Totaldac D1-Driver, the (pre)amplifier driver

I am not in the habit of starting threads unless I feel a product is of significant enough importance to do so. The Totaldac D1-Driver is such a product. The official product description states D1-Driver, the amplifier driver. I have deliberately added (pre) in the thread title.

The Totaldac website description reads:

The d1-driver is an analog driver. It is usually connected to the output of the DAC.
It is an answer to the endless question "is it better with or without preamp?".
The strength of preamps is there active stage more than their volume control. The active stage helps driving the power amp.

It was designed for directly driving a power (or integrated amplifier!) using the built in Totaldac digital volume control:

Its drive capability allows the d1-driver to improve the sound of a DAC, improving bass control, articulation, presence, soundstage and life. It has been tested when connected between a DAC and a power amplifier (transistor or tube), but also between a DAC and an integrated amplifier. The d1-driver has no volume control because it relies on the DAC volume control.

Around 6 weeks ago we travelled to Slovenia to deliver a SGM Extreme server to Matej Isak for a review. I ended up leaving being deeply impressed by the liveliness and dynamic range of Matej's reference system. Upon asking Matej told me something about the importance of proper gain matching. I did not give it much further thought until we visited forum member Mike Lavigne a few weeks later where he played a few tape cuts with a similarly shocking display of brute force dynamic range. Every since returning I have been searching for explanations for this particular phenomenon. Until I received a pair of Totaldac D1 drivers from Vincent last Friday.

I need to add a bit of history context to this now as I was not unfamiliar with the D1-driver. I have tested an older version before, the current D1-driver is in its second generation now. At that time I was impressed by its dynamic range and transparency, but found it lacking in refinement and micro detail rendering compared to my AudioNet Stern (Euro 35.000) preamplifier. If I remember correctly my commentary to Vincent was "a diamond in the rough". It also did not manage to match the Stern's sound staging abilities, upon which Vincent commented I would probably need a pair to get there. I shipped it back and did not give it much further thought, therefor the penny did not drop until Vincent told me he had a MK2 version of which he was confident it would solve my "issues" and if I would be interested in trying a pair of them. This turned out to be a totally different ballgame. Not only does it manage to match the Stern's sound staging abilities, refinement and micro detailing, it has also improved upon its previous strengths with even better dynamics, and an "Iron grip" control over the lower registers which sounds like it has doubled the already high damping factor of my AudioNet Heisenberg power amplifiers. It has incredible control and slam, at first I thought it was lacking low end extension, but after some back and forth switching it is just much better defined and controlled turning a mass of "1 tone bass" into a variation of cues and pitches. It does give me the eagerly desired dynamic range I found my system lacking of after hearing Matej's digital and Mike's tape. Therefor I consider it to be a substantial product worthy of its own thread.

Using both the Stern and D1 drivers in a DAC - Driver - Preamp configuration does preserve most of these qualities with just a slight decrease in overall transparency, clarity and a loss of ultimate "control". Inserting the Stern creates a slightly more distant, slightly more laid back perspective, where just the drivers give you a closer more direct perspective.

Matej Isak has reviewed the D1-direct and D1 driver here, worth a close read:

https://www.monoandstereo.com/2019/09/totaldac-d1-direct-d1-seven-d1-driver.html

I will copy a few relevant snippets:








To summarize, this is a product to seriously consider, not just to combine with a Totaldac DAC, and not only to replace a preamplifier. But consider trying it with any brand DAC and/or any Pre-amplifier.

 

Hi,
Here is what you get with the Totaldac chain DAC -> d1-drivers -> Amp-1 power amplifier, so no analog attenuator is used here:

The DAC volume control is set to -13dB

 

Here are 3 video recordings of Magico M6 speakers showing the effect of the d1-driver connected between the DAC and the amplifier:

 

Here are 3 video recordings of Magico M6 speakers showing the effect of the d1-driver connected between the DAC and the amplifier:

I would much prefer to hear the TotalDac D150 speakers!

 

I would much prefer to hear the TotalDac D150 speakers!

You will also....

 

I would much prefer to hear the TotalDac D150 speakers!

Totaldac d150 speakers + accordion playing together

 

Where can I buy them in US ?

 

Where can I buy them in US ?

You can order directly from totaldac in France. I will ship to USA.
I received your e-mail thank you.

 

You can order directly from totaldac in France. I will ship to USA.
I received your e-mail thank you.

I got your message, thanks. I know the website mentions it is best for source to amp and also works for source to preamp. Is the benefit best for source to passive preamp or is there any advantage between source to active (tube or solid) preamp.

 

I got your message, thanks. I know the website mentions it is best for source to amp and also works for source to preamp. Is the benefit best for source to passive preamp or is there any advantage between source to active (tube or solid) preamp.

It helps also the active preamps (tube or solid state). This is what I had in mind when writing the web site.

 

A test with and without Totaldac d1-driver has been made again, by a customer, not by Totaldac, with a DCS DAC this time. Very good choices of music.
Thank you very much to him.

with d1-driver:

the same track without d1-driver:

another track with d1-driver:

and without d1-driver:

 

A test with and without d1-driver has be made again, by a customer, not by Totaldac, with a DCS DAC this time. Very good choices of music.
Thank you very much to him.

with d1-driver:

the same track without d1-driver:

another track with d1-driver:

and without d1-driver:

What a big improvement!

 

What a big improvement!

Yes, meaningfull and DCS does not seem to escape to the quite significant law of the d1-driver...
Integrate it or pass through part of a musical truth

hihi

 

As s

Balanced is certainly better for several reasons, including common-mode noise rejection and higher amplitude and thus higher signal to noise ratio, however using the term "true balanced" should be done with a grain of salt.

Most analog balanced outputs on modern equipment, except for maybe pro-audio are not "true balanced". This is because they are driven directly from solid-state or tube circuits and not through a transformer. The original pro audio balanced configuration was always through transformer and terminated with 600 ohms. This has a number of benefits, including the fact that even cheap balanced cables will sound great. The downside is that the transformers must be very good quality and the drivers must easily drive 600 ohms, both adding cost and challenges.

When there is no transformer in the circuit, it cannot be truly balanced because the + and - signals will never be exactly the same amplitude. Impossible. There is also the issue of the + signal and the - signal having the same dynamic characteristics and linearity over frequency. Also difficult to achieve.

This is why I developed the Final Drive transformer isolator/converter. It changes the balanced signals to "true-balanced". The sound quality improvement is obvious with most amps.

As soon as I started hearing what the d1-drivers were, I started thinking about your Final Drive units. They've been out for 5-10 years now, haven't they? The Final Drive transformers aren't the same as the d1-drivers, which seem to be purpose-built active buffer amps, but they've definitely got some things in common about their deployment. I'm still praying to snatch up a pair of them on the used market, haha... Slim chance, I know. Maybe I'll bite the buy-new bullet some day.

Anyway, the d1-driver monos are interesting and I'm looking forward to hearing CKKeung's updated feedback on them + the new Ultimate Silver AVCs. I'm not sure where the secret sauce is, but the feedback has been steller so far and that'll always hook newcomers like me.

Overall, what're you guys thinking about the +€10,600 for the balanced mono block version + €730 for the silver faceplates, +€9,000 for the Bespoke preamp +€3,000 for the Silver upgrade, + €x,xxx for the final Ultimate upgrade? That's getting to be some pretty big money and there are already well-renowned preamps up in that total €25,000 price range.

 

As s

As soon as I started hearing what the d1-drivers were, I started thinking about your Final Drive units. They've been out for 5-10 years now, haven't they? The Final Drive transformers aren't the same as the d1-drivers, which seem to be purpose-built active buffer amps, but they've definitely got some things in common about their deployment. I'm still praying to snatch up a pair of them on the used market, haha... Slim chance, I know. Maybe I'll bite the buy-new bullet some day.

Anyway, the d1-driver monos are interesting and I'm looking forward to hearing CKKeung's updated feedback on them + the new Ultimate Silver AVCs. I'm not sure where the secret sauce is, but the feedback has been steller so far and that'll always hook newcomers like me.

Overall, what're you guys thinking about the +€10,600 for the balanced mono block version + €730 for the silver faceplates, +€9,000 for the Bespoke preamp +€3,000 for the Silver upgrade, + €x,xxx for the final Ultimate upgrade? That's getting to be some pretty big money and there are already well-renowned preamps up in that total €25,000 price range.

The d1-driver are made to work on their own, it is not mandatory to add a passive preamp to them and few people do it.
Recently a customer who found that his system based on active speakers had too much gain asked me a solution. I made a 18dB attenuator based a on a transformer installed in a small box with a short cable as output. It works well.
Most other d1-driver user's use their d1-driver straight between the DAC and the power amplifier (DCS DAC or Totaldac DAC for example).

 

The d1-driver are made to work on their own, it is not mandatory to add a passive preamp to them and few people do it.
Recently a customer who found that his system based on active speakers had too much gain asked me a solution. I made a 18dB attenuator based a on a transformer installed in a small box with a short cable as output. It works well.
Most other d1-driver user's use their d1-driver straight between the DAC and the power amplifier (DCS DAC or Totaldac DAC for example).

Yup, I didn't misunderstand that part.

What I said was that the d1-drivers look to me like they're an active buffer amp with fixed gain. You specialize in this field and it's your product, so I'm not telling you anything, but a buffer amp's job is to buffer a signal from an input to an output by doing things like matching impedances, gain levels, and putting some current or voltage behind it. And since it's active, that means there's an external power source.

Just as you've described, the point is to buffer/drive the DAC's output signal and "match" it to the downstream input, which could be a power amplifier, integrated amplifier, passive preamp, active preamp, a crossover, or even active speakers. Pending the DAC has a volume control section, it handles that and there's no need for other attenuation. The d1-drivers function like a purpose-built active buffer amp section from an active preamp, without volume control.

To me, the really attractive part of your product is right on the product page where it roughly says "the d1-driver was designed for a single DAC output to a single, downstream input. It is not a traditional preamp that caters to 6 inputs and 2 outputs, because that's not what most people have nowadays". And that's me, I don't have 6 sources, I only have 1, and it's a DAC. I'm happy that you have a specialized product that's catering precisely to the modern music lover, not the one from 30-50 years ago. I fight this problem buying components every day, and that's why I'm happy to find out about the d1-drivers and why even at their price point, they're still very attractive.

 

Yup, I didn't misunderstand that part.

What I said was that the d1-drivers look to me like they're an active buffer amp with fixed gain. You specialize in this field and it's your product, so I'm not telling you anything, but a buffer amp's job is to buffer a signal from an input to an output by doing things like matching impedances, gain levels, and putting some current or voltage behind it. And since it's active, that means there's an external power source.

Just as you've described, the point is to buffer/drive the DAC's output signal and "match" it to the downstream input, which could be a power amplifier, integrated amplifier, passive preamp, active preamp, a crossover, or even active speakers. Pending the DAC has a volume control section, it handles that and there's no need for other attenuation. The d1-drivers function like a purpose-built active buffer amp section from an active preamp, without volume control.

To me, the really attractive part of your product is right on the product page where it roughly says "the d1-driver was designed for a single DAC output to a single, downstream input. It is not a traditional preamp that caters to 6 inputs and 2 outputs, because that's not what most people have nowadays". And that's me, I don't have 6 sources, I only have 1, and it's a DAC. I'm happy that you have a specialized product that's catering precisely to the modern music lover, not the one from 30-50 years ago. I fight this problem buying components every day, and that's why I'm happy to find out about the d1-drivers and why even at their price point, they're still very attractive.

Thank you! Yes it is not a traditional but it corresponds to a real need.