed isolator and while it works (no more screeching noise, yay) the DAC disconnects when I flip a light switch and other random electrical items, and nothing else is affected (relay clicks, sometimes reconnects, other times I have to re-plug)
Happens when UPS battery too and with the phone as a source, but only with the isolator connected.
Anyone know any other isolators (apart from the iFi line) I could try that _works_ for just plain old usb noise with this DAC? I think it might be the relay causing the incompatibility...

If not I'll just use optical for the PC and then the usb port would be free to use with a raspberry...

Thanks!


----------



## armymanhaha

Not sure if this applies. I use the Jitterbug with no issues like that.


----------



## mindigmarton (May 9, 2017)

Yeah, I think the jitterbug works because it's a filter, not an ADuM based isolator so it's simpler.
Does it work for noise from mouse movements / gpu load?
Every review is about it changing the sound stage and imaging and reducing jitter...

Edit: the jitterbug does limit the HD-DAC1 to 96khz right? (Only use 44.1khz anyway)
Optical also has the advantage of not disappearing from your PC when the DAC is in standby mode or turned off, which is annoying as it's not always on like other standalone low power DACs.

Edit2: The DAC is supposed to have a ground isolator so the filter might be enough? Any ideas?


----------



## armymanhaha

mindigmarton said:


> Yeah, I think the jitterbug works because it's a filter, not an ADuM based isolator so it's simpler.
> Does it work for noise from mouse movements / gpu load?
> Every review is about it changing the sound stage and imaging and reducing jitter...
> 
> ...



I haven't encountered any noise from mouse or high load while gaming (4790k @ 4.7ghz 1.3v, GTX 980Ti - yeah old) prior to connecting the Jitterbug so I cannot say if it resolved any noise issues if I havent heard any to begin with. My USB output with the Jitterbug remains the same, I can still send DSD files (2.8M) to the HD-DAC 1 with no issues. I suspect it is your software that is having issues. I use Foobar with DSD plugin.

I'd liek to comment though that through Optical, I was able to hear noise via sensitive IEM and the amp gain @ high and the knob @ 2o'clock. When I switched back to USB, it became silent again. Possibly because my optical comes from directly to the PC's noisy motherboard. I suspect if I use a standalone usb to optical converter it will yield better results - but there's no need because the USB input from Marantz is quite good.


----------



## mindigmarton (May 10, 2017)

armymanhaha said:


> I suspect it is your software that is having issues.



Nah, this is not that kind of noise. Do you use powered speakers? On headphones you can faintly hear it on 100% volume which is REALLY loud (would blow the hd 600 I think?). I use it on maybe 25%.
Anyway, with powered speakers (multiple ones) and multiple PCs, cards, PSUs, DAC s and houses there is noise. The level does differ between components (on some it is inaudible, maybe heard on 100% volume) but it is always there!
The weird thing is that I can reproduce the noise by bypassing the DAC and just touching the usb connector to the shield of the speaker cable! It looks like the noise creeps into the audio cables through the marantz's connectors.
I think the noise with touching the cords is the same with balanced cables (it's not picked up through the length of the cable) but I have to check again.
As I remember it was not this loud with my saffire 2i2 (I used balanced cables), but since then I got an 1070, so I might be wrong. Basically I can hear coil whine through the speakers. (Every card I've had whines, even if a little. Rx 480, 7870, 1070...)
It's not ground loop, everything seems to be grounded properly. (Btw, my powered speakers do have a small ground loop which causes coil whine noise to be picked up along the RCA cable if it is too close to the pc. No rca cable noise with 1 speaker. But it does not affect the usb noise)
I think it might be solvable with usb add-on cards, or usb ports like gigabyte's dac-up where power is regulated and can be switched off. Though interference from the GPU is so high that it would probably creep back in, because external powered usb hubs don't work either.
It doesn't look like it is caused by defective components. Maybe crappy usb power with the mobos I tested.
Will test balanced cables when I get home, but I wouldn't recommend the marantz for anyone that wants to use USB and has usb noise problems.



armymanhaha said:


> I'd liek to comment though that through Optical, I was able to hear noise via sensitive IEM and the amp gain @ high and the knob @ 2o'clock. When I switched back to USB, it became silent again. Possibly because my optical comes from directly to the PC's noisy motherboard. I suspect if I use a standalone usb to optical converter it will yield better results - but there's no need because the USB input from Marantz is quite good.



I tested the optical input via my onboard optical out VS usb with volumio on a pi.
Sounds the same both on my Yamaha hs7 and hd600. Not a blind A/B test, but I did want the usb to sound better...
There is probably a measurable difference between them but as always it is so low that it doesn't matter.
I could not decide if there was any difference between the noise levels. Both had faint hiss at max levels. (Again, I listen at 9 o'clock on medium gain)

I really like the marantz though! I just hate high-end GPUs.


----------



## pbarach

I was using a digital coax connection from my Oppo 103 player to output music files and CDs to the HD-DAC1. The DAC just emitted static with commercially purchased 24/192 files, the highest resolution that the coax connection supports; 24/96 and lower-res files played without an issue. 

After isolating the problem to the DAC, I contacted Marantz tech support. After several go-arounds with them to try and figure out what was going in, including transmission of a couple of my files to Marantz for their own tests, they are replacing my DAC.


----------



## roghelt

I've been eyeing the DAC1 for quite awhile now. I currently have a Peachtree Audio DAC-iTx & Nuforce HA-200 class A HP amp listening to lossless & DSD from a FiiO X5 2nd gen.

I really like what I've been hearing from the Peachtree/NuForce combo, but I'd like to condense my headphone listening setup to a single unit. Should I sell the two and go for a DAC1 and not sacrifice SQ? My cans are Senn HD600, AKG K702 & Q701.

Any opinions?

Thanks!


----------



## pbarach

roghelt said:


> I've been eyeing the DAC1 for quite awhile now. I currently have a Peachtree Audio DAC-iTx & Nuforce HA-200 class A HP amp listening to lossless & DSD from a FiiO X5 2nd gen.
> 
> I really like what I've been hearing from the Peachtree/NuForce combo, but I'd like to condense my headphone listening setup to a single unit. Should I sell the two and go for a DAC1 and not sacrifice SQ? My cans are Senn HD600, AKG K702 & Q701.
> 
> ...


     I don't know about your electronics, but my HD-DAC1 makes my K702 and HD600 cans sound great. And they sound better than with my Burson HA-160, which has a Class A output stage.


----------



## pbarach

*Marantz tech support *
I could not get my HD-DAC1 to play 192 KHz files over digital coax or optical connection to an Oppo 103 player. After a bunch of exchanges with Marantz tech support, including copies sent to them of a couple of the files, they exchanged my unit under warranty for a new one that plays without a hitch.

Kind of an odd problem--the original unit worked fine in every way except this one...


----------



## roghelt

pbarach said:


> I don't know about your electronics, but my HD-DAC1 makes my K702 and HD600 cans sound great. And they sound better than with my Burson HA-160, which has a Class A output stage.


Combined with my lont


pbarach said:


> I don't know about your electronics, but my HD-DAC1 makes my K702 and HD600 cans sound great. And they sound better than with my Burson HA-160, which has a Class A output stage.



My DAC1 will be arriving tomorrow. I've waited way too long to order it, and your feedback, especially as you have the same cans as I do, put me over the top. Will report back after I've spent some quality time with it.


----------



## pbarach

roghelt said:


> Combined with my lont
> 
> 
> My DAC1 will be arriving tomorrow. I've waited way too long to order it, and your feedback, especially as you have the same cans as I do, put me over the top. Will report back after I've spent some quality time with it.


I'm interested to hear your report. I haven't tried it with DSD yet, since I don't have a laptop with Windows 10 that I can connect to it. I can listen to everything up to 24/192, as transmitted from my Oppo 103 player over digital coax.


----------



## roghelt

pbarach said:


> I'm interested to hear your report. I haven't tried it with DSD yet, since I don't have a laptop with Windows 10 that I can connect to it. I can listen to everything up to 24/192, as transmitted from my Oppo 103 player over digital coax.


Well, in the six days I've had it, the jury's still out -- at least when I compare the sound with my old (sold) Peachtree/NuForce combo. The soundstage doesn't seem as wide, at least with the AKGs, but then again I read that somewhere and may be influenced by 'mass psychoacoustic' opinion phenomenon. The amp portion seems to have more 'oomph' than the NuForce, but both adequately could drive any cans I threw at them. So it boils down to the DAC. The more I listen, the more the Marantz seems to come alive -- meaning transparent sonics to my ears. I'm still in the audition/burn-in stage so I can't give a definitive 'keep-for-life' opinion.

What I _really _love about the DAC1 is that I finally have my two 160GB iPods back with the Pod mode! It's a huge bonus to be able to extend my lossless collection beyond the FiiO (which is mostly DSD & hi-res files) -- I just have the minor hassle of converting my flacs & CDs to Apple lossless. The remote control is a priceless luxury for me...listening at night is easier than ever. One downer, and it's probably attributable to stupid copy protection, but when I try to listen to stereo SACDs on my Marantz SA-8004 play via optical. No go.

One question to an AKG/DAC1 owner: I'm never sure which gain setting is best for AKG 701's & 702s. The impedance is 62 Ohms, which seems relatively low, but the highest setting provides excellent volume at the 9 - 10 O'clock positions.

Cheers...more once it's broken in more; or I've gotten more accustomed to it.


----------



## pbarach

Marantz told me to set the HD-DAC1 at LOW impedance for the K702. But play around with it and see which setting you like best.


----------



## roghelt

pbarach said:


> Marantz told me to set the HD-DAC1 at LOW impedance for the K702. But play around with it and see which setting you like best.


Wearing my stupid hat, I assumed the LOW gain is for LOW impedance, right? And despite the relatively lower impedance (compared with 600 ohm Senns), the AKGs need more oomph to drive them optimally. I've tried all three settings but can't determine which sounds 'best.' I'm thinking the HIGH or MID gain might be introducing some noise or distortion despite providing more juice -- and then again, driving the volume control higher on LOW could do the same. But I really don't have a clue. '?


----------



## pbarach

Marantz tech support told me (via email) that LOW gain is for LOW-impedance headphones. But I still think your best solution is to use what sounds best to you/. I have a set of Hifiman HE-400i headphones with a 35 ohm impedance, which is low by any standard. To me, they sound best on MID or HIGH, so that's the setting I use with them.


----------



## roghelt

pbarach said:


> Marantz tech support told me (via email) that LOW gain is for LOW-impedance headphones. But I still think your best solution is to use what sounds best to you/. I have a set of Hifiman HE-400i headphones with a 35 ohm impedance, which is low by any standard. To me, they sound best on MID or HIGH, so that's the setting I use with them.


That's what I figured. MID sounds best for my AKGs when the source is the FiiO via coax; however, when I listen to iPod Classic via USB, HIGH sounds best, probably due to the lower gain of the iPod on line out.

That said, I did much listening last night and either I'm getting used to it, or the 'burn-in' effect has taken effect, but the DAC1 is sounding superb! While I originally felt the soundstage wasn't as wide as it was with my old amp & dac, it's all there but with much more pinpoint detail than just a general panorama. I'm finding better articulation with strings and brass (classical) as well as more defined and palpable bass with acoustic jazz. I found myself so immersed in the music, was up until 4am listening. lol! Oh yeah, this one's a keeper!!


----------



## pbarach

I'm very pleased with the HD-DAC1; I hear more detail than I do with the Burson HA-160 amp, which I'm using elsewhere but might still sell. I did have a problem right out of the box with getting the Marantz to play 24/192 audio over digital coax or optical from my Oppo player. However, this turned out to be a defect, and Marantz replaced the unit under warranty.


----------



## roghelt (Jun 14, 2017)

There may be some incompatibility between the Marantz & Oppo. I have a 105 connected to my mains, but in another area where I stream via ethernet from my NAS setup. The only issue with the Oppo is it STILL won't play gapless flacs unless it's on a flash drive or direct USB connection.

As for the DAC1, I've experienced no problems thus far with 24/192 or DSF files via coax line-out from my FiiO X5/2. I love to see the screen light up with the actual resolution before going black.   Before settling on the Marantz, I was considering Chord Mojo or Hugo, but their functional limitations pushed me towards the DAC1. Glad I went with my instincts!


----------



## roghelt

roghelt said:


> There may be some incompatibility between the Marantz & Oppo. I have a 105 connected to my mains, but in another area where I stream via ethernet from my NAS setup. The only issue with the Oppo is it STILL won't play gapless flacs unless they're on a flash drive or USB connection.
> 
> As for the DAC1, I've experienced no problems thus far with 24/192 or DSF files via coax line-out from my FiiO X5/2. I love to see the screen light up with the actual resolution before going black.   If you sell the Marantz, what'll you replace it with? Chord Mojo or Hugo? these were options I had under consideration, but their functional limitations pushed me towards the DAC1.


----------



## pbarach

I haven't found any incompatibility between the Oppo 103 and the Marantz; the only issue I had was a problem with my original Marantz machine, which, I explained was replaced by one under warranty. With the Oppo set to transmit via coax or optical at 192 kHz, everything up to 24/192 plays at its native resolution; DSD64 files get downsampled to 88 kHz. The digital audio section of the 105 is the same as that in the 103, so your result should be no different than mine.

The problem about gapless FLAC playback is an Oppo issue having nothing to do with the HD-DAC1.


----------



## roghelt (Jun 15, 2017)

pbarach said:


> I haven't found any incompatibility between the Oppo 103 and the Marantz; the only issue I had was a problem with my original Marantz machine, which, I explained was replaced by one under warranty. With the Oppo set to transmit via coax or optical at 192 kHz, everything up to 24/192 plays at its native resolution; DSD64 files get downsampled to 88 kHz. The digital audio section of the 105 is the same as that in the 103, so your result should be no different than mine.
> 
> The problem about gapless FLAC playback is an Oppo issue having nothing to do with the HD-DAC1.


Sorry, guess I was misunderstood. There's absolutely no gapless problem with the DAC1, I was referring to my Oppo 105. They've gone through countless firmware updates, but never corrected the issue for DLNA. In any event, I'd lke to experiment running the 105's dac through the Marantz amp section as an experiment. The Oppo's headphone output doesn't have the juice of most decent hp amps, but it has an amazing dac.

BTW, to digress a bit more from this thread, are you aware that you can rip DSD from your SACDs with the Oppo 10x? No PS3 needed anymore! It's sensational being able to stream DSD files from my NAS as well as play them through the FiiO. If you're not familiar with the setup, let me know and I'll point you to the thread.

Cheers!


----------



## pbarach

^^
Yes, I've seen the thread and it runs to 86 pages!! But it doesn't look that complicated. I'll try this someday. But the DSD files that I have as downloads will stream just fine from my PC through the Oppo over WiFi.


----------



## roghelt

pbarach said:


> ^^
> Yes, I've seen the thread and it runs to 86 pages!! But it doesn't look that complicated. I'll try this someday. But the DSD files that I have as downloads will stream just fine from my PC through the Oppo over WiFi.


It's way more simple than the 86 pages suggests -- too many people who made it more complicated than it is because they jumped in late in the thread and asked basic questions that were answered by page 4.  A few simple files on a flash drive, change a setting on the Oppo and it's unbelievable how fast it's ripped my SACDs -- 6 -8 minutes on the average! You have the option to rip mult-channel or stereo DSD. When you get a chance, give it a try...I'll be around for any assistance should you need it.


----------



## makne

Can anyone compare this to the Schiit Jotunheim, or Audio-gd nfb-28? 
I've demo'ed the Jotunheim with my Elear and really liked the combo, it was never too bright for me. Don't have a chance to demo the Marantz, but if it is just better, then it's game on.


----------



## jpierre

Hello
I am French, sorry for google translation
I have this amp, I would like to know the burn in and any improvements
thank you very much

bonjour
je suis français, désolé pour la traduction google
je possede cet ampli, je voudrais savoir le temps de rodage et les éventuelles ameliorations
merci beaucoup


----------



## pbarach

There is no need for burn-in. It sounds good out of the box, and the sound stays the same after several hundred hours of use.


----------



## goldsmith83

I'm very interested in the HD-DAC1 but I've seen the PM7005 for €399.95 ($458 current exchange rate) Is it a good deal? I haven't found any thread on the PM7005 in this community. I'm not an expert on audio gears and don't know which is better. Any comments on this matter?


----------



## makne

goldsmith83 said:


> I'm very interested in the HD-DAC1 but I've seen the PM7005 for €399.95 ($458 current exchange rate) Is it a good deal? I haven't found any thread on the PM7005 in this community. I'm not an expert on audio gears and don't know which is better. Any comments on this matter?


Haven't heard any of the above, but I do own a Marantz PM5005. It has a surprisingly good headphone output given that it's primarily a speaker amp, so if the 7005 is the same way it should sound great. My 5005 easily outclassed my Aune x1s' amp section, but is not quite on the level of something like the Schiit Jotunheim.


----------



## goldsmith83 (Jul 12, 2017)

makne said:


> Haven't heard any of the above, but I do own a Marantz PM5005. It has a surprisingly good headphone output given that it's primarily a speaker amp, so if the 7005 is the same way it should sound great. My 5005 easily outclassed my Aune x1s' amp section, but is not quite on the level of something like the Schiit Jotunheim.


If the PM5005 is a speaker amp, so have to be all the models of the PMx005 series. I only listen to music over headphones but if the PM5005 has got such a good HP output then the PM7005 output has to be but better.
I think the HD-DAC1 is more headphone oriented and is my first option but if the PM7005 is on the same level, for half the retail price it seems a better bet. In my previous comment I meant someone wiser than me to advise me based on technical aspects above all, no need to have tested both gears since at any rate, which sounds better is always subjective.


----------



## alcargo

Hi there.  I'm in the prowl for a good desk top amp.  I am considering taking the plunge on this HD-DAC 1.  But it has been in the market for quite awhile.  Is this still a good choice compared to recent models that came out since the launch of this product some 2 years ago?  If there are other choices better than HD-DAC 1, which ones?  Thank you.


----------



## briant4pres

anyone know if the gain setting effects the loudness of the variable pre outs?


----------



## pbarach

briant4pres said:


> anyone know if the gain setting effects the loudness of the variable pre outs?


The gain setting affects only the headphone jacks.


----------



## briant4pres

Thanks!!


----------



## briant4pres

hey guys, i installed the driver for windows however when I click on it to set it as default sound option in windows sound options there is no option, only "general" and "levels". The only way I can get sound to play is through the asio / wasapi driver in foobar, there is no option with the direct sound in windows


----------



## jcn3

briant4pres said:


> hey guys, i installed the driver for windows however when I click on it to set it as default sound option in windows sound options there is no option, only "general" and "levels". The only way I can get sound to play is through the asio / wasapi driver in foobar, there is no option with the direct sound in windows



Asio and wasapi bypass the Windows sound engine - you want to use one of those, NOT direct sound.


----------



## Zowie1 (Sep 16, 2017)

Hello, new user here! I’ve been thinking of upgrading my DAC/amp and saw this one on sale. However, I listen most of my my music with iTunes and most of the songs on my library are either 256 kb/s aac-files or 320 kb/s mp3-files.  I read somewhere on this thread that this particular DAC/amp doesn’t support aac-files (or only through iPod connection). Could someone please confirm this? I’m currently using Sennheiser HD650 with SMSL M6 DAC/amp.


----------



## sparkofinsanity

Zowie1 said:


> Hello, new user here! I’ve been thinking of upgrading my DAC/amp and saw this one on sale. However, I listen most of my my music with iTunes and most of the songs on my library are either 256 kb/s aac-files or 320 kb/s mp3-files.  I read somewhere on this thread that this particular DAC/amp doesn’t support aac-files (or only through iPod connection). Could someone please confirm this? I’m currently using Sennheiser HD650 with SMSL M6 DAC/amp.



AAC works just fine. It can handle everything up to 192 kHz / 24bits high-resolution audio but also the DSD 2.8MHz and 5.6MHz.


----------



## roghelt

Zowie1 said:


> Hello, new user here! I’ve been thinking of upgrading my DAC/amp and saw this one on sale. However, I listen most of my my music with iTunes and most of the songs on my library are either 256 kb/s aac-files or 320 kb/s mp3-files.  I read somewhere on this thread that this particular DAC/amp doesn’t support aac-files (or only through iPod connection). Could someone please confirm this? I’m currently using Sennheiser HD650 with SMSL M6 DAC/amp.


The DAC1 plays every type of file you can throw at it, including all Apple codecs. In addition to using it with a FiiO X5 loaded with hi-res flac as well as DSD dsf files, I also connect my iPods directly to it. My HD-800s & AKG-812 cans sound superb! Even at twice the price, the Marantz is a gargain!


----------



## Zowie1 (Sep 22, 2017)

Thanks for your answers!


----------



## Zowie1

Currently using this amp/dac with Sennheiser HD 650. I'm really happy with it but still wondering if using balanced cable would make any difference, even though it's not an balanced amp...


----------



## makne

Zowie1 said:


> Currently using this amp/dac with Sennheiser HD 650. I'm really happy with it but still wondering if using balanced cable would make any difference, even though it's not an balanced amp...


No point in using a balanced cable in an unbalanced headphone output


----------



## Zowie1 (Oct 18, 2017)

makne said:


> No point in using a balanced cable in an unbalanced headphone output


Yeah, that's what I thought. Thanks!


----------



## Sponken

Hi, i have a problem getting sound from my marantz to my onkyo tx-nr3010 receiver,(it is no sound att all) aim usin foobar whit wasapi ,Ihave tried whit the variabled rca , i cut it short becouse my enlish is not  god.


----------



## pbarach

Try the FIXED RCA connection, because you are using the Onkyo as a preamp. See p. 16 in the Marantz manual. 

If you still have trouble, turn off WASAPI. Maybe your computer doesn't work with WASAPI.


----------



## Sponken (Oct 27, 2017)

pbarach said:


> Try the FIXED RCA connection, because you are using the Onkyo as a preamp. See p. 16 in the Marantz manual.


----------



## Thujan Krishnakumar

is there actually a noticeable difference with sound quality? When compared to a midrange amp/dac combo?


----------



## roghelt

That's such an unreasonably open question, there's no definitive answer I can think of other than telling you to try one out and/or reading other users' comments and reviews.


----------



## pbarach

Thujan Krishnakumar said:


> is there actually a noticeable difference with sound quality? When compared to a midrange amp/dac combo?


On CDs, CD-quality digital files, and 24/96 digital files played from a USB drive into an Oppo player that is connected to the Marantz with digital coax, I find more "airiness" among the music than I get with my Denon x4000 receiver. It's not a HUGE difference. I don't have a Windows 10 laptop, so I haven't tried playing digital files from a laptop into the Marantz's back-panel USB port.


----------



## Zowie1 (Nov 11, 2017)

I got this device about a month ago and after using only the USB/DAC with HD650, I would be interested in trying using the S/PDIF-connection since I read somewhere on this thread that it makes the sound quality better. Is that true? Since I only have a laptop with USB-connectors I would probably need some sort of adapter? Would either of these two work:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nobsound-C...8&qid=1510400396&sr=8-1&keywords=usb+to+spdif
https://www.amazon.com/Musical-Fidelity-V-LINK-Asynchronous-Converter/dp/B00718X2TU

I'm open to other recommendations/tips as well. Most of my music libarary is in Apple-lossless format.


----------



## uelover

Zowie1 said:


> I got this device about a month ago and after using only the USB/DAC with HD650, I would be interested in trying using the S/PDIF-connection since I read somewhere on this thread that it makes the sound quality better. Is that true? Since I only have a laptop with USB-connectors I would probably need some sort of adapter? Would either of these two work:
> https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nobsound-C...8&qid=1510400396&sr=8-1&keywords=usb+to+spdif
> https://www.amazon.com/Musical-Fidelity-V-LINK-Asynchronous-Converter/dp/B00718X2TU
> 
> I'm open to other recommendations/tips as well. Most of my music libarary is in Apple-lossless format.



Check out Singxer F1 with casing enclosure. It is simple to use and improves the sound by quite a fair margin.


----------



## Zowie1

uelover said:


> Check out Singxer F1 with casing enclosure. It is simple to use and improves the sound by quite a fair margin.


Thanks for the tip! I'll wait a while if I get any other suggestions. This is probaby the one you meant:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/SINGXER-F-...839122?hash=item3d2e5cce52:g:jvgAAOSwux5YWUUo
https://www.ebay.com/itm/SINGXER-F-...839122?hash=item3d2e5cce52:g:jvgAAOSwux5YWUUo


----------



## uelover

Yes, that one.


----------



## JR1911

I'm using a Singxer F-1 with my HD-DAC1 and I found it to give a noticeable increase in sound quality. I'd describe it as giving a cleaner sound and better separation between instruments, each one is more clearly defined.


----------



## Zowie1 (Nov 12, 2017)

EDIT. I already bought the cables.


----------



## gandahar

Hi

currently i having the following setup:

foobar -> xonar stx (asio) -> hd598

and i'm planning to upgrade.

my requirement from the equipment that i going to buy would be:

1) 220-240v support power supply support (i am not living in the usa)
2) two optical inputs (so that i won't be depended on a usb input which depend on a driver which could not be supported in the future)
3) be able to power high end headphones (i might upgrade to the hd800  )
4) provide significant sound quality upgrade from the xonar stx
5) sold by amazon (i don't have time to release my stuff from customs and i want to know the final price when i buy something)
6) manufactured by a well known company (i don't want to buy stuff from unknown chinese companies that might catch fire)

i have found the following dac/amps to meet my requirements:

1)Fostex HP-A8 - seems to be perfect , but amazon doesn't want to ship it to my country,also its unclear if it support 230v power input (i know that hp-a8c exist but it seems impossible to find)
2)Benchmark dac2 dx - seems perfect , but the price is very high (does it worth it ?)
3)Marantz HD-AMP1 - also seems to be perfect (does it better than the hd-dac1?)
4)Marantz HD-DAC1 - good price,meet my requirement, but i afraid of the clicking issue
5)Teac UD-501 - seems to be old,the newer model (ud-503) dont have two optical inputs


my questions are:

1)which of the above devices will be a significant upgrade from my xonar stx ?
2)assuming that i currently not using speakers , there is any advantage of buying the hd-amp1 over the hd-dac1 ?
3)should i consider other devices ? (if so which ?)
4)is the clicking noise a dealbreaker ?


----------



## uelover

Depending on your budget and your future plan in upgrading your headphone, it is difficult for anyone to provide you a good advice.

In general, assuming that you will stick with HD598, below is my reply to your questions:

1)which of the above devices will be a significant upgrade from my xonar stx ? - _all will provide a significant upgrade_
2)assuming that i currently not using speakers , there is any advantage of buying the hd-amp1 over the hd-dac1 ? - _no_
3)should i consider other devices ? (if so which ?) - _are you looking for an integrated device? there are many other such integrated devices, of which, I find the Marantz HD-DAC1 to be good enough (without the desire to upgrade) and at a price that is easy to stomach._
4)is the clicking noise a dealbreaker ? - _no_


----------



## Zowie1

Would adding iFi Nano iUSB3.0 to the chain with my Marantz-HD-Dac01 and Singxer F-1 make any noticeable difference in the sound quality?


----------



## axle_69 (Dec 1, 2017)

Anyone heard both the DAC1 and the AMP1? How do they compare in terms of 1) DAC 2) headphone amplifier?
I recently bought an AMP1 to use with speakers but compared it with Chord Mojo through Oppo PM-3 and wasn't overly impressed with the DAC, Mojo had slightly better detail and timbre seemed more natural. Later compared with the AQVOX 2 D/A MkII and in spite of its age the AQVOX seems better (detail, soundstage) and bass is better defined on the AQVOX.
The ES9010K2M belongs to the mobile range and is in the Premier group, below the ESS Ultra, Reference and Pro groups. Maybe it is enough to match the Hypex class D amplifier but I wonder if the DAC in the DAC1 is better or worse than in the AMP1. It seems Marantz compromised on the DAC of the HD-AMP1, the old Burr-Brown PCM1796 of the AQVOX has higher DNR, 126 in dual mono against 116 dB, and the same THD+N, -106 dB as the ES9010K2M.


----------



## jessnie

one of the best settings out there for the price!


----------



## axle_69

jcn3 said:


> there is no simple answer -- this hobby is way too personal.  did you check out this thread -- tons of info there:  http://www.head-fi.org/t/730055/marantz-hd-dac1
> 
> imo, it's also an apples to oranges comparison.  the hd-amp1 has a better dac in it and is more versatile, including the dedicated circuitry for the headphone section.  i'm not clear on whether the headphone circuitry is the same in the hd-dac1 or not.  if they're the same, then the hd-amp1 looks like the better deal because of the better dac and the ability to add speakers.
> 
> good luck!



Why is the DAC in the AMP1 better than in the DAC1 if the DR and the THD+N are worse? It would be interesting to hear from someone that had actually compared the two. Maybe Marantz slightly downgraded the DAC in the AMP1. Opinions between the DAC1 and Mojo seem a bit divided, but Mojo sounds better to me (more detail, more realistic timbre, better defined bass) than the DAC in the AMP1 (Schiit Yggdrasil and AQVOX USB 2D/A MkII are in a different price range so the comparison isn't much relevant). Would the DAC1 and a budget power amplifier surpass the AMP1? Anyone had the opportunity of comparing the two?


----------



## uelover

I had the mojo (which I sold away) and I currently have the DAC1.

To me, when used as a DAC/Amp, the DAC1 wins hands down. The mojo has this artificial sound which I cannot get over with. The DAC1 is less coloured and more transparent sounding. The headphone amp of the DAC1 also has more power (there is a high gain mode for even more power).

I am however unable to comment on the choice of a power amp as I do not have passive speakers at home.


----------



## zackzack

I am planning use this with Sennheiser HD800s. Anyone has compared DAC1 to Sennheiser's own HDVD800 or the more recent HDV 820?
I have sampled the pairing of HDV 820 with HD800s in a shop, and wow, that little amp has the bass so tight, so tight....


----------



## L@eric (Jan 13, 2018)

uelover said:


> Check out Singxer F1 with casing enclosure. It is simple to use and improves the sound by quite a fair margin.



Consult the predecessors also have HD-DAC1 and Xingxer F1, your DSD music can play sound? If you can ask Audio setup is how to adjust?

thank you very much!

Sorry to forget to mention, I use Daphile to play music.


----------



## Dexon (Jan 15, 2018)

Anyone here use a Foobar and Win10 with that bogus "Fall Creators Update"? I was using ASIO configuration, listed in 'output' as 'DSD : ASIO : Marantz ASIO Device'. Now it stopped working and I'm not sure how to get even a bit perfect with this device anymore.


----------



## VilMo

Why don't you try to re-install the driver again. I had the same issue with another DAC that stopped working after the Fall Creators Update.
After I removed the driver and installed it again - all started to work fine.


----------



## L@eric (Jan 16, 2018)

VilMo said:


> Why don't you try to re-install the driver again. I had the same issue with another DAC that stopped working after the Fall Creators Update.
> After I removed the driver and installed it again - all started to work fine.



I used Daphile 17.09 x86_rt for about six months, playing HD-DAC1 for decoding and headphone output (cans are HD-800 & T1) and everything is perfect and smooth (no matter in DSD Native or DoP mode) .
But recently wanted to try DAC1 coaxial input, then bought Xingxer FI DDC, after the combination of the sound does have some different flavors; the only regretfully is the DSD can not make a sound (after the Audio setup inside the three settings: Native, DoP & Conver DSD to PCM), regretfully can not do it like to play DSD music files.
Search the Internet after a round, I feel this forum is Daphile most professional and in-depth forum, so I would like to ask you predecessors DAC1 and Xingxer F1 experience, thank you predecessors!

Below attached my screenshots, please enlighten:


----------



## jcn3 (Jan 16, 2018)

L@eric said:


> I used Daphile 17.09 x86_rt for about six months, playing HD-DAC1 for decoding and headphone output (cans are HD-800 & T1) and everything is perfect and smooth (no matter in DSD Native or DoP mode) .
> But recently wanted to try DAC1 coaxial input, then bought Xingxer FI DDC, after the combination of the sound does have some different flavors; the only regretfully is the DSD can not make a sound (after the Audio setup inside the three settings: Native, DoP & Conver DSD to PCM), regretfully can not do it like to play DSD music files.
> Search the Internet after a round, I feel this forum is Daphile most professional and in-depth forum, so I would like to ask you predecessors DAC1 and Xingxer F1 experience, thank you predecessors!
> 
> Below attached my screenshots, please enlighten:



if you look at the specs, i don't think you're going to get dsd from the coax output of the f1 -- i think you have to use i2s to make that happen.

hd-dac1 also only does dsd via usb.


----------



## L@eric

jcn3 said:


> if you look at the specs, i don't think you're going to get dsd from the coax output of the f1 -- i think you have to use i2s to make that happen.
> 
> hd-dac1 also only does dsd via usb.



Thank you for your reply! It seems I have to carefully study the specifications.


----------



## L@eric

L@eric said:


> Thank you for your reply! It seems I have to carefully study the specifications.



I changed Singxer F1 to Intona usb isolator!


When I connected usb isolator and played music between PC (running Daphile) and Marantz D-DAC 1, I found out that my decision was correct! Sound field into a three-dimensional feeling, the sound emitted by each month are very clear, each sounding position as if in front of the general, clearly as if at your fingertips.


I am very happy to share my experience with HD-DAC 1 upgrade.


https://intona.eu/en/products


----------



## Zowie1 (Jan 29, 2018)

I'm currently thinking of replacing my Singxer F-1 with Matrix X-SPDIF2. Has anyone tried it with HD-DAC1? If you have, how was the sound quality (especially compared to F-1)?

Edit. Already got an answer from another thread, will stick with F-1.


----------



## L@eric

Zowie1 said:


> I'm currently thinking of replacing my Singxer F-1 with Matrix X-SPDIF2. Has anyone tried it with HD-DAC1? If you have, how was the sound quality (especially compared to F-1)?



I do not have X-SPDIF 2 - MATRIX, so I can’t comment on such an upgrade. What kind of effect can I achieve?


But I've replaced Singxer F1 with the Intona High Speed USB Isolator (standard version), placing it between the player and the DAC, and I use it to play music for almost a week.

https://static.intonatek.com/i/shop/7054/7054_01.jpg


It gives me the biggest gain is the quality of the HD-DAC 1 improved a grade, almost to the realm of high-end audio equipment; I use HD-800 and T1 to listen to music (mostly classical or symphony), its sound performance I can only use terrible to describe!


The following is my personal thoughts, you refer to look:


1. The background is darker, the details appear more easily, and you can easily hear the music details you've overlooked.

2. HD-DAC 1 I just set it at 9 o'clock and I can hear the bursting sound in many big dynamic music (like Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4, 5, 6 ...).

3. DSD upgrade is easier for you to hear the playing position of the instrument and 3D performance.

4. PCM upgrade is completely echoed by the "terrible" state I described, causing me to listen to the 16 bit / 44.1 CD that I stocked most of the time, for example, 50CD the DECCA Sound, I was intoxicated A few days to enjoy it.

5. There are many other surprises, I can not express and describe.


The hope above can help you!


----------



## Jayzqa (Feb 2, 2018)

How this dac/amp combo stacks against newer chinese solid states like Audio-GD, Aune and Topping?

I actually got to listen this at the Hifi-retailer in my home town and it sounded pristine, atleast for my untrained ears, but I'am wondering if there are better options out there for cheaper?

Planning to use upcoming HD660s and maybe hd800s with the dac/amp. I need optical in and that remote is a big plus. Oh and I live in europe.


----------



## L@eric

Jayzqa said:


> How this dac/amp combo stacks against newer chinese solid states like Audio-GD, Aune and Topping?
> 
> I actually got to listen this at the Hifi-retailer in my home town and it sounded pristine, atleast for my untrained ears, but I'am wondering if there are better options out there for cheaper?
> 
> Planning to use upcoming HD660s and maybe hd800s with the dac/amp. I need optical in and that remote is a big plus. Oh and I live in europe.



Sorry! I have never heard of these combinations you say, so I can not give you any opinion!


----------



## audionewbi

For the life of me I dont know how DAC 1 doesnt get more attention than what it has gotten.


----------



## elitico

Hi, 

From what i read here, it is normal that that the outputs ”fixed” and ”variabe” does not mute when headphones are connected? If, is it a good reason for it?

Was planning on using my HD DAC with just a poweramp. Now I have to use an other preamp to be able to mute the sound from the DAC outputs when listening to headphones. Turning of the poweramp everytime I want to listen to headphones is not a good option.

How do you work around the problem?

Cheers


----------



## Z06_Pilot (Mar 21, 2018)

Hi folks,  I just picked this unit up from Amazon a few days ago.  Using it in my home office for headphone use only, alongside my Oppo HA-1.  I had planned to use only the DAC section and mate it to my Woo WA22 once it returns from repair(a self inflicted wound, has nothing to do with the quality of Woo's incredible products).  But I am really liking the amp section of this unit.  Actually, the idea to purchase struck me after getting my first Marantz audio component, one of their new A/V receivers with the HDAM-2 chips, in my secondary A/V room, and I was truly blown away by the quality (to my ears) of 2-channel audio.

A very warm (almost tube-ish) and engaging sound through my HD-800's, with a good, clean low end.  Regarding the clicking folks talk about.  I do get that when the sampling rate changes.  Like a few others have said, I actually like hearing a mechanical-like transition between formats.  The lack of muting of the line outs when cans are plugged in does not affect me, but I can certainly see where folks with dual headphone/loudspeaker setups would not like that at all.  Also wish it was a fully balanced unit, but at this price point, something had to give, I suppose.

Just two display comments.  Why Marantz thinks the "port-hole" display is a good Idea I don't know-it's on my receiver as well.  The display is the one item that should not get the "sexy look" treatment.  I want to see as much info as possible (big thumbs up to the HA-1 in this regard).  And something that's just plain funny.  That display material is a dust magnet.  Every hour or so I find myself wiping it off....!


----------



## Zowie1

Has anyone tried this with their HD-DAC1 (and Singxer F-1)? If you have, did you notice any improvement in sound quality? Some people on the Singxer thread seem to prefer this to the Intona (even the industrial version).

https://www.icronshop.com/icron-brand/icron-ranger-2304ge-lan#/psu-eu


----------



## Pbutter

Probably a noob question... does this do gapless playback? I will be using the rear USB port going into my PC and playing in foobar.


----------



## pbarach

I don't have any experience with the front panel USB port to play back files from a flash drive (filetypes are limited there), but it will do gapless playback of files stored on my iPhone through the Apple Music app.

Gapless playback depends on your player, not the DAC. My Oppo 103 player will do gapless playback of hi-res files, whether its digital coax output goes into my AVR or into the Marantz DAC. Foorbar2000 will do gapless playback as well. I haven't connected my PC to the Marantz DAC, but it will do gapless playback of hi-res files on my PC, played back through the computer's SoundBlaster sound card; I'm certain foobar will do gapless playback if the computer is connected to the rear USB port.


----------



## lenroot77

Anyone wanna sell/ trade one of these?


----------



## jamca

2leftears said:


> Where the difference lies is that in the HD-DAC1 a generously dimensioned zero global feedback current dumping section is employed, and that the matching of the amp to the headphone impedance & sensitivity has to be specifically set by the user by selecting the amount of feedback utilized in the voltage amp section.


Could you please explain it?? How output impedance is depented from gain setting ? Thank you !!!


----------



## Ojisan

makne said:


> Can anyone compare this to the Schiit Jotunheim, or Audio-gd nfb-28?
> I've demo'ed the Jotunheim with my Elear and really liked the combo, it was never too bright for me. Don't have a chance to demo the Marantz, but if it is just better, then it's game on.



I just got the HD-DAC1 for my secondary station and I've had about 70 hours on it. I think there have been some improvements past the 50 hour mark, maybe more to come. 

I have had the Jotunheim (with AKM DAC) for about 2 years that has served as my reference using HD600, HD800, and Utopia (among others). I also have Marantz AV8802A preamp in my speaker setup. The HD-DAC1 really reminds me of AV8802A tonal flavor (it uses a similar HDAM frontend module). Good body/warmth to sound across the spectrum and spacious without hot treble. Jotunheim, on the other hand, is little more edgy, less body, and most importantly space lacks depth. I think it's partially Jotunheim's amp sections limitation and AKM DAC implementation limitation (AV8802A has the same AKM DAC but it sounds better). Jotunheim + Yggdrasil improved all those areas, and then I settled on GSX mk2 + Yggdrasil for my main system which is very fast, resolving, and musical. 

In short, I am liking HD-DAC1 better than Jotunheim (with AKM DAC) for the music I listen to (mainly classical, jazz, and acoustic instruments, occasionally some 80s and 90s pop/rock). Features are similar (RCA outs, variable gain, good enough power) and front USB port is a nice plus. You lose balanced connection and the box is probably 2.5x bigger but for one-box solution, I'm ok with this.


----------



## audionewbi

I know it is crazy but HD-DAC1 works wonder with DSD files. If you can get a hold of HQplayer (or any upsampling software) and play around with on the fly DSD upsampling HD-DAC1. I have tried to setup a desktop music station and every time I try to do so the units that actually win me over cost 5 to 8 times of what I paid for my DAC 1.


----------



## Ojisan

jamca said:


> Could you please explain it?? How output impedance is depented from gain setting ? Thank you !!!




 

I don't know if this has been posted before (sorry I haven't gone through the entire thread yet) but here is a high-level diagram of the HD-DAC1. Low/Mid/High gain is achieved by changing the negative feedback in the mid section. The headphone always sees the 0dB power output buffer so I don't think the impedance is impacted by it. Rather, the drive for different impedance ( nearly = how hard to drive) is accommodated by the gain stage. Marantz designers say that there is a slight tonal change due to change in the negative feedback (= change in gain setting).


----------



## jamca

Ojisan said:


> I don't know if this has been posted before (sorry I haven't gone through the entire thread yet) but here is a high-level diagram of the HD-DAC1. Low/Mid/High gain is achieved by changing the negative feedback in the mid section. The headphone always sees the 0dB power output buffer so I don't think the impedance is impacted by it. Rather, the drive for different impedance ( nearly = how hard to drive) is accommodated by the gain stage. Marantz designers say that there is a slight tonal change due to change in the negative feedback (= change in gain setting).


This is very helpfull...thanx a lot !!


----------



## Jazzthat

Hi 

I have had hd dac 1 for a while  and I am happy the way it sounds.  
Reading few threads online I see people use some software and asio drivers. 
I have only ever used standard marantz drivers and mainly Spotify through USB( obviously) ,  but I wonder if using asio driver would produce a better,  different sound. 
If so would that work with Spotify or only with dedicated software and your own music played through it?


----------



## skingg

What is the power supply voltage on this? 100-120v or up to 240v?


----------



## alphanumerix1

Found a 2nd hand unit great condition for a good price. Is this still worth looking at, it is getting on the older side of things.


----------



## heavyharmonies

Heh. As A/V equipment goes, this isn't old at all. Plenty of folks still using (real) vintage equipment from the 1970s-80s.


----------



## alphanumerix1 (Oct 15, 2018)

I do need a dac thats why im considering it, Wondering if running it into my audio gd nfb1amp would negatively impact the sound?

The 1amp puts out more power which i will need with some upcoming headphone purchases.

From what i'm reading the dac1 has a decent dac.


----------



## deang001 (Oct 17, 2018)

The HD-DAC1 looks very good and I reckon I'm going to get one but I have a few questions I am hoping someone could answer.

I don't want to plug this into a computer. I'll be using it with an iPad (Tidal Hifi) and my Sennheiser HD650's. I'd also like to use it as a DAC going into my Denon X4400H / KEF LS50's (via iPad / Tidal again). I will only be listening to CD quality digital music ... no DSD or any other high res music.

This is one of a very few DAC/Headphone amps that has a remote control and a normal USB port ... so it really fits the bill for me. All the excellent reviews are a big bonus. And it looks great !!

Currently I am using an Arcam irDAC and a Schiit Jotunheim together. It's great, but every time I want to switch from headphone listening to using the Arcam as a DAC I need to unplug the stereo cable from the Arcam (swapping between the Jotunheim and the X4400). The Jotunheim also has no remote control.

My questions are ...

- I'll be around 3m away from the unit when listening with headphones. Will the volume on the remote control allow me to adjust the volume when listening through my headphones? I am uncertain if the volume button only works when using it as a pre-amp or something like that (sorry ... not too smart on these things).

- I can use this as a DAC into my Denon can't I? iPad/Tidal -> USB cable into front USB port of HD-DAC1 -> HD-DAC1 into my X4400H (via the fixed Audio Out's on the HD-DAC1)

- Am I sacrificing any audio quality using my iPad / Tidal Hifi by using the front USB port as opposed to using a computer and going through the back USB-B port?

Thank you,

Dean


----------



## JR1911

I tested the remote on my HD-DAC1 and it works from at least 5m away, maybe even further away but I couldn't test it.You can use the volume control to adjust the volume of the headphones when they're plugged in.


----------



## pbarach (Oct 18, 2018)

Usingf the remote, I can adjust the volume in the headphones from eight feet away, no problem. The remote has no backlight, unfortunately.

Concerning front vs rear USB inputs, first note that the supported list of Apple products in the manual includes various iPod and iPhone manuals, but there is no mention of an iPad. I don't own an iPad, but my iPhone 8+ works fine through the front USB port. The manual says nothing about plugging Apple devices into the rear port, and I've never tried it. Obviously you'll need a Lightning-to-USB/B cable, which seems to run $35-40 US; I don't have one. I know that files on a USB flash drive will not play from the front port unless they are 16/44.1 (CD) quality or below.

I have a 4400h, and I can tell you that CD-quality and hi-res files sent to the DAC1 from an Oppo player via optical or coax, and then sent analog to my Denon 4400h, sound noticeably better than when the Denon's DAC does the conversion--better imaging and wider sounstage.


----------



## deang001

JR1911 said:


> I tested the remote on my HD-DAC1 and it works from at least 5m away, maybe even further away but I couldn't test it.You can use the volume control to adjust the volume of the headphones when they're plugged in.



Thank you for that. Very good to know.


----------



## deang001

pbarach said:


> Usingf the remote, I can adjust the volume in the headphones from eight feet away, no problem. The remote has no backlight, unfortunately.
> 
> Concerning front vs rear USB inputs, first note that the supported list of Apple products in the manual includes various iPod and iPhone manuals, but there is no mention of an iPad. I don't own an iPad, but my iPhone 8+ works fine through the front USB port. The manual says nothing about plugging Apple devices into the rear port, and I've never tried it. Obviously you'll need a Lightning-to-USB/B cable, which seems to run $35-40 US; I don't have one. I know that files on a USB flash drive will not play from the front port unless they are 16/44.1 (CD) quality or below.
> 
> I have a 4400h, and I can tell you that CD-quality and hi-res files sent to the DAC1 from an Oppo player via optical or coax, and then sent analog to my Denon 4400h, sound noticeably better than when the Denon's DAC does the conversion--better imaging and wider sounstage.



Thanks for the info. 

Pretty sure an iPad would work as well ... if not I can use my iPhone. 

Good to hear the HD-DAC1 is noticeably better than the Denon's DAC. Looking forward to it.

The HD-DAC1 seems to tick all the boxes for me. 

Cheers.


----------



## Zvone

Hello,
my first post here... I do it, because I can't believe how big improvement did Schiit Eitr in my rig, in reality bigger improvement then changing Teac ud 501 for Marantz DAC. My current rig  MacBook Air - Eitr - Marantz HD DAC1 - amp Primare A30.1 mk2 - speakers Guru QM10two.   Sorry, no headphones critical listening here. 

Best regards from Slovenia, Zvone


----------



## trtmrt

Hello
A few months ago I bought HD DAC1 made in Vietnam and discovered a structural error on my device. Left and right channels are opposite to the sound source. That's when I listen to the headphones. I do not know how it is when listening to the speakers. Made in China HD DAC1 has properly positioned channels. Has anyone else who has Vietnam HD DAC1 noticed this mistake? Or just my Marantz has that mistake? I would be very grateful to help!


----------



## Juffa

trtmrt said:


> I bought HD DAC1 made in Vietnam and discovered a structural error on my device. Left and right channels are opposite to the sound source.


   Is the your Vietnam made HD DAC1 still under warranty?  If so, return it for repair.  If not under warranty then either open the case yourself and try to work out if you can repair it, or take it to an electrical repair business and see if they can do it for you?

Hope that helps


----------



## pbarach

If the left and right channels are reversed and your unit is out of warranty, either reverse the cables on your headphones or put them on in reverse!


----------



## trtmrt

pbarach said:


> left and right channels are reversed and


Has anyone made in Vietnam DAC with such a mistake? It seems to me that many who have Vietnam DAC do not know about that mistake. It seems to me that many who have the Vietnam DAC do not know about that mistake. It is a shame for Marantz.


----------



## Minge

I am a huge Marantz fan boy and I am starting to build my primary can system. I have been researching DAC's and Amp and have been looking very hard at the Marantz. This piece is along in the tooth and am wondering if it is sill relevant?  I am going to buy a Bluesound vault to rip all my CD's and stream Tidal Hi Fi and MQA. I am undecided if I am just going to use the Marantz as a DAC and buy a Gargage 1217 headphone amp and I was also going to buy a Jolida Foz sound field expander as well. Thoughts on my set-up with My Grado RS-1's would be helpful..


----------



## pbarach

Minge said:


> I am a huge Marantz fan boy and I am starting to build my primary can system. I have been researching DAC's and Amp and have been looking very hard at the Marantz. This piece is along in the tooth and am wondering if it is sill relevant?  I am going to buy a Bluesound vault to rip all my CD's and stream Tidal Hi Fi and MQA. I am undecided if I am just going to use the Marantz as a DAC and buy a Gargage 1217 headphone amp and I was also going to buy a Jolida Foz sound field expander as well. Thoughts on my set-up with My Grado RS-1's would be helpful..



I've owned the DAC1 for a couple of years. Very happy with the sound quality no matter what headphones I pair with it (HD-600, Focal Clear, AKG K702). It also works great as a DAC in my non-headphone system. The only thing I don't like is that you need to hook it up to a computer to play DSD files. I use my Oppo 103 as the digital source for the DAC1, and everything up to 24/192 sounds great.


----------



## trtmrt

pbarach said:


> I've owned the DAC1 for a couple of years. Very happy with the sound quality no matter what headphones I pair with it (HD-600, Focal Clear, AKG K702). It also works great as a DAC in my non-headphone system. The only thing I don't like is that you need to hook it up to a computer to play DSD files. I use my Oppo 103 as the digital source for the DAC1, and everything up to 24/192 sounds great.



I'm interested in how much a "burn in" period in hours of work? Some have said here that the DAC immediately has a full sound. My HD DAC works for 200 hours and the sound is still bad and does not improve, and the most interesting is the sound of the same quality as in my cheap Marantz cd player from 1989. I only listen with headphones  both devices. I'm worried maybe something is wrong with my DAC. When I first heard the sound of this device I fell in love with that sound, it was this device from 2014, the sound was extremely warm with very strong bass, the body heated very much, I do not hear it all over on its made in Vietnam HD DAC1. What is your opinion, should I be concerned that something is wrong with the device?


----------



## pbarach

I bought an "open box" HD-DAC1 from Musicdirect.com. It sounded great right out of the box, but I had no idea how many hours it had been used before I bought it. I discovered that it would not play 24/192 WAV files, so Marantz replaced the unit with a new one that works fine AND sounded just like the open box one did. I have no issue with the sound quality. It does run warm, but not hot.


----------



## trtmrt

pbarach said:


> I bought an "open box" HD-DAC1 from Musicdirect.com. It sounded great right out of the box, but I had no idea how many hours it had been used before I bought it. I discovered that it would not play 24/192 WAV files, so Marantz replaced the unit with a new one that works fine AND sounded just like the open box one did. I have no issue with the sound quality. It does run warm, but not hot.




Did the new replacement unit immediately have the sound as well as the old unit, or did it need to burn in time? I suppose both units were produced in China?


----------



## pbarach

Both units sounded great out of the box, and no different from each other. No burn-in time. I don't know where they were made.


----------



## trtmrt

pbarach said:


> Both units sounded great out of the box, and no different from each other. No burn-in time. I don't know where they were made.



It is written on the back of the unit.


----------



## eeagle

I see B&H has this for $499.95 which may be great for Marantz fans. 

Price still seems high to me considering the current competition that has balance in/out, higher power for planar HP demands.  Appreciate the love in this thread, Marantz makes some beautiful equipment.


----------



## GAJA71

Hi All, I've just acquired the HD DAC1 and would appreciate some advice from an audiophile novice.

My current set up is a set of Dynaudio Xeo 30 active speakers: https://www.dynaudio.com/home-audio/xeo/xeo-30  and an Auralic Altair Streamer: https://us.auralic.com/products/altair.

Currently, I have a set of RCA's connected to the Altair's RCA Variable out going directly into the Dynaudio's RCA's inputs.

How can I connect the amp in-between the speakers and streamer please as I would like to use the headphone socket from the Marantz, hearing the sound from the streamer?

Thanks for any assistance.


----------



## Bobpaule

Dexon said:


> Anyone here use a Foobar and Win10 with that bogus "Fall Creators Update"? I was using ASIO configuration, listed in 'output' as 'DSD : ASIO : Marantz ASIO Device'. Now it stopped working and I'm not sure how to get even a bit perfect with this device anymore.



I do, just reboot the PC once or twice. Make sure the audio device is at default settings except for the 192kHz upsampling option. Hope this helps.
I also noticed that after playing FLAC if I move to a YouTube or other low rez sound source the DAC will freeze, requiring a reboot.


----------



## Kukuk

I've been researching a DAC/AMP in the ~$1000 price range, and my research seems to keep leading back to this one. It checks so many boxes for me, so it just might be what I'm looking for. It seems to be fairly powerful at low impedance, but is it enough to drive the tougher planar magnetics? (Realistically, I think only the LCD-2 is on my radar) I know it's a few years old, but I'm assuming the DAC still holds up? It seems like computer audio doesn't move as fast as... basically every other computer component.

The variable and fixed volume RCA outs in particular are going to do wonders to further simplify my setup.


----------



## Kukuk (Jan 14, 2019)

My goodness, these pair wonderfully. Mid gain seems to sound the best with the DT1770s. I'll have some listening impressions when I put some more time on it. Right out of the box it seems to sound better than my AE-5+WA2. Not sure if that's down to new toy placebo, better synergy, or better DAC. Gonna mix and match amps and whatnot to dial in impressions.

I know the most immediate thing I can say with 100% confidence is that this thing definitely does not have exaggerated treble, as some people have suggested. If it did it absolutely would not play nice with the 1770s.

One thing that was kind of odd is that output defaulted to 32-bit, 352khz. It did not dig that. I'll chalk that up to Windows being a dingus.


----------



## pbarach

I agree, no exaggerated treble with any of my headphones (AKG K702, Focal Clear, Sennheiser HD600).


----------



## Kukuk (Feb 6, 2019)

After giving this a few days of listening, I can say pretty confidently that this is an end-game DAC.

When I first got into the headphone scene, my sound card was a Sound Blaster Audigy 2. I thought it was a fantastic card, and I guess relative to on-board audio it was. After years of using it, on a whim, I decided to upgrade to the Schiit Modi, and felt like I got pretty huge gains. I didn't think I'd ever buy another sound card again. Then after a couple years of using that, it crapped out, and the Sound BlasterX AE-5 caught my attention. I figured since 99% of my listening was done on my computer, it was a worthwhile investment. Being that I couldn't A/B it with the Modi, I couldn't say definitively that it was better, but I was pretty confident it was in the same ballpark at least.

But then I get that voice whispering in my ear "A lot of reviews say this card doesn't sound very good. The DAC chip sucks in it. You're not getting the best sound you can get." Then my noisy A20 starts really taking its toll on me. I need a quieter solid state amp so that I can power my harder to drive low impedance headphones. It basically created a perfect storm of "You need to buy an AMP/DAC".

And so here I am now. With each upgrade to my source I felt the biggest improvement was treble control. Extension gets a little better, and fine detail up at the very top of the spectrum gets a little better. This better treble control seems to have a knock-on effect of improved soundstage and imaging. Headphones I've used extensively before get that little extra soundstage that I hadn't heard. The soundstage doesn't get dramatically better, it's just all those refinements to that upper end combine to really draw your attention to it. Tonally, I don't hear anything accentuated or drawn back, which is good, and really what I expected. It lets me send a clean, uncolored signal to my WA2 to let IT do the coloring.

The amp section is also very impressive. It can power anything I throw at it. The DT1770s are fairly easy to drive, so I didn't expect much challenge there, but other headphones like the K612s were pretty much effortless on this thing. I'm confident that should I buy some planar magnetics, this will have no problem powering them.

Inputs and outputs: this thing kills it. Coax, 2 optical, Aux, USB, fixed RCA out, variable RCA out, it's really got it all. My only very minor gripe, is I wish it had two fixed RCA outs. I'm using this through USB, fed from my computer. It's funny: my motherboard actually has USB ports specifically designed for USB DACs. I'm feeding the sound out of this through the fixed RCAs to my WA2, and the variable RCAs go to my Koss ESP950s. I never have to touch the damned volume knobs on that again!

The build on this is just beautiful. I kind of wish I could've gotten the silver version, just to match my WA2, but I still like the black. It's really heavy for such a tiny little box. I think just over 10 pounds? It just gives it that premium feel. The headphone jack is another detail I absolutely love. It has a really soft grip, so pushing and pulling the plug won't cause the unit to move around. Despite the WA2 being heavier, it still does this. And it might be because I'm a simpleton, but I absolutely love how using the remote physically turns the volume knob.

The power and source sections of my little setup feel like they're properly end-game. For maybe the first time since getting into this hobby, I feel like I'm done spending money here. There's more headphones to try, for sure, but I no longer feel I'm feeding potentially poor quality into the headphones.


----------



## michicaust

Kukuk said:


> My goodness, these pair wonderfully.



Oh, indeed - here's a high five for these dream combos. ^^


----------



## CWillCalho

I currently have a usb external drive hooked into my iMac and use JRiver Media Center to play the files.  How would I get the Marantz involved in this scenario?  And I notice in the manual that flac files are not compatible and I’m assuming JRiver would take care of that.  I’ve been using an Oppo HA-2 portable amp hooked into my iMac and am using Sennheiser 600’s, but just bought the 800S phones and feel a need for more power.


----------



## CWillCalho

What would be the best way to hook a Node 2 into the Marantz?


----------



## MellowGold

CWillCalho said:


> What would be the best way to hook a Node 2 into the Marantz?



Use the optical out on the Node 2 to connect to the Marantz.


----------



## CWillCalho

And I'm assuming that this would be best as the Marantz has a better DAC than the Node 2?  And thanks for your help!


----------



## MellowGold

CWillCalho said:


> And I'm assuming that this would be best as the Marantz has a better DAC than the Node 2?  And thanks for your help!



I think this is a safe assumption but I have no experience with the Node 2. I can say that the DAC on the Marantz is very good, though. Happy listening.


----------



## CWillCalho

No matter what I play using JRiver 96 and above, the Marantz display always says 96k.  Does this mean that's the highest resolution it can play?  I'm using an iMac with JRiver and I raised the bar in Audio Midi Setup, but it still says 96k on the display.


----------



## tokyodan

I use a late-2014 Mac Mini and playback FLAC files with Swinsian.app on my Marantz HD-DAC1. My  Audio Midi is set to output 192MHz and that is what my HD-DAC1 shows. I use VinylStudio to digitize my LPs via my Rega Fono Mini MK1 (16-bit 44.1MHz) and use dBpoweramp to rip CDs


----------



## MellowGold

CWillCalho said:


> No matter what I play using JRiver 96 and above, the Marantz display always says 96k.  Does this mean that's the highest resolution it can play?  I'm using an iMac with JRiver and I raised the bar in Audio Midi Setup, but it still says 96k on the display.



This is definitely some sort of config issue as the unit can play source material that's 24/192 and higher. No issues with mine but I'm using Win 7 and MusicBee.

I assume you're connected to the HD-DAC1 via USB. Did you follow the steps on page 10 and 11 of the Quick Start Guide (http://ca.marantz.com/DocumentMaster/US/HD-DAC1 Quick Start Guide - English.pdf)?


----------



## CWillCalho

I figured it out.  I had to change the output settings in JRiver MC.


----------



## MellowGold

For any Canadians out there that are considering the HD-DAC1, amazon.ca has it today for a super-low price ($832.32 CAD). Lowest price I've seen, I paid $899 CAD three years ago.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0...a36-ed46beaa1c2a&pf_rd_r=XQEZB3TWK8308A45DVP0


----------



## FredQc

MellowGold said:


> For any Canadians out there that are considering the HD-DAC1, amazon.ca has it today for a super-low price ($832.32 CAD). Lowest price I've seen, I paid $899 CAD three years ago.
> 
> https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0...a36-ed46beaa1c2a&pf_rd_r=XQEZB3TWK8308A45DVP0



It was even at a lower price this morning so I had to buy it! Loves the Marantz sounds from my SR-7011 receiver. Looking forward this one. 

_Was: CDN$ 1,041.68  
Price: CDN$ 701.02 
FREE Shipping for Prime members
You Save: CDN$ 340.66 (33%) _

It seems that there was only one in stock at this price thought...


----------



## MellowGold

FredQc said:


> It was even at a lower price this morning so I had to buy it! Loves the Marantz sounds from my SR-7011 receiver. Looking forward this one.
> 
> _Was: CDN$ 1,041.68
> Price: CDN$ 701.02
> ...



Yup, it's back up to $1100; can't believe it dropped as low as $700. Great buy!


----------



## eeagle

FredQc said:


> It was even at a lower price this morning so I had to buy it! Loves the Marantz sounds from my SR-7011 receiver. Looking forward this one.
> 
> _Was: CDN$ 1,041.68
> Price: CDN$ 701.02
> ...


That's almost to the $499 USD price BH Photo ran back in Dec, yes, you must have gotten the last one.  I started following this thread in Dec, and most in this thread seem to love this component even though it has fairly old DAC technology and low power.  I do love Marantz equipment and wish I had picked one up, but I was hoping the price would go even lower.  Hope you enjoy the purchase.


----------



## FredQc

eeagle said:


> most in this thread seem to love this component even though it has fairly old DAC technology and low power



It will be an interesting comparaison with my Chord Qutest and Liquid Platinum amp. I know it's not in same price range but I could be pleasantly surprised. Qutest and Clear can be fatiguing on long listening.
Also I just wished the Marantz had proper rca inputs...


----------



## MellowGold

eeagle said:


> That's almost to the $499 USD price BH Photo ran back in Dec, yes, you must have gotten the last one.  I started following this thread in Dec, and most in this thread seem to love this component even though it has fairly old DAC technology and low power.  I do love Marantz equipment and wish I had picked one up, but I was hoping the price would go even lower.  Hope you enjoy the purchase.



The HD-DAC1 may not have the "latest chip" but it has a smooth and warm sound that doesn't lack any detail. I think that's why so many owners appreciate it.

And while the headphone output is does not look impressive on paper (800 mw @ 32 ohms), I've yet to see it provide inadequate power. The gain settings are really well implemented and I use low gain for all of headphones expect for my DT 990 PROs (they are 250 ohms and sound best to me on mid-gain).


----------



## FredQc

I've decided to cancel my order. It's back in stock now @ CDN$ 703.78 (only one)


----------



## eeagle

FredQc said:


> It will be an interesting comparaison with my Chord Qutest and Liquid Platinum amp. I know it's not in same price range but I could be pleasantly surprised. Qutest and Clear can be fatiguing on long listening.
> Also I just wished the Marantz had proper rca inputs...


Cavalli sound/design is hard too top; too bad you cancelled it would be nice to hear how it compared to the Marantz.


----------



## tokyodan

I know the Marantz HD-DAC1 by itself is for driving headphones only but is it possible to use speakers with the Marantz HD-DAC1? I mean directly without any other amp/preamp. Would it have to be powered speakers? If so, how would the speakers be connected?


----------



## tokyodan

shuttleboi said:


> This is really upsetting news for those of us in the USA. From:
> http://us.marantz.com/us/news/pages/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsID=95
> 
> _ The Marantz HD-DAC1 is expected to be available in black from October 2014._
> ...



Damn. That is wierd. In Japan they sell both black and silver. I almost bought the black one but thought that that black audio equipment went out in the 80s, so I bought the silver one and am glad I did. With it's fake woden sides it is a beautiful piece of equipment.


----------



## MellowGold

tokyodan said:


> I know the Marantz HD-DAC1 by itself is for driving headphones only but is it possible to use speakers with the Marantz HD-DAC1? I mean directly without any other amp/preamp. Would it have to be powered speakers? If so, how would the speakers be connected?



Sure, just connect a set of powered speakers to the variable RCA outputs and the volume can be adjusted with the HD-DAC1's remote control.


----------



## tokyodan

MellowGold said:


> Sure, just connect a set of powered speakers to the variable RCA outputs and the volume can be adjusted with the HD-DAC1's remote control.



Thanks.


----------



## Kukuk

Every time someone posts a picture of the silver version I get *so* envious. It's so damned sharp looking. I wonder if I could find a silver one in the US for a reasonable price...


----------



## tokyodan (May 15, 2019)

.


----------



## tokyodan

Kukuk said:


> Every time someone posts a picture of the silver version I get *so* envious. It's so damned sharp looking. I wonder if I could find a silver one in the US for a reasonable price...



It is stupid that Marantz doesn't sell the silver one in the USA. I hate it when companies make decisions like that. And I am surprised at the prices I've been seeing here. I paid 64,550 yen for it on Amazon Japan. That is about $603 USD. Wait...

Look at this. I found a silver one (imported from Japan) on USA Amazon for $758 USD. Only three left:
https://www.amazon.com/MARANTZ-USB-...words=HD-DAC1&qid=1557978893&s=gateway&sr=8-2


----------



## Grumpy Old Git

Have any of you guys tried the HD-DAC1 with a separate valve headphone amp such as the DarkVoice 336SE? or maybe one of the Little Dot range? 
If so, how did it compare to the inbuilt headphone amp? I am asking because I have owned a HD-DAC1 for some time now and absolutely love it, but i'm curious to know if any tangible improvement can be made by adding a reasonably priced headphone amp?

Maybe another route is the Massdrop Cavalli Liquid Carbon X Headphone Amplifier or some other amp, what are your views?
Should I just stick with the stock Marantz and save my cash?

I'm running it with a pair of Mrspeakers Alpha Primes, and does this combo work!


----------



## MacMan31

Would this DAC1 be an upgrade or downgrade over the THX789 which I have now? in Canada the DAC1 is $1,100 + tax.


----------



## eeagle

MacMan31 said:


> Would this DAC1 be an upgrade or downgrade over the THX789 which I have now? in Canada the DAC1 is $1,100 + tax.


I too would like to now if the HD-DAC1 would be worth having especially since it has recently sold for $499 by B&H a few times here in the US.  Folks in this forum like this unit a lot, and I have always been an admirer or Marantz products in general.

To compare to the DROP + THX AAA 789 is pretty much an apple and oranges thing as the 789 is an amp only, and known for its power, and balanced output, and non-colored/sterile amplification ability .  I own the 789 and its overall output SQ depends on the source materiel ie DAC IMO.

The DAC1 has an older Cirrus CS4398 flagship DAC; not necessarily a bad thing, and significantly less power 800mW / 32 ohm, again not necessarily a bad thing as I have amps in this power range that easily drive my 600 ohm HPs   Compared to the 789 which has a rated balanced power output of  6000 mW, 32 ohms, one can see how spec wise this is really and apples oranges thing.

Maybe someone actually has both and can compare using the same DAC input; which combo makes you smile.


----------



## FullBright1 (Dec 13, 2019)

*I decided to purchase a new Headphone Amp, and was looking for affordable Quality.

I recently purchased the Marantz HD-CD1, and what do you know, i got a free CD player with the Headphone Amp.

I wanted to give you my impressions, just in case you want a great Headphone Amp and can deal with it being the size of a CD Player.
This unit also has some heft.  Its not light as a feather.  Not at all.


Here are my Impressions..

CD loader is dead quiet and smooth.  Feels substantial and Pro.
The build quality of the unit........ The word "Tank" comes to mind.
To the eye, the HD-CD1 is very pleasing, has a refined sleek look.  As if it was made by Porsche or BMW.
I realize that many Audiophiles equate "new tech" with "best", and sometimes that is reality..
But sometimes great is enough, and there is no need for "newest".
= So,it is with this Gear.   Its not a 2020 model, but it is a fine machine.
I have an Oppo player that costs much much more then this Marantz, and the Oppo is sweet, but this Marantz is so much more REfined...
Most who know about this unit know that its created to be used with the HD-Dac 1.   However, i was just looking for something great
that is affordable., and that is a simple headphone amp.  And i made a wise purchase..  
Reviews on this unit are mostly Steller, and my short review of the Heaphone amp goes like this...

How does this unit present its Sonics ?

Well, it sounds great.  This is Tyll type gear sound.
Remember Him?
This is $1200 USD sound for about $400 USD.
Frequency wise, it doesn't do anything wrong.
The Bass has punch, clarity, and extension.
Trebles are sweet, profound, and lovely.
Midrange is warmth meets clinical, analytical meets elegant.
Resolution  is Euridite.
Ive heard nothing in this price range or 2x the Price range that can touch this Masterpiece.
This is a sonically dialed in Gem.
There is something in the overall tonality that just makes music glow.
I can hear the HD-CD1's  Engineering speaking this language....   Lets start with clinical analytical, and then lets add in the warmth and sweetness, and top it off with extension and elegance.
This is not a $400 toy.  This is the good stuff, and its affordable.  This is s true Hi Performance budget box.
This is the type of gear that makes me wish i was just starting out on my Quest to be an Audiophile, and i was wondering what i should buy ....first.

Specs :*


plays CDs, CD-Rs & CD-RWs, plus MP3, WMA, and AAC CDs
high-performance 192kHz/24-bit Cirrus Logic CS4398 digital-to-analog converter
double-layered metal bottom plate for vibration resistance
centralized disc mechanism resists vibration for improved sound quality
Marantz HDAM® (Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Module)-SA2 used in analog circuitry for faster signal transfer and better transient response
robust, high-current power supply for rich, dynamic sound
optical and coaxial digital outputs
gold-plated stereo analog RCA output
built-in headphone amplifier with full-size headphone jack and volume control
remote control input/output (for use with Marantz receivers and amps with a compatible remote control in/out jack)
remote control
detachable power cable
frequency response: 2-20,000 Hz
dynamic range: 100 dB
signal-to-noise ratio: 110 dB
total harmonic distortion: 0.002%
12"W x 4-5/16"H x 12-5/16"D
weight: 12.6 lbs.
warranty: 3 years
*Also.*
*The CD door on mine is Black, unlike the photos that i borrowed from Marantz.
Also, the color of the wood is much darker, and the color of the "black" body in person, is much darker.   These photos are highly lit to show you more detail.  The Machine in person is much prettier.*
-



 -

-


----------



## MellowGold

Grumpy Old Git said:


> Have any of you guys tried the HD-DAC1 with a separate valve headphone amp such as the DarkVoice 336SE? or maybe one of the Little Dot range?
> If so, how did it compare to the inbuilt headphone amp? I am asking because I have owned a HD-DAC1 for some time now and absolutely love it, but i'm curious to know if any tangible improvement can be made by adding a reasonably priced headphone amp?
> 
> Maybe another route is the Massdrop Cavalli Liquid Carbon X Headphone Amplifier or some other amp, what are your views?
> ...



I'm running an Aune X7S from the variable out on my HD-DAC1 and absolutely love it (variable out so that I can still use the remote). I picked up the X7S from MassDrop for 180 USD to run some of my headphones with balanced cables.

Like the HD-DAC1, the X7S has a warm sound signature and, surprisingly, it improved the sound of my AQ Nighthawks significantly. I don't even use the singled-end headphone out on the X7S, though; I think the singled-end out on HD-DAC1 beats it.


----------



## FullBright1

MellowGold said:


> I'm running an Aune X7S from the variable out on my HD-DAC1 and absolutely love it (variable out so that I can still use the remote). I picked up the X7S from MassDrop for 180 USD to run some of my headphones with balanced cables.
> 
> Like the HD-DAC1, the X7S has a warm sound signature and, surprisingly, it improved the sound of my AQ Nighthawks significantly. I don't even use the singled-end headphone out on the X7S, though; I think the singled-end out on HD-DAC1 beats it.



I know the sound you are talking about....
Its good stuff.


----------



## eeagle

@FullBright1  Nice find.  From the inputs it does not appear that the HD-CD1 could be used as a HP Amp for anything but the CD Player.  There are no audio inputs to use it as a stand alone Amp or am I missing something?

Yes, I remember many of Tyll's reviews; hadn't realized he retired....looks as if he is "On the Road Again".


----------



## FullBright1

eeagle said:


> @FullBright1  Nice find.  From the inputs it does not appear that the HD-CD1 could be used as a HP Amp for anything but the CD Player.  There are no audio inputs to use it as a stand alone Amp or am I missing something?
> 
> Yes, I remember many of Tyll's reviews; hadn't realized he retired....looks as if he is "On the Road Again".



Headphone amp out, or  L<>R Out.

This is a simple CD player with a headphone jack.


----------



## Grumpy Old Git

MellowGold said:


> I'm running an Aune X7S from the variable out on my HD-DAC1 and absolutely love it (variable out so that I can still use the remote). I picked up the X7S from MassDrop for 180 USD to run some of my headphones with balanced cables.
> 
> Like the HD-DAC1, the X7S has a warm sound signature and, surprisingly, it improved the sound of my AQ Nighthawks significantly. I don't even use the singled-end headphone out on the X7S, though; I think the singled-end out on HD-DAC1 beats it.



Thanks for the 'heads-up', I love the sound of my DAC-1 but a few owners have been critical of the head amp section.
I'll keep an eye out for a used X7S here in the UK, I don't want to spend too much in case I end up with a 'side grade' as opposed to an 'upgrade'.


----------



## tokyodan

FYI. I have the HD-DAC1. I love its sound. At the same I bought the Marantz I also bought a mobile player - the IBASSO DX-120, and let me tell you...it has that same Marantz sound. Some nights I will switch between the two and they sound so much alike that I can't tell any difference at all. So if you want that Marantz HD-DAC1 sound when you are out and about I suggest giving the IBASSO DX-120 a try.

(My headphones are the excellent Audio-Technica MSR7b)


----------



## FullBright1

tokyodan said:


> FYI. I have the HD-DAC1. I love its sound. At the same I bought the Marantz I also bought a mobile player - the IBASSO DX-120, and let me tell you...it has that same Marantz sound. Some nights I will switch between the two and they sound so much alike that I can't tell any difference at all. So if you want that Marantz HD-DAC1 sound when you are out and about I suggest giving the IBASSO DX-120 a try.
> 
> (My headphones are the excellent Audio-Technica MSR7b)



Its a great gear.
I bought it only for the Headphone "out", and its very very good.
Most people here, probably buy and  download files, but i only use actual CDs i purchase, so for me, this gear is *perfect.*


----------



## PaganDL

FullBright1 said:


> Its a great gear.
> I bought it only for the Headphone "out", and its very very good.
> Most people here, probably buy and  download files, but i only use actual CDs i purchase, so for me, this gear is *perfect.*




@FullBright1,

Sadly, hard to get decent CDs where I am, especially the good ones, either too expensive or just not available...
If only I could get well priced vinyl...pretty much the same story as CDs nor do I have space to store said possible vinyl...oh well...

Keep being awesome !

Hope you have a great day !


----------



## FullBright1 (Dec 18, 2019)

PaganDL said:


> @FullBright1,
> 
> Sadly, hard to get decent CDs where I am, especially the good ones, either too expensive or just not available...
> If only I could get well priced vinyl...pretty much the same story as CDs nor do I have space to store said possible vinyl...oh well...
> ...



Yes i understand..
Its probably a lot smarter to just download hi-rez files.
Its certainly more convenient.
But im a bit un-evolved when it comes to downloads.
I just enjoy the visceral pleasure of touching the music product,  as well as hearing it.
I need the experience of looking at the photos, and reading the lyrics and information, as well as holding unto the actual product, as well as hearing it.
Im sorry you have no easy solution that allows you quick and convenient access to the same.
It has become a bit more difficult to find, what i consider, well crafted well executed well produced music.
There is so much of it now...so, many people putting out music.....its a flood, and this flood has lowered the overall standard, the overall quality.
Also, music is sold by Videos, .....and this allows for the video to sell what the music could not, if all you had was access to the TUNES.
A lot of really well crafted Videos, sell a whole lot of very bad music.
Jazz, Bluegrass, Classical, still worry about quality.......Pop and Rock.......not so much.
Remember when you had  ... Elton John, Billy Joel, The Police ?
Or you had a Mariah Carey, or a Whitney Houston....
There was this era, where i live, that is called, From 1964 - 1986.   And that was for me, where i find the great music........Pop Music, well crafted songs and people that could really sing.
I do listen to contemporary "pop" music, ......but, i dont find a lot that i feel is great songwriting and great productions.
There was a time, when the rule was......3-4 really good songs on an album.
Now, there is one, and that is the one they release 4 months before the album comes out, and the rest are not good.


----------



## PaganDL

FullBright1 said:


> Yes i understand..
> Its probably a lot smarter to just download hi-rez files.
> Its certainly more convenient.
> But im a bit un-evolved when it comes to downloads.
> ...




Hi @FullBright1,

It seems we keep sharing the same or at least similar perspectives & viewpoints.
In all honesty, not sure how high res some downloaded music is though the quality overall is decent to good...which is inline with my tag used in the signature line though sometimes, depending on how the original is mixed & mastered, sometimes one just has to live with it.
Saying that, iTunes, as much as people want to complain, pitchfork, etc...is helping redeem the market, so to speak, which is why even now Amazon, among others has jumped on the bandwagon, etc...
The only perhaps ironic this about this is any limited or special editions one may seek to own are actually ownable but in digital form which is how things end up eventually anyway...so go figure, right...

There is something about the tangible, isn't there...
Used to be all about the tactile experience which extended to the hearing of said music product though sometimes a lot of that was just filler after a while & given the exchange rate, sometimes those packages turned out 3 times more than they should.
At least, when the exchange rate is reasonable, any really tempted by for that tangibility can at least be considered...
Personally, it is the feeling & emotion in the music which means more to me & sometimes as we discussed before, how the frequency range can relate to colours which people get even less than that feeling & emotion.
Not sure if you noticed but a while back, some of my posts in the LCD 1 got deleted as someone didn't think it was relevant...don't really care about that though it shows how sad the current human condition can be but I digress...

Yes, there is so much music, too much in some cases which I agree & unfortunately like most things in life, unless it's sought after or known then it can get potentially _'lost'_ in the flood of to put it bluntly...crap...

Hardly watch music videos any more but I do understand what you mean, though more often than not, the video, while looking pretty or well crafted as you say is also mostly terrible for various reasons whether the music is bad or not, though I do agree on the former...

On my end, subjectively minor problem with the era you listen to is I have heard it so much over the years, when CDs were still going strong, I find it hard to listen to again for any extended length of time which is not a bad thing.
My main eras for listening tend to be 40's to 70's Jazz (though lean more on John Coltrane in recent years) & a lot of Ludovico Einaudi, along with Joss Stone, Lindsay Stirling, though I still listen to most other genres compared to most...other than yourself...
I may be flamed at some point but personally, especially at audio shows, I think there is too much Nirvana & Coldplay still hyped to death & beyond with now some New Country being thrown in the mix...
If I wanted to listen to any of that, I pick Roger Waters as he does actual listenable covers.

Early release of good music, that 3 to 4 or even 1 now is very true I have also found though sometimes not even an album is produced but limited EPs which don't amount to much sadly...

As always, keep up the great insights !

One day, be interesting to have a proper conversation with you either online or offline though till that happens, keep being amazingly awesome !

Hope you have a great day !

PDL


----------



## FullBright1

PaganDL said:


> Hi @FullBright1,
> 
> It seems we keep sharing the same or at least similar perspectives & viewpoints.
> In all honesty, not sure how high res some downloaded music is though the quality overall is decent to good...which is inline with my tag used in the signature line though sometimes, depending on how the original is mixed & mastered, sometimes one just has to live with it.
> ...



Hey PDL,

Yes, i agree with what U are explaining.
And sure, if im listening to Jazz, then you have to dig deeper then the 70s, as perhaps the "70 were the end of the really good stuff.
I like early "Miles", for example,......and i can enjoy his "Spain" and a few others, but once it became about a rock band jamming and he stood there and blew seldom......I just didnt connect with it.  
I have some Coltrane Albums.....and others.
The Good News is, as i created the Thread, i wont report your posts if they are not on "topic"......
Some rabbit trails are fun to follow, but i can understand that people who are hardcore (charts and graphs and Modification obsessives), would want the topic to stay the course.
I tend to yank conversations into other directions on this forum, in part, because they wont allow me to have a PM box here, where i could just chat in a friendly way with people who just want to converse about more then wires and pads.

later, -


----------



## PaganDL

FullBright1 said:


> Hey PDL,
> 
> Yes, i agree with what U are explaining.
> And sure, if im listening to Jazz, then you have to dig deeper then the 70s, as perhaps the "70 were the end of the really good stuff.
> ...




@FullBright1,

Always appreciated, interesting you say deeper than the 70's, I don't enjoy Miles as much as I used to as like your main eras, I heard a lot of that & I do agree with the jazz turning to rock...didn't gel with me either.
Ihough I am slowly dipping back into the 40's & 50's big band Jazz era though small doses at a time.

Your off topic joke is amusing & understood  ...
Nothing wrong with off topic conversations but you know as well as I sometimes people just don't get it overall.
As said, hopefully one day your PM will be restored though probably better, higher chance of me meeting you in real life one day which would be an honour...
Rabbit trails are indeed fun to follow but aside from those hardcore you mentioned around here, the term explainers get tedious too, especially when they don't actually divulge any real info but I digress...

Keep being amazing & awesome !

Hope you have a great day !


----------



## FullBright1

PaganDL said:


> @FullBright1,
> 
> Always appreciated, interesting you say deeper than the 70's, I don't enjoy Miles as much as I used to as like your main eras, I heard a lot of that & I do agree with the jazz turning to rock...didn't gel with me either.
> Ihough I am slowly dipping back into the 40's & 50's big band Jazz era though small doses at a time.
> ...



Thank you for all the kind words.
I appreciate them.

I suppose i can contact Axel-Clorus again and ask him to restore my PM privileges.
This has become my "once a year rejection".

He wants me to never again be "reported" on the forum, as i had told him 2 yrs ago,  i would try to keep this from happening.
Prob is, sometimes people disagree, and so, a post of mine gets reported.... and then im told....."well , you were reported again", "So, no PM Box.".
Imagine if he blocked all PM boxes from everyone who gets a post reported on this entire forum.
= None of us would have a PM box.


----------



## PaganDL

FullBright1 said:


> Thank you for all the kind words.
> I appreciate them.
> 
> I suppose i can contact Axel-Clorus again and ask him to restore my PM privileges.
> ...




@FullBright1,

I understand your frustration.
As to the kind words, it is a given without question as you definitely are deserving of good will at the very least more than most on here.

You are definitely not wrong about none of us would have a PM box...
Subjectively & personally, as we both eluded to before, the problem is being on the internet where everyone has the supposed _'RIGHT'_ to express whatever they feel like just because...not to mention headfi as you pointed out is a few times is a *BOYS CLUB* which sometimes makes me annoyed at my own gender for various reasons...
This is also exacerbated by ever increasing idiotic _PC Standards_ where someone will get upset...usually for no reason about something someone said, whether it really affects anyone or not...

Just keep at it, asking Axel though if I may offer a suggestion to speed up the process, I realise it's hard but just do your best to ignore the idiots as much as possible, especially the ones who seem like they report at less than a drop of the hat then see what happens.

I have every confidence you will regain your PM box though it may yet take longer than you like.

Hope you have a great day & if you celebrate Christmas, Seasons Greetings !


----------



## FullBright1

PaganDL said:


> @FullBright1,
> 
> I understand your frustration.
> As to the kind words, it is a given without question as you definitely are deserving of good will at the very least more than most on here.
> ...



Ok, i waited a while to respond to you.
I did contact the same.....about the same, about a week ago.
Waited.........waited.
He's not responding at all, so, i take this as a ......"no".
The Marantz, however, is responding like a dream.....


----------



## PaganDL

FullBright1 said:


> Ok, i waited a while to respond to you.
> I did contact the same.....about the same, about a week ago.
> Waited.........waited.
> He's not responding at all, so, i take this as a ......"no".
> The Marantz, however, is responding like a dream.....




@FullBright1,

Oh well, honestly, can't say I'm surprised...

Maybe one day you be lucky.

Once again, Happy Holidays to you !

Hope you have a great day !


----------



## 340519

I just ordered one of these. I heard it at planet of sound in ottawa. Excited to get listening!


----------



## loveshot

Regarding the clicking: would using a usb to spdif bridge (like an Eitr or topping d10) eliminate the issue?


----------



## CWillCalho (Jan 21, 2020)

I have a very lightly used Marantz HD-DAC1 for sale for 400 US dollars. Mint condition...   Hopefully buyer is somewhat local to Ithaca, NY.  PM to contact please.


----------



## MellowGold

loveshot said:


> Regarding the clicking: would using a usb to spdif bridge (like an Eitr or topping d10) eliminate the issue?



Not sure how this would help. The unit clicks whenever it locks into a new signal, regardless of the input type. Also keep in mind that this DAC is optimized for USB through the use of the Marantz ASIO driver. All this said, the clicking is a complete non-issue for me.


----------



## loveshot

MellowGold said:


> Not sure how this would help. The unit clicks whenever it locks into a new signal, regardless of the input type. Also keep in mind that this DAC is optimized for USB through the use of the Marantz ASIO driver. All this said, the clicking is a complete non-issue for me.



Several people have mentioned that the clicking is only an issue while  connected via USB and not optical.
As I do at least half of my listening streaming via TIDAL, the clicking is a bit annoying as it occurs with every new track.


----------



## MellowGold

loveshot said:


> Several people have mentioned that the clicking is only an issue while  connected via USB and not optical.
> As I do at least half of my listening streaming via TIDAL, the clicking is a bit annoying as it occurs with every new track.



Sorry, I tested USB versus Optical on my unit and now I see what you mean. On USB, it clicks every time play stops and restarts but, on Optical, it only clicks when it locks in on a different sample rate.


----------



## loveshot (Jan 22, 2020)

MellowGold said:


> Sorry, I tested USB versus Optical on my unit and now I see what you mean. *On USB, it clicks every time play stops and restarts* but, on Optical, it only clicks when it locks in on a different sample rate.



Yup, that's what I'm looking to get around. I'm not concerned with coax limiting me to 24/96 because these bronze ears of mine hear no difference between that and ultra super duper double DSD or whatever. Because my Mac Mini is my hub and has no optical out, I would need a bridge, but I'm not positive if it matters whether the optical connection is direct or not. I feel like it won't, but I'm not sure and given the moderate popularity of this unit on here I figured there was a chance someone had tried it, or if not, would know better than me if this is a workable solution.


----------



## MellowGold

loveshot said:


> Yup, that's what I'm looking to get around. I'm not concerned with coax limiting me to 24/96 because these bronze ears of mine hear no difference between that and ultra super duper double DSD or whatever. Because my Mac Mini is my hub and has no optical out, I would need a bridge, but I'm not positive if it matters whether the optical connection is direct or not. I feel like it won't, but I'm not sure and given the moderate popularity of this unit on here I figured there was a chance someone had tried it, or if not, would know better than me if this is a workable solution.



Another option would be to go with an HDMI Audio Extractor that outputs to Optical. Something like https://www.kanexpro.com/item/?id=HAECOAX3 would fit the bill.

I have an earlier version of this Audio Extractor and it works great. I run HDMI from my PC to the Extractor and run the Optical out from it to a DAC (AudoEngine D1) that's connected to a stereo component system (via RCA). I also have the HDMI out from the Extractor connected to a 60' TV so that I can watch concerts on multiple displays and also play audio on the component system and on the TV soundbar concurrently.


----------



## loveshot

I just realized I could connect the Mac Mini to my TV via HDMI, then have the TV connect to the Dac-1 via optical. Is there any compromise audio-wise if I connect things in this convoluted fashion -- ie, does having the TV in the middle acting as the bridge from my audio to the Marantz muss w/ things at all, or will i essentially get the same quality HDMI to optical connection that I would using an extractor-converter?


----------



## MellowGold

loveshot said:


> I just realized I could connect the Mac Mini to my TV via HDMI, then have the TV connect to the Dac-1 via optical. Is there any compromise audio-wise if I connect things in this convoluted fashion -- ie, does having the TV in the middle acting as the bridge from my audio to the Marantz muss w/ things at all, or will i essentially get the same quality HDMI to optical connection that I would using an extractor-converter?



It's very possible that the TV could limit bit depth and sample rate of the output based on its supported formats. When connected to my Panasonic TV over HDMI, Windows shows the highest supported format as 16 bit 48 kHz. But you'll likely have to connect to your panel to find this out...it's hard to find manufacturer specs on this type of stuff.


----------



## pbarach

loveshot said:


> Several people have mentioned that the clicking is only an issue while  connected via USB and not optical."



The only input source for my HD-DAC1 is coaxial or optical from my disc player (i.e., no USB source). The unit clicks when there is a change in resolution (e.g., from CD quality to 24/192), but otherwise there is no click. Thus, it doesn't happen in between tracks of an album. It doesn't bother me at all.

I'm very happy with the unit, but I've learned to not rely on the impedance of the headphones to determine the DAC's gain setting. Two pairs of relatively low-impedance headphones (Hifiman HE-400i and Focal Clear) both sound better when the gain is set to MEDIUM, although Marantz told me that the unit should use low gain for them.


----------



## pbarach

loveshot said:


> Yup, that's what I'm looking to get around. I'm not concerned with coax limiting me to 24/96..."



Coax is limited to 24/192 for bronze or golden ears


----------



## MellowGold

pbarach said:


> The only input source for my HD-DAC1 is coaxial or optical from my disc player (i.e., no USB source). The unit clicks when there is a change in resolution (e.g., from CD quality to 24/192), but otherwise there is no click. Thus, it doesn't happen in between tracks of an album. It doesn't bother me at all.
> 
> I'm very happy with the unit, but I've learned to not rely on the impedance of the headphones to determine the DAC's gain setting. Two pairs of relatively low-impedance headphones (Hifiman HE-400i and Focal Clear) both sound better when the gain is set to MEDIUM, although Marantz told me that the unit should use low gain for them.



For comparison here's the HD-DAC1 gain setting's that I prefer:

AQ Nighthawk (Low)
LCD 2 Classic (Low)
HE-400i (Medium)
DT 990 Pro 250 ohm (Medium)

The HE-400i is way more power hungry than some people think due to the low sensitivity. Volume needs to be cranked on low gain, IMO.


----------



## loveshot (Jan 24, 2020)

pbarach said:


> Coax is limited to 24/192 for bronze or golden ears



Even better.

Something odd I've noticed is that when I have a track paused in audirvana, i can play audio in other apps or in youtube or watch netflix and the dreaded clicking isn't there every single time i stop/start/pause/jump forward/os makes a noise/etc. audirvana is doing something with the dac to keep it engaged/locked on. there's also a little "pop" i hear in my headphones every time i start audio that isn't there now. if anyone knows how i can accomplish the same feat without audirvana in the mix (i don't plan on keeping it past the 30 day trial) I would love to know.


----------



## loveshot

So I had a blissful 48 hours where the DAC acted as it should. Did not unlock and lock at every pause, skip ahead, system sound, etc. No "pop" in my headphones when it switched sample rates. Then it just reverted back to being a brat. Really not sure what to do at this point as I've tried troubleshooting every which way and I have no idea what caused it to behave properly for those two days, as I literally did nothing new (didn't muss with audio setting, reset computer, swap cables, change USB slots, etc). I'm contemplating returning it, but cost of shipping will be roughly $50. It may simply not play nice with my iteration of the Mac Mini, or with Mac OS Mojave. Or just be a bit lemony via usb. I may ask Music Direct to do a partial refund of like $75 or send me something to use as a bridge so I can connect the MM via coax. Not sure they'll go for that, but may as well ask. I don't want to spend that money on an Eitr or whatever just to make a fairly expensive (at least for me) 2 week old DAC function w/o hiccups the same way my old ultra-budget DAC did...


----------



## loveshot

loveshot said:


> Even better.
> 
> Something odd I've noticed is that when I have a track paused in audirvana, i can play audio in other apps or in youtube or watch netflix and the dreaded clicking isn't there every single time i stop/start/pause/jump forward/os makes a noise/etc. audirvana is doing something with the dac to keep it engaged/locked on. there's also a little "pop" i hear in my headphones every time i start audio that isn't there now. if anyone knows how i can accomplish the same feat without audirvana in the mix (i don't plan on keeping it past the 30 day trial) I would love to know.



So I just downloaded Swansian and it does the same thing. As long as the app is open, usb remains locked on and no relay clicks except when listening to say, 24/192 FLAC. But pausing/skipping/etc are all smooth and clean. No more random relay clicks from system sounds. It isn't the cleanest workaround -- I still feel like there's some better way to keep the usb-dac input engaged at all times the same way the optical inputs are -- but I'll take it. I like Swansian quite a bit and it's only $25 so a cheaper solution than getting a usb/spdif converter and now I don't have to mull returning this otherwise beautiful and mellifluous little beast.


----------



## metric1

I owned this model for some time and absolutely loved it. 

Mini-impressions: 

*Sound: *sweet, warm-ish, full sounding - I really enjoyed the sound from the Marantz, very slightly tube-like, or hybrid tube-like, more accurately. 
*Used with: *Audeze LCD-2C, Philips Fidelio X2HR 
*Reason to keep/buy: *a versatile single box that works well with the pre-outs (fixed or variable), gain controls, lovely sound, gorgeous to look at, Marantz build quality, it has one of those machined volume knobs that moves when you adjust the volume via the remote ... probably my favourite feature!
*Reasons to sell:* not the most authoritative amp, detail retrieval is good but not Hugo/RME level, lacks some drive and attack compared to some solid-state headamps - some people describe it as a bit _pipe and slippers _- that is perhaps a tad unfair - it does sound lovely, for everything, which may well be its downfall for some people. It gets a tad hot - not burn your hand hot, but enough that you want to ensure it has room to breathe / vent.
*Conclusion: *I sold mine to fund a Naim DAC V1 (3x price of HD-DAC1) because I really wanted something with a lot more drive and attack (I listen to a lot of EDM and metal) - I got that drive/attack with the Naim, but then really missed the sweet and warm-ish character of the HD-DAC1! As a single-box solution offering line-outs and solid features etc., it really is awesome!


----------



## loveshot

Sweet and warm is bang on. Unfortunately I'm returning mine due to a couple of the inputs becoming finnicky/problematic. I think I'll probably go for something else just to try something different. Can always come back to the Marantz if the desire should strike.


----------



## metric1

loveshot said:


> Sweet and warm is bang on. Unfortunately I'm returning mine due to a couple of the inputs becoming finnicky/problematic. I think I'll probably go for something else just to try something different. Can always come back to the Marantz if the desire should strike.



Yes, they're regularly on the s/h market in the UK. It seems a lot of people start with one and move elsewhere once their tastes have changed or they're a bit more aware of what type of sound they want. For a £400-ish outlay (s/h) it's hard to beat (if you're looking for sweet/warm qualities). I may buy another one down the line, just to have something with those qualities - I kind of wish I'd just held on to mine, not as a primary use amp/dac, but as a solid option with brighter headphones and certain genres. 

Happy shopping!


----------



## Smoothstereo

I have the Marantz HD-DAC1 for about a year, and absolutely love it. I feel this dac/amp combo is underrated and underappreciated. Probably one of the best all in one dac/amp combo especially at it's current price point. It has worked flawlessly.

To my ears in my setup, the combo is pretty neutral. Music sounds very organic and natural, nothing artificial. It has very good resolution at this price point, its able to separate and layer the instruments in its own space but still sounds cohesive. Soundstage has a good size. Its very clean, clear and quiet. Tonality is very balanced not really favoring any particular frequency. I find myself playing track after track without listening fatigue and sometimes don't want to go to bed.

My only small gripes are the analog input is a single 3.5mm which also is too sensitive , not full size RCA. If you input a signal that is too high, it might start clipping. The second gripe and this is probably asking for too much, is I wish Marantz would have added a BAL 4pin xlr headphone out giving it even more power.

I recommend to my friends who don't want to spend too much but want an all in one dac/amp combo and don't care for BAL headphone out or inputs,  this is a very good choice.


----------



## eeagle

@Smoothstereo That 3.5mm input is begging to have an Echo Input attached to it along with a subscription to Amazon Music HD providing unlimited CD (16-44) quality and beyond (many albums are 24-192).  The input has been on sale many times for only $9.99  I haven't found a single album that isn't instantly playable by just asking Alexa to play it.


----------



## pbarach

My Marantz HD-DAC1 seems to have issues with static electricity in my carpeted listening room. After putting in a disc to the player connected to it and walking across the room to my couch, small movements of my headphones cause momentary breaks in the sound, and the Marantz dial switches back and forth from the sampling rate to UNLOCKED. This problem stops after a few minutes. Anyone else have this problem or have something to try for a solution?


----------



## gimmeheadroom

Are you running the disc player into it via optical?


----------



## pbarach

gimmeheadroom said:


> Are you running the disc player into it via optical?


Disconnecting the optical cable (and using digitical coax) eliminated the problem. Thanks! So why did the optical connection cause the problem?


----------



## gimmeheadroom

pbarach said:


> Disconnecting the optical cable (and using digitical coax) eliminated the problem. Thanks! So why did the optical connection cause the problem?



I have no explanation


----------



## Ninosan

Hello,
I need advice from you that you have this DAC.
I could have it new for around € 550.00. It seems like a great price despite it being an older DAC.
I could later combine it with an SMSL amp using the Maraz only as a DAC.
How do you see it as a pairing?


----------



## MellowGold

Ninosan said:


> Hello,
> I need advice from you that you have this DAC.
> I could have it new for around € 550.00. It seems like a great price despite it being an older DAC.
> I could later combine it with an SMSL amp using the Maraz only as a DAC.
> How do you see it as a pairing?



Which SMSL amp are you considering?


----------



## Jayzqa

Ninosan said:


> Hello,
> I need advice from you that you have this DAC.
> I could have it new for around € 550.00. It seems like a great price despite it being an older DAC.
> I could later combine it with an SMSL amp using the Maraz only as a DAC.
> How do you see it as a pairing?



I had a change to test the Marantz with hd800s, hd660 and hd600. I found the sound very lacking and disappointing myself. (As the measurements from audiosciencerewies indicates)

You can have a lot better sound with 550 euros. (Jds-labs element II for example)


----------



## metric1

As a former owner of the HD-DAC1 and a fan of the unit in many regards, I wouldn't advise buying it if your long goal is to use it purely as a DAC - there are just significantly better options for €550 (you're very close to s/h RME ADI-2 money, there, or a Denafrips Ares II - those two DACs are polar opposites, but I'm merely indicating that you can go many different directions for that kind of budget and you're in a league of difference compared to the humble HD-DAC1.)

The HD-DAC1 _is_ great when you want a solid all-around single box for sensible money, by sensible I mean, I wouldn't pay more than €400 for one because the market/technology has moved on in many regards. Lots more compelling options now than there was back in 2014 when the HD-DAC1 was launched. If you want a reliable, well built and easy-to-live-with single-box solution that sounds great with lots of headphones for under €500, something that has a laid back and sweet character, the HD-DAC1 _should_ be on the audition list.

If your objective is _I want a DAC that can scale with my system and won't be the weak link for years - _I wouldn't be looking at a HD-DAC1. Add another €100 to your budget and you're in the realm of fairly epic single-box solutions that will scale eminently (you can later add a great amp, upgrade headphones, all before you ever need to reconsider the DAC). Brands like RME, Naim, et al, can be had s/h for a €650 > €750 budget.


----------



## Smoothstereo

I agree with what others have said. I own the HD-DAC1 for over a year and still love it. It sounds fantastic and built like a tank. Never had any issues.  But the question is, what is your ultimate goal. If you want a very good dac/amp combo with SE input and SE headphone output and dont plan to upgrade , and want simple set up, then this is a very good choice. 

But if you want to chase better performance down the road, going dedicated separates is a better way to go.


----------



## Ninosan

MellowGold said:


> Which SMSL amp are you considering?



I was thinking of the SMSL sp200.
However, I have also read the suggestions of others and I think you are all right.
I currently use the Fiio M15 + LCD-I4 . A fabulous couple although I miss a little more punch on the bass.
I would like to equip a fixed station to use with headphones of excellent quality. I am looking at the Sony MDR-Z1R. I do not exclude also a magneto planar headphone.
I agree to spend a little more but have a DAC that I don't have to change after 6 months but above all that no it is not of a lower quality than the M15.
the aim is to have a fixed position that has higher quality than the Fiio M15 + LCD-I4 pair.
I will try to see your suggestions online even if now is not a good time to buy.
If you have any other suggestions of pure DAC I accept them with pleasure.


----------



## MellowGold

Ninosan said:


> I was thinking of the SMSL sp200.
> However, I have also read the suggestions of others and I think you are all right.
> I currently use the Fiio M15 + LCD-I4 . A fabulous couple although I miss a little more punch on the bass.
> I would like to equip a fixed station to use with headphones of excellent quality. I am looking at the Sony MDR-Z1R. I do not exclude also a magneto planar headphone.
> ...



I like the looks of the Cayin iDAC-6MK2 (https://en.cayin.cn/products_info?itemid=121). It's very hard to find a DAC at this price point that supports features like I²S and AES/EBU inputs. Would be a great DAC to build a desktop system around, IMO.


----------



## metric1

Ninosan said:


> I was thinking of the SMSL sp200.
> However, I have also read the suggestions of others and I think you are all right.
> I currently use the Fiio M15 + LCD-I4 . A fabulous couple although I miss a little more punch on the bass.
> I would like to equip a fixed station to use with headphones of excellent quality. I am looking at the Sony MDR-Z1R. I do not exclude also a magneto planar headphone.
> ...



In terms of DAC suggestions, it really depends on what you like, the aspects and sound profile you're looking for in a DAC. Personally, my preference in a general sense is for R-2R and tube DACs. I like a little warmth, a little colouration, sweetness etc., for many people these aspects may be undesirable. I've owned Chord, RME and other chip DACs and never really got on with them, too many years listening to tube,  r2r and nos DACs! The RME ADI-2 DAC is superb, for many people it is an end-game DAC and for good reason. It's very popular with EQ tweakers (perverts) more so than the average gearhead. It's a phenomenal DAC, no doubt, but didn't suit my personal tastes that well and all the additional value/features were totally wasted on me. 

The Topping D90 (same DAC chip as in your M15) the RME ADI-2 FS, the Gustard DAC A22 (same chip as your M15) all use AKM chips - if you like your M15 then you can stay with a AKM-based DAC. The RME might be a very serious contender given the dedicated IEM output on the RME is said to be superb and may match your i4's very well. You also get a 1/4 output, I didn't rate the amplifier section of the RME, but the DAC section is top draw, it just wasn't to my particular taste (not at all a mark against the RME, more a reflection of synergy in my setup and my personal tastes). That said, as a single-box that will scale to be DAC-only (with benefits) in an end-game setup, the RME needs to be on the list, it's a very serious piece of kit, sounds phenomenal and allows almost unmatched configuration (if you're looking for that). 

The alternative approach might be a complete departure from chip-based DACs to something with an entirely different _flavour. _R-2R DACs from Audio-gd, Denafrips or (budget allowing) Holo Audio might be an interesting _alternative. _You may find these to be closer compared to many of the qualities of the HD-DAC1, more so than the HD-DAC1 is to say, a Topping D90 or RME ADI-2 (or your M15) where it could be argued these DACs occupy the opposite end of the DAC spectrum. The D90 and ADI-2 are about neutrality, first and foremost, whereas I'm not sure _neutrality_ is even peripherally in the design brief for the HD-DAC1!


----------



## Smoothstereo

To my ears, preferences, and gear, the HD-DAC1 is pretty neutral without the harsh brightness sometimes associated with neutral. I find my IFI Micro Idsd Black Label to be a bit warmer in comparison as a dac. 

I would suggest looking into a Schiit Bifrost2 as another choice, as its getting a lot of praise here. I am actually interested in trying one out myself for comparison to the HD-DAC1.


----------



## metric1

Smoothstereo said:


> To my ears, preferences, and gear, the HD-DAC1 is pretty neutral without the harsh brightness sometimes associated with neutral. I find my IFI Micro Idsd Black Label to be a bit warmer in comparison as a dac.
> 
> I would suggest looking into a Schiit Bifrost2 as another choice, as its getting a lot of praise here. I am actually interested in trying one out myself for comparison to the HD-DAC1.



At the risk of sounding combative, harsh brightness isn't something associated with _neutral_, in fact having a harsh or bright signature (imposed by the DAC) would qualify as colouration and is the exact opposite of neutral. A truly neutral DAC will not lie to you about harshness or brightness elsewhere (upstream component) or in the recording, but it won't add colouration that isn't there (elsewhere; recording etc.). However, it wouldn't be accurate to say the DAC is associated with harsh brightness _because_ it is neutral, it just doesn't (shouldn't) hide that harshness (from elsewhere) from you. The presentation of the HD-DAC1 is smoothed in a way that makes its presentation incredibly appealing to many people, precisely because it isn't very neutral - it has a house sound and adds warmth and sweetness, it _will _hide that harshness from you (which many people agree is good, but it's not _neutral_). 

I love the HD-DAC1 precisely because it isn't neutral, it is warm and sweet and I suspect many others also select it for this reason. To expand on this slightly, I compared the HD-DAC1 to my Audio Note CD-ZERO (valve based CD player) and the presentations had more similarities than they had differences due mostly to the colouration of the HD-DAC1 sound. This was very welcome to me, in fact, I slightly preferred the HD-DAC1 both running COAX (from the CD Player) and Roon > USB to HD-DAC1. The HD-DAC1 has just the right amount of warmth and sweetness and is very enjoyable, but it's not _pipe and slippers_ warm, either, but neither is it _neutral_.


----------



## Ninosan

thank you guys,
you gave me many ideas but I'm also a little confused.
Among the suggestions I really like RME ADI-2 FS, I also read some reviews on the net.
Here is talk of hot and cold ..... if you allow me it is a bit the difference between vinyl disc and cd. Rough comparison but I think valid.
I like the warmth of the analogic (perhaps typical of Marantz) but it is difficult to make a choice without trying.
Maybe I would have the "warm" tone with a valve system, but some aspects of this system disturb me a little. Heating, valve wear, different valves with different timbre, etc ...
Maybe I'm also wrong in the order of choice. I should probably buy headphones first and then evaluate which DAC / AMP is most suitable.
Maybe we are a little off topic, I would have liked to try Marantz (spending little) his tone and the quality of the DAC. But I also know that this is an old thing.

Even the Toppings don't look bad from the measurements, but I also read that the measurements are sponsored, so .....
In any case I look at your suggestions and I will evaluate.
I follow you


----------



## Ninosan

I was also noticing the new TEAC UD-505.
It looks very interesting ...


----------



## PrincessLeliana

Sorry quick question, it says it has impedance of 32-600ohm, does that mean i shouldnt use it with headphones that have less than 32 ohm?


----------



## mmoraw

That is correct,
Lowest I got is 62ohm (akg-k701), drives them just fine, same as 300ohm hd800, same here, although this to be said, my other amp, (diy piece) drives k701 with much more current, which those cans like, this results in more natural and truly fantastic low end. I love k-701's low end, but you need to provide them some quality amp.
HD-dac-1 drives them perfectly well, no hassle what so ever, but for some reason, my other amp, which is by far more capable in power delivery department, drives them the way I like it. Not sure whether this is something to be worry about, as this have more than enough reserves to drive whatever I throw at it, or maybe its me and placebo thing, either way, this is how I see it.
Beautiful amp/dac combo, I love it, have far to many pieces of gear around, but hddac1 is still one I love and use almost every day, despite I got "far more capable" amps and dacs, there is some magic in this one.
Regards.


----------



## Smoothstereo

The 3 different gain positions on HD-DAC1 not only adjusts the appropriate gain, but each gain level has a *slight* difference in presentation as well (at least to my ears) when volume matched as best as I can with my smartphone sound meter. The High gain gives the presentation a little more upfront row and more impact, while the Low gain is more mid hall and more laid back. Mid gain is like in between the two.  

The specs sheet say it has 800mW at 32 ohms, but to me it seems conservatively rated imo. Comparing it against my other dac/amps or amps, it does not sound under-powered.


----------



## PrincessLeliana

Is it worth picking up at all?


----------



## mmoraw

I don't think anyone here is competent to say, yes 
You are on your own on this one


----------



## PrincessLeliana

No one can give me an answer on if i should get one? :c 

it's just so confusing, all the online reviews are "yes this is amazing"but then everyone i spoke to was like "No its awful" Which is it?


----------



## Smoothstereo

PrincessLeliana said:


> No one can give me an answer on if i should get one? :c
> 
> it's just so confusing, all the online reviews are "yes this is amazing"but then everyone i spoke to was like "No its awful" Which is it?


It really depends on your headphones, expectations, and future endeavors. I would recommend the HD-DAC1 to ppl who are beginning their hobby, and want a simple all in one dac/amp combo and don't want separate dedicated gear. Good for someone who does not plan on going Balanced cables and planning to pair really hard to drive headphones. 

If the above applies to you, and if you can get a good cheap price (search for specials), this should be a good choice. I still have mine and love it. But I'm always looking for the next upgrade, so I know it won't be my last. Good luck!


----------



## PrincessLeliana

Smoothstereo said:


> It really depends on your headphones, expectations, and future endeavors. I would recommend the HD-DAC1 to ppl who are beginning their hobby, and want a simple all in one dac/amp combo and don't want separate dedicated gear. Good for someone who does not plan on going Balanced cables and planning to pair really hard to drive headphones.
> 
> If the above applies to you, and if you can get a good cheap price (search for specials), this should be a good choice. I still have mine and love it. But I'm always looking for the next upgrade, so I know it won't be my last. Good luck!


I'd be getting one for under $300, i don't particularly care for all in ones (its more convenient, sure, but if the same money gets me superior seperates ill do that) and I will be getting campfire cascades (theyre in the mail).


----------



## pbarach

I really like the HD-DAC1. It powers a wide range of headphones, has a pleasant sound with plenty of detail, and has a decent remote (alas, no backlight).


----------



## RSC08

How is the background on this unit? Also, anyone compared it to the TEAC UD-505?


----------



## jamca

Marantz HD Dac1 is a Wonderfull Dac amp that accomplices what a headfier would want. It is a great all in one machine that does its job great. It is very refined, and sharp without been fatigue. I would give a step ahead to Pioneer U-05 ( which is my favourite machine till now) but Marantz is not far behind.


----------



## lltfdaniel

I bought the hd dac 1 about a week ago and i am happy that i bought a decent piece of gear this time and it sounds wonderful, clean and detailed and will power any headphone with ease.

A proper amp dac for beginners with great sound i recommend, i do love it's sound really.

Dan.


----------



## lltfdaniel

Smoothstereo said:


> I have the Marantz HD-DAC1 for about a year, and absolutely love it. I feel this dac/amp combo is underrated and underappreciated. Probably one of the best all in one dac/amp combo especially at it's current price point. It has worked flawlessly.
> 
> To my ears in my setup, the combo is pretty neutral. Music sounds very organic and natural, nothing artificial. It has very good resolution at this price point, its able to separate and layer the instruments in its own space but still sounds cohesive. Soundstage has a good size. Its very clean, clear and quiet. Tonality is very balanced not really favoring any particular frequency. I find myself playing track after track without listening fatigue and sometimes don't want to go to bed.
> 
> ...



I agree, i love it's sound and also i am addicted to the sound and don't want to go to bed, it has a lovely sound that i always wanted which is professional fun and not boring and very acceptable for audio lovers.

Marantz has pulled it off with this dac 1, and i trust they will sell products that sound awesome, other amps i owned are boring to be frank but for me people have to try test and listen to the dac 1 so they can decide if they agree with us or not, but i agree with you.

Dan.


----------



## jamca

I also agree..it is great gear, not only for begginers. I have tried many dacs and amps and double the price and it is not far behind. It has many inputs, great amp , nice dac with addictive sound signature, very good imaging, not that wide soundstage but with depth and wonderfull 3d sense. It is one of the gears that will never regret buying...


----------



## Smoothstereo

Glad you guys like the HD-DAC1 as much as I do. It really is a good sounding combo unit and with good build quality. The HD-DAC1 sounds even better now after I added an Audioquest Powerquest3 (PQ3) power conditioner to my headphone rig.

I was looking for a better power surge protector strip since mine was getting old, 16 years old  to be exact. We get a lot of power outages in my neck of the woods so I wanted something that can handle surges and spikes to protect my gear. I have nicer, more expensive power conditioners in my two channel hifi rig and understand clean power is essential but I didn't want to spend that much on my headphone rig.

After some research, I finalized on getting the PQ3. I figured 300 bucks to get good spike and surge protection with 8 outlets that can clean the power is a fair product and if it can improve my audio, its a plus. I wasn't expecting much to be honest for a low priced item compared to my Monster HTS5100 and Sound Application Linestage back in the day. Since I have 30 day return period, I had nothing to lose.

Boy was I surprised, the PQ3 really improved my audio. It made my AQ Nighthawks and HD-DAC1 sound even better. The sound stage opened up a bit. Separation of instruments and imaging was better. Able to hear each instrument so distinctly, the details are so effortlessly floating out. Sounds so engaging and real. It tightened up the bass on the Nighthawk. Sounds cleaner and clearer.

One thing to note is my Sundara did not improve as much as the Nighthawk did. I'm wondering if its a dynamic vs. planar driver dependancy. 

I highly recommend trying out the PQ3. I'm not affiliated with AQ in any way, this is just my own experience with my own gear.


----------



## gimmeheadroom

lltfdaniel said:


> I bought the hd dac 1 about a week ago and i am happy that i bought a decent piece of gear this time and it sounds wonderful, clean and detailed and will power any headphone with ease.
> 
> A proper amp dac for beginners with great sound i recommend, i do love it's sound really.
> 
> Dan.



It will absolutely not power any headphone with ease. If it works with your headphones, great. But there are a lot of headphones which it cannot drive well at all.  800mW / 32 ohm is not much more than some DAPs running balanced.


----------



## Smoothstereo

Here's a recent review done by Whathifi that's pretty accurate and in depth.

https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/marantz-hd-dac1


----------



## pbarach

My experience with this device over the last several years has been truly enjoyable in every way. It makes me seriously doubt the usefulness of that extremely negative series of measurements on the Audio Science Review website.

I originally bought this unit as an open box from Music Direct, but it refused to play 24/192 files. Marantz replaced it under warranty with a brand-new unit that has worked faultlessly ever since.


----------



## Livnmuskoka

I just posted this on the Audeze LCD3 thread, but thought I would share it here too:

I've found the best dac/amp combination yet for my Lcd3f's;
Using Tidal Hifi through my old iPhone 6s, plugged into a Marantz hd-dac 1, out to a Topping L30 amp.
With the L30 gain in the middle setting at 0db, volume at 10 o'clock is usually quite loud, and haven't turn it past 12 o'clock for longer than a few seconds.
I wanted to improve on the Chord Mojo's deep bass output and hopefully get a little wider Soundstage.
With the Marantz HD dac-1 alone, it gave a fuller sound, lower bass, and better tonality than the Mojo, but gave up a small amount of clarity and the bass wasn't as controlled.
After reading several times that the Dac-1 has a great dac and only a decent amp, I thought I'd try it with the L30.
It worked out amazingly well. It has all of the benefits and no downsides that I can hear.
It has the same extreme clarity of the Mojo, but with deeper bass, slightly wider soundstage, just as good or better detail, more natural and better tonality.
I don't think it's worth my time or bigger cost to keep looking for further improvements. I've listened to even higher end headphones and found them too bright for me. I've only heard the Lcd3's with a couple higher end Dacs. But from what I can remember, I like this combo as much or more than with the Hugo TT or Dave, so for now my search is over. Highly recommended.


----------



## Smoothstereo

The Marantz HD DAC1 is a very good dac. Even though it uses an older chipset Cirrus Logic CS4398, a hybrid Multibit/Delta Sigma topology, its still considered a competitive dac for PCM and DSD for today IMO. Many previous Esoteric brand DAC/Players used them back in the day, this shows it was no slouch. I only listen to ripped CDs at 44.1khz and use audio app on my Android phone to upsample to 192khz, sometimes I even upsample to 2x DSD to the Marantz with no issues.

The amp section of the HD-DAC1 is very solid, its achilles heal if we can call it that, is that its not the most powerful. For low impedance and high sensitivity headphones, it can do wonders. For much harder to drive headphones, it can still sound good, but might not be at its best. If Marantz incorporated a true balanced headphone out (and line out) with greater power, this unit would have been bonkers.

Most of my headphones are of the low impedance and pretty sensitive kind, so the HD-DAC1 can drive them with good authority and sound so sublime.


----------



## pbarach

The HD-DAC1 does a great job powering my Sennheiser HD-600's as well as the lower impedance Focal Clears. I don't have any really "tough customer" headphones, such as Hifiman HE-6.


----------



## AndyBrechin

Is there anyone in this thread in the UK who has loved and cared for their Marantz HD-Dac1 over the years but who is now looking to upgrade, or has upgraded and has one lying around surplus.  As the thread said still a good buy second hand at low cost as the tech has moved on and that's where I would fit in!  Send me a private message if you fit the bill, cheers.


----------



## Smoothstereo

I am wondering if Marantz will be working on a successor for the HD-DAC1 soon. I would like it if they put more attention to the headphone space as I think they have the scope to do well in this realm. Would be nice if they make separate DAC and Balanced head amp.


----------



## Livnmuskoka

Smoothstereo said:


> I am wondering if Marantz will be working on a successor for the HD-DAC1 soon. I would like it if they put more attention to the headphone space as I think they have the scope to do well in this realm. Would be nice if they make separate DAC and Balanced head amp.



Even if you hook up a Topping L30 or maybe JDS Labs Atom up to your Dac-1 I think you'll be very surprised. It's not a subtle improvement, depending on how much your headphones will scale up I guess. 
It was a huge improvement with Lcd3f's, and a pretty big difference even with 1more triple driver in ears, adding extra clarity and little fuller sound. 
From what I've heard over the last few years I don't think it can get much better. 
I'd avoid bright sounding headphones though, it'll give it to you honest.


----------



## AndyBrechin

This is probably a stupid question, but are/were all the HD-Dac1 models made in the Far East, or were some made in Europe?
Also, were two voltage variants made (in addition to the black/silver finishes), i.e. Approx. 240 (230-250) V, and 110 (100-120) V?
Stupid question maybe. 
If I sold a Euro model and shipped it to someone in the States does that cause a difficult complication for them?


----------



## Steve Wilcox

Hyperfi in the UK are currently selling this for 350 UK POUNDS.  Hyperfi appear to be legit but there's some poor reviews.  What do you think?  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is?


----------



## pbarach

I don't know anything about Hyperfi, but I have had an HD-DAC1 for a couple of years. I'm very happy with it. It is heavier than you'd expect given its size, which may indicate good build quality. It has no trouble powering Focal Clears, AKG K-702, Sennheiser HD-600, or Hifiman HE-400i headphones. It allows air and space around the music when the recording contains it. Some feel the sound is slightly on the warm side, but whether that's an issue will depend on your headphones and personal preferences. It works flawlessly with files from my PC input to its rear panel USB input, as well as with coax and digital inputs coming from my universal player. Audiosciencereview.com published some measurements of an HD-AMP1 (which looks similar but does not clearly have the same implementation of DAC and headphone amp as the HD-DAC1) that made it look bad, in contrast to good measurements obtained by What Hifi recently (WHat Hi-Fi Review).


----------



## MacMan31

Not sure how many people are watching this thread anymore. In any case I'm looking at getting the HD-DAC1 used on Canuck Audio Mart. I was hoping to just keep things simple and use the HP jack on my Marantz PM8005 amp and stream via Airplay to the Node 2i. However the sound is hit or miss depending on which headphones I use. Currently I just have the Sennheiser HD6XX and 58X. The latter actually sounds pretty good on the PM8005. However the HD6XX sounds almost horrible by comparison. The 58X has more bass compared to the HD6XX so perhaps that is why it is able to sound good on my amp. But the HD6XX has a "hollow" sound when using the amp. That's the best word I can think of. It just doesn't sound full like they do on even a portable headphone amp like the Fiio Q3. So is the HD-DAC1 still worth getting in 2020? The HP amp would not be sitting close by so one with a remote is needed. My goal is to have no wires connected to my laptop while I lounge and listen to my music on my headphones.


----------



## pbarach

I got a Drop THX 789 amp last week to use with the HD-DAC1 that I've had for several years. Both of these units power HD-600 cans without any trouble. The Drop amp is slightly clearer in more complex music than the HD-DAC1.


----------



## Livnmuskoka

MacMan31 said:


> Not sure how many people are watching this thread anymore. In any case I'm looking at getting the HD-DAC1 used on Canuck Audio Mart. I was hoping to just keep things simple and use the HP jack on my Marantz PM8005 amp and stream via Airplay to the Node 2i. However the sound is hit or miss depending on which headphones I use. Currently I just have the Sennheiser HD6XX and 58X. The latter actually sounds pretty good on the PM8005. However the HD6XX sounds almost horrible by comparison. The 58X has more bass compared to the HD6XX so perhaps that is why it is able to sound good on my amp. But the HD6XX has a "hollow" sound when using the amp. That's the best word I can think of. It just doesn't sound full like they do on even a portable headphone amp like the Fiio Q3. So is the HD-DAC1 still worth getting in 2020? The HP amp would not be sitting close by so one with a remote is needed. My goal is to have no wires connected to my laptop while I lounge and listen to my music on my headphones.



 I just recently got a Dac-1 and really like it. It sounds more natural and has better tonality than the Chord mojo it replaced. The Mojo was a small step up in clarity though, so I tried hooking up a Topping L30 amplifier out of the Dac-1 and it sounds amazing. Great natural sound with incredible clarity.
An effective and cheaper route for you to go might be buying a Topping L30 and hook it up with RCA's from the pre output on your PM8005 amp. Just set the Topping volume at about 75% and control the volume from your PM8005 with its remote.
I either use an ipod into the front of the Dac-1 and can control track skips and volume from the Marantz remote, or using my Samsung phone and casting Tidal to my TV with built in chromecast. Then optical out from the TV into the Dac-1, controlling song selections from my phone and volume from the Marantz remote.


----------



## tokyodan

audionewbi said:


> I came across a twitter post that was about Marantz HD-DAC1. Here are the few key component of it:
> 
> Has selectable headphone impedance (32-600 ohm)
> It is based on Cirrus Logic CS4398 (DSD capable)
> ...



Is it possible to connect speakers to this?


----------



## audionewbi

No.


----------



## MacMan31

Livnmuskoka said:


> I just recently got a Dac-1 and really like it. It sounds more natural and has better tonality than the Chord mojo it replaced. The Mojo was a small step up in clarity though, so I tried hooking up a Topping L30 amplifier out of the Dac-1 and it sounds amazing. Great natural sound with incredible clarity.
> An effective and cheaper route for you to go might be buying a Topping L30 and hook it up with RCA's from the pre output on your PM8005 amp. Just set the Topping volume at about 75% and control the volume from your PM8005 with its remote.
> I either use an ipod into the front of the Dac-1 and can control track skips and volume from the Marantz remote, or using my Samsung phone and casting Tidal to my TV with built in chromecast. Then optical out from the TV into the Dac-1, controlling song selections from my phone and volume from the Marantz remote.



I did not know I could use the pre-out in this way. I assume this would work with any headphone amp with analog inputs? I would have to make sure to turn off the speakers on the PM8005 before turning up the volume to listen to headphones.


----------



## metric1

One of the little things that irked me with the HD-DAC 1 was the absence of defeatable volume for the outputs when you plug in headphones i.e., it does not mute the output (fixed/variable). Not a deal-breaker at all, but over time, did bother me a tad. I used the outputs, set to fixed, running into an external valve amp to power my speakers. 

The sound of ther above setup was stunning - doing a direct comparison between a valve-based CD player vs Roon (Macbook) > USB (QED Ref.) > HD-DAC1 into my valve amp, I preferred the HD-DAC1. The sound of the HD-DAC 1 (compared to my £1500 valve CD player) was fuller, with greater extention at both ends and a noted 'sparkle' to the sound, a somewhat diifcult to describe_ increase in realism_.

As for the HD-DAC1 in 2020, it's still a very solid all-in-one. Here in the UK, however, the price has risen substantially. I purchased mine for £499 (new) - that was a great price, above £600, where it is now, I'm not so sure about.


----------



## Livnmuskoka

MacMan31 said:


> I did not know I could use the pre-out in this way. I assume this would work with any headphone amp with analog inputs? I would have to make sure to turn off the speakers on the PM8005 before turning up the volume to listen to headphones.



If the speaker A button on the front is switched off first it should work fine. Any amp with analog inputs will do.


----------



## MacMan31

metric1 said:


> One of the little things that irked me with the HD-DAC 1 was the absence of defeatable volume for the outputs when you plug in headphones i.e., it does not mute the output (fixed/variable). Not a deal-breaker at all, but over time, did bother me a tad. I used the outputs, set to fixed, running into an external valve amp to power my speakers.
> 
> The sound of ther above setup was stunning - doing a direct comparison between a valve-based CD player vs Roon (Macbook) > USB (QED Ref.) > HD-DAC1 into my valve amp, I preferred the HD-DAC1. The sound of the HD-DAC 1 (compared to my £1500 valve CD player) was fuller, with greater extention at both ends and a noted 'sparkle' to the sound, a somewhat diifcult to describe_ increase in realism_.
> 
> As for the HD-DAC1 in 2020, it's still a very solid all-in-one. Here in the UK, however, the price has risen substantially. I purchased mine for £499 (new) - that was a great price, above £600, where it is now, I'm not so sure about.



Well a person on CAM (Canuck Audio Mart in Canada) is selling his for $725 which equates to around 468 Euro. I was going to connect my Bluesound Node 2i and coax audio from my 4K blu-ray player to the HD-DAC1 and run analog out to my PM8005. That way I can use the DAC in the DAC1.


----------



## MacMan31

Livnmuskoka said:


> If the speaker A button on the front is switched off first it should work fine. Any amp with analog inputs will do.



Should I max the volume on the HP amp and just use the volume control on the stereo amp?


----------



## Livnmuskoka

MacMan31 said:


> Should I max the volume on the HP amp and just use the volume control on the stereo amp?


Yes. Maybe not max but 3/4 volume on the headphone amp should be lots, depending on which headphone amp and which headphones.
I have my Topping L30 amp set to 3/4 volume and use the Dac-1's volume control. And I never need to go past half volume on the Dac-1.


----------



## MacMan31

Livnmuskoka said:


> Yes. Maybe not max but 3/4 volume on the headphone amp should be lots, depending on which headphone amp and which headphones.
> I have my Topping L30 amp set to 3/4 volume and use the Dac-1's volume control. And I never need to go past half volume on the Dac-1.



You don't feel like you are wasting a perfectly good amp inside the HD-DAC1 by using the L30?


----------



## Livnmuskoka (Nov 16, 2020)

MacMan31 said:


> You don't feel like you are wasting a perfectly good amp inside the HD-DAC1 by using the L30?



Not at all. I noticed a small drop in clarity when switching from a Chord mojo, but better tonality and more natural sound.
I read in different reviews of the Dac-1 that's it an excellent dac but only a good amp, so it gave me the idea to add the rather inexpensive L30 with it's world class measurements. Luckily it worked out great. I like this combo better than much more expensive dac/amps that I've tried.
Depending on you and also what headphones you have, you may be perfectly happy with the Dac-1 on it's own. The Topping L30 is a current product so you could always add one or something similar like a JDS Labs Atom after if you want to try it.
The goal would be adding an amp with an extremely low noise floor and with output impedance that is less than 10% of whatever your headphone's impedance is.


----------



## MacMan31

Livnmuskoka said:


> Not at all. I noticed a small drop in clarity when switching from a Chord mojo, but better tonality and more natural sound.
> I read in different reviews of the Dac-1 that's it an excellent dac but only a good amp, so it gave me the idea to add the rather inexpensive L30 with it's world class measurements. Luckily it worked out great. I like this combo better than much more expensive dac/amps that I've tried.
> Depending on you and also what headphones you have, you may be perfectly happy with the Dac-1 on it's own. The Topping L30 is a current product so you could always add one or something similar like a JDS Labs Atom after if you want to try it.
> The goal would be adding an amp with an extremely low noise floor and with output impedance that is less than 10% of whatever your headphone's impedance is.



Well I went ahead and bought the HD-DAC1. Should arrive on Friday. My current headphones are the Sennheiser HD6XX and 58X. I'll be streaming from the Bluesound Node 2i to the HD-DAC1. We'll see how this goes.


----------



## Livnmuskoka

MacMan31 said:


> Well I went ahead and bought the HD-DAC1. Should arrive on Friday. My current headphones are the Sennheiser HD6XX and 58X. I'll be streaming from the Bluesound Node 2i to the HD-DAC1. We'll see how this goes.



I really like mine with the way I have it hooked up.
If it doesn't work out, you should be able to sell it for very little or no loss.


----------



## MacMan31

Livnmuskoka said:


> I really like mine with the way I have it hooked up.
> If it doesn't work out, you should be able to sell it for very little or no loss.



So I have tried out this DAC/amp in a couple different scenarios. Both times I am streaming music via the Bluesound Node 2i. The "downside" of the Node 2i is that it outputs audio via all output options at once. I don't need to switch between outputs. So when I had the Node 2i connected to the HD-DAC1 via coax digital and to my stereo amp via RCA I would be getting music out of both. Now I have my components connected to the HD-DAC1 digital inputs and outputting to my stereo amp via the variable audio output. I really don't like how this DAC sounds through my stereo amp. When using the headphone out it sounds good with music ripped from CDs but not as good with downloaded music from the iTunes Store. Also when I had the Node 2i connected via coax digital I would get a disconnect from my MacBook Pro and the Node 2i. I did not have that with my stereo amp when streaming via the Node 2i. In any case I may just use it strictly as a HP amp or I may just end up selling and try your way with the Topping L30 or another option like that. If I choose to keep it I was actually wondering if it's possible to buy and use an alternate power cable? The stock cable is too stiff and janky.


----------



## Livnmuskoka (Nov 21, 2020)

MacMan31 said:


> So I have tried out this DAC/amp in a couple different scenarios. Both times I am streaming music via the Bluesound Node 2i. The "downside" of the Node 2i is that it outputs audio via all output options at once. I don't need to switch between outputs. So when I had the Node 2i connected to the HD-DAC1 via coax digital and to my stereo amp via RCA I would be getting music out of both. Now I have my components connected to the HD-DAC1 digital inputs and outputting to my stereo amp via the variable audio output. I really don't like how this DAC sounds through my stereo amp. When using the headphone out it sounds good with music ripped from CDs but not as good with downloaded music from the iTunes Store. Also when I had the Node 2i connected via coax digital I would get a disconnect from my MacBook Pro and the Node 2i. I did not have that with my stereo amp when streaming via the Node 2i. In any case I may just use it strictly as a HP amp or I may just end up selling and try your way with the Topping L30 or another option like that. If I choose to keep it I was actually wondering if it's possible to buy and use an alternate power cable? The stock cable is too stiff and janky.



I have read that you can get different power cables for them, but I don't know who from.
I've only tried a few different higher end cables before, and the use of silver, or unusual designs only made my systems sound brighter, or grainy, or worse in different ways. I only stick with high strand count, pure copper wires now.
Can you try a different method of using the Dac-1, without the Node 2i maybe?
Not sure how far away you sit from your stereo or whatever other devices you have to try, to be able to recommend much.
I only use my Dac-1 with headphones, and usually only from the optical output of the TV using chromecast. Sometimes I plug an ipod into the front of the Dac-1 for music while I'm searching other things on my android phone. There isn't a noticeable difference in sound quality when using optical in or the front USB in.

What don't you like about the sound of the Dac-1 into your stereo?


----------



## MacMan31

Livnmuskoka said:


> I have read that you can get different power cables for them, but I don't know who from.
> I've only tried a few different higher end cables before, and the use of silver, or unusual designs only made my systems sound brighter, or grainy, or worse in different ways. I only stick with high strand count, pure copper wires now.
> Can you try a different method of using the Dac-1, without the Node 2i maybe?
> Not sure how far away you sit from your stereo or whatever other devices you have to try, to be able to recommend much.
> ...



I was looking at a cable like this. However I'm only seeing three prong options and not two prong options.
https://www.amazon.com/1-Pack-FILSH...fier+power+cord+braided&qid=1606015165&sr=8-5

Well I'm not very good at describing how something sounds. But with  my stereo amp and speakers there is almost no bass. The sound is not full and warm which is the kind of sound I thought Marantz was known for. Also instrument separation seems off. Perhaps it's just not a kind of sound signature I am used to. 

With headphones it's overall pretty good but even then it's certainly not a sound signature I am used to. My previous DAC/amp setup was the Topping D70 and THX789. My headphones are the HD6XX and 58X.

I could try the DAC1 plugged directly into my Mac via USB. But I would have to move the DAC1 to the side table where my Mac is. I do not have a desk setup as I have a laptop. The DAC1 is in my TV stand and I'm using a 12 foot cable for my headphones.


----------



## pbarach

I've been using the HD-DAC1 as both headphone amp and DAC for a couple of years, I had no issues with separation or bass response. I don't know why those are problems in your system.

I switched to the THX 789 amp and used it with this DAC for a few weeks. The THX added some clarity to complex music. Then I changed the DAC to a Topping D50s, which added better imaging. It also provided a soundstage in front of me (to some extent) and improved imaging with Focal Clears, instead of a soundstage inside my head.


----------



## MacMan31

pbarach said:


> I've been using the HD-DAC1 as both headphone amp and DAC for a couple of years, I had no issues with separation or bass response. I don't know why those are problems in your system.
> 
> I switched to the THX 789 amp and used it with this DAC for a few weeks. The THX added some clarity to complex music. Then I changed the DAC to a Topping D50s, which added better imaging. It also provided a soundstage in front of me (to some extent) and improved imaging with Focal Clears, instead of a soundstage inside my head.



Maybe it's just how I am perceiving the sound. I'm using the DAC1 as a pre-amp into my Marantz PM8005 amplifier. So I adjust the volume on the DAC1 and the PM8005 is set to "power amp direct" mode. Also when using my headphones I notice a scratching sound when there is a quiet spot in the music or when no music is playing. It sound kind of like the needle going over a record while it's spinning. I'm using low gain for my headphones as that is plenty for me.


----------



## pbarach

MacMan31 said:


> Maybe it's just how I am perceiving the sound. I'm using the DAC1 as a pre-amp into my Marantz PM8005 amplifier. So I adjust the volume on the DAC1 and the PM8005 is set to "power amp direct" mode. Also when using my headphones I notice a scratching sound when there is a quiet spot in the music or when no music is playing. It sound kind of like the needle going over a record while it's spinning. I'm using low gain for my headphones as that is plenty for me.



Your setup is quite different than mine. I hear absolutely no scratching or other noises from the DAC1, either as a headphone amp (medium or high gain) or as a DAC feeding my AVR.


----------



## Livnmuskoka (Nov 22, 2020)

With optical in from the TV or using the front iOS port, it is completely silent. When trying to decide which gear to get rid of around the house, I tried running a Teac cdp650 cd player with optical output into the Dac-1 and there was a lot of static. Completely unlistenable. That cd player sounded good with RCA's but I didn't need it so my cousin has it now. Try an optical connection if you can or other ways of hooking it up. I'm sure there's a better combo than what I have out there, but I think I got lucky finding what I have and it would be a lot of time and money to improve the sound for my ears.


----------



## Smoothstereo

MacMan31 said:


> So I have tried out this DAC/amp in a couple different scenarios. Both times I am streaming music via the Bluesound Node 2i. The "downside" of the Node 2i is that it outputs audio via all output options at once. I don't need to switch between outputs. So when I had the Node 2i connected to the HD-DAC1 via coax digital and to my stereo amp via RCA I would be getting music out of both. Now I have my components connected to the HD-DAC1 digital inputs and outputting to my stereo amp via the variable audio output. I really don't like how this DAC sounds through my stereo amp. When using the headphone out it sounds good with music ripped from CDs but not as good with downloaded music from the iTunes Store. Also when I had the Node 2i connected via coax digital I would get a disconnect from my MacBook Pro and the Node 2i. I did not have that with my stereo amp when streaming via the Node 2i. In any case I may just use it strictly as a HP amp or I may just end up selling and try your way with the Topping L30 or another option like that. If I choose to keep it I was actually wondering if it's possible to buy and use an alternate power cable? The stock cable is too stiff and janky.


Did you try using the HD-DAC1's fixed output to your Integrated amp and let the integrated amp volume be the master controller? That way you don't need to fiddle around with the HD-DAC1's volume pot. I hear plenty of bass and great performance from my HD-DAC1. Mine is dead quiet with no audible noise or needle scratching sounds. 

One last thing , can your HD-DAC1 be defective?


----------



## MacMan31

Smoothstereo said:


> Did you try using the HD-DAC1's fixed output to your Integrated amp and let the integrated amp volume be the master controller? That way you don't need to fiddle around with the HD-DAC1's volume pot. I hear plenty of bass and great performance from my HD-DAC1. Mine is dead quiet with no audible noise or needle scratching sounds.
> 
> One last thing , can your HD-DAC1 be defective?



I hope it is not defective but I'm not sure if it is. Perhaps I will try it the other way with the fixed output. It just means I have another remote to deal with. I may as well just use the DAC1 separate from my stereo setup which then means I have to be hard wired to it from my MacBook Pro. That is what I am trying to avoid.


----------



## Bernard23

I've found one of these in the UK new for £569, but although the reviews are great, is it worth the extra over say a ZEN DAC + CAN stack for example? Or better off looking at something like the Audiolab M Dac?


----------



## MacMan31

Okay so I think I have found out why my music was sounding so "blah" when using headphones on the DAC1. It's because Apple has disabled the iTunes Equalizer when a user is streaming via an AirPlay 2 device. If I use the AirPlay button in iTunes to stream to my Bluesound Node 2i then the iTunes EQ is disabled. However if I select the Node 2i via the volume drop down in the menu bar then my iTunes EQ settings remain intact. It's something I did not notice before because I was always connected to my external DAC/amp setup either through USB or optical.


----------



## Bernard23

Well, I pulled the trigger as they say and have joined the HD DAC1 club. I found one new ex demo for £550 in black which will be with me tomorrow. Next challenge is to find some suitably high performing phones to mate with it all and my thoughts already are with some of the higher specced Grado units, as I suspect the smooth presentation of the Marantz should match well with the slightly exuberant behaviour of the Grado house sound.


----------



## eeagle

Bernard23 said:


> Well, I pulled the trigger as they say and have joined the HD DAC1 club. I found one new ex demo for £550 in black which will be with me tomorrow. Next challenge is to find some suitably high performing phones to mate with it all and my thoughts already are with some of the higher specced Grado units, as I suspect the smooth presentation of the Marantz should match well with the slightly exuberant behaviour of the Grado house sound.


Well if you have an interest in Grado, I would highly recommend the special edition Hemp model, I haven't heard of anyone who doesn't smile when listening to them, myself included.


----------



## Bernard23

eeagle said:


> Well if you have an interest in Grado, I would highly recommend the special edition Hemp model, I haven't heard of anyone who doesn't smile when listening to them, myself included.


They look interesting for sure. I've got limited funds until March next year, so was thinking of a pair of SR225e to kick things off. I've got some AKG 550 Mk3, LZ-A4 and some Bmasters to make do meantime.


----------



## Bernard23 (Nov 25, 2020)

A few hours later, and very impressed. It's as good as I expected / hoped for, money well spent for me. 
No hum that i can hear, the relay clicking is almost unnoticeable, it's got warm to the touch, but not hot, whatever temperature that might be!

So, I've just bought some SR325e to rock away the rest of my life, meantime it's re-booted my thinking of my LZ-A4s. Not sure I need the AKG 550 anymore....


----------



## 1-MiC

I've had the Marantz unit for about 3 1/2 weeks now, I have really enjoyed it. I paired my purchase with a Hifiman Ananda. Initially I thought the two were too smooth in the treble, but it's actually perfect. My K7XX is a little sharp in the higher frequencies, this has helped tame them to a very comfortable degree. I've done a lot of listening connected to an iPad, and recently via USB streaming Amazon HD.


----------



## 1-MiC

One thing that is unfortunate about this amp is how unpopular it is. I always root for the under dog so I enjoy having something unique, but there is never any comparisons in the threads I look Into. 
Most of what I’ve gathered tells me unless I plan on buying TOTL, or spending over $1000 on a dac, the DAC is going to hold me over for a good while.
I hope to add a ZMF Atticus or Eikon to my collection, I haven’t decided which yet. I want to see how it pairs with the marantz and I hope I don’t feel the need to buy another amp.


----------



## pbarach

I bought a Topping D50s. The DAC betters what the HD-DAC1 has, and for a lot less money than $1000. I notice considerably more clarity in complex music as compared to the Marantz.


----------



## Livnmuskoka (Dec 4, 2020)

pbarach said:


> I bought a Topping D50s. The DAC betters what the HD-DAC1 has, and for a lot less money than $1000. I notice considerably more clarity in complex music as compared to the Marantz.



I'm currently returning a Topping L30 amp that made my headphones start popping when plugging them in or unplugging. It's only 3 months old. That's all I need is a $200 amp to blow my $2,000 headphones. It's a great performing amp, but can't be well built for $200.
I won't buy a Topping product again, decided that Chi-fi isn't for me. Ordered an RME dac that should arrive soon.


----------



## pbarach

Sorry you have a bad experience with the L30, but I have had _zero_ problems with the D50s. There is a minor annoyance factor: The unit automatically shuts itself off if you turn it on and don't start sending it a digital signal within a couple of minutes, but after that it will remain on indefinitely until you turn it off.


----------



## Bernard23

pbarach said:


> I bought a Topping D50s. The DAC betters what the HD-DAC1 has, and for a lot less money than $1000. I notice considerably more clarity in complex music as compared to the Marantz.


how well does it work as a headphone amp though?


----------



## pbarach

Bernard23 said:


> how well does it work as a headphone amp though?


The D50s is a DAC and has no headphone amp. I am pairing it now with a Massdrop THX 789, and I like the clarity of this combination.


----------



## Bernard23

A week or so of ownership, it's been on and running for large periods during that time, partly to run in new headphones. I've recently acquired some Grado SR325e and today some Hemps, so they're on overnight to help burn them in. Initial impressions are favourable, but I needed to change the pads, but that's another story. Meantime the Marantz is working beautifully as a dedicated headphone amp. Mine doesn't get particularly hot, and the relay clicking isn't an irritation for me. Without measuring it, I can't in all honesty claim to able to opinion on its tonal accuracy, as after a few hours listening our hearing normalises to the new system so it presents well recorded tracks well, and those that were not, it doesn't hide the fact. If looks add value, then this thing is a bargain, it's a tactile and visual delight, which as everyone knows makes it sound better.


----------



## 1-MiC

pbarach said:


> The D50s is a DAC and has no headphone amp. I am pairing it now with a Massdrop THX 789, and I like the clarity of this combination.



That is a well reviewed dac, I'm glad you enjoy it! I do wonder how a d90 would compare to this Marantz unit. 

I think my preference would be in a r2r dac.
My needs and use case would only justify something with multiple outputs. A variable output for my monitors, a fixed output for a different head amp, is perfect for me. I enjoy that it works with my iphone and Ipod as well.
I am looking at the Audio-GD R-28 for a balanced set up, but i think adding something like the 789 would be a fine option for me.


----------



## Kaelis

I've managed to grab a used HD-DAC1 (in Silver) a few months ago. Bought a new and discounted pair of HD800S to replace my HD650 (still own it) along the way. Grand total of 1.500€. I've been running that combo for the past 6 months now. Previous gear includes Shure SRH840 and SRH940, some Fiio amps and DACs too. 
Current nomad headphones are the PCX550, had the Momentum 2 before. 

Been using the combo for gaming on my Xbox Series X (HDMI to my OLED 65C7 and TOSLINK back to the Marantz, couldn't hear the difference compared to my previous One X directly plugged via TOSLINK to the Marantz)) and music listening via Audirvana on Mac (USB). The combo sounds really great to my ears : 

- Huge and "airy" soundstage, almost feels like you're listening to real speakers and not tiny headphones transducers. Vocals fill your ears in a pleasing way and that huge space allow for easy focused listening of any part of the soundtrack.

- Very detailed sound signature, you can pick any detail ouf of the music. For gaming it allows for a great spatialization experience since I'm using Dolby Atmos for Headphones and DTS:X Headphones on my Xbox. 
Downside is that poorly compressed files can sound harsh, although 320 MP3 and 256/320 AAC sounds great.

- Overall I feel like the Marantz is a good match for the HD800S, feeding it a detailed stream that the headphones unravel masterfully. The Marantz seems to have a certain musicality, allowing the headphones to not sound overly analytical and dry. Music is enjoyable in a casual way when I need it to, I'm listening to K-Pop right now (Red Velvet - The ReVe Festival) and it sounds positively enjoyable.

- It makes the combo very versatile, you can use it for precision listening for gaming or highly-technical musical genres (metal, classical etc.) or just blast some hip-pop and enjoy without overanalyzing the sound.
Mazzy Star - "Fade Into You" sounds very natural and musical for instance. Rolling Stones - "Midnight Rambler" sounds rhythmic and fun, good impact from the drums, great details in the guitar lines and clear and powerful vocals.
Spoon - "Don't You Evah" sounds lifelike, balanced and fun. Every instrument at its place, detailed and natural.

- Bass is deep and tight, HD650 feels muddy and dark compared to HD800S on the same Marantz. Classic Hip-Hop/Rap is enjoyable on this combo, for instance Scientific - "Downlo Ho" sounds lively and deep, as does Nas - "Halftime". 
The bass at the start of Massive Attack - "Risingson" sounds deep and lively, with great extension and articulation. 
Doom Eternal OST - "Command and Control" sounds powerful with a lot of detailed bass impact. 

- The combo definitely shines on technical and fast tracks. The level of detail, the big soundstage and the speed and accuracy of transitions makes everything easy to resolve in a masterful way.  

- I love female voices on this combo, for instance Au Revoir Simone's "Somebody Who" sounds fantastic. The female singers sound so clear and eery without ever becoming lifeless/artificial or too dry. Same for "Boiling Point" on the same album, or any song from that group for that matter. 
The female voices in the Nier Automata OST sound awesome too. 

- Both items are a joy to use with great materials and timeless looks. The Marantz is intuitive and easy to use, the big round central screen is helpful and can be switched off for gaming nights. The remote is great to have.

Overall I'm very happy with this combo, especially considering the relatively low price I paid for it. Everything sounds great, detailed and musical. From gaming to music and movies, it can do it all. I won't be buying audio stuff for a while, at least for home-use.

I'm sure you can find better for more money, or maybe for the same amount, but to my ears and my budget this is a great worthy setup.


----------



## pbarach

I think the airy soundstage should be credited to the HD-800s, a strength of these headphones noted by every review I've seen.


----------



## Bernard23

The dac is a dac, the difference in tonality between headphones is far greater, the key part of the Marantz is its glorious headphone amp. I've read that it's output impedance is as high as 11 ohms, which if true, is its only obvious concern at its price point, but then this is only of real concern for some headphones, and not all. I'm a big Grado fan, and a 3:1 or so ratio is not ideal on paper but in practice a little bass lift is welcome on most of the range. It's a reliable solid piece of kit that given the build quality and choice of components should last a good lifetime. The fact its stunning to look at in a retro 70s style just adds to the experience!


----------



## ranfan (Jan 2, 2021)

I just tried the DAC1 at the store today. And was impressed at how big the soundstage was, and clear the vocals and instruments sounded. Seemingly effortless. It has an excellent presentation overall. Lovely


(Found this video related. Looks like a nice home desktop setup)

Will go to the store again this Tuesday. Hopefully buy one


----------



## pbarach

I'm selling mine (mint condition) soon. I liked it just fine until I heard how much more clarity I found in complex orchestral music with the THX Drop 789.


----------



## Livnmuskoka

Hooking up a Topping L30 to the Dac-1 gave a lower noise floor and even better clarity.
But the L30 has crap build quality and needed repair after a month.
Now I did a big upgrade to the RME adi-2 dac. I had buyer's remorse between ordering and receiving the RME and didn't think it would be much of an upgrade, if any. 
I'm glad I was very wrong. This thing sounds incredible. A tool of perfection is the best way I could describe it. And that's with none of its many adjustments yet.


----------



## pbarach (Jan 3, 2021)

I'm using a Topping D50s (no problem with build quality, but I wish the display were a little bigger). Adding it to the HD-DAC1 improved clarity. Replacing the HD-DAC1 in my headphone system with a THX Drop 789 amplifier added more clarity and better imaging; furthermore, the amp has pass-through connections so that the benefits of the D50s get passed to my AVR and speakers.


----------



## Smoothstereo

I have the HD-DAC1 and at one point, I added a Monoprice THX 887 amp to compliment it, using the Marantz as the DAC. In SE headphone out on the THX 887, it was not really better. I actually think the Marantz SE out was more of my preference. But in Balance out on the THX 887, it was a bit better. 

But I find the overall sound to be too dry, sterile, and soundstage was a bit off. The biggest thing that was missing from the THX 887, to me was the soul of the music. Even with the extra power and clarity, it didn't do it for me. I ended returning the THX 887. 

I have had good results pairing the Vali2 tube hybrid amp with the HD-DAC1. The combo is so good, I am planning to pair the much nicer Mjolnir2 to the HD-DAC1. Hopefully it will not disappoint.


----------



## osdu

I am also soul searching... because currently I own a small s.m.s.l. su-8 with an arcam rhead over some long balanced cables and with hd660s... It’s way too raspy, unmusical, dry and analytical for me. There is good resolution and imaging, but separation, rhythm/timing/musicality/smoothness is worse than my cheap Cyrus sound key, or even a MacBook Air for that matter. 

Admittedly I mainly use an optical connection out from my tv which is absolute garbage in terms of jitter, so it will be interesting for me to test how well the marantz can handle the jitter (which I saw is advertised with a jitter remover inbuilt!!!) - compared to my hifiberry dac+ dsp which acts as a jitter remover in between my tv and su-8. Yes, the sU-8 is very jitter sensitive and absolutely needs the hifiberry (Raspberry pi hat) to help it - it works perfectly well btw and also adds custom eq and audio delays (mainly got it for the poor lip sync delays with my Philips android tv, plus it’s got room corrections in the hifiberry software...). 

I also use the hifiberry dsp to warm up the sound from my tv for the su-8... which it does very well! But unfortunately the smoothness/richness and separation (even with dual ess 9038q2m chips) in the su-8 is not good enough. I suspect the extra compact power supplies and class d amplifier output stages in chi-fi dacs are to blame for this - you may think you get an amazing deal with the cost advantages Shenzen Audio have over everyone else... but I will see if my incoming denafrips (apparently the best of chi-fi) - can make up for my cheap little smsl.

On Friday I will receive the marantz hd-dac1 and also a denafrips ares 2 and will compare the three dacs! I will use the denafrips and arcam rhead for headphones and the marantz will feed my yamaha a-s500.


----------



## AndyBrechin

I have an HD-DAC1 which I think is excellent, but the display has stopped working, it is blank.  Sure, I occasionally used to toggle through the Dimmer settings but now it is blank and stays blank.  I would say the remote still works as it operates the other functions OK and acts as if it is toggling through the various Display Dim settings. 
I guess it is a dot matrix display rather than a bulb replacement, so the question is:
Is there a factory reset routine I can apply, remembering I have no display to keep me right. 
Is there firmware I can re-apply somehow? 
Thanks folks.


----------



## 1-MiC

osdu said:


> I am also soul searching... because currently I own a small s.m.s.l. su-8 with an arcam rhead over some long balanced cables and with hd660s... It’s way too raspy, unmusical, dry and analytical for me. There is good resolution and imaging, but separation, rhythm/timing/musicality/smoothness is worse than my cheap Cyrus sound key, or even a MacBook Air for that matter.
> 
> Admittedly I mainly use an optical connection out from my tv which is absolute garbage in terms of jitter, so it will be interesting for me to test how well the marantz can handle the jitter (which I saw is advertised with a jitter remover inbuilt!!!) - compared to my hifiberry dac+ dsp which acts as a jitter remover in between my tv and su-8. Yes, the sU-8 is very jitter sensitive and absolutely needs the hifiberry (Raspberry pi hat) to help it - it works perfectly well btw and also adds custom eq and audio delays (mainly got it for the poor lip sync delays with my Philips android tv, plus it’s got room corrections in the hifiberry software...).
> 
> ...



I look forward to your comparison. I am considering a su-9 for a balanced set up, to give myself 2 setups to use in different rooms. 

Just today my balanced cables came in so i'm going to be comparing the SE amp of the Marantz vs the Liquid Carbon X balanced amp. Initial impressions are... not much of a difference!


----------



## jamescodway

Returning to this thread to vouch for the following chain 
Amazon HD > iPhone 6S > HD-DAC1 USB B (on the back) > Low Gain > Shure SRH 940 (with 1540 pads).

I have had all this gear (apart from the pads) for years but never quite connected it like this before (somehow I used to prefer the front iDevice input!).

I have other good DACs, amps and cans  but this is pretty much the best combination I have heard. The HD800s should also sound great.

Best
James


----------



## Smoothstereo

jamescodway said:


> Returning to this thread to vouch for the following chain
> Amazon HD > iPhone 6S > HD-DAC1 USB B (on the back) > Low Gain > Shure SRH 940 (with 1540 pads).
> 
> I have had all this gear (apart from the pads) for years but never quite connected it like this before (somehow I used to prefer the front iDevice input!).
> ...


I totally agree with you. The front panel usb input for Apple devices or thumb drive is not as good as the back usb input. I use a Samsung S7 edge or S10+ with an Audioquest Jitterbug and Carbon usb cable running UAPP audio app upsampled to 176 khz off my ripped CD wav file into the HD-DAC1 and its so much better. Takes it to another level.


----------



## jamescodway

Smoothstereo said:


> with an Audioquest Jitterbug and Carbon usb cable



Forgot, yes the jitterbug too! With a decent short USB cable, I have been quite amazed at the overall quality. 😊.


----------



## Sorbus

I haven't noticed any quality differences between front and back USB ports 🤷‍♂️


----------



## Bernard23

Sorbus said:


> I haven't noticed any quality differences between front and back USB ports 🤷‍♂️


Have you installed the Marantz asio drivers? If you're streaming into the rear without them it will sound pretty poor.


----------



## 1-MiC

I was using the front port with an ipod, it seems to congest things just a bit. I really didn't notice until it was brought up. It wouldn't stop me from using it by any means. Still better than my Dragonfly Red.


I purchased a Liquid Carbon X to compare against, as mentioned previously, and I have to admit, they sound VERY close. I could not pass a blind test. The LCX has a little bit more warmth and weight to it in the lowest frequencies. In bass heavy music, r&b, rap, metal, it's a little easier to distinguish which one I'm listening to. The sub bass is more in quantity and is always the give away.
Listening to "God is Good" by OM , "Adorn" by Miguel, I prefer the LCX.

Listening to some Jazz, vocal music, pop, I have a hard time remembering which one I'm plugged into. The Marantz has a smoother treble presentation by such a small amount that I have a hard time describing this. Is it rolled off? Is there a technical word for it? It is a much smaller difference than the one in the bass, which is already pretty small. The soundstage is just a tad better with the Marantz.
Listening to "We Were Raised Under Grey Skies" by JP Cooper,  "Sunset in the Blue" by Melody Gardot, I prefer the Marantz.

On certain songs, some genres even, the differences are indistinguishable. As you can see from the pic below, volume matched, both units on high gain, the dials are nearly in the same position. 

To me, this speaks to the quality of the Marantz headphone amp! The Cavalli Audio Liquid Carbon sold for $599 originally. I'm falling more and more in love with this unit!


----------



## jamescodway

Sorbus said:


> I haven't noticed any quality differences between front and back USB ports 🤷‍♂️


I’ve owned this unit for over 5 years and it took a ‘new’ combination last week to hear the difference. It is significant in all aspects. No going back. CCK & charger now required!


----------



## pbarach

I got more orchestral detail in complex passages and improved imaging when I switched from the HD-DAC1 to a Drop THX-789 + Topping D50s. I still think the HD-DAC1 was a bargain even at its original MSRP.


----------



## milkdudd

pbarach said:


> I got more orchestral detail in complex passages and improved imaging when I switched from the HD-DAC1 to a Drop THX-789 + Topping D50s. I still think the HD-DAC1 was a bargain even at its original MSRP.


I have had the HD-DAC1 for a couple of years now. I've been using it mostly as a DAC in my stereo listening room and have been extremely happy with it. In the last week I bought some new headphones and have now realized just how good of a headphone amp it is also. Just wondering if any of you guys that have this can suggest something that will sound about is good when I'm out and about. Either a DAP or a DAC/headphone amp that is small and light enough to carry in a fanny pack. I already have the Chord mojo and it has served me well but I'm looking for something that's a significant step up. So far I'm leaning towards a HiBy R6 2020 if I go DAP and an iFi idsd signature if I go with a separate DAC/amp. Anyone have any experience with either of these and how they would compare with the HD-DAC1 for sound quality? Or maybe suggest something else? Thanks in advance


----------



## gritzo

HI all , does anyone have a suggestion on how to hook up a Shiit LOKI eq to the Marantz? im a little confused on how i would go about setting this up seeing the LOKI only has 
analog in and out.


----------



## milkdudd

gritzo said:


> HI all , does anyone have a suggestion on how to hook up a Shiit LOKI eq to the Marantz? im a little confused on how i would go about setting this up seeing the LOKI only has
> analog in and out.


The only way I see possible is if you use just the DAC of the marantz and run the analog output from it into the analog input of this. Then you would have to run the analog output of the Loki into a different headphone amp that has an analog input. If I'm wrong that would make me full of Schiit. If I'm right, and you don't wish to buy another amplifier, I think you're up Schiit's creek. Also note there is a C in the name of the company. Curious how this works out it seems like a cool device. Good luck


----------



## gritzo (Jan 26, 2021)

milkdudd said:


> The only way I see possible is if you use just the DAC of the marantz and run the analog output from it into the analog input of this. Then you would have to run the analog output of the Loki into a different headphone amp that has an analog input. If I'm wrong that would make me full of Schiit. If I'm right, and you don't wish to buy another amplifier, I think you're up Schiit's creek. Also note there is a C in the name of the company. Curious how this works out it seems like a cool device. Good luck



Just contacted SCHIIT!( got it right this time. ) Just like you said , they basically told me that i need a paddle to go with my canoe..

Since this is an intergrated amp design , i would need an external source.


----------



## milkdudd

gritzo said:


> Just contacted SCHIIT!( got it right this time. ) Just like you said , they basically told me that i need a paddle to go with my canoe..
> 
> Since this is an intergrated amp design , i would need an external source.


Don't despair too bad. Depending on what you are using as a source there are several EQ apps that people seem to like. If you already have the Loki it's still a bummer though


----------



## 1-MiC (Jan 27, 2021)

Well if you find a portable with the SQ of the Marantz, do tell! I use a dragonfly red but it's not as good, also different sound sig, a little brighter and closed in.

I also plan to move my Marantz downstairs to use in a stereo system, I'm just hoping to find a DAC that has a warmer and wide sound stage as the Marantz does. Makes it hard to pull the trigger on a new unit knowing I might be dissapointed.


----------



## jamescodway

1-MiC said:


> Well if you find a portable with the SQ of the Marantz, do tell! I use a dragonfly red but it's not as good, also different sound sig, a little brighter and closed in.
> 
> I also plan to move my Marantz downstairs to use in a stereo system, I'm just hoping to find a DAC that has a warmer and wide sound stage as the Marantz does. Makes it hard to pull the trigger on a new unit knowing I might be dissapointed.


I move it between upstairs and downstairs a few times a week!


----------



## Bernard23

I did a comparison between the Marantz and my dacmagic XS. Easy to distinguish them on my Grado 325e and Hemps but closer than you'd think. As much as I love the Marantz, I do wonder if it's the same magnitude of aural improvement as the increase in cost is. It most likely isn't, but this is the world of consumer audio where almost anything goes....


----------



## milkdudd

As we know the Marantz HD-DAC1 doesn't have any analog inputs except the auxiliary for phone or iPod. Stupid or not, I connected my sacd player to this input with an RCA to mini stereo jack cable. I knew the voltage coming in would probably be a mismatch but since it's all analog I didn't think I could damage anything. It actually sounds okay except for a crackling sound which I assume is because the voltage coming in is too high. The manual for my sacd player says it outputs two volts at the RCA's. Other than voltage issues it should work shouldn't it? I mean analog is analog correct? I know connecting this way isn't ideal but it's the only way I can think of to listen to my sacd's on my headphone amplifier. For those of you that know a lot more about this than me, do you suggest I use attenuators with the RC interconnects? If the answer is yes, how many decibel reduction should I shoot for? Attenuators don't cost a whole lot but I'd still like to buy the right ones the first time. Thanks in advance


----------



## pbarach

Does your SACD player have a coaxial output? Just connect that to the HD=DAC1.


----------



## milkdudd

pbarach said:


> Does your SACD player have a coaxial output? Just connect that to the HD=DAC1.


Thanks for your reply. It does have coaxial and optical out but when sacd first came out there was an agreement they couldn't put out the high res signal through digital due to worries of people copying the music without paying. I don't really get it either. I guess the same reason you can't rip sacd to create digital files. The way I understand you can hook it up that way but it will downsample the signal to standard resolution. But your comments got me doing more research and it seems certain Denon players can play in full resolution. My player is the 100th anniversary sacd player. And someone also said that even after down sampling it's still higher quality than a regular sacd. With all this said I'm going to hook it up that way and see what I get


----------



## milkdudd

I just read on another forum that the auxiliary input of the HD-DAC1 converts analog to digital, processes it and then converts it back to analog again. That sounds far from ideal to me. So now my question is does the auxiliary input give relatively poor quality sound no matter what you run through it? if that's the case I'll just give up on the SACD idea entirely. Thanks in advance again

By the way the coax digital input of the HD-DAC1 does not accept the signal from the SACD player unless you set it to play the regular CD layer


----------



## pbarach

Several models of universal players (including most of the Oppo models) can rip SACDs to full-resolution DSF files on a computer. What SACD player do you have?


----------



## milkdudd

pbarach said:


> Several models of universal players (including most of the Oppo models) can rip SACDs to full-resolution DSF files on a computer. What SACD player do you have?


It's a Denon DCD-A100. It's the 100th anniversary edition. For years I have understood that only the early firmware version of the PlayStation 3 could rip CDs to digital files. But once in a while I hear of people talking about listening to rips from SACD but I don't know how they are doing it. I have a PS3 and had I known at the time I would have never gone to newer firmware since I think it's impossible to roll back to an earlier version. If I could rip my SACD's I would lose interest in even hooking the player up in the first place. Thanks again


----------



## Smoothstereo

milkdudd said:


> It's a Denon DCD-A100. It's the 100th anniversary edition. For years I have understood that only the early firmware version of the PlayStation 3 could rip CDs to digital files. But once in a while I hear of people talking about listening to rips from SACD but I don't know how they are doing it. I have a PS3 and had I known at the time I would have never gone to newer firmware since I think it's impossible to roll back to an earlier version. If I could rip my SACD's I would lose interest in even hooking the player up in the first place. Thanks again


Back in the day, I have also read somewhere that the Marantz 3.5mm analog input converts to digital then uses its internal dac to decode back to analog and output to headphone. But when I asked Marantz support team, they said that's not true. Any signal fed into the analog 3.5mm input stays in analog form and gets amplified out to the headphone jack. This was a long while aog when I asked them this question. You can check with them to make sure.

In regards to your question about listening to the SACD layer from your Denon Player, and using Marantz as a headphone amp, the only way is thru the 3.5mm analog input. But the input is way too sensitive  so the signal coming from the Denon will be too high causing occasional clipping.

You can either try the right value resistive RCA plugs that will decrease the signal level going into the Marantz or you can try a volume switch like a Schiit Sys. This will work lile a preamp in bwtween your Denon player and Marantz.


----------



## milkdudd

Thanks for your response. I definitely will need to attenuate the signal from my SACD player RCA outputs to the 3.5 analog input of my dac/amp. The specifications of my sacd player and dac/amp are as follows:

Denon DCD-A100 SACD player output:
2.0V / 10Kohms

Marantz HD-DAC1 input sensitivity / impedance:
200MV rms / 22Kohms

Can any of you guys who know a lot more about this stuff than I ever will tell how many decibels of attenuation I would need? Thanks in advance


----------



## Bernard23

Livnmuskoka said:


> Hooking up a Topping L30 to the Dac-1 gave a lower noise floor and even better clarity.
> But the L30 has crap build quality and needed repair after a month.
> Now I did a big upgrade to the RME adi-2 dac. I had buyer's remorse between ordering and receiving the RME and didn't think it would be much of an upgrade, if any.
> I'm glad I was very wrong. This thing sounds incredible. A tool of perfection is the best way I could describe it. And that's with none of its many adjustments yet.


Are you using the Marantz headphone amp section?


----------



## Bernard23 (Feb 10, 2021)

What would be a noticeable upgrade over the Marantz unit, either integrated, or as separates. The RME is an obvious DAC, there was another that I'm sure was mentioned in this thread but cannot find it; also need to consider the headphone amp section.

EDIT: Found it, SMSL SU-9


----------



## milkdudd

Bernard23 said:


> What would be a noticeable upgrade over the Marantz unit, either integrated, or as separates. The RME is an obvious DAC, there was another that I'm sure was mentioned in this thread but cannot find it; also need to consider the headphone amp section.


So far I'm still using the Marantz headphone amp but a lot of people speak highly of the Headamp GS-X Mini. I think some even mentioned that it pairs great with the RME dac. It's American made in relatively low quantities and comes in a wide variety of anodized colors, with both gloss and matte finishes offered. Two different styles of volume controls are offered also


----------



## Bernard23

milkdudd said:


> So far I'm still using the Marantz headphone amp but a lot of people speak highly of the Headamp GS-X Mini. I think some even mentioned that it pairs great with the RME dac. It's American made in relatively low quantities and comes in a wide variety of anodized colors, with both gloss and matte finishes offered. Two different styles of volume controls are offered also


I saw your comments in the dedicated thread. Have you ordered one? I'm not entirley clear which part of the marantz is best upgraded, the DAC or the amp. Seems as is always the case I'd need to spend around 3x the ££ for he Marantz to get a worthwhile improvement. I really don't want to fall back into the trap of hyperbolic confirmation bias that so many posters are gifted towards. I'm using mid range Grados, and not about upgrade them any time soon, I can't see anything under £1k that is a worthwhile (as not marginal) improvement!


----------



## Bernard23

Not sure if this is actually in stock, probably not, but worth checking out for the insane price:

https://www.hyperfi.co.uk/hifi-separates/marantz-hddac1-headphone-amplifier-hd-dac1-silver-gold


----------



## milkdudd (Feb 10, 2021)

Bernard23 said:


> I saw your comments in the dedicated thread. Have you ordered one? I'm not entirley clear which part of the marantz is best upgraded, the DAC or the amp. Seems as is always the case I'd need to spend around 3x the ££ for he Marantz to get a worthwhile improvement. I really don't want to fall back into the trap of hyperbolic confirmation bias that so many posters are gifted towards. I'm using mid range Grados, and not about upgrade them any time soon, I can't see anything under £1k that is a worthwhile (as not marginal) improvement!


No I haven't purchased the Headamp. I'm actually really happy with the Marantz, that's why I'm going to such effort to try and get that 3.5 analog input to work for my SACD player. I also use the Marantz as a preamp to my home stereo. I'm getting phenomenal sound out of that. I'm starting to think the Marantz is highly underrated. I'm the same as you, I don't want to pay big money to get something that isn't any better and might not even be as good. With that said the comments I do hear is that the Marantz is better at being a dac then as a headphone amp. If you look a few posts up a forum member mentioned that Marantz told him the 3.5 analog input remains analog throughout the signal path. I think the rumor that it converted to digital and then back to analog might have been someone mistaking it for the Oppo headphone amp, the HA-1. I have a volume attenuator ordered that should arrive today or tomorrow so once and for all I can find out if the Marantz will take the analog from my SACD player. If that works out well the Marantz will be doing everything I want it to and I probably will be out of the headphone amp shopping market for a while. If it doesn't work out well, I will probably be looking at that Headamp amp to use with my Marantz as the dac, or the RME dac/amp combo


----------



## Bernard23 (Feb 10, 2021)

milkdudd said:


> No I haven't purchased the Headamp. I'm actually really happy with the Marantz, that's why I'm going to such effort to try and get that 3.5 analog input to work for my SACD player. I also use the Marantz as a preamp to my home stereo. I'm getting phenomenal sound out of that. I'm starting to think the Marantz is highly underrated. I'm the same as you, I don't want to pay big money to get something that isn't any better and might not even be as good. With that said the comments I do hear is that the Marantz is better at being a dac then as a headphone amp. If you look a few posts up a forum member mentioned that Marantz told him the 3.5 analog input remains analog throughout the signal path. I think the rumor that it converted to digital and then back to analog might have been someone mistaking it for the Oppo headphone amp, the HA-1. I have a volume attenuator ordered that should arrive today or tomorrow so once and for all I can find out if the Marantz will take the analog from my SACD player. If that works out well the Marantz will be doing everything I want it to and I probably will be out of the headphone amp shopping market for a while. If it doesn't work out well, I will probably be looking at that Headamp amp to use with my Marantz as the dac, or the RME dac/amp combo


Yes I read that, but I'd be very surprised if it did an A/D/A conversion, that makes little sense unless you're adding pre-amp functions like DSP. The only concern I have with it is that the output impedance is quite high at 11 ohms or so, and I've got 38 ohm Grados so the DF is ot ideal, though probably a non issue in reality.
Interestingly, having read everything I could about it before and after buying it, I got the impression that the amp is the star part of the device, which to me made sense, as most DACs are pretty competent, so long as the filtering is executed cleanly with half decent components it shouldn't influence the SQ much, hence you don't realy get much improvement for your £££ with them.


----------



## milkdudd

Bernard23 said:


> Yes I read that, but I'd be very surprised if it did an A/D/A conversion, that makes little sense unless you're adding pre-amp functions like DSP. The only concern I have with it is that the output impedance is quite high at 11 ohms or so, and I've got 38 ohm Grados so the DF is ot ideal, though probably a non issue in reality.
> Interestingly, having read everything I could about it before and after buying it, I got the impression that the amp is the star part of the device, which to me made sense, as most DACs are pretty competent, so long as the filtering is executed cleanly with half decent components it shouldn't influence the SQ much, hence you don't realy get much improvement for your £££ with them.


All points you make are well taken with me. I hope when I mentioned the quality of the headphone amp it was clear I was quoting others, as I think it's quite good. Actually for the first few years I really only used it as a dac to feed files from my Android phone to my home stereo. And even then with fixed output. Only within the last week I've started using the variable output so I'm using it as a preamp now too. Spectacular results this way. Recently I've been using the headphone amp a lot more. I'm thinking the headphone amp needs a couple hundred hours of use before it hits full stride. Maybe those who are not happy with it never really gave it a full chance. Anyway I know with any potential upgrade I'm only going to buy devices that offer a good refund policy. Like you, I think there's a chance to spend been big bucks and not notice better sound quality


----------



## Smoothstereo

For what it's worth, I have looked at and purchased dedicated headphone amps to pair with my Marantz HD-DAC1 being used as dac only, and to my ears, tastes, and my mid level gear, the differences are not night and day.

I briefly owned THX 887 and Mjolnir2, and own the Vali2 and Jotunheim 2. Complimenting these amps to the Marantz did not greatly improve the performance. The Marantz using its dac and amp was in most cases the same to my ears and in some cases, I preferred the Marantz unit.

Just using SE hp out for my comparison, I preferred the Marantz over the THX887, because the THX887 was too dry, clinical, and lacking some soul, maybe warmth is the word. For MJ2, it was very close, like splitting hairs close, so I call this one a tie. But keep in mind the MJ2, is $850 and add another $100 to $300 for nice to really nice tubes, we are easily looking at over $1100.

For Vali2, I will call this a tie with a caveat. My Vali2 has the dual 6J5G tubes that really make them sing. For brighter and neutral hps, I like to use the Vali2 as the amp instead of the Marantz amp section. But for warmer, darker hps, I prefer the Marantz amp section.

For Jot2, its still pretty new for me, will need more time to see how it fairs.

For BAL hp output comparison, even though it's not fair since Marantz is only SE, the MJ2 is a bit better in terms of blacker background and instrument separation, and that sense of ease due to its high power amp. But again, you need to pay up to squeeze that difference.

BAL for THX887, same thing it is better at blacker background and better separation of instruments, but it comes with the dry clinical , souless presentation that I didn't like. Its the reason why I returned it.

To me, if you don't care for BAL hp out, and want simple all in one, the Marantz is really good. If you like to stick with SE, complimenting it with a tube or tube hybrid amp is a good alternative. The Vali2 , Lyr3, or other affordable Chifi tube amps is something to consider and won't break the bank.


----------



## milkdudd

Smoothstereo said:


> For what it's worth, I have looked at and purchased dedicated headphone amps to pair with my Marantz HD-DAC1 being used as dac only, and to my ears, tastes, and my mid level gear, the differences are not night and day.
> 
> I briefly owned THX 887 and Mjolnir2, and own the Vali2 and Jotunheim 2. Complimenting these amps to the Marantz did not greatly improve the performance. The Marantz using its dac and amp was in most cases the same to my ears and in some cases, I preferred the Marantz unit.
> 
> ...


Thanks, a lot of great information. One of the reasons I'm considering the Headamp GS-X is that it has a balanced headphone out and has the analog in with preamp function. Actually they claim single ended input and balanced output which I didn't know for sure was even possible. Not sure if it's as good as a fully balanced input and output amp. If I went with this I guess I would use the fixed output from the Marantz dac and use the Headamp as a preamp to my room stereo. And have the option of balanced or single ended listening of headphones. Plus they have a 30-day return policy without any restocking fee the way I understand it. Their website says they rarely receive any returns of it, which I tend to believe. Just nice knowing that option is there if I needed it. At $1,800 to $2,000 depending on which volume control, talk about being careful not to scratch it for the first 30 days! Of course I'd be pretty careful not to scratch it even after I know I would be keeping it


----------



## Bernard23

2k is 4+ years of tidal, a years worth of beer, maybe, and and we all know how beer makes music taste so much better! This is my guiding principle, it would have to be so much better in more than one way to justify that investment


----------



## 1-MiC (Feb 12, 2021)

Hey Bernard, I can see we are in the same boat.

Want: a DAC with MQA to take advantage of Tidal.
But if that dac is not better, well, that would be a waste!

Truth is to find a dac with MQA, that sounds as good or better, that has even some of the features the marantz has, its gonna cost alot of money!

I'd be willing to bet something like a SU-9 / D70s /  M500 would simply be close, maybe trade some blows. But a clear upgrade? i really doubt it. A different flavor? yeah some of the new amps are described as very neutral.


----------



## JHern

I've had the Marantz HD-DAC1 on my desk since 2014. It is a lovely little device, provided you know what it is intended to be, and to do...and what it is not intended to be, and to not do. This isn't meant as a be-all end-all reference HP amp, nor is it even a be-all end-all DAC. And it is an order of magnitude cheaper than an equivalent function set of reference separates would cost. What you get is Marantz engineering that nicely pairs its various components to produce a relatively transparent and neutral sound.

Like the name implies, it is primarily a DAC, the HP amp section is secondary but well-enough done. Don't expect much in terms of analog inputs, this is made for digital input. Nobody expects a reference DAC to have balanced XLR analog inputs, and this is no exception. That isn't what it is made to do.

Computer-driven, as intended, the HD-DAC1 is good enough to show a good deal of sensitivity and transparency to the source. Imaging is good, you can locate instruments, hear fingers slipping on strings, etc.. Lower quality MP3, MPEG, AAC, etc., are annoying to listen to, the HD-DAC1 reveals all their flaws, especially in the highs. Somehow Audirvana Plus has a great synergy with the HD-DAC1 and really makes this unit shine, with CD quality AIFF files I get a very pleasant listening experience and I don't really yearn for something better.

I also do voice recording with a Focusrite Clarett audio interface and mix with Adobe Audition, and playback with HD-DAC1 as a monitoring setup easily reveals all the acoustic flaws of my room and unintended sounds of my mouth. Marantz says the HD-DAC1 works optimally at 192 kHz, and unlike my music library I often work at 192 kHz with my own recordings. I also have a portable recorder that produces up to 192 kHz WAV files with low noise floor (it also records native DSD). With the portable recorder WAV files played through the optical input of the HD-DAC1 sound great, DSD is sublime, but I can't really tell whether this has more to do with the recorder vs the HD-DAC1 since I don't have any DSD music files to compare with my AIFF files as a reference for comparison.

As far as headphone pairings, it has plenty of power to drive anything in my experience, and the pot is clean. The HD-DAC1 lets the cans speak for themselves. Warm cans sound warm. Neutral cans sound neutral. Bright cans sound bright. And so on. I like this behavior, and in this sense at least, the "Marantz flavor" doesn't impose itself so strongly where the rubber meets the road.

The annoying thing is that Marantz makes 2 other "HD-" boxes that look very similar to this one, but they have a lot of redundancies, and it isn't clear that any of them are meant to pair together as a system. There is a Marantz HD-CD1, a CD player (but little/no SACD or DSD functionality as far as I can tell) with its own DAC section...so not much need to pair with the DAC section in the HD-DAC1. And then there is a HD-AMP1, a modest integrated that powers loudspeakers, has a headphone amp and...also has the same DAC, so no need to pair it with the HD-DAC1, either. As far as I can tell, the DACs in all of these are the same ESS Sabre chips. So I have to say that I really don't get what they were trying to do with this line...if I were the boss of Marantz, I would have a HD-CD1 that has full DSD and SACD functionality with the reference DAC, digital inputs, etc., and output to balanced XLR...there would be a HD-PRE1 that was a pre-amp (maybe with a headphone section) with balanced ins/outs, and then the HD-AMP1 would be just a couple of modest mono blocks in a box. Heck, one could add a HD-REC1 turntable to the ecosystem along with a balanced output to a phono section in the HD-PRE1. Anyways...I digress.

The HD-DAC1 is good stuff. One day I might send the fixed out to an integrated amp and loudspeakers, but I haven't done that yet. In that role, it could serve as a decent DAC...but since everything is all wrapped up in a nice tidy self-contained package to sit on my desk as a HP DAC-AMP, I'm happy to keep it there. I've noticed that used prices on HD-DAC1 have fallen quite a lot...if you can get one for $500 USD or less, I think it is a very good deal.


----------



## Bernard23

Interested to hear your experience of audirvana. I tried it for 2 weeks, using tidal, qobuz and musicbee as a source. I tried every filter setting extensively, and found no distinct improvements, so I decided not to take out a sub.


----------



## pbarach

I did a trial of JRiver Media Center and found it was difficult to use and set up to my preferences when accessing my networked audio files. I deleted it. Now I simply access the shared files and play them via Foobar (and an ASIO sound driver) through my DAC.


----------



## Bernard23

I used JRiver for years, but eventually tired of the constant upgrades, and the bolshy attitude of the devs, but it had some great features. Musicbee is free, and nothing like as slick, but it sounds great, can set up the output driver correctly, and has a built in DSP


----------



## Smoothstereo

JHern said:


> I've had the Marantz HD-DAC1 on my desk since 2014. It is a lovely little device, provided you know what it is intended to be, and to do...and what it is not intended to be, and to not do. This isn't meant as a be-all end-all reference HP amp, nor is it even a be-all end-all DAC. And it is an order of magnitude cheaper than an equivalent function set of reference separates would cost. What you get is Marantz engineering that nicely pairs its various components to produce a relatively transparent and neutral sound.
> 
> Like the name implies, it is primarily a DAC, the HP amp section is secondary but well-enough done. Don't expect much in terms of analog inputs, this is made for digital input. Nobody expects a reference DAC to have balanced XLR analog inputs, and this is no exception. That isn't what it is made to do.
> 
> ...


I agree with mostly what you said. It is a great combo unit and does its job as intended. As I have posted here, I have compared the amp section of the Marantz to other dedicated separate amps, some being way more powerful , but at the end the Marantz was not embarrassed at all, in some occasions it sounds more right to my ears and tastes. It shows how much thought and performance the Marantz engineers were able to put in. Also to clarify, the HD-DAC1 uses Cirrus Logic's CS4398 dac chip which is a hybrid Multibit and Delta Sigma type. The other HD-CD1 unit from Marantz also uses the CS4398, while the HD-AMP1 uses the ESS Sabre dac chip.

I will be testing out the dac portion of the unit vs my incoming Bifrost2 to see where it stands.


----------



## JHern

Smoothstereo said:


> Also to clarify, the HD-DAC1 uses Cirrus Logic's CS4398 dac chip which is a hybrid Multibit and Delta Sigma type. The other HD-CD1 unit from Marantz also uses the CS4398, while the HD-AMP1 uses the ESS Sabre dac chip.



Thanks for the correction! After learning my mistake, I've done a bit more reading on the HD-AMP1 today, and it seems to have many differences in architecture. As such, I wouldn't expect it to be very similar to the HD-DAC1. I've never listened to the HD-AMP1, which also has a dedicated headphone amp (different than the HD-DAC1 amp)...I'm curious if anyone had a chance to compare both? It seems unlikely that one would own both, given their huge redundancies in terms of function.


----------



## JHern

Bernard23 said:


> Interested to hear your experience of audirvana. I tried it for 2 weeks, using tidal, qobuz and musicbee as a source. I tried every filter setting extensively, and found no distinct improvements, so I decided not to take out a sub.



For sure, it depends on what you're comparing it with, and also the music, headphones, and other particularities. It could be that you already have a great source for your listening setup and don't need the improvement that I find. My comparison is with basic iTunes playback, but from the same files, through the same HD-DAC1 and cans, on a MBP 2017 (15" with touch bar). My usual headphones are closed back Audio-Technica ATH-900X, which are "bass guitar warm." I don't have anything particularly fancy set on my currently installed version of Audirvana Plus (3.2.20). I do use integer mode, and it works nicely with the HD-DAC1. I've played with upsampling and other tweaks but I didn't notice anything different in sound character and some settings can screw up the HD-DAC1 reception (giving "unsupported" errors and such).

The biggest audio difference for me (Audirvana Plus vs iTunes) is in the highs, and the sense of greater articulation (which leads to better imaging and separation), particularly for rock, jazz, and metal. I can more clearly hear the fingers moving on guitar strings, the growl of bass strings buzzing against frets (even with distorted guitar tracks on top), the sound of the stick hitting a cymbal, etc.. Are these things in the non-Audirvana experience? Sure, but I have to try harder to hear them, they aren't as "there" to my ears. And when I switch to iTunes it just sounds flatter and less open.

In any case, you could try again with the latest version of Audirvana Plus, but maybe your musical tastes, headphones, and other factors won't give you much improvement.


----------



## Bernard23 (Feb 16, 2021)

Anyone comes across this?:

https://redhillaudio.co.uk/marantz-hd-dac-1-upgrade-stage-1

EDIT: no need to answer that, based on this small feedback alone I think I'd avoid:

https://www.cylex-uk.co.uk/company-reviews/red-hill-audio_19339170.html


----------



## milkdudd (Feb 16, 2021)

Talk about negative customer feedback! Holy Mackerel, this Redhill Audio takes it to a whole new level


----------



## Bernard23

A quick browse of other forums is a bit more balanced, but not much.


----------



## Bernard23

Back on topic, I'm using my Marantz via USB 3.0 and the Marantz drivers, however I found some old optical cables, and my laptop that i sometimes use with the Marantz has an optical sp/dif output, which I used before the DAC manufacturers got async USB mode sorted out. I've lost the 3.5mm jack adapters, but before I buy a replacement though I'd ask if anyone uses the optical connection? How does it compare, and does it remove that very low background hum?


----------



## milkdudd

Bernard23 said:


> Back on topic, I'm using my Marantz via USB 3.0 and the Marantz drivers, however I found some old optical cables, and my laptop that i sometimes use with the Marantz has an optical sp/dif output, which I used before the DAC manufacturers got async USB mode sorted out. I've lost the 3.5mm jack adapters, but before I buy a replacement though I'd ask if anyone uses the optical connection? How does it compare, and does it remove that very low background hum?


I use optical to connect my audio engine B1 Bluetooth device. I can't tell you sound quality exactly because the Bluetooth already loses some compared to my USB direct connection. I can tell you it functions without fail is it should. I think you should check what sampling rates are supported over optical if you listen to high res


----------



## Bernard23

Good point on sample rate. Highest is 96k from tidal, which from memory is OK over optical.


----------



## milkdudd

Bernard23 said:


> Good point on sample rate. Highest is 96k from tidal, which from memory is OK over optical.


I looked at the manual and 192/24 is the max for all three digital inputs


----------



## Bernard23 (Feb 18, 2021)

Well, here's a thing. I expected the optical in to be inferior to USB, since latter has been well implemented by most manufacturers with their own drivers, and certainly in the past with my CA dacmagic plus that was the case, but I swear that the Marantz via optical is more detailed, and has a fuller bass presentation. Of course, it could be entirely down to my laptop that simply works better in this config, but I don't know enough about W10 architecture to understand why that be.

EDIT: a bit more time, an connecting both up so I can quickly switch between the two, and probably no difference that I could reliably detect. Both sounds great 

On a slightly different topic, I noticed that my unit runs cooler than it did when I first got it, unless that's because I'm listening louder and any class A circuits have less drain heat to dissipate.


----------



## milkdudd (Feb 18, 2021)

Bernard23 said:


> Well, here's a thing. I expected the optical in to be inferior to USB, since latter has been well implemented by most manufacturers with their own drivers, and certainly in the past with my CA dacmagic plus that was the case, but I swear that the Marantz via optical is more detailed, and has a fuller bass presentation. Of course, it could be entirely down to my laptop that simply works better in this config, but I don't know enough about W10 architecture to understand why that be.


Curious if you have the ability to connect with a USB on the go cable using an Android device as your source. That's what I'm doing and to me the results are spectacular. Right or wrong I've always considered it better to use a source that's not plugged into the wall when possible. Do you keep your laptop plugged in while listening? If yes, curious if unplugging it and running it from the battery would improve sound quality. Probably not but it's an easy test. Also, while I know probably half of those on this form will disagree with me, I'm convinced the quality of cables, even digital cables makes a difference. What kind of USB cable are you using?


----------



## Bernard23 (Feb 18, 2021)

milkdudd said:


> Curious if you have the ability to connect with a USB on the go cable using an Android device as your source. That's what I'm doing and to me the results are spectacular. Right or wrong I've always considered it better to use a source that's not plugged into the wall when possible. Do you keep your laptop plugged in while listening? If yes, curious if unplugging it and running it from the battery would improve sound quality. Probably not but it's an easy test. Also, while I know probably half of those on this form will disagree with me, I'm convinced the quality of cables, even digital cables makes a difference. What kind of USB cable are you using?


Not tried battery vs mains from laptop, good point and one I recall from years ago. I rarely use my laptop anymore for streaming music, it's now usually from a desktop PC in my office. I do know that LG V30 is improved when running from battery, there is a hum loop somewhere when charging.
I use a mix of generic cheap amazon USB cables, and a boutique (aka expensive) one I bought years ago, makes no difference to my ears which one I use. A good DAC configured correctly should be impervious to cable type, making the choice irrelevant, in theory. I would say your ears don't lie, but they are capable of doing that, and often. In my day job I've spent more than a few hours at schools and colleges in our outreach programmes how poor our senses are at quantifying things consistently.


----------



## Bernard23

Conclusion: made no discernible difference, so well done Marantz, but for the ££ you would expect that.


----------



## Bernard23

Here's on odd thing, I subscribed to qobuz again, tried it briefly a whole sho but didn't continue as tracks missing etc. So many people think it's better than tidal, plus it's 25% cheaper so thought I'd try it out. Configured it to wasapi exclusive, same as Tidal and musicbee and I noticed the relay click partway into some songs, and discovered that on a significant number of songs, it's not playing at the correct resolution. So a hi res track starts off at 96k but will jump down to 44k about 10s into the song. Some 44k tracks are streaming at 96k, and if the resolution changes from track to track, the dac is about 5s into the song before it changes the rate over. I checked again with tidal, and it plays 44k as 44 masters as 96 or 88, and the rate change is done as the track starts up, not partway in. Most odd, and I'm sure it didn't do this in the trial period last year but albeit on a different computer. Anyone else notices this behaviour with qobuz?


----------



## JHern

Bernard23 said:


> Here's on odd thing, I subscribed to qobuz again, tried it briefly a whole sho but didn't continue as tracks missing etc. So many people think it's better than tidal, plus it's 25% cheaper so thought I'd try it out. Configured it to wasapi exclusive, same as Tidal and musicbee and I noticed the relay click partway into some songs, and discovered that on a significant number of songs, it's not playing at the correct resolution. So a hi res track starts off at 96k but will jump down to 44k about 10s into the song. Some 44k tracks are streaming at 96k, and if the resolution changes from track to track, the dac is about 5s into the song before it changes the rate over. I checked again with tidal, and it plays 44k as 44 masters as 96 or 88, and the rate change is done as the track starts up, not partway in. Most odd, and I'm sure it didn't do this in the trial period last year but albeit on a different computer. Anyone else notices this behaviour with qobuz?



After our previous discussion about Audirvana I've been looking at other sources, including streaming. Long story short: I moved to Japan just after streaming really took off, but once here I found that Japan IPs were blocked ("not available in your region"). Of course I tried VPN but the streaming services seemed pretty good at sniffing those out, as well. So I gave up and went back to my personal (CD ripped to AIFF) collection instead. Fast forward to now...it seems that most streaming services are available here, and I didn't even know it until you mentioned the Qobuz option in Audirvana.

OK, so I launched a Qobuz trial first, and it was working at times, but then I started to encounter errors. Sometimes the song would play fine, other times it wouldn't play anything. It isn't my network, we have plenty bandwidth. So it really does seem glitchy. I didn't bother to dig deeper, because there were other options...

So then I started a trial with Tidal, this was really the first time I've heard of this service. I had seen mentions of a "tidal" something in the past, but I never knew what people were talking about. I signed up for the higher level plan and logged in via Audirvana but then I downloaded the Tidal App (also to iPad and iPhone) and have mostly been playing through that.

Basically, it sounds fantastic through the HD-DAC1. Perhaps I need to spend more time listening through Audirvana again, and look for some detailed differences in quality, but at the moment I've not even thought about playing through anything else. When I do make a more detailed listening comparison, I'll post more thoughts here.


----------



## Bernard23 (Feb 21, 2021)

JHern said:


> After our previous discussion about Audirvana I've been looking at other sources, including streaming. Long story short: I moved to Japan just after streaming really took off, but once here I found that Japan IPs were blocked ("not available in your region"). Of course I tried VPN but the streaming services seemed pretty good at sniffing those out, as well. So I gave up and went back to my personal (CD ripped to AIFF) collection instead. Fast forward to now...it seems that most streaming services are available here, and I didn't even know it until you mentioned the Qobuz option in Audirvana.
> 
> OK, so I launched a Qobuz trial first, and it was working at times, but then I started to encounter errors. Sometimes the song would play fine, other times it wouldn't play anything. It isn't my network, we have plenty bandwidth. So it really does seem glitchy. I didn't bother to dig deeper, because there were other options...
> 
> ...


I suspect that the Qobuz issue is a revision update glitch, and they know about, as lots of noise about in the forums. The interesting thing about audirvana is that it's supposed to do the MQA unfolding, bearing in mind that the Marantz doesn't have that capability, and I'm not sure it's even a positive unless the DAC does it. I tried all of the filters, and upsampling tricks that were suggested, and I really couldn't hear anything better whatever setting I tried. There might have been some really marginal differences, but none I could consistently differentiate.

I've given up the idea of replacing my Marantz just yet with some of the latest hero kit from China, most of the bench tests I've seen are static, not dynamic loads. There is a reason why the HD DAC1 is so heavy, it's got a huge mains transformer and supply rail capacitors in there, that these other much smaller boxes simply don't have. The quality of the imaging and acoustic space suggest that the DAC implentation is very good indeed, but i can't measure that, and I can't find anyone who has. I also know that the bright  / lean Grado sonic profile works really well with it, there is so much energy in a rock drum kit, the impact and dynamics is impressive


----------



## Bernard23

pbarach said:


> My experience with this device over the last several years has been truly enjoyable in every way. It makes me seriously doubt the usefulness of that extremely negative series of measurements on the Audio Science Review website.
> 
> I originally bought this unit as an open box from Music Direct, but it refused to play 24/192 files. Marantz replaced it under warranty with a brand-new unit that has worked faultlessly ever since.


I've gone back and read through most of this thread for background reading, and whilst I know you have since changed your system, and that there are other comments about the ASR review, but it should be noted that Amir's review is of the HD AMP1 not the DAC1. It is not the same design, they don't even use the same chipset. 

I also notice lots of comments (not from you I should add!) about the HD DAC1 being warm, and some bold statements about it not being neutral without any quantitative evidence. Someone back in the mists of time probably writing for a popular magazine bereft of analytical data that a Marantz unit was warm sounding (without really knowing what that means, but possibly harmonic distortion, this is what some SMSL DACs use in their different filter settings) and now that reputation has stuck! The unit is rated at 0.0012% THD, your phones will be orders of magnitude worse than this.

There are better measuring DACs and better measuring amps for less money now than the Marantz was new, but this doesn't make it a poor performer overnight, and of course assumes that we can all hear these improvements reliably and consistently. I'm resisting changing it, I've been down too many expensive rabbit holes in the past where a lot of ££ in truth gives you very little gain. I've learnt over the years to pay little attention to subjective reviews, and also realised that I've been ridiculously hypnotised in retailers listening rooms convincing myself that I can hear a couple of minor improvements that justified a large £££ investment.


----------



## JHern

Bernard23 said:


> There are better measuring DACs and better measuring amps for less money now than the Marantz was new, but this doesn't make it a poor performer overnight, and of course assumes that we can all hear these improvements reliably and consistently. I'm resisting changing it, I've been down too many expensive rabbit holes in the past where a lot of ££ in truth gives you very little gain. I've learnt over the years to pay little attention to subjective reviews, and also realised that I've been ridiculously hypnotised in retailers listening rooms convincing myself that I can hear a couple of minor improvements that justified a large £££ investment.



Well said! I completely agree with this, hi-fi is too often full of hot air. An entire field of hyperbole and poetry has developed around it, but this is understandable with the high dollar figures involved...it is marketing. I'm a semi-professional photographer, and we see the same dynamic in that market.

While quantitative tests are welcome, they only apply to exact (transparent) sound reproduction as the primary aim. But numbers and measurements cannot tell the whole story, the thing that matters is how it is received by the ear. (There is a famous anecdote from the 1960s: US Defense Secretary Robert McNamara spent all his time collecting reams of data and mountains of papers the supposedly showed the war in Vietnam was going very well for the US.) A focus on data alone can really miss the ground truth, and fail spectacularly. This is true in every domain of human experience.

Additionally, the best sound engineers don't produce music specifically for 6-figure audio systems. As always, the vast majority of listening occurs through low-brow sources. It makes no business sense for engineers to focus on producing a product that leaves most listeners out of the experience. They must always have in mind the way that most people (i.e., customers) consume their product. If you do pick up better audio gear, then you can hear their tricks. You can hear exaggerated color and texture that they've mixed into various tracks in order to produce a sound that is still exciting to listen to through more pedestrian sources...but which comes across as more frantic in hi-fi sources. Their bag of tricks goes well beyond the well-known crude "loudness wars" of the 1980s, and just like they did in the past, some of them over-do it. But imagine the challenge of being an audio engineer whose job it is to make a recording that is both pleasing to crude sources as well as rewarding for those who like hi-fi? In some cases, audiophiles may hear something they would rather not, and they might knock it down as excessive brightness, or something else.

Many people say "oh but you can tweak it with equalization" but I think there are serious limits. For one, equalization at the listening end is only applied to the entire mixed recording. If you're trying to color one instrument or voice in a certain way, then the same is applied to everything else, and may be detrimental to other tracks in the mix. What we'd actually like to be able to do, if it were possible, is to tweak individual tracks prior to mixing. Wouldn't it be fun to get the original tracks unmixed, and then play with those using all of the fun digital audio tools available today? I do some recording myself, using a Scarlett 4Pre, and I have to say that having total control over the mix is super fun!

Still, coloration of sound is inevitable, a fundamental part of the art, and this is something that Marantz realized and embraced long ago, in a tasteful way that has garnered a particular market sector. Different recording artists, different engineers, different amp and speaker/HP makers, have all imposed some element of their own flavor on the subject. And that flavor is what we savor. The "Marantz house sound" is a famous and successful example (even if that triggers the ultra-purists).

DACs are perhaps the only exception. The one thing we surely don't want to hear are digital anomalies, that isn't "good color." Nobody likes it, and no artist or producer or engineer ever intends for that to be part of the sound signature. Digital junk is ugly. Same is true for digital photography, while people enjoy the "grain" of analogue film, almost nobody likes the digital noise produced by over-driven digital camera sensors (I've seen a couple rare exceptions, where a photography used it to artistic effect, but this is rare).

So, is the DAC-1 good enough to eliminate hearable digital noise? It is for me. And I like the amp section, I have to say that even though I really like the "Marantz sound" in general, this one actually has somewhat less Marantz coloring to my ears. But that could be a combination of my sources and cans, and I need to try more.

To that end, I recently picked up a pair of cherry condition used Ultrasone Edition 8 HPs for a great bargain, and they are more revealing than any of my Audio-Technicas (ATH-A900X, ATH-ES10, and ATH-W1000Z). The Edition 8s sound great through the DAC-1, I'm listening to Tidal through Audirvana for a little while again to develop a good solid impression, and then I'll switch it up again.


----------



## fattycheesebeef (Nov 30, 2021)

Wow I’m looking back at my comments from 2015 onwards and seeing how I still own HD-DAC1. It’s still works fantastically well, besides the clicking portion! It’s at least 7-8 years old.

I had AKG 7XX, HD800 and HD800S previously and it paired superbly well with all especially both HD800s! Till I sold them and paired with LCD2. The pairing isn’t fantastic as compared with my HD800s. Obviously the headphones signatures are opposite ends. The warm is slightly overpowering and I was wondering if it was the LCD2’s. I remembered trying them out with KANN Alpha and it sounded amazing! Separation was good, details can be heard with wide soundstage hence my purchase of LCD2.

I want to confirm if DAC1 is warm or not. I tried with another earpiece that is quite neutral and it was full and authoritative! Small sound staging and details are as layered as KANN Alpha. Based on this, I felt so tempted to sell this and get back HD800S.

Also, as I was reading, another way is to pair with another amp. Was interested in Monolith but most reviews are that it’s quite linear, not much musicality and slight poorer quality


----------



## Livnmuskoka

fattycheesebeef said:


> Wow I’m looking back at my comments from 2015 onwards and seeing how I still own HD-DAC1. It’s still works fantastically well, besides the clicking portion! It’s at least 7-8 years old.
> 
> I had, AKG 7XX, HD800 and HD800S preciously and it paired superbly well with all especially both HD800s! Till I sold them and paired with LCD2. The pairing isn’t fantastic as compared with my HD800s. Obviously the headphones signatures are opposite ends. The warm is slightly overpowering and I was wondering if it was the LCD2’s. I remembered trying them out with KANN Alpha and it sounded amazing! Separation was good, details can be heard with wide soundstage hence my purchase of LCD2.
> 
> ...


I added a Topping L30 to my Dac-1 and it was a good jump up in clarity and detail for my LCD-3F. It sounded really good. But I thought the Topping went faulty and returned it. Turns out it was the RCA cable between them. Highly recommend giving this combo a try. It's a good upgrade for little money.


----------



## fattycheesebeef

Livnmuskoka said:


> I added a Topping L30 to my Dac-1 and it was a good jump up in clarity and detail for my LCD-3F. It sounded really good. But I thought the Topping went faulty and returned it. Turns out it was the RCA cable between them. Highly recommend giving this combo a try. It's a good upgrade for little money.



Yeah am looking at Topping or SMSL to pair with it. Am also curious to see if the Topping/SMSL stack would beat DAC1+Topping/SMSL amp


----------



## pbarach

fattycheesebeef said:


> Wow I’m looking back at my comments from 2015 onwards and seeing how I still own HD-DAC1. It’s still works fantastically well, besides the clicking portion! It’s at least 7-8 years old.
> 
> I had AKG 7XX, HD800 and HD800S previously and it paired superbly well with all especially both HD800s! Till I sold them and paired with LCD2. The pairing isn’t fantastic as compared with my HD800s. Obviously the headphones signatures are opposite ends. The warm is slightly overpowering and I was wondering if it was the LCD2’s. I remembered trying them out with KANN Alpha and it sounded amazing! Separation was good, details can be heard with wide soundstage hence my purchase of LCD2.
> 
> ...


  I have had an HD-DAC1 for several years. I liked it a lot with HD-600 and Focal Clear OG's. I did not find it warm but rather accurate, especially in its reproduction of voice and acoustic piano (I listen almost exclusively to classical music). When I began to use a Topping D50s as the DAC, I noticed increased detail in complex orchestral passages. When I moved the Marantz to another room, I bought a Drop THX 789 to use with the Topping as the DAC. I did _not_ find the result to be dry, clinical, or in any sense less enjoyable than when the Marantz served as the amplifier in that system. The only thing I miss about the Marantz is a remote control for the amplifier (the Drop doesn't have one).


----------



## Bernard23

I bought a JDS Element 2 on a whim after reading some reviews on a no win no fee Amazon basis, and have to say it's noticeably better than the Marantz for me. Less warmth, bloom, better control and punch and more dynamic. Marantz sounds a bit too veiled and slow in comparison. I did try isolating the DACs and amps of each device to cross compare, I suspected that the JDS amp was much better than the marantz, and that was clear, but suprisingly the JDS DAC was cleaner than the Marantz too. The ground hum loop on the Marantz also irritated me after a while, plsu the JDS can drive just about anything to silly levels with ease. I've put the marantz up for sale.


----------



## pbarach

Bernard23 said:


> The ground hum loop on the Marantz also irritated me after a while, plsu the JDS can drive just about anything to silly levels with ease. I've put the marantz up for sale.


    I hear no ground loop hum, even with the volume on the Marantz turned up as high as it will go. This must be a peculiarity of your HD-DAC1 or your system. I've not heard others complain about it, either.


----------



## Bernard23

pbarach said:


> I hear no ground loop hum, even with the volume on the Marantz turned up as high as it will go. This must be a peculiarity of your HD-DAC1 or your system. I've not heard others complain about it, either.


I've come across it in other forums, that's how I noticed it. It's absent until the streamer is "locked.". When the device us on, open the streamer and the relay will click, and the hum is present albeit at a very low level.


----------



## fattycheesebeef

Or is it just a ghost


----------



## MacMan31

I had an HD-DAC1 for a long while. I really enjoyed it as it sounded really great. I have since moved on to a Schiit stack consisting of a Bifrost 2, Asgard 3 and Valhalla 2. I'm currently comparing the two amps as I don't need to keep both. I actually did have the Valhalla 2 when I had the DAC1 so I used the DAC in that to feed the Valhalla 2. I swapped the headphones between the two amps and to my ears there was very little difference in how the two sounded. I guess that is a testament to how good the HD-DAC1 sounded. The only "downside" to my DAC1 unit was that the headphone jack felt a little "used". Granted I did buy it used but when plugging in headphones it was not very snug. You know when you plug in the headphones and there is that snug click with the last little bit of the plug goes in? Well my unit barely had that. There was no issue with sound but it still felt a bit loose. Otherwise the DAC1 was an excellent DAC and amp combo.


----------



## 1-MiC

I actually liked that you could one hand the plugging and unplugging of headphones because the jack was a bit looser and the unit was heavy. 
I think I'm ready to move on to seperates for my headphone rig as well, but it's so functional. I'm sure it will always have a place for me somewhere.


----------



## jamca

Marantz DAC1 still holds very well in2021… i have compared it with many others (aune, rme, ifi) and it is the most complete device. The only downside is the little narrower soundstage, which however has great depth. Also the amp section is great. It blows away rme adi 2 which is also known for its good amp. Dac1 has more authority…


----------



## Smoothstereo

The Marantz DAC1 is a great All in One even in today's standards. DAC and amp are very respectable. To get wider soundstage from the amp side, try High gain. It widens the stage noticeably vs the Low and Mid gain.


----------



## jamca

Smoothstereo said:


> The Marantz DAC1 is a great All in One even in today's standards. DAC and amp are very respectable. To get wider soundstage from the amp side, try High gain. It widens the stage noticeably vs the Low and Mid gain.


I will try it ☺️


----------



## MacMan31

Smoothstereo said:


> The Marantz DAC1 is a great All in One even in today's standards. DAC and amp are very respectable. To get wider soundstage from the amp side, try High gain. It widens the stage noticeably vs the Low and Mid gain.



Doesn't high gain add distortion? I don't recall using mid or high gain on the DAC1 when I had it. Low gain was plenty for me and my HD6XX.


----------



## fattycheesebeef

DAC1 has enough power to drive my LCD2 at low gain with 8-9am volume knob position. Mid gain is about 7-8am position


----------



## Smoothstereo (Dec 5, 2021)

MacMan31 said:


> Doesn't high gain add distortion? I don't recall using mid or high gain on the DAC1 when I had it. Low gain was plenty for me and my HD6XX.


I no longer have the DAC1. But I heard no distortion at High gain or any of the gains at any volume levels with my headphones (Sundara, Denon D5200, AQ Nighthawk, Fidelio X2HR, Elegia). I read somewhere earlier on this thread that the DAC1 designer purposely created a different character for each of the gains. So it's not just setting the gain loudness for each level, there are some sonic personalities differences and he urged the user to try all three and see what you like best. Obviously user will need to volume match first before hearing the characteristics of each gain setting.

Although most of my hps were easy to drive except the Sundara, I like the High gain most as it has the widest soundstage but gives up a bit of depth, more impactful and upfront. The Mid gain was more relaxed and smoother, and not as impactful and had lesser wide soundstage, but has a tad more soundstage depth. I don't use the Low gain much back then so I cant remember what it's characteristics were.


----------



## Bernard23

Smoothstereo said:


> I no longer have the DAC1. But I heard no distortion at High gain or any of the gains at any volume levels with my headphones (Sundara, Denon D5200, AQ Nighthawk, Fidelio X2HR, Elegia). I read somewhere earlier on this thread that the DAC1 designer purposely created a different character for each of the gains. So it's not just setting the gain loudness for each level, there are some sonic personalities differences and he urged the user to try all three and see what you like best. Obviously user will need to volume match first before hearing the characteristics of each gain setting.
> 
> Although most of my hps were easy to drive except the Sundara, I like the High gain most as it has the widest soundstage but gives up a bit of depth, more impactful and upfront. The Mid gain was more relaxed and smoother, and not as impactful and had lesser wide soundstage, but has a tad more soundstage depth. I don't use the Low gain much back then so I cant remember what it's characteristics were.


I found opposite when I researched this, the gain setting has no direct effect on tonal response or SQ. The advice generally was use lowest gain setting you can work with (this is consistent with the recommendation too from JDS labs and their amps, for what that's worth). In my experience, changing the gain setting just increased the volume for a given volume pot position, nothing more.


----------



## jamca

MacMan31 said:


> The only "downside" to my DAC1 unit was that the headphone jack felt a little "used".


No need to worry about this... Mine also had loose jack although it was new... I suppose it comes as it is from the factory...


----------



## chaturanga (Dec 10, 2021)

Hello guys, is that DAC still worth it? I am able to buy around 450 usd used (has few months warranty also in my country) in very good condition.

Few days ago I was thinking to buy Zen DAC V2 but this DAC is very attractive and I am not sure if still it is compatible with current DACs.

Edit: I have Soncoz SGA-1 AMP and current headphones are HD6XX and DT770 250. I want to use those and my IEM via balanced out of Soncoz. (I know HD DAC-1 does not have balanced out)


----------



## jamca

chaturanga said:


> Hello guys, is that DAC still worth it? I am able to buy around 450 usd used (has few months warranty also in my country) in very good condition.
> 
> Few days ago I was thinking to buy Zen DAC V2 but this DAC is very attractive and I am not sure if still it is compatible with current DACs.
> 
> Edit: I have Soncoz SGA-1 AMP and current headphones are HD6XX and DT770 250. I want to use those and my IEM via balanced out of Soncoz. (I know HD DAC-1 does not have balanced out)


I am not sure if it worth as a purchase nowadays. It is a great all in one unit but: it has not balanced outputs, it is has no good synergy with iems, its sound has authority and depth, but lacks a little of stage wideness. It is detailed though, with very good staging. If you could find it with 350us it would be bargain. For 450us i am not sure. On the other side it is built like a tank, much better construction than ifi idsd, rme adi 2, aune s16... They seem toys in front of it. Only pioneer u05 as i remember has comparable construction. If you want to have an extra device you will not regret it, but considering you already have an amp, i would suggest you to go for a balanced dac.


----------



## chaturanga

jamca said:


> I am not sure if it worth as a purchase nowadays. It is a great all in one unit but: it has not balanced outputs, it is has no good synergy with iems, its sound has authority and depth, but lacks a little of stage wideness. It is detailed though, with very good staging. If you could find it with 350us it would be bargain. For 450us i am not sure. On the other side it is built like a tank, much better construction than ifi idsd, rme adi 2, aune s16... They seem toys in front of it. Only pioneer u05 as i remember has comparable construction. If you want to have an extra device you will not regret it, but considering you already have an amp, i would suggest you to go for a balanced dac.



I understand, thank you. Since I have an AMP I want to use Marantz HD DAC-1 as pure DAC, I don't need it's own AMP so no worries about IEM match. I have an IEM which is power hungry 😂 So no problem for me.

I am using my DAP's line out as input to Soncoz SGA-1 (via RCA in, not balanced) and the sound that I am getting from balanced out is better than SE output even without a balanced input. (That is because balanced out of Soncoz SGA-1 is way better than SE out)

So if you think the DAC section of Marantz is still better than todays some DAC's (Like Topping, SMSL offerings) I can try it may be.


----------



## jamca

chaturanga said:


> I understand, thank you. Since I have an AMP I want to use Marantz HD DAC-1 as pure DAC, I don't need it's own AMP so no worries about IEM match. I have an IEM which is power hungry 😂 So no problem for me.
> 
> I am using my DAP's line out as input to Soncoz SGA-1 (via RCA in, not balanced) and the sound that I am getting from balanced out is better than SE output even without a balanced input. (That is because balanced out of Soncoz SGA-1 is way better than SE out)
> 
> So if you think the DAC section of Marantz is still better than todays some DAC's (Like Topping, SMSL offerings) I can try it may be.


Hmm , i am not sure if it beats something like topping… contemporary dacs are optimised for better performance (jitter free, lower nois ect) . But whenever i listen to the marantz i feel everything in place, with natural tone ( warm side though for sure) , with great mid frequencies and non fatiguing highs. My only complainment is the stage width, although now i prefer more intimate sound, so it is perfect in this regard. If i were you i would buy it and in the worst case i would sell it again if i did not like it. It is great piece of equipment, all in one, with great amp ( also works as pre amp…) with jack input,plus usb for ios devices. Rme adi 2 for example has better dac but not that good amp while dac1 has more body, with more authority and is more fluid. Although rme specs are better, my subjective taste chooses marantz.


----------



## chaturanga

jamca said:


> Hmm , i am not sure if it beats something like topping… contemporary dacs are optimised for better performance (jitter free, lower nois ect) . But whenever i listen to the marantz i feel everything in place, with natural tone ( warm side though for sure) , with great mid frequencies and non fatiguing highs. My only complainment is the stage width, although now i prefer more intimate sound, so it is perfect in this regard. If i were you i would buy it and in the worst case i would sell it again if i did not like it. It is great piece of equipment, all in one, with great amp ( also works as pre amp…) with jack input,plus usb for ios devices. Rme adi 2 for example has better dac but not that good amp while dac1 has more body, with more authority and is more fluid. Although rme specs are better, my subjective taste chooses marantz.



Thank you, I think you are right. I must buy and decide myself. Only problem is in Turkey, it's not easy to sell hifi products in used market but anyway.. 

But from your messages and also from some other reviews and impressions it seems I will like Marantz HD DAC1 sound. It seems to be a special timeless sounding device with a unique sweet natural character that invites ears to listen music not to analyze it 

I like how Soncoz SGA 1 gives the sound even out of my DAP's line out so Marantz will give more surely..


----------



## Bernard23

chaturanga said:


> Hello guys, is that DAC still worth it? I am able to buy around 450 usd used (has few months warranty also in my country) in very good condition.
> 
> Few days ago I was thinking to buy Zen DAC V2 but this DAC is very attractive and I am not sure if still it is compatible with current DACs.
> 
> Edit: I have Soncoz SGA-1 AMP and current headphones are HD6XX and DT770 250. I want to use those and my IEM via balanced out of Soncoz. (I know HD DAC-1 does not have balanced out)


If this helps, I just sold my 9 month old HD DAC1 on ebay for £420, it was immaculate etc. I've replaced it with the JDS Element 2, which is better is every way. I've spent a few hours doing some can you hear the difference between sample and bit depth tracks testing, and the difference between the JDS and Marantz is bigger than 160kbs to WAV by a mile. I wanted the Marantz to smash the JDS, as I love it's looks and vibe, but sonically for me it's behind the times now.


----------



## chaturanga (Dec 10, 2021)

Hmm that is now another story. So do you think Element 2 is more natural, organic sounding? I am not after the most detailed or analytical sound, I love more relaxed life like sound.. Timbre and reality in the mids is more important for me..

And one more question were you using Marantz as pure DAC with an external AMP or out of Marantz's SE out?

@Bernard23


----------



## Skev

I just bought a HD DAC1 and currently listening now with Sundara's and it sounds fantastic. Don't be put off buying slightly older gear, sound is a very subjective thing... why do you think some people still prefer vinyl over CD/streaming - All I'm saying is don't get caught up in the latest bit/sample rates and graphs... Ultimately it's the sound that matters.

For me the Marantz is the second best thing I've heard. The best was the Denon PMA150H and I'm sorry to have let that go. I wouldn't know where to go from here, perhaps the Teac UD505 but that's 💰. I'm avoiding Chifi/iFi DAC/AMP's as there's almost always issues, at least in my case.

The great thing about the Marantz is also that it's solid and top quality build compared to a lot of newer stuff. It won't budge when swapping over headphones, that might not sound that important but it makes a difference.

The output impedance hovers arpund 10-11 ohms so just something to watch out for. I've ordered an iFi IEMatch to see if it improves any with my headphones (all lowish impedance).

For me the Marantz is definitely still relevant.


----------



## jamca

Skev said:


> I just bought a HD DAC1 and currently listening now with Sundara's and it sounds fantastic. Don't be put off buying slightly older gear, sound is a very subjective thing... why do you think some people still prefer vinyl over CD/streaming - All I'm saying is don't get caught up in the latest bit/sample rates and graphs... Ultimately it's the sound that matters.
> 
> For me the Marantz is the second best thing I've heard. The best was the Denon PMA150H and I'm sorry to have let that go. I wouldn't know where to go from here, perhaps the Teac UD505 but that's 💰. I'm avoiding Chifi/iFi DAC/AMP's as there's almost always issues, at least in my case.
> 
> ...


Totally agree…


----------



## Bernard23

chaturanga said:


> Hmm that is now another story. So do you think Element 2 is more natural, organic sounding? I am not after the most detailed or analytical sound, I love more relaxed life like sound.. Timbre and reality in the mids is more important for me..
> 
> And one more question were you using Marantz as pure DAC with an external AMP or out of Marantz's SE out?
> 
> @Bernard23


Not sure I'd use more organic, it's just greater clarity, separation of instruments, and more punch. Microdynamics are better on the JDS, I found it made the Marantz sound a bit warm and ponderous. It's not dry or clinical, it's still a very rich midrange. Remember though that to put it into context, the Element 2 is an exceptional piece of kit, and the Marantz is pretty close. It's a much nicer object to own too, a thing of beauty although a shame it isn't real wood veneer on the side panels.


----------



## Skev

Another point about the Marantz some people have brought up is the relay click (hardware only, not through headphones). For me it only clicks between getting a USB lock/Unlock or sample rate change. I mostly listen to albums so the click only happens at the end of the album. I actually love it, it's a subtle way of letting you know the album has ended. So yeah, it's not an issue.


----------



## chaturanga

Bernard23 said:


> Not sure I'd use more organic, it's just greater clarity, separation of instruments, and more punch. Microdynamics are better on the JDS, I found it made the Marantz sound a bit warm and ponderous. It's not dry or clinical, it's still a very rich midrange. Remember though that to put it into context, the Element 2 is an exceptional piece of kit, and the Marantz is pretty close. It's a much nicer object to own too, a thing of beauty although a shame it isn't real wood veneer on the side panels.



I understand, have you ever used Marantz with an external amp as a pure DAC? Or someone from owners can answer please? Using an AMP of todays tech will add anything to Marantz? 

If I decide to buy Marantz I will use as pure DAC as I have mentioned.


----------



## chaturanga

Skev said:


> Another point about the Marantz some people have brought up is the relay click (hardware only, not through headphones). For me it only clicks between getting a USB lock/Unlock or sample rate change. I mostly listen to albums so the click only happens at the end of the album. I actually love it, it's a subtle way of letting you know the album has ended. So yeah, it's not an issue.



I had a Sony WM1A DAP and as I remember it had that relay click sound on it's balanced out, and yes it was clicking when rate changes . Is it so irritating?

I guess can live with it, unless it's adding a clicking sound at background during the song 😂


----------



## Bernard23

The first thing i did when I got the Element was to compare both DACs with both amp sections, ie run the Marantz DAC into the JDS and vice versa. I preferred the SQ of the Element alone, the Marantz DAC was no better than the one in the Element, and amp section of the JDS is to my ears where the improvement was. The high output impedance of 11 ohms certainly doesn't help when driving low impedance phones such as I've got. It might improve say with a pair of 250 or even 600 ohm devices, but I couldn't test that


----------



## chaturanga

Bernard23 said:


> The first thing i did when I got the Element was to compare both DACs with both amp sections, ie run the Marantz DAC into the JDS and vice versa. I preferred the SQ of the Element alone, the Marantz DAC was no better than the one in the Element, and amp section of the JDS is to my ears where the improvement was. The high output impedance of 11 ohms certainly doesn't help when driving low impedance phones such as I've got. It might improve say with a pair of 250 or even 600 ohm devices, but I couldn't test that



I understand, I have HD6XX and DT770 250, also my IEM loves power.. It seems I will pick that used HD DAC1, if I do I will share my impressions here.


----------



## Bernard23

chaturanga said:


> I understand, I have HD6XX and DT770 250, also my IEM loves power.. It seems I will pick that used HD DAC1, if I do I will share my impressions here.


Sounds like a good plan. How much are you paying for it? I sold mine for £425 GBP, which seems about right.


----------



## chaturanga (Dec 11, 2021)

Bernard23 said:


> Sounds like a good plan. How much are you paying for it? I sold mine for £425 GBP, which seems about right.



It's about 500 USD. Has warranty also, seller says he bought from a Turkish hifi store and has warranty till 2023 in Turkey.

Edit: I calculated wrong it's 500 USD not 480.


----------



## jamca

Go for it.. It is a solid device. If for some reason you don't like it you can sell it, and as it is still under guaranty its even better, as you can also sell it more easily. As a said, it has an organic, fluid sound, fatigue free. When i listen to it instead of rme adi2 i smile more times, as it is smoother (but with detail...), regardless the fact that rme is perhaps technically better at measurements. Something seems more mature with Marantz dac1.


----------



## chaturanga

jamca said:


> Go for it.. It is a solid device. If for some reason you don't like it you can sell it, and as it is still under guaranty its even better, as you can also sell it more easily. As a said, it has an organic, fluid sound, fatigue free. When i listen to it instead of rme adi2 i smile more times, as it is smoother (but with detail...), regardless the fact that rme is perhaps technically better at measurements. Something seems more mature with Marantz dac1.



Thank you I am very close to pull trigger


----------



## chaturanga

I just finished reading the thread by the way. Very impressive thing is that I did not see any negative review on the sound of the device through all those 76 pages.

Yes some guys preferred some other more expensive ones, and few preferred some cheaper offerings with new tech but, after all those years that is normal. 

So I am convinced 100% that HD DAC1 is still a competitive device with it's specific lovely sound. And that is why I want to taste it. 

Only thing I am confused is that some guys say that the most impressive part of Marantz HD DAC1 is it's AMP and the DAC is OK, but the others say just opposite  

Interestingly, first half of the 76 pages, AMP section was praised more but for the second part mostly DAC was named as better than it's AMP section,

I want to use it as a DAC to my Soncoz SGA-1 AMP. So I will be happy to hear some more opinion, do you think the DAC section is the one that creates the magic, and even with an external AMP I can get best out of it? Or only if it's used as it's (from it's own AMP) I can get that musical attractive sound?


----------



## pbarach

I added a Topping D50s as the DAC to my HD-DAC1 amp; the result was increased clarity and detail in complex orchestral textures (I listen to classical music). I haven't used it as just an amplifier.


----------



## Skev

chaturanga said:


> I just finished reading the thread by the way. Very impressive thing is that I did not see any negative review on the sound of the device through all those 76 pages.
> 
> Yes some guys preferred some other more expensive ones, and few preferred some cheaper offerings with new tech but, after all those years that is normal.
> 
> ...


Yeah they are good, I was actually tempted bid on another one today that just sold for £295. I instead put together a moveable storage unit to move between rooms 🤣


----------



## chaturanga

Skev said:


> Yeah they are good, I was actually tempted bid on another one today that just sold for £295. I instead put together a moveable storage unit to move between rooms 🤣



I hope that storage sounds good 😂


----------



## Skev

chaturanga said:


> I hope that storage sounds good 😂






Yeah sounds good to me at the moment 👍🎧


----------



## chaturanga

Skev said:


> Yeah sounds good to me at the moment 👍🎧



A nice corner enjoy it


----------



## iFi audio

Skev said:


> still prefer vinyl over CD/streaming



Vinyl is old but streaming/CD playback won't replace it. Luckily all those things nicely coexist and the more playback options we users have, the better.


----------



## chaturanga (Dec 13, 2021)

Guys, what kind of RCA cables you are using between Marantz HD DAC1 to Amplifier?

I am seeing that the stock cables are not very high quality, do you think another cable will make a clearly better job? If so can you offer a specific cable?

The seller that I am buying Marantz from, also sells a Chord clearway rca cable (With 1m length), do you think will I benefit more from Clearway instead of stock cable?

Edit: Also I want to ask same question for USB cable, do you suggest to buy another USB cable?

I plan to use in following setup,

PC > Deezer / Foobar > Marantz HD DAC 1 > AMP > Headphone


----------



## iFi audio

chaturanga said:


> I am seeing that the stock cables are not very high quality, do you think another cable will make a clearly better job? If so can you offer a specific cable?



The short answer is yes, interconnects in-between a DAC and amp can result in noticeable improvements. But accessories that make the biggest difference are those that apply the earliest in a setup. Many people would agree that power bars, power supplies, power cables and USB cleaners do more than interconnects.


----------



## jamca

chaturanga said:


> Guys, what kind of RCA cables you are using between Marantz HD DAC1 to Amplifier?
> 
> I am seeing that the stock cables are not very high quality, do you think another cable will make a clearly better job? If so can you offer a specific cable?
> 
> ...


Do not invest on usb cables and “power” supplies… The dac1 is good enough to get rid of the unwanted noise from ec or the laptop. If you take a look at audiosciencereview youtube video you will see experiments with cables with exact and scientific measurements. A better cable is useful in order to give you 2% better sound? I have bought some cheap oehlbach, not for sound quality, but for better connectors and because i needed longer cables. Also stuff like usb jitter bugs, filters ect only add more devices in the chain that do mot offer anything. For a really cheap dac perhaps they could help “a little”, but for dacs like marantz dac 1 they are useless… this is my opinion, after having used many of these…


----------



## jamca

iFi audio said:


> The short answer is yes, interconnects in-between a DAC and amp can result in noticeable improvements. But accessories that make the biggest difference are those that apply the earliest in a setup. Many people would agree that power bars, power supplies, power cables and USB cleaners do more than interconnects.


Many people would agree and many would disagree. Also many have made measurements that prove there are not better results with these , if they are uses with just a decent dac… We would be very happy if you could provide us official measurements that prove what you suggest…


----------



## iFi audio (Dec 15, 2021)

jamca said:


> Also stuff like usb jitter bugs, filters ect only add more devices in the chain that do mot offer anything.



They also reduce jitter and improve sound, which is the point 



jamca said:


> For a really cheap dac perhaps they could help “a little”, but for dacs like marantz dac 1 they are useless… this is my opinion, after having used many of these…



Actually, feedback we got from hundreds of customers implies something entirely opposite and that's a rather substantial sample. Also, expensive DACs aren't immune to issues related to USB. Some are, but many still benefit from i.e. USB reclockers and galvanic isolators.



jamca said:


> Do not invest on usb cables and “power” supplies



Why not? There are dozens of folks here on Head-fi who are very happy with their linear power supplies, ultra quiet switching PSUs, USB cables etc. From what I can tell (just a casual observation of someone who's been around for 8+ years here on HF), there's far more of them than those users who didn't notice any difference.



jamca said:


> Also many have made measurements that prove there are not better results with these , if they are uses with just a decent dac



The result of any measurements greatly depends on how they're made 

--

@chaturanga the best thing you can do is to try anything discussed here by yourself in your own setup, whether it's n RCA cable, power bar, USB cleaner or any other device built to impact sound. These days returns are easy, so it's a risk-free route


----------



## Bernard23

iFi audio said:


> The result of any measurements greatly depends on how they're made
> 
> --


Thank you, this! 

So, in the absence of a recognised standard, a repeatable and consistent method, measurement data is no better than subjective opinion. That, perhaps in a nutshell is the biggest problem with consumer audio. Unsubstantiated product performance claims supported by dodgy science. 
If only, as a starter for ten maybe, the industry embraced the simplest, though not cheapest, method of blind AB testing to start with, then we'd start to correlate lab measurements with psychoacoustics, but no one does it! The press, the manufacturers keep ignoring this elephant in the room. Seriously, it would not be difficult to validate more obscure phooey like cables and mains conditioning (which by the way if needed surely means you've done a poor job of the power circuit design etc etc. Imagine at your car dealer: Hello sir, your car could be faster, but this petrol is so crap, sorry not my fault, but I can sell you a magic additive!) 
I'm sure behind the marketing there is some great engineering, I just wish the industry was more transparent about it, because from where I'm sat it feels like we're often being taken for a ride.


----------



## Skev (Dec 16, 2021)

I order a Topping L30 amplifier to try with the Marantz as I got a good deal on a new one. I see now flicking through the thread that some people say that this is a significant step up over the Marantz HP amp (and also 0.1 ohm output Z).

Just wondering if the Topping E30(DAC)/L30(AMP)/P50(PSU) stack would be better overall rather than using the Marantz as a DAC fed into the L30?


----------



## fattycheesebeef

Skev said:


> I order a Topping L30 amplifier to try with the Marantz as I got a good deal on a new one. I see now flicking through the thread that some people say that this is a significant step up over the Marantz HP amp (and also 0.1 ohm output Z).
> 
> Just wondering if the Topping E30(DAC)/L30(AMP)/P50(PSU) stack would be better overall rather than using the Marantz as a DAC fed into the L30?



Let me know if the L30 amp is better than DAC1's amp 😊


----------



## Skev

I will do. I just bought it as it was a good price and it should provide a 'clean' low output impedance - This'll just confirm to me whether the HD-DAC1's 10-11Ohm output impedance affects the FR/Damping on my headphones.


----------



## jamca

iFi audio said:


> They also reduce jitter and improve sound, which is the point
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I understand that you want to sell your products… Take a look at audioscience reviews WITH MEASURMENTS… Many folks want to hear differences as they paid snake oil  for stuff like this… I have tried many of these with dacs over 500 euros and never hears any difference. (I am young enough with extremely good hearing… ) . If you argue that these magic things make difference you should show us objectively measurements, and not words as it is not a poetic exercise… I never see documentation of the improvements you claim.. so this rises many doubts…to me and to many others….


----------



## Skev

Not that I want to get into the discussion above but while we're on the topic of accessories I would just like to add that I tried the IEMatch+ with the HD-DAC1 and Sundara's to try lower the output impedance. The results were disastrous! Incredible amount of distortion at what would be normally sustainable volume levels. Just in case anyone was tempted to try.


----------



## jamca

Not to be misunderstood… I really LOVE IFI idsd micro , it is one of the best devises someone can buy. Even the first gen ( silver one) is absolutely great ( especially the dac but also the amp… ) BUT for me spending money for cables that does not offer anything is silly. I think it is just snake oil. Such devices  also are made by PS audio, Audioquest ect… None of them offer measurments or something that guarantees what they claim they do… They just want us to believe. But this is not a religious issue… Of course a nice cable is good to have, with nice connectors, but that is all. Also jitter bugs ect are completely useless, and only one more device in the audio chain…


----------



## chaturanga

Thank you for everyone for their answers and messages to my questions  in that topic

@jamca @iFi audio @Bernard23 @Skev

I got today the HD DAC1 and I am listening first songs, I just used stock cables (still did not try external AMP I am listening from it's headphone out). I did not install any driver, Windows 10 found it. I am listening from Deezer and it's very promising already 

When I try more I will write my detailed impressions if I can.


----------



## chaturanga (Dec 16, 2021)

Guys do I need to install any driver or software? 44 Khz and 88 Khz files are playing perfectly through Foobar but, 96 Khz and 192 Khz files have problem. It's playing but very badly (a digitalized sound is coming, not listenable).

Edit: I am able to play those files on Windows Media Player, so it seems problem is about settings on Foobar?

Edit 2: It seems I solved, I downloaded driver file from following link 

https://www.marantz.com/en-us/product/hi-fi-components/hd-dac1

I installed the driver and on Foobar I chose ASIO for Marantz, now both are playing as they should be


----------



## Colonel Faulkner

Still a solid, massive tank if you ask me - but if I remember correctly the unit gives always some sort of distortion sound out when switching to another song, doesn't it?
I know it's built-in by design and not changeable.


----------



## chaturanga (Dec 16, 2021)

Colonel Faulkner said:


> Still a solid, massive tank if you ask me - but if I remember correctly the unit gives always some sort of distortion sound out when switching to another song, doesn't it?
> I know it's built-in by design and not changeable.



There is not distortion, a click sound comes when it switches between tracks with different sampling frequency. But it's not coming through headphones and also it's very silent to be disturbed (at least for me).

And yes it's a sound by design, but as I read here people say it's only happening if you listen through USB connection. I am listening through USB now and no concern, let it click, actually it's classy click lol 

Many people here reported some units have a "hum" sound (through headphone out right?) when there is no music, my unit is a used one and it seems it's not having that issue at least for now.


----------



## Colonel Faulkner

"Click", yes, that's the better description! Good to hear it's not coming thru cans!
So enjoy your new musical partner!


----------



## chaturanga

Colonel Faulkner said:


> "Click", yes, that's the better description! Good to hear it's not coming thru cans!
> So enjoy your new musical partner!



Thank you, if you consider to buy don't wait  First impressions are very good. It's a complete unit, a mature one. A mature effortless sound. I am happy not to go with a modern chinese DAC  HD DAC1 has lots of details in a very listenable and enjoyable "slightly warm" fashion.


----------



## Colonel Faulkner

Ah, I'm already provided w/ my combo of a heavily-modded Asus Xonar Essence One MUSES as DAC (black unit) and an M2Tech Marley as SS HPA (silver unit) and a Brocksieper EarMax SE as Tube HPA (not pictured).
But maybe I consider to get the Marantz too - just for 'classic' purposes. Like you I'm not the greatest fan of the new wave of Chi-fi.



Spoiler


----------



## chaturanga

Colonel Faulkner said:


> Ah, I'm already provided w/ my combo of a heavily-modded Asus Xonar Essence One MUSES as DAC (black unit) and an M2Tech Marley as SS HPA (silver unit) and a Brocksieper EarMax SE as Tube HPA (not pictured).
> But maybe I consider to get the Marantz too - just for 'classic' purposes. Like you I'm not the greatest fan of the new wave of Chi-fi.
> 
> 
> ...



Nice, enjoy your setup. I was skeptical before buying HD DAC1 because it's an old device and there are lots of perfect measuring devices nowadays (most of them chi-fi), but what I read here and in other forums convinced me to buy, and it sounds very good. I hope you can like it if you buy.


----------



## proglife

MacMan31 said:


> I actually did have the Valhalla 2 when I had the DAC1 so I used the DAC in that to feed the Valhalla 2. I swapped the headphones between the two amps and to my ears there was very little difference in how the two sounded. I guess that is a testament to how good the HD-DAC1 sounded.



I've done the same recently. I have the DAC1 and a Valhalla 2 on my desk at work with HD600's. There wasn't a drastic difference between the Valhalla 2 and the DAC1, so I have my Valhalla 2 for sale locally (annapolis, md if anyone is interested).

If you put a gun to my head, i'd give a slight edge to the Valhalla. But just having the DAC1 on my desk is a much cleaner package.


----------



## Skev

Colonel Faulkner said:


> Still a solid, massive tank if you ask me - but if I remember correctly the unit gives always some sort of distortion sound out when switching to another song, doesn't it?
> I know it's built-in by design and not changeable.



There is no distortion. There is a relay that will unlatch/latch if the USB signal Unlocks, i.e. when changing sample/bit rates. The click is purely mechanical and cannot be heard through the drivers of the headphones but you will hear it with cans that don't isolate well.

I mainly listen to Spotify and just now the sample rate is obviously a constant 16Bit/48Khz so the relay will never click - When we get Spotify HiFi this may change.

For critical listening I use JRiver and run an album from start to finish, gapless, so again no issues with a clicking relay. The relay will click after the album is finished but I actually love this as it's a subtle prompt to say it's done.


----------



## iFi audio (Dec 16, 2021)

jamca said:


> Take a look at audioscience reviews WITH MEASURMENTS



Amir's funny, we like him 



jamca said:


> I have tried many of these with dacs over 500 euros and never hears any difference.



That's fair enough, but many other people did.



jamca said:


> If you argue that these magic things make difference you should show us objectively measurements



Let's turn the table. If you argue that these "magic things" of ours don't do what we claim, please prove us wrong and objectively if possible 

Any set of measurements can be challenged and having said that, internally ouir R&D makes A TON of them to know whether their work is spot on. However, we publish these results within a specific context that's actually useful:

https://ifi-audio.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/iFi_audio_xDSD_Tech-Note_Measuring_TimeFINAL.pdf

...and especially here: https://ifi-audio.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/iPOWER-Much-Ado-About-Nothing.pdf


----------



## fattycheesebeef

chaturanga said:


> Guys do I need to install any driver or software? 44 Khz and 88 Khz files are playing perfectly through Foobar but, 96 Khz and 192 Khz files have problem. It's playing but very badly (a digitalized sound is coming, not listenable).
> 
> Edit: I am able to play those files on Windows Media Player, so it seems problem is about settings on Foobar?
> 
> ...




There's a Marantz driver you can install! Can't remember if it's still on their official website


----------



## chaturanga

fattycheesebeef said:


> There's a Marantz driver you can install! Can't remember if it's still on their official website



Yes it's still available. Before installing it in Foobar only Wasapi was available but now ASIO is also available for Marantz.


----------



## Skev

Well I had a good listen to the HD-DAC1 last night:

Firstly with the SRH1540's with some Aztec Camera, Billy Nomates, Two Door Cinema Club, Thom Yorke - The pairing slams pretty well with good speed, but still has great separation and detail.

Then the Sundara's with some Roger Waters, Bon Iver, Public Service Broadcasting - More relaxed presentation and super lush, almost completely transparent you forget about the gear and just enjoy the music.

Super happy with the HD-DAC1. It's not the last word in technicalities or that clinically clean & lean presentation but it's a homely mainstay that I'll definitely be keeping.


----------



## chaturanga

Skev said:


> Well I had a good listen to the HD-DAC1 last night:
> 
> Firstly with the SRH1540's with some Aztec Camera, Billy Nomates, Two Door Cinema Club, Thom Yorke - The pairing slams pretty well with good speed, but still has great separation and detail.
> 
> ...



I agree with all of those above, HD DAC1 is a very good example for an "effortless presentation" and "mature sound", I don't feel loosing any details from some modern DACs I have tried before (I am sure about this because I have some reference tracks that I use all the time with a new gear) and what I gained is I am hearing those details in a more easy and effortless way. I am also very happy for that purchase, this seems to be a timeless device.


----------



## chaturanga

One more thing that I need to say is that, yes there are very good measured (even perfectly measured devices that seems to have no artifacts in audible area) modern DACs.  Some of them are cheaper than Marantz HD DAC1 but, I think after some point the differences between measurements are found at inaudible area for people. 

And over a certain measurement barrier, quality compononets and engineering makes more difference than further advanced measurements.


----------



## iFi audio (Dec 17, 2021)

chaturanga said:


> And over a certain measurement barrier, quality compononets and engineering makes more difference than further advanced measurements.



It depends and measurements really should be taken into account in a wide context. Some topologies (full-range drivers, amps with no feedback) often measure so-so but sound great regardless, some manufacturers use distortion to their advantage and so on so forth.

For example, to a great sounding amp with no feedback that measures average one could inject heavy negative feedback loop, so that this product would now measure extremely well but sound possibly flat and dull. Point being, one or two graphs rarely tell the full story.


----------



## Bernard23

iFi audio said:


> It depends and measurements really should be taken into account in a wide context. Some topologies (full-range drivers, amps with no feedback) often measure so-so but sound great regardless, some manufacturers use distortion to their advantage and so on so forth.
> 
> For example, to a great sounding amp with no feedback that measures average one could inject heavy negative feedback loop, so that this product would now measure extremely well but sound flat and dull. Point being, one or two graphs rarely tell the full story.


Absolutely. Measuring stuff is often straightforward, interpreting the data is the skillful part. The caveat of course is that we've identified the correct measurands, but that's also part of the skill of a good engineer.


----------



## iFi audio

Bernard23 said:


> Measuring stuff is often straightforward, interpreting the data is the skillful part



...and measuring methods should be added to that as well.


----------



## Skev (Dec 18, 2021)

The Topping L30 arrived so I gave it a quick whirl. Firstly, it introduced a buzz/hum into the headphone output of the Marantz, although no buzz/hum from the L30 output. A downside if you planned on using both outputs for different headphones/sound signatures.

The sound itself was immediately more forward in the bass & midrange regions especially, and mildly more energetic in the treble (I know that doesn't make much sense, however, they were volume matched as near as I could by ear). For me the presentation was a little too "in your face" to my taste, on the other hand it is likely to make all headphones sound full of life. The SQ didn't seem much different, and definitely not immediately noticeable, so I doubt there's any significant gain in detail retrieval/resolution to be had.

All in all having quickly tried the L30 it is evident that the 10 Ohm output impedance of the Marantz certainly isn't changing the FR of the SRH1540's/Sundara's enough to make a noticeable difference. Bass response/speed actually seemed looser than it is on the HD-DAC1, using a quick sine wave sweep it didn't reach any deeper either. So I can at least from this quick test put to bed the idea that the high output impedance of the Marantz is having a detrimental effect on the FR or damping of low impedance cans.

I tried an A/B with the Marantz and my SXFI Amp as well (<0.2 Ohm output impedance). Very very similar sounding actually but the Marantz is definitely more controlled and capable at higher volumes with less distortion.
To my ears I can't fault the Marantz. I'll just enjoy the music now


----------



## iFi audio

Skev said:


> To my ears I can't fault the Marantz. I'll just enjoy the music now



Enjoy


----------



## 1-MiC

Well y’all, sad to say I sold my marantz, for really cheap lol. 
I changed my desktop set up and it just didn’t fit, even tho I have a side table, I wanted everything under my monitor. My son is nearing two years old and grabs everything so I attempted to de clutter and have smart cable management.

I will say with resolving headphones it was easy to spot things with the marantz that got beat out by newer amps newer dacs. For my preferences, the sound signature was great. It’s smooth top end and more natural sound sig actually made me have a bit of dislike for brighter more aggressive equipment. It changed my preferences quite a bit. My dragonfly red I used to fill in at times is too lively on top now.

 It was especially pleasing in stereo speaker set ups. That’s where most of the marantz products live (and home theatre) so that’s not surprising. The dac1 was better then the dac in my Cambridge Audio CXA80 integrated amp by a little. I eventually added the Cambridge Audio CXN V2 and that’s where the marantz couldn’t quite keep up. cxn is cleaner and more resolving. Clarity was immediately evident. 

Headphones wise, I’m moving on to a Mytek Liberty for my desk. I kind of wish I could compare but I think I’ll know right away what the Mytek does better, assuming it’s overall better lol. I did listen with the marantz nearly everyday for months either through headphones or speakers. I am afraid the Mytek could be too clinical for my taste but I can always match with a warmer headphone amp. Anyways…

So DAC1 owners, enjoy and farewell. It’s been fun!


----------



## MacMan31

1-MiC said:


> I was using the front port with an ipod, it seems to congest things just a bit. I really didn't notice until it was brought up. It wouldn't stop me from using it by any means. Still better than my Dragonfly Red.
> 
> 
> I purchased a Liquid Carbon X to compare against, as mentioned previously, and I have to admit, they sound VERY close. I could not pass a blind test. The LCX has a little bit more warmth and weight to it in the lowest frequencies. In bass heavy music, r&b, rap, metal, it's a little easier to distinguish which one I'm listening to. The sub bass is more in quantity and is always the give away.
> ...


Is there a DAC in the LCX or were you using the DAC in the HD-DAC1 for both that and the LCX?


----------



## Grumpy Old Git

I really enjoyed my Marantz, but the Singxer-2 Dac I replaced it with is definitely superior (IMHO).


----------



## jamca

Grumpy Old Git said:


> I really enjoyed my Marantz, but the Singxer-2 Dac I replaced it with is definitely superior (IMHO).


Technology has moved on, and perhaps other dacs are technically superior, however whenever i go back to dac1 i enjoy the music most. It has such coherence, analog but still analytical sound...difficult to describe.


----------



## MacMan31

jamca said:


> Technology has moved on, and perhaps other dacs are technically superior, however whenever i go back to dac1 i enjoy the music most. It has such coherence, analog but still analytical sound...difficult to describe.



I can agree with that. I miss my DAC-1. I originally thought of keeping it for just the DAC but I ended up with the Bifrost II to pair with my Valhalla 2.


----------



## Grumpy Old Git

jamca said:


> Technology has moved on, and perhaps other dacs are technically superior, however whenever i go back to dac1 i enjoy the music most. It has such coherence, analog but still analytical sound...difficult to describe.


Just for clarification, I think the Singxer is _*audibly*_ superior to the Marantz. I don't know how the technical specifications between the two stack up, and to be quite honest I don't care. When i tried both amps out side by side the Singxer edged it for me. There isn't a night and day difference between the two, and i would advise Marantz owners not to lose too much sleep over the matter, you guys own a great amp.


----------



## chaturanga

jamca said:


> Technology has moved on, and perhaps other dacs are technically superior, however whenever i go back to dac1 i enjoy the music most. It has such coherence, analog but still analytical sound...difficult to describe.



I agree that, it's very musical and also very detailed. I don't feel missing any details in any of my music library, conversely I am hearing the details with their timbre effortlessly.. Background is very silent that helps a lot.. 

If the background is black details appear better and effortlessly..

By the way, I am using USB input bit perfect from my Android phone. (Tidal via USB Audio Player Pro) it's excellent pair.


----------



## MacMan31

Has anyone here compared the HD-DAC1 and the HD-AMP1? I've had the DAC1 in the past and really liked it. Sometimes I regret selling it. But now I have an option to buy an HD-AMP1 which would be a combo headphone and speaker amp with internal DAC. Would be nice to have an all-in-one solution. Otherwise I could get something like the Marantz MM7025 two channel power amp and the HD-DAC1 for a combo setup.


----------



## jamca

MacMan31 said:


> Has anyone here compared the HD-DAC1 and the HD-AMP1? I've had the DAC1 in the past and really liked it. Sometimes I regret selling it. But now I have an option to buy an HD-AMP1 which would be a combo headphone and speaker amp with internal DAC. Would be nice to have an all-in-one solution. Otherwise I could get something like the Marantz MM7025 two channel power amp and the HD-DAC1 for a combo setup.


Somewhere i have seen a review/measurements of AMP1 and it did not satisfy. I have never listened to it. Remember that the DAC1 has dedicated amp just for headphones (a good one...), so i suppose AMP1 would be inferior in this part.


----------



## MacMan31

jamca said:


> Somewhere i have seen a review/measurements of AMP1 and it did not satisfy. I have never listened to it. Remember that the DAC1 has dedicated amp just for headphones (a good one...), so i suppose AMP1 would be inferior in this part.



Well I'm not too concerned with measurements. I care about how it sounds. The DAC1 IS a dedicated headphone amp but the AMP1 also has a dedicated headphone amp built in. That's why I am curious if anyone here has compared the two.


----------



## Bernard23

MacMan31 said:


> Well I'm not too concerned with measurements. I care about how it sounds. The DAC1 IS a dedicated headphone amp but the AMP1 also has a dedicated headphone amp built in. That's why I am curious if anyone here has compared the two.


If you're not concerned with measurements it's going to be difficult to compare experience (that's a form of measurement after all, albeit with large variation / uncertainties etc). I agree that ultimately how it sounds TO YOU is all that matters, in which case the only sensible advice is go and listen to one, and don't take other opinions into consideration.


----------



## MacMan31

Bernard23 said:


> If you're not concerned with measurements it's going to be difficult to compare experience (that's a form of measurement after all, albeit with large variation / uncertainties etc). I agree that ultimately how it sounds TO YOU is all that matters, in which case the only sensible advice is go and listen to one, and don't take other opinions into consideration.



Well for one thing I don't really know how to read the measurements. Why do I need to know measurements to compare experience?


----------



## Bernard23

MacMan31 said:


> Well for one thing I don't really know how to read the measurements. Why do I need to know measurements to compare experience?


Think of it this way. I have a metre of cable I want to sell you. How do you know it's a metre, and not 90cms? If we disagree, who would you turn to?


----------



## Bernard23

I should add, that reviewers who use measurements to explain their subjective observations are more useful that those that just spout hyperbole


----------



## PhantomNyan

1-MiC said:


> Well y’all, sad to say I sold my marantz, for really cheap lol.
> I changed my desktop set up and it just didn’t fit, even tho I have a side table, I wanted everything under my monitor. My son is nearing two years old and grabs everything so I attempted to de clutter and have smart cable management.
> 
> I will say with resolving headphones it was easy to spot things with the marantz that got beat out by newer amps newer dacs. For my preferences, the sound signature was great. It’s smooth top end and more natural sound sig actually made me have a bit of dislike for brighter more aggressive equipment. It changed my preferences quite a bit. My dragonfly red I used to fill in at times is too lively on top now.
> ...


I was actually thinking of at some point buying this thing (despite it being a massive monster for a desk) thanks for your review you now convinced me not to buy it


----------



## fattycheesebeef

Pairing the trusty old HD-DAC1 with HD650, bliss!


----------



## MacMan31

proglife said:


> I've done the same recently. I have the DAC1 and a Valhalla 2 on my desk at work with HD600's. There wasn't a drastic difference between the Valhalla 2 and the DAC1, so I have my Valhalla 2 for sale locally (annapolis, md if anyone is interested).
> 
> If you put a gun to my head, i'd give a slight edge to the Valhalla. But just having the DAC1 on my desk is a much cleaner package.



Were you using the stock tubes on the Valhalla 2? I don't have my HD-DAC1 anymore but I sometimes wish I still did. I may end up selling my Valhalla 2 as I now also have a Lyr 3.


----------



## Mink (Apr 19, 2022)

I just got myself a used Marantz HD DAC in mint condition!
So far I am really impressed. Not in the sense of resolution, detail delivery or sound staging (which are as expected very fine, just like every other DAC I own/have tried, the supposed improvements in DACs the last decades are exaggerated in my opinion, my CD players, early 2000s have kept up), but in the way how natural and fluid this Marantz sounds.
The last couple of hours listening to this amp/DAC makes me think I prefer Marantz' implementation of the Cirrus Logic chip over every Burr Brown and AKM type DAC I have auditioned. I liked TEAC UD 503 for its utterly smooth (colored) velvet sound, but with many headphones I own this sound can get too bassy and smooth, like a contemporary Technics MASH. A DAC should be neutral for the most part, imo. I even prefer this Marantz DAC over the PCM1702 in my Denon DCD1450.
A couple of months ago I got an Audio GD R2R 11 Amp/DAC which I like quite a bit for its fluidity and naturalness, but I find the Marantz even more natural and fluid sounding, deeper and wider as well. Marantz's treble is rather sensational, not rounded but still without a hint of hardness or grain. Audio GD's sound is smooth because it appears to be rounded and softened. Marantz seems to be smooth naturally? Note that I only listened with headphones, neither units I have tried as pre-amp. Maybe run over speakers the Audio GD sounds better?
I don't know how Marantz does it, but the mids have this warmth which almost seems intrinsic, the mids don't appear to be colored, well certainly not like those AKM velvet DACs. Not sure what part of the Marantz is more responsible for its excellent sound, the amp or the DAC? Unfortunately I can't bypass the DAC to test the amp on its own.
A thing about the looks.
Those fake wooden, plastic side panels aren't that bad actually. I have seen lots of authentic wooden panels that are polished and lacquered to look just as fake as this LOL only when you touch the panels you clearly notice it is plastic. Besides that, it also gives of an old bakelite vibe, you know the predecessor of today's plastic.
I chose the black unit. Normally I would pick the silver or champagne version, but with these brown side panels the black one just looks more classy.


----------



## Mink

It is a couple of times mentioned in this thread, but the popping sounds using USB can be annoying.
I don't mean the relais click in the device itself, but the pops you hear over headphones every time it connects (or locks the signal)?, at the start of a new track or video. 
With Spotify it only occurs when you select a track yourself, when you let the album play out itself, meaning when you let a song finish and just wait for the following track to play there will be no pop, it is only when selecting a song yourself this pop occurs. With Youtube however there are instances in longer videos that this connection/lock pop occurs frequently in a video. The same with Netflix. Not always, but it just shouldn't happen at all in my opinion.  
I have set under advanced sound settings in Windows the sample rate and bit depth fixed at 48K/32 bits (unchecked the exclusive mode) hoping this would fix these pops, reasoning that the DAC may reconnect and lock because of different sample rates in a particular video? To no avail.
Fortunately it is only a luxury problem I can just use my Audio GD for the USB media and the Marantz for the coaxial connection with one of my CD players...but still, it doesn't sit well with me


----------



## Smoothstereo

Mink said:


> It is a couple of times mentioned in this thread, but the popping sounds using USB can be annoying.
> I don't mean the relais click in the device itself, but the pops you hear over headphones every time it connects (or locks the signal)?, at the start of a new track or video.
> With Spotify it only occurs when you select a track yourself, when you let the album play out itself, meaning when you let a song finish and just wait for the following track to play there will be no pop, it is only when selecting a song yourself this pop occurs. With Youtube however there are instances in longer videos that this connection/lock pop occurs frequently in a video. The same with Netflix. Not always, but it just shouldn't happen at all in my opinion.
> I have set under advanced sound settings in Windows the sample rate and bit depth fixed at 48K/32 bits (unchecked the exclusive mode) hoping this would fix these pops, reasoning that the DAC may reconnect and lock because of different sample rates in a particular video? To no avail.
> Fortunately it is only a luxury problem I can just use my Audio GD for the USB media and the Marantz for the coaxial connection with one of my CD players...but still, it doesn't sit well with me


I used to own the Marantz DAC1 and I paired it to an Android phone and have never heard any pops thru my headphones. I mostly listen to wav files all in 44.1khz and its was trouble free. The only thing it did do was the relay clicks, but thats when I start my session and end my session which is understandable.


----------



## Mink (Apr 22, 2022)

Smoothstereo said:


> I used to own the Marantz DAC1 and I paired it to an Android phone and have never heard any pops thru my headphones. I mostly listen to wav files all in 44.1khz and its was trouble free. The only thing it did do was the relay clicks, but thats when I start my session and end my session which is understandable.


When using the front USB port there aren't any pops indeed, but the USB port at the back (USB-DAC) while connecting laptop/PC has this 'problem'.


----------



## jamca

Mink said:


> When using the front USB port there aren't any pops indeed, but the USB port at the back (USB-DAC) while connecting laptop/PC has this 'problem'.


I have never heard any clicks and pops except the normal relay sound. It should be an issue with your unit.


----------



## Mink (Apr 22, 2022)

Well then history seems to repeat itself. My beloved Marantz PM7200 amp has an annoying loud transformer hum that is audible over the headphones out in the left channel.
And now these relais clicks of my HD-DAC1 manifest themselves in the headphones output.

Edit: it is related to my Windows laptop. My Audio GD does this popping at the start of a video as well, only less consistent.


----------



## Smoothstereo

That is weird then. The relay clicks that I hear are coming from the DAC1 itself, not thru my headphones.


----------



## MellowGold

Same here, the clicking is happening inside the unit when it locks into a new signal (USB only). I should also say that this has never been an issue for me and I've had the unit for several years.


----------



## Mink (Apr 30, 2022)

Mink said:


> Well then history seems to repeat itself. My beloved Marantz PM7200 amp has an annoying loud transformer hum that is audible over the headphones out in the left channel.
> And now these relais clicks of my HD-DAC1 manifest themselves in the headphones output.
> 
> *Edit: it is related to my Windows laptop. My Audio GD does this popping at the start of a video as well, only less consistent.*



When I connect my iPhone to the USB dac at the back (recently bought a dedicated cable) there are no pops and clicks, so this confirms that my Windows laptop is the popping and clicking culprit.
But I am not really hearing the supposed better sound using the USB DAC at the back instead of the port on the front....which is fine, because the sound is just wonderful.
True, SPDIF or coaxical connection is just a tad better overall, as it is with my other DACs in comparison with USB, but the difference is less obvious with this Marantz.

What I have noticed as well is that the amp's gain setting at medium seems to result in a better sound overall, with all my headphones.
And for what it is worth, the amp/DAC is dead quiet. No noise, no incidental high pitched swirls of jittery thingies. Pitch black. No need for an IFi iPurifier.
To be frank, the jittery stuff never bothered me much with my previous DACs or the headphones output of my laptop, but it is nice to hear...erm it is nice to *not hear* any of that any more.
Taking all this in account, this Marantz must be one the best bargains in recent hifi history, and I got a unit in mint condition for only half the price!


----------



## pbarach

Mink said:


> When I connect my iPhone to the USB dac at the back (recently bought a dedicated cable) there are no pops and clicks, so this confirms that my Windows laptop is the popping and clicking culprit.
> But I am not really hearing the supposed better sound using the USB DAC at the back instead of the port on the front...


It's the same DAC regardless of what digital input you're using. The back USB port accepts much higher-res files than the front does. But who would out hi-res files on an iPhone anyway?


----------



## Smoothstereo

Based on my memory when I had the Marantz DAC1, when I put a thumb drive on the front usb input with wav files in 44.1khz and compared it to same files on my Android phone running USB Audio Player Pro using the usb port on the back was a noticeable improvement. I tested several times and always coming to the same conclusion. So I preferred the back USB input.

Funny thing is, the person I sold my DAC1 to, had the exact same feedback.


----------



## chaturanga

As far as I know front USB is designed to work optimum with ipods or apple devices. Back USB port is the way to go if you are setting DAC1 as an external DAC to your Windows or Android device.


----------



## Mink

chaturanga said:


> As far as I know front USB is designed to work optimum with ipods or apple devices. Back USB port is the way to go if you are setting DAC1 as an external DAC to your Windows or Android device.


Yes and it is more convenient to use the front port anyways. The i device charges with that port as well. That said, aesthetically it is more pleasing to connect the iPod/iPhone at the back, so that the front of this beautiful Marantz isn't cluttered with a nasty white cable


----------



## jamescodway

Back to Front

When I first got mine around 10 years ago, I favoured the front port but now with iPhone SE2 & Amazon Music HD, the front port has a compressed soundstage and less precise imaging. That’s even with 44.1/16 files and no down sampling. 

This simple and convenient combination with DT250-250 on low gain (lower but unspecified output impedance?) regularly produces magic.


----------



## Mink

It always amazes how differently people perceive sound. I have read on this forum that someone had sold his Marantz HD-DAC1 after he got the Audio GD R2R 11. To his ears the Audio GD sounded more real, music had more body etc.
Since I own both DAC/amps myself I did a comparison. Music used: Mendelssohn's Midsummer Nights Dream / Philippe Herreweghe. 
I compared both units connected to my Marantz CD 5000, playing the Mendelssohn CD and after that I connected the Marantz with my iPhone and the Audio GD to my laptop and fed both with Spotify, playing the same Mendelssohn album.
The difference in sound between the Mendelssohn album on CD (coaxial connection) and the album on Spotify (USB) was less apparent than the difference in sound between the Audio GD and the Marantz.
The Marantz beats the Audio GD in almost every possible way: more weight and punch to the sound, better instrument separation, better layering, more 3D, better definition, better texture, bigger dynamics, both micro and macro, more detailed but with a similar smoothness, there is none of that supposed Delta Sigma glare found in this Marantz unit. 
In the 1st run the difference was so obvious that I started to doubt myself. The Audio GD lacked bass impact. It turned out that the gain on the Marantz amp was set to medium and the the gain on the Audio GD on low. So I set the gain on the Audio GD at high (it only has two settings. lo and hi) and it made a difference for sure, an overall improvement. I thought that was it, but nope, the Marantz still sounds bigger and more engaging.


----------



## pbarach (May 12, 2022)

I don't understand what you are doing here. How are you connecting the units to the Marantz CD-5000 player, which has no inputs? You must be referring to a different Marantz CD player.


----------



## Mink

pbarach said:


> I don't understand what you are doing here. How are you connecting the units to the Marantz CD-5000 player, which has no inputs? You must be referring to a different Marantz CD player.


Marantz CD player connected via Digital out to Digital input of both DACs. Obviously not at the same time.


----------



## Mink

Mink said:


> It always amazes how differently people perceive sound. I have read on this forum that someone had sold his Marantz HD-DAC1 after he got the Audio GD R2R 11. To his ears the Audio GD sounded more real, music had more body etc.
> Since I own both DAC/amps myself I did a comparison. Music used: Mendelssohn's Midsummer Nights Dream / Philippe Herreweghe.
> I compared both units connected to my Marantz CD 5000, playing the Mendelssohn CD and after that I connected the Marantz with my iPhone and the Audio GD to my laptop and fed both with Spotify, playing the same Mendelssohn album.
> The difference in sound between the Mendelssohn album on CD (coaxial connection) and the album on Spotify (USB) was less apparent than the difference in sound between the Audio GD and the Marantz.
> ...


I tried some pop/alternative as well. And it got interesting.
Julia Holter's "Feel You" sounds really better with the Audio GD. And the sound of the Youtube video beats the sound of Spotify in this case.
War on Drugs' "Under the Pressure" sounds better with the Marantz. So weird.
It isn't as clear cut as I thought and hoped: with classical the Marantz beats the Audio GD and with pop vice versa. It appears it differs with track by track which DAC is preferable.


----------



## pbarach

error


----------



## pbarach

Mink said:


> Marantz CD player connected via Digital out to Digital input of both DACs. Obviously not at the same time.


  Then what does this mean: "After that I connected the Marantz with my iPhone." The iPhone has no digital input, nor does that model of Marantz CD player.


----------



## Mink

pbarach said:


> Then what does this mean: "After that I connected the Marantz with my iPhone." The iPhone has no digital input, nor does that model of Marantz CD player.


You are trolling. Funny guy


----------



## pbarach

Mink said:


> You are trolling. Funny guy


I am not trolling. I just cannot understand what you did. There is literally no way to connect the Marantz CD-5000 to an iphone.


----------



## JHern

I finally demoted my Marantz HD-DAC1, it served me very well for many years. The reason is that I bought a MiniDSP SHD for my loudspeaker system, and that liberated my Topping D90 to be used on my desk with cans after acquiring the A90 to go along with it. The difference is much much greater than I had anticipated. That's not to say that the Marantz didn't sound good...it did! I spent countless hours enjoying it.

I always thought the Marantz had plenty of grunt to power bass, but the A90 reveals textures and space in the low end that I never knew existed, particularly with my Ultrasone Ed 8 Ruthenium that can go very low with control if the amp drives them honestly. The improvement is even more noticeable on a pair of Audio-Technica ATH-W1000Z that I've not been using much since they sounded quite weak on the Marantz...the D90/A90 stack has these sounding like an entirely new headphone. While they are still not basshead cans by any stretch of the imagination, the bass is definitely more present and what comes out is also nicely articulated (ATH-W1000Z are nice in the mid-high frequency range).

Anyways, I think the D90+A90 cost only a bit more than the Marantz HD-DAC1, and give a substantial upgrade in sound quality. If anyone is thinking about it, I think they will probably be happy with the swap.


----------



## fattycheesebeef

Thank you for this! I always wanted D90+A90 stack but was thinking of other combos after retiring my HD-DAC1 too~


----------



## Nkam

jamca said:


> Technology has moved on, and perhaps other dacs are technically superior, however whenever i go back to dac1 i enjoy the music most. It has such coherence, analog but still analytical sound...difficult to describe.



it IS a superior sound.
i wish Marantz would come out with another stand alone DAC.  

it has bested all other DACs I tried.

Venus II 
benchmark dac3 
topping D30pro
topping D90SE
mojo 1
Mojo 2 
Schiit Bifrost 2/64
RME ADI 2 


it DOES benefit greatly from a USB decrapifier


----------



## MacMan31

I do wish I still had my DAC1. I now have a Bifrost 2 and Singxer SA1 and Feliks Audio Echo Mk2. They're all really great but the DAC1 was great in it's own way.


----------



## Nkam

MacMan31 said:


> I do wish I still had my DAC1. I now have a Bifrost 2 and Singxer SA1 and Feliks Audio Echo Mk2. They're all really great but the DAC1 was great in it's own way.



it’s hard to beat a team of experienced Japanese engineers making a discreet analog output for a well designed DAC.


----------



## iFi audio

Nkam said:


> it DOES benefit greatly from a USB decrapifier



Most DACs do


----------



## MacMan31

iFi audio said:


> Most DACs do



What's a USB decrapifier?


----------



## iFi audio

MacMan31 said:


> What's a USB decrapifier?



When folks mention USB decrapifiers, they mean USB reclockers or galvanic isolators, so devices meant to sort USB data between a transport and DAC. Hope this helps, thanks!


----------



## MacMan31

iFi audio said:


> When folks mention USB decrapifiers, they mean USB reclockers or galvanic isolators, so devices meant to sort USB data between a transport and DAC. Hope this helps, thanks!



Oh okay. Is there any you would recommend?


----------



## 1-MiC

Its been some time since I’ve had my hd-dac1, and I honestly do miss it. I came back here to read a bit about other users experience’s lately… but then there’s “Pbarach” again, hanging out being negative not adding anything constructive. Ruined the experience lol.


----------



## Nkam

1-MiC said:


> Its been some time since I’ve had my hd-dac1, and I honestly do miss it. I came back here to read a bit about other users experience’s lately… but then there’s “Pbarach” again, hanging out being negative not adding anything constructive. Ruined the experience lol.



who is that?


yeah I seriously have yet to find a DAC that beats it.  
not as a headphone amp, but just the DAC part.  

and the sad thing is I am trying to find something to beat it.  
its maddening.  

i was trying two years ago and now decided to try a few more DACs to beat it but nope.
ugh


----------



## pbarach

1-MiC said:


> Its been some time since I’ve had my hd-dac1, and I honestly do miss it. I came back here to read a bit about other users experience’s lately… but then there’s “Pbarach” again, hanging out being negative not adding anything constructive. Ruined the experience lol.


   I hope you're being sarcastic, because I don't recall posting anything negative about my HD-DAC1. I have it connected to my computer, and I use it every day at my work desk with Senn 600's. I replaced it in my big system with a Topping DAC and a THX 789 amp; the combo adds a bit more detail than the Marantz.


----------



## Nkam

pbarach said:


> I hope you're being sarcastic, because I don't recall posting anything negative about my HD-DAC1. I have it connected to my computer, and I use it every day at my work desk with Senn 600's. I replaced it in my big system with a Topping DAC and a THX 789 amp; the combo adds a bit more detail than the Marantz.



which Topping DAC if you don’t mind me asking?

thanks


----------



## iFi audio

MacMan31 said:


> Oh okay. Is there any you would recommend?



We did quite a few such products and still have some in our offer, but it's best to ask other users what they think about these products. Thanks for asking though


----------



## Nkam

iFi audio said:


> We did quite a few such products and still have some in our offer, but it's best to ask other users what they think about these products. Thanks for asking though



are you the rep from Ifi?

if so, why did you discontinue your galvanic isolator ? 

i have that connected to my Marantz and it really helps.  

was there a reason for discontinuing that product?


----------



## chaturanga

Nkam said:


> who is that?
> 
> 
> yeah I seriously have yet to find a DAC that beats it.
> ...



I bought a Ferrum Erco recently, Erco has more power (thanks to it's balanced design), more functions (can be connected to a fully balanced AMP, supports MQA full decode and rendering which is a good plus for me), a very light weight in compare to HD-DAC1, more smaller form factor..

But when it comes to sound Marantz is not way behind of it.. It's very very competing actually.

Thinking it was first released 8 years ago I can understand why Marantz is not making another DAC after HD-DAC1. I think they don't need...

So isn't there any sound difference between Erco and Marantz, sure there is.. To be more fair I will compare only 6.35 Headphone outs of both DACs without using any other AMP or stg. 

I used Beyerdynamic DT770 250 Ohm headphones, here is my opinion:

*One note* is that when I will say below "*more"* that doesn't mean *"clearly" more* or *"very much"* *just a little bit more* will be better understanding.

Erco is more musical, more sweet sounding, Erco is more balanced through the frequency I can say. But you don't loose any detail in both DACs, they have very slightly different presentation. But to be honest I am not sure if I could find which is which in a blind test.

But when I was buying Erco I was not expecting a day and night difference between DACs because I already had a very good opinion about Marantz's DACs quality. You don't need to try all DACs around, it's just a very very good and correct DAC if you test with the music you are already familiar with. So I did not get Erco because I did not like Marantz's sound.. 

If I did not have hard driven headphones, if I did not have 4.4mm balanced cables, if I was using my DAC on a fixed table set up (I like to put my DAC next to me on a coffee table while sitting in different places in the house) I would not need that slight more musical presentation of Erco.

So Erco gives me slightly better, sweet sound with more functions in a smaller and lightweight design. That is why I did not regret to buy Erco but there is not too much sound difference as their prices remind us... (Erco's retail price is 2400 Euro, but I bought one from here, used (15 hours) and with a very good price. Marantz can be found 400-500 USD used I think)

Since Marantz doesn't have balanced out, it will not be fair to compare balanced out of Erco to SE of Marantz, but again out of giving more juice to hard driven headphones and gaining some positive things from that output power difference, Marantz is very very good still..


----------



## Nkam

chaturanga said:


> I bought a Ferrum Erco recently, Erco has more power (thanks to it's balanced design), more functions (can be connected to a fully balanced AMP, supports MQA full decode and rendering which is a good plus for me), a very light weight in compare to HD-DAC1, more smaller form factor..
> 
> But when it comes to sound Marantz is not way behind of it.. It's very very competing actually.
> 
> ...



wait, so you are saying the ERCO is better with headphones ?
you havent used it as a stand alone DAC?

that’s what i was saying.    
as a stand alone DAC the Marantz is tough to beat.    Not with its headphone amp.


----------



## chaturanga

Nkam said:


> wait, so you are saying the ERCO is better with headphones ?
> you havent used it as a stand alone DAC?
> 
> that’s what i was saying.
> as a stand alone DAC the Marantz is tough to beat.    Not with its headphone amp.



I mostly compared headphone outs but also I compared (not very critical listening actually but I have some idea) both by connecting them to my only standalone AMP (Soncoz SGA -1), when I do that as I recall from my mind, the difference is getting lower even I can say no difference...

So yes for me headphone out of Erco is better than Marantz's, but when I use both as standalone DAC to another AMP the difference is getting lower.. I will try to make some comparison in a better time with external AMP. if I can find some clear differences I will update here. 

But if you have Marantz and happy with it's sound, and if it has good synergy with your current headphones or speakers no need to change it...


----------



## pbarach

Nkam said:


> which Topping DAC if you don’t mind me asking?
> 
> thanks


  Topping D50s


----------



## Nkam

pbarach said:


> Topping D50s



that is a far cry however from a DAC that has a great power supply and discreet analog output stages 

I don’t think I will even again get a DAC with op amps to try. 
waste of time


----------

