The first Totaldac D1-Twelve Mk2 DAC in Hong Kong

[totaldac]

Excellent thread! I have a few questions.

- What are the sonic benefits of Live Power? Bass slam, bass detail, bass texture, other, all of the above? How does it change the tonal balance?
- If one is using a preamp, should one at all care about 3.2V RCA vs. 6.4V? Is this only a concern for guys driving their amplifier(s) using the TotalDAC volume control?
- What are the differences in TotalDac sound using AES vs. USB? Is it a big difference? Worth having both options?

Thanks in advance for the replies!

Thank you.

"- What are the sonic benefits of Live Power? Bass slam, bass detail, bass texture, other, all of the above? How does it change the tonal balance?"

The sound is more live, this was my first feeling. Maybe other users can give their opinion. It doesn't change much the tonal balanced but it is even more real, more here. I found it quite obvious. It doesn't change just the bass slam or the mid/high, it makes the same better life at all frequencies.

"- If one is using a preamp, should one at all care about 3.2V RCA vs. 6.4V? Is this only a concern for guys driving their amplifier(s) using the TotalDAC volume control?"

Indeed if you use an active preamp the DAC output voltage is not a problem. It is sometimes (rarely) a problem when you drive directly a power amplifier especially with a low gain amplifier and low sensitivity speakers, and this only if you need to play loud.
Passive preamp having no gain can have the same limit.

- What are the differences in TotalDac sound using AES vs. USB? Is it a big difference? Worth having both options?

The difference is not so much related to the input choice but rather to the server feeding the digital signal.
When using a simple Windows computer, clearly the AES-EBU from the Totaldac reclocker is better than the direct USB link from the computer.
The opposite can also happen, the AES-EBU output from a basic computer vs the USB output from a very good server or streamer.
The Totaldac GIGAFILTER USB cable can also make a big difference with its filtering and galvanic isolation.
So there is no easy answer if you don't say which server or streamer or computer is used for AES-EBU and for USB (and with or without GIGAFILTER).

 

[Esotar]

Vincent and WBF members, Korean audio sellers are almost seindlers.

One site manager changed Cary Audio DMS-500 chassis to great design chassis and modified somethings.

He is selling this DAC by $ 8,550.

The problem is that one of this DAC orderers is your d1-Seven customer.

The manager told my customer the DAC is much better than d1 seven and my customer will sell your DAC and

order modified DAC.

Is there the one who tested or uses DMS-500, 550, 600????

My customers said he didn't know which parts are upgraded.

He only knows chassis is changed.

Guys, do you think modified Cary Audio DMS-500, 550, 600 are much better than d1-Seven???

Actually I tested DMS-500 old version.

It is not good. If modifying it, to win against d1-Seven is impossible, I think.

I want to know your opinions.

 

[justubes]

Esotar, where is the video with total dac playing?

Only MSB?

 

[totaldac]

I have never heard of Cary DACs before sorry. It is not a Totaldac DAC competitor usually, not like MSB or DCS.

 

[Esotar]

I have never heard of Cary DACs before sorry. It is not a Totaldac DAC competitor usually, not like MSB or DCS.

Your answer is perfect~!

DMS series are never your rival.

Thanks for good reply~!!

 

[caesar]

Thank you.

"- What are the sonic benefits of Live Power? Bass slam, bass detail, bass texture, other, all of the above? How does it change the tonal balance?"

The sound is more live, this was my first feeling. Maybe other users can give their opinion. It doesn't change much the tonal balanced but it is even more real, more here. I found it quite obvious. It doesn't change just the bass slam or the mid/high, it makes the same better life at all frequencies.

"- If one is using a preamp, should one at all care about 3.2V RCA vs. 6.4V? Is this only a concern for guys driving their amplifier(s) using the TotalDAC volume control?"

Indeed if you use an active preamp the DAC output voltage is not a problem. It is sometimes (rarely) a problem when you drive directly a power amplifier especially with a low gain amplifier and low sensitivity speakers, and this only if you need to play loud.
Passive preamp having no gain can have the same limit.

- What are the differences in TotalDac sound using AES vs. USB? Is it a big difference? Worth having both options?

The difference is not so much related to the input choice but rather to the server feeding the digital signal.
When using a simple Windows computer, clearly the AES-EBU from the Totaldac reclocker is better than the direct USB link from the computer.
The opposite can also happen, the AES-EBU output from a basic computer vs the USB output from a very good server or streamer.
The Totaldac GIGAFILTER USB cable can also make a big difference with its filtering and galvanic isolation.
So there is no easy answer if you don't say which server or streamer or computer is used for AES-EBU and for USB (and with or without GIGAFILTER).

Hi TotalDAC,

I really appreciate your reply. My experience with transports is as follows:

• I have heard Lumins and Aurenders through USB with other DACs, not TotalDAC, and I think these transports absolutely suck. I feel bad for people streaming with these products over playing CDs. Ever since those experiences, I have stayed away from USB
• I have heard your DAC with a reference CD transport through AES, and it blows away any streaming I have heard - by a mile!
• I have heard your DAC with the dCS Network Bridge through AES. Whereas I find dCS DACs highly “neutral” and likely analytical in VAST majority of systems people would use them in, the dCS Network Bridge is able to pull through a lot of detail into your DAC, which then works its magic to emotionally connect the listener to the music. I fully understand why reviewers use the dCS bridge with your DAC

If you are aware of any transports that sound good with USB, please let me know.

Also please share how USB sounds different than AES with TotalDACs.


Thank you for creating DACs with wrenching emotional qualities!!! Amazing work!!!

And thank you for sharing with the community. Keep up the great work!

 

[totaldac]

Hi TotalDAC,

I really appreciate your reply. My experience with transports is as follows:

• I have heard Lumins and Aurenders through USB with other DACs, not TotalDAC, and I think these transports absolutely suck. I feel bad for people streaming with these products over playing CDs. Ever since those experiences, I have stayed away from USB
• I have heard your DAC with a reference CD transport through AES, and it blows away any streaming I have heard - by a mile!
• I have heard your DAC with the dCS Network Bridge through AES. Whereas I find dCS DACs highly “neutral” and likely analytical in VAST majority of systems people would use them in, the dCS Network Bridge is able to pull through a lot of detail into your DAC, which then works its magic to emotionally connect the listener to the music. I fully understand why reviewers use the dCS bridge with your DAC

If you are aware of any transports that sound good with USB, please let me know.

Also please share how USB sounds different than AES with TotalDACs.


Thank you for creating DACs with wrenching emotional qualities!!! Amazing work!!!

And thank you for sharing with the community. Keep up the great work!

caesar,
Thank you!
There seem to be very good feedback about the Taiko Extreme server with USB output, see the dedicated thread.

I also make the Totaldac d1-streamer, it has an AES-EBU output but it uses a USB loop between the streamer board and the reclocker board.
It has been compared to the DCS Network Bridge you are talking about, see here http://www.totaldac.com/fichiers/totaldac_d1-streamer_lavorgna_review.pdf

USB is just output of a processor and this processor under an operating system (necessary for modern computer) is never synchronous to the music clock. So you need such an output followed by a fifo or a letter box and associated filling management. If it is not USB it can be SPI, PCI or whatever. It is never audio native. Even a I2S output of a processor is in fact a fifo filled by the internal asynchronous matrix. So it just means that the fifo is integrated in the processor, but it is filled by the operating system which is not synchronous to the music clock.
So USB is not worst that any other output of a processor. It is always difficult to get good sound from computer stuffs (computers, streamers, servers...) but it is possible. CD player are much more straight forward because it is synchronous to the music internally.
Today the best servers or streamers sound even better than most CD transport I think, but that was a big job to achieve it.
The Totaldac reclocker is good tool for that.

A reveiw of the d1-core with streamer option has just been released and they compare the sound of a CD transport to the sound of the streaming board connected via the USB GIGAFILTER.

"Also please share how USB sounds different than AES with TotalDACs."
This is a difficult question since it depends on the transport.

 

[Kris]

Vincent
there are servers like Taiko extreme having both USB and AES
so you can test them both. Few did that with Totaldac 12.
At the end USB is used in almost all the cases With top USB cable.
USB tends to sound little brite in comparison to AES so the final effect ( for better or worst)
Depends on your system balance.
The good thing is that all are very happy with the final effect.

 

[Kris]

Hi TotalDAC,

I really appreciate your reply. My experience with transports is as follows:

• I have heard Lumins and Aurenders through USB with other DACs, not TotalDAC, and I think these transports absolutely suck. I feel bad for people streaming with these products over playing CDs. Ever since those experiences, I have stayed away from USB
• I have heard your DAC with a reference CD transport through AES, and it blows away any streaming I have heard - by a mile!
• I have heard your DAC with the dCS Network Bridge through AES. Whereas I find dCS DACs highly “neutral” and likely analytical in VAST majority of systems people would use them in, the dCS Network Bridge is able to pull through a lot of detail into your DAC, which then works its magic to emotionally connect the listener to the music. I fully understand why reviewers use the dCS bridge with your DAC

If you are aware of any transports that sound good with USB, please let me know.

Also please share how USB sounds different than AES with TotalDACs.


Thank you for creating DACs with wrenching emotional qualities!!! Amazing work!!!

And thank you for sharing with the community. Keep up the great work!

I tested dcs network bridge against totaldac server and returned dcs NB.
I know dcs NB sounds good with Totaldac DAC
but totaldac Server sounds much better with Totaldac DAC.

 

[digital_crack]

I tested dcs network bridge against totaldac server and returned dcs NB.
I know dcs NB sounds good with Totaldac DAC
but totaldac Server sounds much better with Totaldac DAC.

Hello Kris,

i follow news about Totaldac since months and your experience seems great with these products. How would you characterize the difference between a dCS Network Bridge and the Totadac server with your own words (i'm always cautious with reviews coming from papers) ?

What are the key criteria that made you keep the Totaldac server ?

 

[Kris]

Hello Kris,

i follow news about Totaldac since months and your experience seems great with these products. How would you characterize the difference between a dCS Network Bridge and the Totadac server with your own words (i'm always cautious with reviews coming from papers) ?

What are the key criteria that made you keep the Totaldac server ?

well.
I was thinking it is only the reclocker that is inside totaldac server that makes big difference.
So I attached the NB direct to the reclocker With good effect but the server part of the totaldac (build in cubox) server was still better.
So there is much more in the softwere and cubox setup by Vincent than we think.

NB is very good but everything is little less live and flat.
TD is more musical , live and 3D.
I think there is also better impedance maching once you use totaldac server and totaldac dac.
I was hoping to add NB to my sustem but it played better without it so I returned it.

please note there is no risk with Vincent Return policy. You can buy totaldac server and return it if you are not fully happy.

also you dont need to sell totaldac once the new version comes.
You get all softwere updates free Every few months to your mailbox.
If hardwere upgrade shows up just send it to Vincent and he will upgrade it for very affordable price.

ps. I have very sensitive system . It is like the magnifying glass, so you might see little less difference than I , but still should be much better.

 

[matthias]

well.
I was thinking it is only the reclocker that is inside totaldac server that makes big difference.
So I attached the NB direct to the reclocker With good effect but the server part of the totaldac (build in cubox) server was still better.
So there is much more in the softwere and cubox setup by Vincent than we think.

NB is very good but everything is little less live and flat.
TD is more musical , live and 3D.
I think there is also better impedance maching once you use totaldac server and totaldac dac.
I was hoping to add NB to my sustem but it played better without it so I returned it.

please note there is no risk with Vincent Return policy. You can buy totaldac server and return it if you are not fully happy.

also you dont need to sell totaldac once the new version comes.
You get all softwere updates free Every few months to your mailbox.
If hardwere upgrade shows up just send it to Vincent and he will upgrade it for very affordable price.

ps. I have very sensitive system . It is like the magnifying glass, so you might see little less difference than I , but still should be much better.

Kris,
sorry, when you say totaldac server, do you mean the d1-streamer?

http://www.totaldac.com/D1-streamer-eng.htm

On totaldac HP I see only totaldac player and totaldac streamer.

Thanks

Matt

 

[matthias]

I also make the Totaldac d1-streamer, it has an AES-EBU output but it uses a USB loop between the streamer board and the reclocker board.
It has been compared to the DCS Network Bridge you are talking about, see here http://www.totaldac.com/fichiers/totaldac_d1-streamer_lavorgna_review.pdf

Hi Vincent,

looking for some time for a Qobuz streaming solution from a Mac/Audirvana like this configuration:

The Mac/Audirvana receives Qobuz streaming via Wifi and send it via Audirvana/UPnP streaming (Mac Internet sharing selected) to a directly with ethernet cable connected totaldac d1-streamer.

Do you or some of your customers have experience with such a set-up and if yes, what about the SQ?

Thank you

Matt

 

[Kris]

Kris,
sorry, when you say totaldac server, do you mean the d1-streamer?

http://www.totaldac.com/D1-streamer-eng.htm

On totaldac HP I see only totaldac player and totaldac streamer.

Thanks

Matt

streamer .

 

[matthias]

Hi Vincent,

I would like to ask an additional question regarding the new d1-streamer:

From totaldac HP:
"The d1-streamer is composed of a Totaldac reclocker, a new Totaldac streamer board, a Totaldac USB GIGAFILTER loop and a new Totaldac live-power external power supply."

Does this mean the d1-streamer comes as standard with USB GIGAFILTER and live-power external power supply?
Thanks

Matt

 

[Kris]

Hi Vincent,

I would like to ask an additional question regarding the new d1-streamer:

From totaldac HP:
"The d1-streamer is composed of a Totaldac reclocker, a new Totaldac streamer board, a Totaldac USB GIGAFILTER loop and a new Totaldac live-power external power supply."

Does this mean the d1-streamer comes as standard with USB GIGAFILTER and live-power external power supply?
Thanks

Matt

if this is all standard this will be a great deal !
each option is expensive if you buy it all separate.
I was purchesing my server / streamer long ago and have to upgrate To latest hardwere.

This means that the difference between NB and TD streamer will be much bigger than I was
writing before. So TD should be a way better now than NB .

 

[matthias]

if this is all standard this will be a great deal !
each option is expensive if you buy it all separate.

Exactly,
maybe it is possible to get the d1-streamer without the GIGAFILTER.......

Matt

 

[Kris]

I corrected my previous post so it is more clear

 

[matthias]

I corrected my previous post so it is more clear

It would be really nice to get d1-streamer without USB cable and maybe upgrade later.......
Without USB cable the price of TD and NB would be roughly the same.

Matt

 

[totaldac]

Totaldac has now a facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/totaldac.vincent.brient