Totaldac Amp-1 poweramp debuted at Munich Hi-end 2019

I would like to open a thread on the new Totaldac Amp-1 poweramp on the WBF Amp/Preamp Forum.

Here is its specifications and pricings :
http://www.totaldac.com/amp-1-en.htm

The Amp-1 was debuted at the Munich Hi-end 2019 held earlier this month :
https://www.monoandstereo.com/2019/05/totaldac-world-premiere-of-amp-1.html#more

Despite Amp-1 is the first poweramp of Totaldac, it has received many praises, from both Munich show visitors & reviews/media.
There were 3 sets of Magico M6 loudspeaker at the Munich 2019, paired up with diff amps. Many of the show visitors opined that the M6 driven by Amp-1 gave the best/most musical/most enjoyable performance.

Here is one of the praising professional reviews :
https://www.audiostream.com/content/high-end-munich-2019-totaldac-brings-totalpower-dac-line

I very much hope that the HK Totaldac dealer will get an Amp-1 for demo very soon.
I have full confidence in its performance.
Also, the pricing of Amp-1 is reasonable, considering that its performance is on par with flagship poweramps of other brands which can be 2 or 3 times more expensive!

 

Many of the show visitors opined that the M6 driven by Amp-1 gave the best/most musical/most enjoyable performance.

Many preferred this to the MSB room? Really?

 

Many preferred this to the MSB room? Really?

I certainly did. I went into the MSB/Magico room on 2 separate occasions and whilst the sound was very competent it didn't rock my boat. Some pretty amazing soundstaging (at one point I thought vocals on a track were coming from behind me which was eery) but ultimately a little lacking in emotion and not much toe tapping (from me at least!).

On the other hand the Totaldac room was clearly compromised in terms of acoustics (it was tiny) yet somehow the music was just more engaging and fun to listen to. Myself and my 2 companions sat in the room for what must have been a good 20 minutes, maybe longer. I think it's fair to say we were all impressed.

Guillaume

 

Thank you for opening this thread and thank you to all visitors for coming and listen the Totaldac source + Amp-1.
It was fun for us too!

Several reviewers came to make a pretty long listening. Only Stereophile has finished his listening report, so more may come.

A French made his report about Munich.
He talks about Totaldac room here:
https://www.homecinema-fr.com/forum...e-munich-du-je-09-au-di-12-mai-t30092235.html

 

He liked ASKJA too...

 

He liked ASKJA too...

Yes, Askja system using a Totaldac DAC in their amplifier.

 

Many preferred this to the MSB room? Really?

Yes really, and I share that opinion having gone to Munich just to listen and absorb.

The TotalDAC amp was impressive and very musical...the TotalDAC Twelve Mk2 while not ultimately what I prefer (Esoteric or Wadax)
was very good and analog-like in its presentation at least as that room was setup.

The room was pleasing to listen to music in and had a lot of positive attributes. I preferred it too the MSB room, CH Precision and several other biggies, hands-down.

Also loved the sound of the new Esoteric P1X, D1X with C1 and M1 together with SF Amati speakers; good speakers but not their Aidas or anything bigger,...really let the quality of the D->A stack shine through...

Then there was the Wadax Stack, Engstrom pre-amp, amps and Goebel Divin Noblesse room that I thought was one of the top 3 rooms at the show.

 

He liked ASKJA too...

The ASKJA system was one of the most electric looking systems I've ever seen and I initially went in and expected it to be a visual gimmick without great sound and can honestly say I enjoyed listening to that system very, very much. Great imaging, ability to render to music, soundstage, etc...a very pleasant surprise overall, at least to me.

 

Hi,
I completely agree with the comments above, on the sidelines of everything I heard as music at the Hifideluxe
and at the high-end, the full Totaldac system on the Magico was very significant compared to the other proposals on these speakers,
with undoubtedly more intentions, involvment in the restitution proposed by Vincent and the chills of listening that goes with it !

I am now very much looking forward to having the opportunity to listen this in more favorable conditions, especially the Amp-1...
in my own system... one of these days... hopes, high hopes !

Nice job.
be in music

 

... first lucky guys !

https://www.monoandstereo.com/2019/06/first-totaldac-amp-1-amplifiers-are.html

 

IT has arrived, and even though I had to fight with a hairy wild thing (Who's the boss !) it is now in place...
only remains to listen quietly, even if the first notes already tell me a lot.

 

IT has arrived, and even though I had to fight with a hairy wild thing (Who's the boss !) it is now in place...
only remains to listen quietly, even if the first notes already tell me a lot.

Hello BF38,
Congratulations for getting the Amp-1 so fast!

Your previous Absolare is a really good hi-end amp too.
Pls share with us the diff between the two of them.

Many thanks!

 

Hi CKKeung,
Thanks, i followed the light... and everything is not very far in France, too !... especially with the THE MADE IN FRANCE !

I know now quite well, the Absolare integrated, we live together for many many months, it is an amp of exception, I appreciate its convergence of very high qualities! ... but I do not know, if it will be able to support the comparison with the Total coherence and the others great qualities of this Amp-1. Maybe also a different meaning given to the musical message, question of needs, question of taste... or not.

I will tell you my personal feeling, one of these days!

Be in music

 

Hi everybody,
after several weeks of listening, I decided to keep the Amp-1. I still enjoy what the super Absolare Integrated offers (those who own it know what I'm talking about !) but the coherence and the nature of my now full Totaldac topology offers me a form of musical evidence even stronger... I'll talk more about it in a few weeks when I think , I'll know the whole character of this superlative Amp-1 !

I recognize my incredible luck, I had the choice of king and I am just me.

It's nothing and that's all
Music to all.


Pictures of the music fountain from the rest of my life...

 

A video by AV showrooms of the Totaldac room at hifideluxe 2019, Totaldac source + Totaldac amp-1 amplifier driving Magico M6:

https://www.avshowrooms.com/hifi-deluxe-2019-vids-2.html

 

Hi everybody,
after several weeks of listening, I decided to keep the Amp-1. I still enjoy what the super Absolare Integrated offers (those who own it know what I'm talking about !) but the coherence and the nature of my now full Totaldac topology offers me a form of musical evidence even stronger... I'll talk more about it in a few weeks when I think , I'll know the whole character of this superlative Amp-1 !

I recognize my incredible luck, I had the choice of king and I am just me.

It's nothing and that's all
Music to all.


Pictures of the music fountain from the rest of my life...
View attachment 54980
View attachment 54984
View attachment 54983

Is the driver in the TotalDac horn a Fostex? Quite hard to see in photo. Do you have a pair of the white subs at the back? Are they a tapped horn?

 

Yes it is and i've only one sub, accorded in the manner of an organ pipe.

 

Hi everybody,
after several weeks of listening, I decided to keep the Amp-1. I still enjoy what the super Absolare Integrated offers (those who own it know what I'm talking about !) but the coherence and the nature of my now full Totaldac topology offers me a form of musical evidence even stronger... I'll talk more about it in a few weeks when I think , I'll know the whole character of this superlative Amp-1 !

I recognize my incredible luck, I had the choice of king and I am just me.

It's nothing and that's all
Music to all.


Pictures of the music fountain from the rest of my life...
View attachment 54980
View attachment 54984
View attachment 54983

Great setup!!!

 

thank you, SCAudiophile... and with the sound, it is still quite another thing !!!!

 

BF38
Try damping the heatsinks on the amp. I run strips of EARSD40AL (Michael Percy Audio sells it) along the edges of the fins......a couple of one inch wide strips will do. You can try various other materials as well. I emailed Vincent about this and he said "not surprising".....Will he try it? Who knows. You can try it and let us know. All amps with heatsinks need the heatsinks damped. If you run your fingernail along the heatsink fins and you hear a zing, then you are adding that sound to the output. One of the culprits of "transistor sound".