[karmazynowy]

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

 

[3083joe]

  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]

  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]

  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]

  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]

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.

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]

<...>
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:
 

1. run a battery-operated amp
2. have only linear electronic devices connected to the same group (i.e. no switching power supplies and no CFL lights)
3. 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.